Curraghmore added three new wins to the season tally over the weekend.
The Stephen Marsh-trained Rip Em Up was first to post success when winning at Tauranga on Saturday in the Worlds End Bar and Restaurant Fraser Cove 2100.
Bred by Darrel Hollinshead, Rip Em Up was purchased by Go Racing out of Curraghmore's 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale draft.
Rip Em Up has been in good form this campaign and was coming off the back of a last start second at Matamata. She now has four wins to her credit and has run in the money in each of her three starts this preparation.
"It was great to see her win for Go Racing and Stephen Marsh," Curraghmore's Gordon Cunningham said. "It will add to her value as a potential broodmare as she is so well-related, from Darrel's great family that includes Te Akau Shark."
On Sunday three-year-old filly Lisheen made her debut at Te Aroha in the Pike Racing Maiden (1200m).
Lisheen had been untroubled winning off the front when trialling on 2 March at Rotorua, and overcame barrier 10 to race outside Caminata in front. The pair settled down to battle it out to the line with Lisheen getting the upperhand in the concluding stages.
Bred by Shelley Frost and her late mother Raewyn Ramage, Lisheen is raced by Cunningham who was thrilled with her win.
"We were delighted with the performance from Lisheen to win on debut to beat what looks like a good filly in Caminata," he said. "She was trained to perfection by Jamie Richards and ridden well by Danielle Johnson.
"She was born and raised at Curraghmore and offered by very good clients at the weanling sale. It was lovely to be able to buy the filly from them, from a very good family that they’ve produced and we’ve had a lot of success with on the farm.
“We liked her from birth and as she grew and developed. We were delighted to have the opportunity to send her to Te Akau.
“Her mother, Invermoray, is a sister to Velocitea, who was a very good filly in Australia, winning the Goodwood and three other stakes’ races, and is also a half-sister to Maastricht, who is the dam of dual Group One winning sprinter Loving Gaby. So, it’s a family that we’re very fond of that’s for sure.”
Rounding out the trio of winners was Beluga in Hong Kong on Sunday night.
Bred by Mattrans (VIC) Pty Ltd, Beluga was sold as a yearling through Curraghmore's New Zealand Bloodstock draft in 2018, when purchased by a group of owners to pinhook for the Ready To Run 2YO through the draft of Riversley Park.
The consistent gelding has now won three races and placed a further five times from ten starts.
"It was great to see Beluga win on Derby night in Hong Kong," Cunningham said. "He was among several New Zealand-bred winners on the night which was terrific to see.
"We were also delighted for Highden Park who produced Sky Darci that won the Derby which reinforces the value of horses from New Zealand that are competing on the international stage, and winning, against opponents who often have a greater price tag."
