Australian syndicator Darby Racing has enjoyed another major return from its New Zealand buying strategy, with Thebudgiesmugla (NZ) (Redwood) continuing his rapid rise through the staying ranks.

The New Zealand-bred son of Redwood has been a revelation since joining Bjorn Baker's Warwick Farm stable, with his dominant victory in Saturday's Listed Caloundra Cup (2400m) further strengthening Darby Racing's faith in sourcing tried horses from across the Tasman.

Thebudgiesmugla has now won seven of his 13 starts and remains unbeaten in five attempts over 2400m, having also claimed the Listed Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Rosehill at his previous start.

Darby Racing's New Zealand blueprint has already delivered Melbourne Cup qualifier Goldman (NZ) (Verdi), who won six races and more than A$663,000 in prizemoney, Brisbane Cup winner Campaldino (NZ) (Ghibellines), whose seven victories have earned more than A$675,000, and multiple Saturday winner Collect Your Cash (NZ) (Rageese), who has won five races and more than A$316,000.

Darby Racing principal Scott Darby said Thebudgiesmugla was another example of why the syndicator keeps returning to New Zealand.

"We use a couple of bloodstock agents in New Zealand," Darby said.

"We've bought most of them through Phill Cataldo, but we've recently linked up with Dave Mee Bloodstock and this was actually a Dave Mee find, and very well found.

"We get a lot of New Zealand horses put across our desk, so we've got to wade through the breeding and race records.

"You've got to make sure there's enough there so you can syndicate the horse as well.

"He'd had four starts for two wins, one of them in a highweight race, and he presented as a proper stayer.

"You never know how far they'll go, but we've had success identifying horses that show genuine staying ability.

"Because our staying ranks aren't that strong here, and in New Zealand the horses have been given their time, once they come over to an Australian trainer, that seems to be a bit of a winning formula.

"They're not all going to be Group horses, but we've certainly had our fair share of success in a short period of time with New Zealand-breds.

"Do you ever dream they're going to get to be winning Group races? No, you're hoping they can be competitive in metro grade, and we've got great prizemoney so it can make those purchases worthwhile quite quickly."

Darby said Goldman was the horse that convinced him New Zealand was a market worth pursuing.

"The whole journey of us purchasing horses from New Zealand started with Goldman, who qualified for a Melbourne Cup," he said.

"He had very modest breeding. We didn't know a lot about the form. We were going off the back of what Robbie Waterhouse advised.

"We had to take a leap of faith to buy this skinny horse that potentially looked like he could stay, but with not a lot of pedigree at all.

"And not knowing the New Zealand form like we do today, that was our first leap of faith. It's certainly paid dividends and it's continued on from there."

Darby said the advice of bloodstock agents Phill Cataldo and Dave Mee had become invaluable, but ultimately the decision still came down to what he saw himself.

"It probably helps that we don't know the form or the tracks as well, because we simply trust our eye.

"Sometimes we'll buy a horse like Thebudgiesmugla and you'll get some flak from people that know a lot more about the form than we do.

"A good example is Collect Your Cash, who has been a multiple Saturday winner. There were people who questioned his form in the South Island, but we just trusted our eye that he was a genuine staying horse."

Darby said experience had taught him the best New Zealand purchases were genuine middle-distance and staying horses.

"I think as we're starting to progress, we've definitely got to hone more into those real staying horses," he said.

"The ones we've bought that suit around a mile, I think the competition obviously really strengthens here. Thus far we haven't done as well with a couple of those, but most of them we've bought as dead-set middle-distance to staying horses and they have been a big success."

For Darby Racing's ownership base, the appeal of the tried horse market is simple.

“A lot of the complaints we get on the yearling front is the wait time,” Darby said. “If you're going to syndicate a yearling that stays or runs middle distance, you can be waiting quite some time unless they're a Derby or an Oaks type.

"Many New Zealand trainers make their living by rearing these horses or buying for not a lot of money at the sales and getting them to a level to sell to Hong Kong or Australia.

"They've done all the hard work. We get to see their ability and try to work out how they'll fit here.

"Our owners love jumping into the tried horses just for that fact of less wait time. You may not have the spectrum of buying a yearling and winning a Golden Slipper, but getting horses to win Saturday level satisfies them."

Thebudgiesmugla will now enjoy a three-week spell before returning to Baker's stable to be aimed at the spring carnival.

While no firm targets have been locked in, another rise through the staying ranks could see the progressive gelding force his way into Melbourne Cup calculations later in the year.

"He wasn't showing a real lot in work, but the minute we stepped him right up in distance, he certainly showed he was going to be up to winning provincial to midweek to even Saturday races," Darby said.

"The rise has been quicker than we all thought, and it particularly surprised Bjorn." - NZ Racing Desk

Speedy youngster in top form for Castletown

Flying filly  Shamelia Kirk (NZ) (Shamexpress) will close out her juvenile campaign at Otaki with confidence in the camp that she can sign off as a black-type winner.

The speedy daughter of Shamexpress will head for a break after Friday’s Listed John Turkington Forestry Castletown Stakes (1200m) with trainer Robbie Patterson bullish of a successful finale.

“She’s done very well since she last raced, I’ve just had to keep her happy,” the New Plymouth horseman said.

“She’s super fit and a heavy track won’t worry her, she’s got that action that allows her to skip over it and the ground will hinder others more than her.

“She’s a lovely horse to deal with, she’s dedicated to her job, but she always grabs the bit and wants to run along. She’s hard to gallop in company because she’s so fast and does a lot of work on her own.”

Patterson is adamant that a winning run on Friday won’t tempt him to return to Otaki a fortnight later for the Listed Phils Electrical & Gypsy Caravans Ryder Stakes (1200m).

“It’s only two weeks apart so she will go out for three weeks in the paddock and then come back for the spring and see where she’s at and how far she will get,” he said.

“She is a very fast filly and whether she’ll get a mile, on breeding she should but you never know, and there’s still some nice targets for three-year-old sprinters all through the season.”

Shamelia Kirk is raced under the EVB Ltd banner of Wayne Darling, who also bred and part-owned close relation Coventina Bay, a two-time Group One winner for Patterson.

“We’re going to have a lot of fun with her and I’d love to see her get a mile, but the way she races you would question if she can get there,” he said.

Shamelia Kirk followed up her debut second at Woodville with a runaway victory at Trentham last time out under apprentice Jim Chung, who will make way for Craig Grylls on Friday.

“Craig always gets first pick if he’s available, Jim did a great job last time but we have to go for the senior rider,” Patterson said.

He also likes the chances of Yaldy Time at Otaki where the Time Test three-year-old will step out in the Jennian Homes Maiden (1200m) off the back of a runner-up finish at Woodville after a tardy start.

“If he does everything right at the gates, I’d like to think he’d be winning,” Patterson said.

He also holds a strong hand in the Hawera Club 3YO (1600m) at Saturday’s Egmont meeting with Capaci and Belles Boom in prime order.

“I can’t split them, they’re both nice horses and going very well,” Patterson said.

Third in the Gr.3 Eulogy Stakes (1600m) last preparation, Capaci was a dominant winner last time out at Wanganui while Belles Boom has placed in both appearances since returning from a spell. - Paul Vettise

Bourbon Proof lapping up beach lifestyle

Life at the beach seems to be agreeing with Bourbon Proof (Justify), who has recently joined Michelle Bradley’s Ruakaka barn, and the son of Justify is set to make his stable debut for the Northland horsewoman at his new home track this weekend.

Formerly trained by Stephen Marsh, Bourbon Proof won two races for the Cambridge horseman, but he has struggled to find form of late and his connections decided a change of environment was in order, and they set their sights north to Bradley’s seaside operation.

“He is a nice horse and he has been here for a few weeks now,” Bradley said. “One of the owners came up with the idea to send him up and Stephen (Marsh) spoke with the rest of the owners, and they decided to try something new with him.

“He has come up here for a change of environment to try and get him back on his game. I am happy enough with him, he has been working really well.

“He has been down to the beach a bit and is heading down there again tomorrow (Thursday). He is settling in well.”

Saturday’s Northpine Waipu Cup (1600m) will be his first appearance for the stable, and Bradley is hoping she has him up to the mark, with the gelding having last raced over a mile at Te Rapa in May.

“It’s been a while between runs so hopefully I haven’t been too soft on him,” she said.

Bradley will be represented by a handful of other runners at her home meeting, the first at Ruakaka in six months, and Bradley said it has been a long time coming.

“It has been a while,” she said. “In the past we are racing May-June and this year we are waiting until July. It is a bit of a wait, but I am looking forward to it.

“There is no travel, which is fantastic, and I am just hoping they all perform well and it ends up being a nice, sunny day.”

Iridescent will be seeking back-to-back wins in the Whangarei/Toots ITM (1200m), having won over 1200m at Ellerslie last month, and Bradley is hopeful of a repeat performance.

“I am really happy with her,” Bradley said. “I could have run her prior to this race but I thought I would keep her fresh and run her here on her home track. She is bouncing, she is really well. I would like to think she will be right up there again.”

Three-year-old filly Watermelon Sugar has finished fifth in her last three outings and Bradley is hoping for an improved result this weekend in the Warkworth ITM (1200m).

“We just need a bit of luck,” Bradley said. “She has got a better barrier draw (5) and I am super happy with her, so hopefully Saturday is her day.”

Arabella and Dubai Rockin have both drawn wide in the 18 July – Racing Again @ Ruakaka (1200m), while seven-year-old gelding Bosch will contest the ITM/GIB Whangarei Gold Cup (2100m).

“Arabella hasn’t run for a while,” Bradley said. “I had a couple of niggly issues to work through with her and we are all sorted with that now.

“Dubai Rockin I am choosing to ride cold anyway, so the barrier draw doesn’t affect him too much.

“They will both improve with their runs.

“Bosch has got a nice weight (54kg) but he hasn’t drawn a good barrier for a number of starts now, which is quite frustrating. He loves his home track and we have just got to make a plan and see how we run.

“I am happy with him and he looks great.”

Meanwhile, Bradley said her smart juvenile She’s No Saint is coming up well, and she is being readied for next month’s Gr.3 Cambridge Stud Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m).

“She is really well, she is in work and she is going to have her first run along within the next week,” Bradley said. “She has grown a lot and is developing into a lovely filly.

“The Northland Breeders’ will be her first major assignment, she will have a run before then and we will go from there.” - Joshua Smith

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