Racing

Racing Team Builds Riverrock Farm’s Momentum in Ready to Run Sale Countdown

New Zealand Bloodstock

— 4 min read
Racing Team Builds Riverrock Farm’s Momentum in Ready to Run Sale Countdown
Aliesha & Chad Ormsby at Karaka 2026 Photo: NZB

As he prepares a select draft of four colts for next week’s NZB Ready to Run Sale at Karaka, Riverrock Farm’s Chad Ormsby has been given a timely boost by another branch of his business.

The multi-talented horseman has also trained six winners from only 15 starters since the beginning of the current New Zealand season on August 1, including an impressive double at Tauherenikau last Sunday by O’Sweet Darling (Zousain) and Spiritus (NZ) (Ancient Spirit).

A withdrawal from Riverrock’s draft for the 2024 Ready to Run Sale, O’Sweet Darling has now won three of her four starts and has a bright future in front of her. Spiritus, meanwhile, cleared maiden ranks in good style in the fifth start of his career.

“The stable’s trucking along nicely at the right time and giving us a little bit of momentum heading into the sale next week,” Ormsby said.

“We always have a select group of horses around us, whether it be our racing team or sale horses, and being able to get the very best out of them is really rewarding.

“To get those back-to-back wins on Sunday was very satisfying, and I think they’re a couple of nice horses in the making. O’Sweet Darling has missed out in only one of her four starts, and she had excuses that day. You could almost say she shouldbe unbeaten. She’s putting things together nicely and will hopefully have the opportunity to race for black type later this season.

Chad leads Outovstock to the ring at the 2022 Ready to Run Sale. Photo: NZB

“We’ve been playing around with Spiritus for a little while and just letting him mature in his own time. He has a few tools in his toolbox now and has the ability to go through the grades.”

Ormsby’s training career complements Riverrock Farm’s sales-preparation business, which has seen them offering two-year-olds at the Ready to Run Sale throughout the last decade.

Their Ready to Run Sale two-year-olds have sold for up to $775,000, and their notable graduates include Group One winner Pulchritudinous (NZ) (Wrote), Group Two winner Immediacy (NZ) (Tarzino) and Group Three winners Sakura Girl (NZ) (Iffraaj) and Outovstock (NZ) (Tavistock).

Riverrock Farm’s four colts for the 2026 edition of the Ready to Run Sale are:

  • Lot 175, by Alabama Express out of the Group Two Doomben Roses (2000m) winner Bohemian Lily (NZ) (O’Reilly). From four foals to race, Bohemian Lily is the dam of two winners including the Group Two-placed Lily’s Lady (NZ) (Contributer). Bohemian Lily is a full-sister to multiple Group One winner Shamrocker (NZ) (O’Reilly) and Group Three winner and Group One-placed Vernanme (NZ) (O’Reilly). Her half-sister Rock Diva (NZ) (Lucky Unicorn) is also a Group One winner.
  • Lot 284, by Royal Meeting out of High Class (NZ) (Shocking). Herself a two-race winner and Listed-placed, High Class is a half-sister to Group Two winner Real Class (NZ) (Vadamos) and stakes placegetter Righteous Mate (NZ) (Savabeel).
  • Lot 349, by sire of the moment Sword Of State. This colt is a half-brother to the Group Two and Group Three placegetter Bella Montagna (NZ) (Belardo).
  • Lot 383, by quality stallion Per Incanto and from a successful black-type family.
     
Lot 175 (outside) & Lot 383 (inside) | Photo: NZB
Lot 284 airborne at the recent Breeze Ups | Photo: NZB

“It’s a select draft this year, a bit by design,” Ormsby said. “We’re keeping it nice and neat and going back to the roots of what we do at Riverrock – focussing on that quality. We’ve landed with four really cracking horses.

“I’m really pleased with how the whole preparation has gone, how the Breeze Ups went and everything they’ve all done since then as well.

“I’m excited to get them up to Karaka and put them in front of the buyers.

“When it’s a smaller draft, it’s a lot harder to say there’s a standout. We’ve done all the work on all four horses since they were yearlings, and we’re really proud of the progress they’ve all made.

“The Alabama Express is obviously by a quality sire and out of a really prominent New Zealand family on the dam’s side – a family that Vern Trillo built up over a number of years.

“Although we got this colt in Australia, he’s very much a New Zealand horse. He’s just a cracking type as well – probably a good example of a New Zealand-bred horse. He could even be the type of horse that could become a stallion.”

The 2026 edition of the Ready to Run Sale will take place at the Karaka Sales Centre from 11am (NZT) on 18 & 19 November.

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