One is an unexpected early speedster; the other a natural-born juvenile performer out to avenge the defeat of a former stable runner.
Those are the opposing stories behind the top Australian entries Sell In May and Ockham’s Razor in the New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Million at Ellerslie on January 29. Both are scheduled to arrive in New Zealand on Saturday to prepare for New Zealand’s richest race.
Sell In May, trained by John Sadler, is the leading Karaka Million qualifier with $56,172 in stake money courtesy of her surprise win in a A$70,000 fillies’ race at Flemington on December 10. The top 14 two-year-olds on stake earnings qualify for entry in the Karaka Million, New Zealand Bloodstock’s incentive race for graduates of its National Yearling Sale.
“We are not known as a two-year-old stable but we were lucky with her [Sell In May] because every time we have lifted the bar she has just gone up that little bit,” says stable general manager Troy Corstens, son of legendary trainer Leon. “It's really nice when you go in expecting not a lot and they come out and do that – it’s a really nice surprise.”
Corstens says it had been difficult to get a guide on the $100,000 Starcraft yearling until now as she had never been under any real pressure. Even in her trial she was “hard on the bit the whole way”.
Sell In May was beaten a length in a Cranbourne barrier trial on November 28 but in a time that was more than three seconds slower than the other 800 metre heats. A final trial gallop the ‘Ellerslie-way-round’ confirmed her trip to Auckland where she will be ridden by top Melbourne jockey Ben Melham.
Now partner with Sadler in the new stable known as Malua Racing, Corstens has been responsible for the purchase and sale of many stars including international champion sprinter Starspangledbanner and Group I winner Helenus.
Meanwhile, reports are that Ockham’s Razor continues to thrive since his debut outing for second to Sweet Little Lies at Caulfield earlier this month. That effort earned the son of Rich Hill Stud stallion, Any Suggestion, $16,575 and catapulted him into fifth spot in the Karaka Million Order of Entry.
The $170,000 Karaka yearling is trained at Mornington by Anthony Freedman, brother of Lee Freedman who prepared Chateauneuf Dupape for the Listed Karaka Million last year from the same base. The son of Darci Brahma, however, suffered an interrupted run in the straight and finished eighth, less than three lengths from the winner Fort Lincoln. On his very next run on the course he finished third in the Group I Diamond Stakes.
The powerful Freedman stable is confident Ockham’s Razor has the firepower to atone and become the second Australian-trained winner of the Karaka Million in the last three years. Sister Havana was an easy winner of the 2010 event before running a brave third in the Matamata Breeders’ Stakes.
Leading big-race rider Craig Williams is expected to be flown over for the Ockham’s Razor mount.
Ockham’s Razor is out of the winning Japanese-bred mare Shadow Ray and is half-brother to Jungle Juice, the winner of the Listed Bonecrusher Stakes at Ellerslie in 2009. A sister to Ockham's Razor will be offered by Rich Hill Stud at the Karaka Select Sale which starts on February 1.