Stakes-winning duo catalogued on gavelhouse
Group 3 winner Fashion Shoot (Savabeel) and stakes scorer Viva Vienna (All Too Hard), who were both raced by Te Akau, are the stand-out lots catalogued on gavelhouse.com’s latest fortnightly auction.
“They’re two really nice mares that have quality pedigrees behind them and performed very well on the track, and now we’re looking forward to seeing what they do in this next stage of their careers,” Te Akau principal David Ellis said
Bred by Waikato Stud in partnership with Howard and Pam Forbes, Fashion shoot is out of dual Group 3 winner High Fashion (O’Reilly) and her seven wins were headed by her stunning last-to-first performance in the Canterbury Breeders’ Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m). She earned NZ$329,307 in career prize-money.
“It’s hard to beat stakes-winning Savabeel mares as broodmare prospects, they have such enormous value,” said Ellis, who paid $320,000 for the mare at Book 1 of the New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale.
“Fashion Shoot always showed a lot of promise, and her performance to win the Canterbury Breeders’ Stakes was absolutely stunning. Coming from two lengths last in a field of 16 to win the way she did, it was as good a win as we’ve seen by any horse all season.
“Winning a stakes race was very important for a mare like her. She’s exceptionally well bred and is a highly commercial proposition.”
Viva Vienna was bought by Ellis for $100,000 from Book 1 of Karaka 2022. She recorded two wins and two placings from five highly promising starts as a two-year-old.
The filly carried on in a similar vein as a spring three-year-old, scoring smart wins in both of her first two starts including this season’s Canterbury Belle Stakes (Listed, 1200m) at Riccarton and also finished a brave second in the Barneswood Farm Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m) at Ashburton.
Viva Vienna finished her career with nine starts for four wins, three placings and $137,275 in stakes.
“She showed a huge amount of talent from day one,” Ellis said. “Our vet Doug Black bought a share in her, so he must have been very impressed with her as a type.
“Her dam is by an out and out champion stallion in Snitzel, who’s the broodmare sire of the likes of this season’s Doncaster Handicap and Randwick Guineas winner Celestial Legend and Group 1-winning juvenile Velocious.”