Hometown sale a happy hunting ground

Kavanagh Racing has been actively assembling an impressive group of yearlings from around the country to bring future success to their Flemington stable.

With handpicked yearlings already purchased from the major Australian and New Zealand sales, Kavanagh Racing has added another two exciting purchases to their growing list from the recent Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale.

After extensive pre-parade inspections at the Morphettville sales complex, a couple of standout out types caught Mark and Levi Kavanagh’s eyes that they were resolute to secure.

Kavanagh Racing’s first purchase was Lot 31, from the Mill Park draft. A Eurozone (Northern Meteor) colt for $120,000, he is closely related to Mark’s seven-time stakes winner and South Australian bred Racehorse of the Year, Catapulted (Catbird).

As soon as we saw him we knew we had to have him; he reminded us so much of Catapulted. He was an exceptional galloper for the stable, earning nearly $1,000,000 in prize money for his connections. He was one of the rare horses in the country to win stakes races in three states,” Levi said.

“This colt is by promising young stallion Eurozone, who had a listed winner the other day, and looks to be a real sire of the future.”

“He is such a nice type and was a real standout. He was always going to bring good money, and I am not surprised he made six figures.”

Catapulted has earned a soft spot with the Kavanagh family, and is now living out his retirement on their Gisborne based farm.

“It’s lovely that Catapulted is back home to welcome his little nephew when he arrives from the sales. He has been a valuable nanny to our younger horses, and he will be now known as Uncle Catapulted to this colt.”

“He is part of the family down here, and hopefully he teaches this little guy a few tricks of the trade. He would have some great stories to tell.”

The Eurozone colt is the second foal out of the talented mare Fast And Loose (Fastnet Rock), a $360,000 Easter yearling from Mill Park, who was also trained by the Kavanagh stable. A haft-sister to Catapulted, she ran a gallant fourth in the Listed Queen Adelaide Stakes as a juvenile at only her second start.

Catapulted a son of Catbird, was a $90,000 purchase by Mark also from Mill Park at the 2007 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale.

South Australian born and bred, they have remarkable success in the past at this sale and Kavanagh Racing and Mill Park have forged a fantastic and longstanding relationship through many rewarding racetrack triumphs.

Other top-class performers purchased from the South Australian nursery and the MM Adelaide sale include Kavanagh’s Blue Diamond and Redoute’s Choice’s first Group 1 winner Undoubtedly, and four-time Group 1 champion mare, Divine Madonna.

“It makes sense to go back to the well, as we have done brilliantly with the Mill Park horses we have purchased in the past.”

“We used their farm for spelling horses when we were training in Adelaide, and have found their undulating country and sandy paddocks, produce sound and strong horses with good bone,” Levi said.

Kavanagh’s second yearling purchase was the cleverly bought Excelebration (Exceed And Excel) colt offered as Lot 90 from Princess Park Thoroughbred Farm for $36,000.

Speaking with Princess Park’s yearling manager Jenny Saunders, he was a lovely colt, which will no doubt “jump and run’.

Displaying another strong South Australian association, the dam is Encosta De Lago mare Lacey’s Secret, a daughter of the Adelaide Cup winner Lacey Underall (Desert Sun).

“He had great presence, with a good hindquarter and already walks like a mature two-year-old. With a strong colt head, deep girth and a beautiful rich liver chestnut coat, I am not surprised he caught Levi’s eye,” Saunders said.

“As soon as we saw him he looked like an early two-year-old runner. We have been keeping an eye on the stallion and his progeny, and we think he will be a successful young stallion. For the price, he was a marvelous buy,” Levi said.

“I am looking forward to getting them back home, and they will certainly bolster the next generation of up and coming gallopers that we have selected at the 2018 yearling sales.

“I am excited about the future of Kavanagh Racing and hope this group of yearlings will carry us to many successes on the track in the years to come.”