High-flying Westbury Stud stallion Tarzino enjoyed strong support at the Gold Coast National Yearling Sale this week and his profile is poised to go up another notch on Saturday.
The dual Group 1-winning son of Tavistock’s progeny were popular in the ring with the Karaka farm’s draft results headlined by a top price of $A300,000 and further racetrack success beckons at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Tarzino’s Australasian stallion status was significantly boosted by the victory of Jungle Magnate, since sold to Hong Kong interests, in the G1 South Australia Derby victory and daughter Gypsy Goddess will run favourite in the G1 Queensland Oaks.
Like Jungle Magnate’s former trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, Gypsy Goddess’ conditioner David Vandyke is a huge fan of the sire.
“I have got a few by Tarzino. I love the breed, they are tough, but they just need a little bit of time,” the Sunshine Coast-based trainer said.
“I bought three Tarzinos from Karaka. I have still got to syndicate them so I am hoping Gypsy can win on Saturday to help me get them done.”
Runner-up in the G1 Australian Oaks, Gypsy Goddess also finished second from the outside barrier in the Listed Gold Coast Bracelet and rider William Pike will again have to weave his magic from the widest gate of all on Saturday.
“I will leave it up to Willie, I am not too sure where she will be in the run,” Vandyke said.
“She has got good form going into this and she deserves to be favourite as far as ability goes. We have kept lifting the bar and she has kept jumping through the hoops.”
Gypsy Goddess was raised at Gordon Cunningham’s Curraghmore and after failing to meet her $20,000 reserve at Karaka is raced by co-breeder Chris Lawler with a syndicate that includes Bob Jones, one of Vandyke’s biggest stable clients.
Westbury principal Gerry Harvey will be represented in the Oaks as the breeder of Nom De Plume, Rosie Impact and Chase ‘N’ Tanya.
By El Roca, Nom De Plume didn’t get the rub of the green when unplaced in the G2 The Roses from an outside alley.
“On paper it might look plain, but the first four favourites were drawn one, two, three, four, and that’s the way they finished,” Patterson said.
“They got soft trips and she was last on the turn, and you can’t make up that ground when they walk mid-race.”
The Harvey-bred and sold Hasta La Roca will also be in action on the Eagle Farm card in the Listed Lightning Handicap. She looks a top chance again for trainer Lloyd Kennewell following the El Roca four-year-old’s last-start success in the Bat Out Of Hell at the Gold Coast.
In the lead-up to Saturday’s meeting, Westbury celebrated top results at the Gold Coast Sale with Tarzino’s youngsters and agents Catheryne Bruggeman and Paul Moroney went to A$300,000 with Sears Racing for a colt out of the More Than Ready mare Please Leave.
He has a strong black-type pedigree that includes the G1 Golden Slipper Stakes runner-up Shovhog and the Group winners Frolic, Spurtonic, Leveller, Carnegie House, I’m Your Venus and Bam’s On Fire.
Mick Price also parted with A$170,000 for the son of Tarzino out of Singa Songa, dam of stakes performer Dreamquest and a grandson of the G1 Brisbane Cup winner Portland Singa while Rick Connolly paid A$100,000 for the half-brother to G1 Doomben 10,000 winner Music Magnate.