Rising age group star Blind Raise continues to add further honours to his already decorated family.
The Oaks Stud-bred and sold three-year-old landed top honours in Saturday’s Gr.3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude (1400m) to now share favouritism for the upcoming Gr.1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m).
Prepared by expatriate New Zealanders Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young, he is a grandson of the Cambridge nursery’s former two-time New Zealand Horse of the Year Seachange.
The daughter of Cape Cross was a seven-time Group One winner in the colours of The Oaks principal Dick Karreman when trained by Ralph Manning.
“She was a freak and is still here in retirement, she’s great and strong as an ox,” The Oaks General Manager Rick Williams said.
“All branches of the Seachange family have been winning, they’re flying at the moment and we’re still breeding from seven or eight of the family, daughters and granddaughters.”
By Ace High, Blind Raise is the second foal of the Darci Brahma mare Away Cruising and has won four of his five starts, with Listed successes in the McKenzie Stakes (1300m) and Anzac Day Stakes (1400m) preceding his Prelude victory.
“He’s an exciting horse and could be the real deal, Trent’s been telling me for some time that he really is,” Williams said.
“He was a beautiful yearling, he was a big, kind horse and has stayed that way. He’s got all the talent, that’s for sure.
“He initially got passed in at Karaka and we thought we might race him, but Trent was always interested and bought him (for $70,000) two or three days later.
“We’re a shareholder in Ace High and he’s building a nice profile as a stallion.”
Away Cruising also has a juvenile brother to Blind Raise, who didn’t make it to New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale.
“He’s a very similar horse, possibly a bit stronger, but rolled in his paddock and got his feet through the rails and took a whole lot of skin off just a few days before we were going up,” Williams said.
“It was only superficial, but we had to pull him out. Blind Raise hadn’t raced at that stage so he’s worth a lot more now. He’s been broken in and is ready to go and do something.”
Not surprisingly, Busuttin hasn’t been backward in keeping tabs on the colt.
“Trent’s been ringing me and been asking what we’re doing with him, we haven’t decided yet. There’s no hurry, he’ll be an after Christmas two-year-old anyway,” Williams said.
“We’ve got a nice Almanzor colt going to the sales next year out of the mare, who is due to foal to him again next month, but haven’t decided what she will do after that.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
