Boutique breeders hit trans-Tasman Group jackpot

[Wandering Eyes]

Family runs deep and fast for Northland couple Dirk and Nicci Oberholster who are enjoying a magical run with their small broodmare band.

The Totara Park Stud principals are breeding from three closely related mares from the family of superstar Winx, with half-sisters Miss Vegas and Miss Bluebell combining at the weekend for a memorable winning double.

Carlton House’s unraced daughter Miss Vega was firstly to the fore at Trentham as the dam of Vegas Queen (NZ) (Proisir), who produced a tenacious performance to land the Gr.2 Wellington Guineas (1400m).

Trained by Kenny Rae, the Proisir three-year-old made all the running under rider Wiremu Pinn and was gallant in the run home to keep her rivals at bay.

Miss Bluebell’s son Gringotts (NZ) (Per Incanto) chimed in later when the Ciaron Maher representative took his earnings beyond A$3.6 million with victory in the Gr.1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill.

It was a maiden top-flight victory for the son of Per Incanto, who was sold through Archer Park’s draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s 2021 Book 1 Yearling Sale to Kasa Bloodstock for $100,000. He was then reoffered through Kilmore Farm’s New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale draft later that year but failed to meet his $450,000 reserve, but was subsequently sold privately after winning a trial at Waipa for Simon and Katrina Alexander.

Vegas Queen was retained and is raced with good friends Matt and Mandy Brown under their Ngapuke Racing banner and The Magpies, numbering Nicci Oberholster’s son Kurt Benney and mates.

“Mandy used to train for my Dad many, many years ago and they had a great relationship,” she said.

“Vegas Queen races in her colours and they came up for the weekend and it was fabulous. It was Mandy who suggested she run in the Guineas, it hadn’t been on anybody else’s radar to be fair.

“Kurt is my youngest son and plays for the Kamo Rugby Club, The Magpies, and they had a little betting syndicate and he’s involved with five of his mates.

“They just wanted to have a bit of fun and drink a bit of beer, they’re very good at both those things.”

Vegas Queen has now won twice from nine appearances, but it hasn’t been all plain sailing.

“Kenny and her strapper who rides her, Sera-Lee Knight, have done a fabulous job with her because she’s not an easy filly and quite tough,” Oberholster said.

Vegas Queen is the first foal of Miss Vegas with the second a Proisir gelding who sold for $160,000 to Riversley Park through the Highline Thoroughbreds draft at Karaka.

He subsequently made $650,000 when reoffered at the Ready to Run Sale and the dam also has a yearling colt by Proisir and is in foal to Noverre.

Gringotts’ dam Miss Bluebell, an unraced daughter of Savabeel, has a colt at foot by Satono Aladdin, who is likely to be sold at Karaka.

“We sent her all the way down to Per Incanto, but she came home empty,” Nicci Oberholster said.

“We’d love a filly out of the mare, that’s why we sent her to Per Incanto to hopefully get a sister to Gringotts that we could keep.

“We’re having discussions again, but for mine it would be hard not to send her back again.”

The third member of the breeding trio is Shocking mare Vegas Strip, a four-time winning half-sister to Miss Vegas and Miss Bluebell who had a filly foal by Noverre last season. 

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