IRISHMAN Gordon Cunningham owns Curraghmore Stud in New Zealand, and he and his farm have built a huge reputation for breeding and raising quality stock.

This week, on behalf of a client, they sold a filly from the last crop of Cambridge Stud’s Tavistock (Montjeu) at the yearling sale in New Zealand for $160,000 to Trilogy Racing in New South Wales.

At the time of entry the filly was a half-sister to a pair of winners, her three-year-old full-brother being unraced. The sale prospects improved a little when that gelding, named Asterix, won a maiden. He was entitled to be at least a winner, given that he brought $450,000 as a breezer at the sales.

Imagine the delight of Cunningham and his team as they watched the weekend’s racing at Ellerslie and they saw that maiden winner Asterix graduate to winning the Group 1 New Zealand Derby. Suddenly their upcoming offering took on more significance, and her price in the ring reflected the increased interest.

The surprise result was in fact a second New Zealand Derby win in a row for the Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott stable, and Asterix was the second stakes winner of the day bred by Go Bloodstock. His classic win took to 34 the number of stakes winners sired by the Group 1 winning sprinter Tavistock.

He sadly died at the age of just 14.

Special mention

Asterix is out of the stakes-placed Mourasana (Shirocco), and she won twice in France after selling at Goffs as a foal for €66,000 and in Arqana as a yearling for €100,000. Last spring she was covered by Ocean Park (Thorn Park).

Mourasana is a half-sister to the Group 2 Prix de Royallieu winner Mouramara (Kahyasi). The last-named mare is worthy of a special mention.

Mouramara is dam of the Group 1 Sydney Cup winner Mourayan (Alhaarth) and the Listed March Stakes winner Mourilyan (Desert Prince) who ran third in the 2009 Group 1 Melbourne Cup won by Shocking. Another of the mare’s sons is the multiple Grade 2 winning and Grade 1-placed hurdler Mourad (Sinndar).