Harron makes triumphant return to Karaka
James Harron has not made the trip to New Zealand for the Karaka yearling sale for a number of years, but on Sunday he etched his name on the buyers’ sheet when he combined with TFI and Michael Freedman to purchase a filly by former super star shuttler Too Darn Hot (Dubawi) for $675,000.
“She has been bought with Michael Freedman and TFI in a filly partnership,” said Harron. “All the team loved her and she is one we all came together on. She is just a very classy filly from a lovely family, a very exciting stallion from a very good farm in Curraghmore who just keeps getting winner after winner.
“A lovely filly with a lovely profile, it all stacked up and we were glad to get her.”
Harron said he was on the complex looking for staying type of fillies and believes the Curraghmore-offered youngster will be suited to longer distances.
“She is very important to that strategy because she exemplifies everything we are looking for from this sale,” he said.
“When we are looking at the fillies over here we are looking for what New Zealand does well and that is the mile, mile-and-a-half fillies who can maybe get over that Oaks distance and she certainly had that Classic look about her.
“She had a lovely attitude, nice long movement, and was very economical in how she did everything. That is what we are looking for and targeting.
“Through the year we will pick up our two-year-old types. We wanted a more diverse spread of fillies that are going to do different things and that was the idea behind the strategy with the group before the start of this year.
“A lovely filly who has got that Classic look with the right farm behind her and the right pedigree, and let’s just hope we get a bit of luck.”
Out of the placed So You Think (High Chaparral) mare On The Ball, the filly is half-sister to Listed winner and Group 1-placed mare Archaic Smile (Saxon Warrior).
Curraghmore’s Cunningham told ANZ Bloodstock News that the filly had always been a stand-out and said he was happy to see her well received by the buyers.
“We’ve always had a big opinion of this filly, an extremely athletic filly from a young mare which has a record on the board. She is by a top young sire in Too Darn Hot,” he said.
“We have to think she has all the credentials to be a top–class racehorse and was bought by a great judge in James Harron. It’s always good when the hammer falls and we are delighted with the price.”