Karaka Millions show goes on even as tragedy strikes famous racing family

Torture is now equal favourite for the Karaka Millions Two-Year-Old. Photo / Bruno Cannatelli

Two of the favourites for next week’s Karaka Millions meeting have arrived in New Zealand even as their trainers have been rocked by tragedy.

Sistema Railway contender Arkansaw Kid and Karaka Millions Two-Year-Old hope Torture are both already here and stabled with Lance Noble at Karaka as they ready for their combined $1.7million worth on targets at Ellerslie on Saturday week.

They arrived on Sunday as their trainers, the Hayes brothers, made up of Ben, JD and Will, had to evacuate horses from their Lindsay Park property at Euroa in rural Victoria because of bushfires.

While over 100 of their horses were able to be trucked to safety, seven of the Lindsay Park horses couldn’t be rescued and died while another is in critical condition.

Senior training partner Ben Hayes also lost his home to the fires.

Under those circumstances the brothers could have been excused for pulling out of the New Zealand campaign with their two horses but, as is so often the case in racing, the show rolls on.

“Both horses are here and I am pretty sure they are going to Ellerslie next Tuesday (January 20) for a gallop on the course proper,” confirmed Noble.

Noble, who is a private trainer for Sir Brendan and Lady Jo Lindsay, will also have the four-year-old the Lindsays own, Silver Wedding, arriving at his stables next weekend as trainer Ciaron Maher sends it across for the $1m Aotearoa Classic, the four-year-old race at the Karaka Millions meeting.

With Arkansaw Kid now a definite starter in the Railway, the Group 1 sprint is starting to look very strong, with fellow Victorian speedster Jigsaw also confirmed as coming and local favourite Alabama Lass looking sharp in her Ellerslie trial on Sunday.

Last season’s two-time Group 1 winner Grail Seeker is also a confirmed Railway entry but stablemate Tomodachi won’t back up from the Telegraph at Trentham and will instead head to the BCD Sprint at Te Rapa on February 7.

Torture may not be owned by the Lindsays but they will have a vested interest in how the filly performs as she is by their Cambridge Stud stallion, Sword Of State, who has had an impressive start to his stud career and also has the favourite Warwoven in the Magic Millions Two-Year-Old on the Gold Coast this Saturday.

Torture, who won on debut then ran on well for fourth last start, will be ridden by star international jockey Damian Lane.

Lane will also partner Argo in the Karaka Millions Three-Year-Old, Checkmate in the Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic and Espionage in the Sistema Railway.

The Aotearoa Classic is shaping as one of the best betting races of the Millions meeting with Checkmate and Tuxedo $5 equal favourites but with little recent winning form among some of those under $10.

The founder of now-transtasman syndication company OTI, Terry Henderson, confirmed to the Herald that its four-year-old, Knobelas, will arrive in Auckland on Saturday to contest the Aotearoa Classic even after a luckless run in Melbourne on the weekend.

Auckland Thoroughbred Racing will open the Ellerslie course proper for gallops this Thursday and also next Tuesday, with many of the Australians likely to favour the later date to familiarise their horses with the right-handed track.

Other Australian horses coming for the meeting include the two Queensland fillies, Dream Roca and Vanzadee, both trained by Liam Birchley.

The all-important barrier draws for the two Karaka Millions sales races will be held at the Karaka sales complex on Wednesday, January 21, and be shown live on Trackside from 10.30am.

Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald’s Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world’s biggest horse racing carnivals.