Showcasing Colt Swoops in Karaka Million

Sunday, Ellerslie, New Zealand 
KARAKA MILLION-Listed, NZ$1,000,000, ELL, 1-25, 2yo, 6fT, 1:10.63, gd. 
1–#HARDLINE (NZ), 125, g, 2, by Showcasing (GB) 
     1st Dam: Midnight Breaker (NZ), by Housebuster 
     2nd Dam: Midnight Madam (NZ), by Kaapstad (NZ) 
     3rd Dam: Midnight Lady (NZ), by Ivory Hunter 
(NZ$43,000 wnl ‘13 NZBMIX; NZ$130,000 yrl ‘14 
NZBSEL) O-Mr M A Mclean, Mr S A Mclean, Mr T L 
Carmichael, Mr G D Carmichael, Mr C J Wessel, Mr S 
T Mcvicar, Mr G Sullivan, Mr E D Giacobone, Mr J R 
Joyce, Mr P J Daniel, Mr R W Sargent, Mr P J 
Mcpherson; B-W H & Est late T M Hurlstone; T-Liam 
Birchley; J-Damian Browne. NZ$550,500. Lifetime 
Record: 3-2-0-0, NZ$565,497. Werk Nick Rating: 
2–Selfie (NZ), 125, g, 2, Thewayyouare–Miss Brownie 
(Aus), by Redoute’s Choice (Aus). (NZ$40,000 yrl ‘14 
NZBFST) O-A O Avis; B-Windsor Park Stud Ltd; T- 
Richard Collett. NZ$170,000. 
3–Dal Cielo (NZ), 125, g, 2, Per Incanto–Cent From 
Heaven (NZ), by Centaine (Aus). (NZ$95,000 yrl ‘14 
NZBSEL) O-JML Bloodstock Ltd (Mgr L Petagna) & 
Homebush Partnership No.5 Syndicate (Mgr: B Perry); 
B-Little Avondale Trust; T-Murray Baker & Andrew 
Forsman. NZ$75,000. 
Margins: HF, 1 1/4, NK. Winner’s Odds: 6.80. 
Also Ran: O’Dianne (NZ), Gotham (Aus), Strata Lady (NZ), Bella Court (NZ), Savason (NZ), The Justice League (NZ), Maritimo (NZ), China Silk (Aus), Windborne (NZ), Ilikai (NZ). VIDEO.
Showcasing finished 2014 as the third-leading first-season sire in Europe by prize money and the leader by winners with 29, and the son of Oasis Dream has made a similarly strong start with his first Southern Hemisphere crop. Showcasing stands Southern Hemisphere-time at Haunui Farm in New Zealand, and he registered his first Southern Hemisphere stakes winner in that country Dec. 6 when Showboy (NZ) took the G2 Challenge S., the day after Hardline had become his first Southern Hemisphere winner in Doomben, Australia. Hardline has now taken his sire’s stakes tally to two after collecting the NZ$1 million Listed Karaka Million, for New Zealand Bloodstock sales graduates, yesterday. 

An NZ$130,000 purchase at Karaka’s select yearling sale last year by trainer Liam Birchley, Hardline was making his racing debut when he graduated at Doomben Dec. 5, but was a dull seventh when next seen in a Rosehill plate race Jan. 3. Birchley added blinkers for this assignment hoping to sharpen his charge’s finishing kick, and that’s exactly what happened. Traveling near the rear of the pack with just two of his 12 rivals beaten through the early stages, jockey Damien Browne stayed cool in the two path while the favored The Justice League (NZ) (I Am Invincible {Aus}) was hung widest off all coming off the turn. Gradually working his way past rivals down the lane, the blaze-faced chestnut still had a few lengths to make up as the field passed the 100 meter mark, but he dug deep to prevail in ultimately cozy fashion. 

Birchley, who was recording his second win in the Karaka Million, told Racing and Sports the win “could be my best moment in racing.” 

“Any big race win is special and we’ve managed to win this one before, but to do that today for a super bunch of owners including one of my best mates is just such an awesome feeling,” he said. 

Birchley was full of praise for the ride delivered by Browne. 

“Damian is a class act and he doesn’t panic,” he said. “We had put the blinkers on the colt after his last run and I knew they would help him concentrate when it mattered at the finish.” 

Browne told Racing and Sports, “I knew he would be able to finish it off hard as long as I could get him focused on the task. The blinkers worked the trick and once I moved him up behind them on the corner it was just a matter of getting a run when we needed it and thankfully that came at the right time.”