Feature wins by Tavistock and Veloce Bella at Te Rapa on Saturday took the Karaka Group 1 haul to 17 for the season.

These victories have been accumulated by 13 individual Karaka graduates, a tally which again sees New Zealand Bloodstock leading all Australasian auction houses at the highest level.

Tavistock (Montjeu – Upstage, by Quest for Fame) stamped himself as his sire’s most gifted sprinter when he claimed the Group 1 Waikato Draught Sprint.  Bred by Bloomsbury Stud, he is a direct descendent of the stud’s foundation mare Mrs Moss, herself responsible for over 20 stakes-winners worldwide including G1 Japan Cup winner Jupiter Island.

Trainer Andrew Campbell purchased Tavistock from Bloomsbury Stud at the 2007 Karaka Select Sale for $85,000 for Wellington-based owners David Allison, Chris and Johnny Barnao, Bruce Honeybone, Tom Pivac, David Platt, and Tommy Heptinstall.

Though Montjeu no longer shuttles to New Zealand, his blood is still available through his four sons including Windsor Park Stud’s Guillotine, White Robe Lodge’s Gallant Guru, Letham Thoroughbreds’ Mettre En Jeu, and the recently retired Nom Du Jeu.

Veloce Bella (Volksraad – Wave to Lottie by Crested Wave) scored a deserved Group 1 victory when she produced a whirlwind finish to land the Whakanui Stud International Stakes.

A quick clip set up by the bold front-runner MacO’Reilly gave Veloce Bella the perfect opportunity to use her unrivalled finishing burst and she took her chance stylishly to beat Tell A Tale and Passchendaele into the minor placings.

Veloce Bella was offered by John and Karin Hogan’s JK Farm at the 2005 Karaka Select Sale and she has won over $600,000 for owners Murray and Margaret Hardy, Paddy and Helen Preston, and Tony and Frances Schramm.

Veloce Bella is the eleventh Group 1 winner for her seven times NZ Champion sire Volksraad who also sired Sir Slick to win the same race in 2007.