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Air Force Blue shines in final New Zealand Bloodstock breeze
A gelding by former Coolmore Stud shuttler Air Force Blue (War Front) stopped the clock at 10.33 seconds, the fastest time at the Te Rapa breeze-ups on Tuesday, ahead of the New Zealand Bloodstock's Ready To Run Sale.
After a downpour of rain overnight and in the early hours of the morning, the track conditions for the second day of the Breeze Ups settled at a Slow 7 with the rail moved in four metres.
The gelding by Air Force Blue - who is offered by Riversley Park and catalogued as Lot 196, https://www.nzb.co.nz/sales/ready-to-run-sale-20rtr/196 is the third foal out of unraced Choisir (Danehill Dancer) mare Even So, who is herself a half-sister to Listed winner Griffon (Flying Spur).
The gelding's third dam is Listed-winning juvenile Joker's Girl (Rory's Jester), who in turn produced Group 3 scorer Absolutelyfabulous (Langfuhr).
Further back this is the same family as Group 1 winner Scarlet Bisque (Biscay).
The second quickest time of the day was clocked by a colt by LA Stud's Per Incanto (Street Cry) who stopped the watch at 10.36 seconds.
Catalogued as Lot 66 and offered by Riversley Park, the colt is out of the winning Darci Brahma (Danehill) mare Siciliani, who is in turn a daughter of Group 2 winner Santagostino (Giant's Causeway).
Santagostino is a half-sister to 2002 New Zealand Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Vapour Trail (Jetball) and Listed scorer Encosta Diablo (Encosta De Lago).
New Zealand Bloodstock's managing director Andrew Seabrook was pleased with the outcome across the two days of Breeze Ups.
"As the Sale has grown over the last twenty years, we've seen a significant improvement in the level of presentation and breeze ups, but this year was just exceptional.
"So we must commend the vendors, preparers and jockeys for presenting and breezing their two-year-olds in fantastic order."
A total of 255 horses breezed up across the two days, with the two-year-olds now heading to Karaka for NZB's Ready to Run Sale on November 18 and 19.