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Two more promising New Zealand staying prospects will race out of leading Australian stables this spring.
The sales of Ragnaar and Broadside to overseas interests have been confirmed and they follow the recent transfer of Group performer Our Rokki to the Victorian operation of David Hayes and Tom Dabernig.
Ragnaar was in the money in both his juvenile starts for Pukekohe trainer Nigel Tiley last season, including a third placing in the Listed Great Northern Foal Stakes.“I originally bought him at the Ready to Run Sale for $35,000 for a friend of mine, Dino Focas, who was a major shareholder in Dundeel and Kiwi Karma in Singapore,” bloodstock agent Phill Cataldo said
“A big offer came in for Ragnaar from Hong Kong so he has been sold and he has gone to Lee Freedman. He will race as a three-year-old in Australia and he will then go up to Hong Kong as a four-year-old.“He’s a quality individual with a great brain and when we first bought him it was always the plan to get him through to the VRC Derby, so anything he did as a two-year-old was a bonus.”
Freedman said Ragnaar had settled in well in his new surroundings and would trial before making his Australian debut.Cataldo has also enjoyed a long and successful association with Gai Waterhouse and he has confirmed the sale of Broadside to clients of the Sydney trainer.
“He’s got plenty of physical improvement in him, he hasn’t got many miles on the clock and there’s no doubt he will stay,” he said. “He will be flying out to Australia this weekend.”Fourth on debut, Broadside subsequently won over 1400 and 1600 metres at Trentham and Otaki respectively for Levin trainer Geoff Haigh.