1 September 2009 -
The owners of exciting Highview Stud-bred three-year-old The Hombre (Lucky Owners x Atlanta Belle) have turned down an offer of close to $1 million.
His Hastings trainer and part-owner, John Bary, confirmed the substantial offer had been received since The Hombre’s outstanding win on his home track last Saturday in a premier three-year-old event.
“The owners have decided to put any sale offers aside for now and concentrate on racing him until at least after the Two Thousand Guineas at Riccarton in November,” Bary said.
“I am very pleased about this decision because he is a horse who can put me on the map as a trainer starting out in the business.”
“The improvement in The Hombre every day is quite amazing. He has learned a lot about the racing game in his handful of starts and I can only see him getting better in the future.
Winning jockey Michael Walker said The Hombre’s one-and-half length win was completed with ease. “He is still very green and knows nothing yet but I think he will be a Derby horse later in the season,” Walker said.
The Hombre’s next two races will also be at Hastings with a three-year-old event at Hastings on Saturday week his next assignment followed by runs in the Hawke’s Bay Guineas and New Zealand Two Thousand Guineas at Riccarton.
Bary races The Hombre in partnership with three other Hawke’s Bay men Ivan Grieve, John O’Sullivan and Chris Skerman who paid $50,000 for him from the ReadyTo Run Sale at Karaka.
Hamilton-based Highview Stud bred The Hombre and owns his dam, Atlanta Belle, who was purchased from a Gold Coast Broodmare Sale for $50,000.
Atlanta Belle is due to deliver a foal to The Hombre’s sire, Lucky Owners, any day at Highview Stud and she will be mated this year with exciting resident sire Danroad who is undoubtedly one of the most proven young sires standing at stud in New Zealand. Danroad sired the Group 1 TJ Smith Classic winner Rockdale and Group 1 New Zealand Derby runner-up Down The Road from his first racing crop.
Atlanta Belle (by Defensive Play) is a well bred broodmare being from the family of Group 1 winners Great Command, Millward and Sirmione.
Atlanta Belle won two races over middle distances in a promising racing career and finished fourth in the Group 1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham. She was trained by Mike Moroney.
One of Atlanta Belle’s earlier foals, Mid Atlantic (by Galileo), was also a winner and was rated highly by top trainer Gai Waterhouse. Unfortunately he went amiss which prematurely ended his racing career.
