10 Oct 2020A French-bred mare with a strong tie to New Zealand has been successful in Group 2 company in the United States overnight.
Wootton Bassett’s daughter Tamahere claimed top honours in the Sands Point Stakes at Belmont Park.
Settled near the rear of the pack early by jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., Tamahere assured herself of victory in a matter of strides as she angled to the outside and cruised past her rivals.
She is named after the Waikato district where her breeders Xavier and Beatrice Kos are now resident.
“We moved to Tamahere two weeks ago,” said Xavier Kos, a radiologist at Waikato Hospital.
“We are originally from Belgium and lived in France for 17 years before moving to New Zealand one and a-half years ago.”
They bred and sold Tamahere at the Arqana Deauville October Yearling Sale, but remained in the ownership.
She won two of her six starts in France, including the Listed Prix La Sorellina by 7.5 lengths, before her sale to American interests.
Tamahere was on debut from Chad Brown’s stable in the Sands Point Stakes.
Kos is still breeding from Tamahere’s dam Alatasarai, a mare by Giant’s Causeway.
“Alatasarai is the first broodmare we bought so we’re really lucky,” Kos said.
“We’ve also got a share in Shadan (also a stakes winner), which is a half-sister to Tamahere.”
A Reliable Man filly out of Alatasarai will soon be offered at auction.
She is part of the Haras d’Etreham draft at the Arqana October Yearling Sale at Deauville.
Alatasarai also has an Almanzor filly and is in foal to Ten Sovereigns.