25 Nov 2007
Zabeel three-year-old gelding
Six O'Clock News (ex Maurine) confirmed a start in the Group 2 $100,000 Avondale Guineas (1600m) on December 8 with a super- impressive win in the Coolmore Australia 1600 at Te Rapa on Sunday.
Six O'Clock News, the winner of his last two starts which have both been at Te Rapa, is trained at Cambridge by Paddy and Trent Busuttin who hold the promising galloper in very high esteem. "He's a smart horse in the making and longer term he's being aimed at the New Zealand Derby next March," said Paddy Busuttin.
Six O'Clock News twice went through the sales ring without attracting a bid and Cambridge bloodstock agent Stuart Hale admitted he had plenty of flak when he bought the horse privately off breeders Graham and Helen-Gaye Bax, of Blandford Lodge, in Matamata.
"There were plenty of other bloodstock agents who came up to me at the time and questioned my judgement in buying the horse but Paddy (Busuttin) and I could see the scope in the horse to develop into a good horse," Busuttin said.
Six O'Clock News had been firstly offered at the Sydney Easter Yearling Sales and then Karaka's Ready-To-Run Sales last year but failed to attract buyer interest on both occasions.
Unfortunately his dam, Maurine, died but Blandford Lodge does retain a sister to Six O'Clock News.
Also among the owners of Six O'Clock News is John Goodman, of Cambridge, who was formerly an owner of multiple Group winning galloper The Filbert.
There are 10 members of the Six O'Clock News syndicate which races the talented galloper.
Six O'Clock News was ridden by Matamata jockey Reese Jones.
Zabeel, who stands at Cambridge Stud, has already been represented by the winner of the New Zealand Derby on three occasions. These successes came with Zonda (1998), Hades (2000) and St Reims (2003).