Star juvenile Anabandana was tonight crowned the undisputed champion of New Zealand for the recently completed 2010-11 racing season.
No other galloper received a vote for the Champion Two-Year-Old catergory at the New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Horse of the Year Awards – Anabandana selected as the country’s best by all 44 judges.
The filly was the standout in New Zealand at two. She won four of her six starts and was placed in the other two.
She was sent for a break after completing a streak of four group wins in the Group One Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes on April 2.
A start earlier she raced away with the Group One Diamond Stakes at Ellerslie.
She also won the Group Two Matamata Breeders’ Stakes and Group Three Eclipse Stakes at Ellerslie earlier in the year.
Trained by Don Sellwood, Anabandana is raced by Hamilton based owner Christopher Grace and she’s already earned NZ$350,000.
An Australian bred daughter of Anabaa, Anabandana was purchased on behalf of Grace by New Zealand based bloodstock agent Marcus Corban for $26,000 at the 2009 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale.
Offered at the Gold Coast auction by Reavill Farm, Anabandana is one of two stakes winners produced by the Nureyev mare Great Notice. The other Gybe will run in Sydney tomorrow.
In late May a half sister to Anabandana by Golden Slipper winner Stratum was sold to Whakanui Stud for the sale topping price of $220,000 at the National Weanling Sale on the Gold Coast.
Anabandana is the third major international juvenile champion award winner in recent times for an Australian bred, Magic Millions sold galloper.
Bear Hero, an unbeaten son of General Nediym, was crowned Hong Kong’s Champion Griffin at their recent Horse of the Year awards.
And earlier this month Delago Deluxe (Encosta de Lago) was crowned the Champion Two-Year-Old of South Africa.
Both Bear Hero and Delago Deluxe was bred and sold by Baramul Stud. Anabandana was bred and sold by Reavill Farm.
Both Baramul Stud and Reavill Farm will have outstanding drafts at January’s 2012 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.