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Singo Snaps Up Karuta Queen

3 minute read

Karuta Queen could be headed to the all-conquering Gai Waterhouse stable next year after being sold to advertising tycoon John Singleton.

Karuta Queen<br>Photo by Racing and Sports
Karuta Queen
Photo by Racing and Sports

Singleton finalised his purchase of the three-year-old filly this week after she was passed in at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale late last month.

And the Strawberry Hills stud owner is toying with giving the daughter of Not A Single Doubt another racing campaign before sending her to the breeding barn. That would potentially give her a box at Tulloch Lodge, or a place in Peter Moody's stable, should Singleton opt to race her in Melbourne.

Former owners Glenn and Viive Williams knocked back an offer of half a million dollars at the broodmare sale last month before Singleton stepped in.

His final offer was less than $500,000, but came laced with several incentives which include giving the Williams' a share in Karuta Queen's first two offspring.

“The figure he came up with was actually less than what was on the table at the Magic Millions but there were a few additional incentives for the future which made it all worthwhile,” Glenn Williams said.

“Viive and I are still retaining a financial interest in the filly - officially we've sold the filly to John Singleton but we've still got a 50 per cent interest in her for a few years.

“When she produces a couple of foals we'll get a certain percentage of her first two foals, and then after that John just takes over.”

The horse was floated to Singleton's stud farm today after spending most of the past week at the Randwick Equine Centre recovering from arthroscopic surgery to fix a bone spur in her knee.

She was also found to be suffering from slight arthritis in her left knee.

Singleton's veterinary surgeon looked over Karuta Queen on Monday and advised the racing guru not to buy the filly given the condition of her knees, but Williams said the 70-year-old had already made up his mind.

“From what I understand he virtually over-ruled the vet and said he was very keen to buy her as a breeding proposition,” Williams said.

“She's still got a racing future ahead of her. What John's decided to do now is send her up to his farm as of today, give her a good long spell, let that knee heal and hopefully the arthritic condition in the left knee will dissipate.

“At the moment he's looking at maybe her resuming somewhere around March. He hasn't decided as yet, it depends on her progress over the next few months.

“If she races in Sydney she'll be going to Gai Waterhouse. If he decides to send her to Melbourne and do her racing down there and be based in Melbourne, she'll go to Peter Moody. That's basically the conditions there.”

“After that, I don't know for certain but I would imagine he would probably retire her with the spring of 2013 in mind and send her to a stallion.

“He's looking at Big Brown being his main preference and More Than Ready being his second preference but there's still a lot of water to go under the bridge between now and then.”

Under the guidance of Queanbeyan trainer Neville Layt, Karuta Queen has won almost $1.7m in prizemoney.

She claimed the Magic Millions Classic as a two-year-old before a brilliant spring which landed her the listed Heritage Stakes (1100m), the Group 3 Australia Stakes (1200m) and a second placing behind Black Caviar in the Group 2 Schillaci Stakes (1000m).

“The real regret I have about selling her is the fact that Neville Layt no longer has any interest or involvement with her,” Williams said.

“As soon as we got the offer from John Singleton he was the first person to know.”


Racing and Sports

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