Mamba to run in Hong Kong Vase

A second star former Waikato racemare will head to a stud career at New South Wales' Evergreen Farm.

But first Black Mambo will fly the flag for New Zealand-bred bloodstock in Hong Kong next month.

Formerly trained at Cambridge by Murray Baker, Black Mambo was sold for US$1.5 million (NZ$2.02 million) at the Kentucky Selected Fall Mixed Sale on Wednesday.

The Black Minnaloushe six-year-old mare, bred by Sam Kelt's Keltern Stud and sold for $120,000 at the 2005 Karaka premier sale out of the draft of Cambridge's Trelawney Stud, has won seven of her 30 starts, including the Gr I John C Mabee Handicap (1800m) in the United States, where she headed to race in 2007.

She was also a dual Gr II winner in the US and was three times Gr I placed.

Australian bloodstock agent and breeder Tony Bott bought Black Mamba on behalf of Hong Kong businessman PK Siu.

Bott paid A$3 million (NZ$3.8 million) for crack Matamata mare Princess Coup at the Gold Coast in July.

Black Mamba won at Te Awamutu for Baker and ran fourth in the Gr III Lowland Stakes and fifth in the Gr I New Zealand Oaks before transferring to American trainer John Sadler.

She will have her next start in the Gr I Hong Kong Vase (2400m) at Sha Tin on December 9 before retiring to stud.

Black Mamba is out of Gr III-winning mare Sneetch and her half-sister Gussy Godiva is the dam of Gr I AJC Derby winner and Gr I Caulfield Cup runner-up Roman Emperor.

- © Fairfax NZ News