The brothers, Tony, Ray, Martin and Joe, passed in a colt by Fastnet Rock from The Jewel at the premier yearling sale on Tuesday for $375,000. He had a reserve of $400,000. The colt became cast in his box at Karaka last Sunday and he entered the sale ring with a veterinary certificate indicating he had a strained muscle and would recover.
The colt has been returned to Phoenix Park, Ohaupo, where he was prepared for the sale.
"We are going to give him two months to recover. We are quite keen to race him or at least retain a share," Ray Dennis said.
The Solitaire, a 4yr-old mare by O'Reilly from The Dazzler, is trained at Wingatui by Steve Anderton, who had won the Dunedin Cup in 2005 with Heureka when in partnership with his father, Hec.
It was the first Dunedin Cup win for the Dennis brothers, who have been racing horses for 52 years. They raced The Clippie, who finished second to Candyboy in the 1980 Dunedin Cup, when it was run in December.
• It would be ironic if Bangalore Bullet won the Southland Guineas following his win in the Dunedin Guineas on Saturday and the Gore Guineas a fortnight earlier.
A $100,000 bonus was on offer in the past five years for winning the three races, but it was discontinued this year when the insurance company carrying the risk collapsed financially.
Fritzy Boy won the three races in 2008 but he did not receive the bonus as the field for the Southland Guineas was below the stipulated number of horses.
Bangalore Bullet came from fourth last in a 16-horse field to win over 1400m on Saturday.
"It was a super run. He settled further back than I wanted," Shannon Doyle, his rider, said.
Trainer Shane Kennedy was encouraged that Bangalore Bullet would manage more ground.
Kennedy said he would be happy to take Bangalore Bullet to the North Island or Australia.
He shares the ownership of Bangalore Bullet with Greg Tomlinson and Louis Vieceli, both of Christchurch.
Kennedy also won the $40,000 open sprint on Saturday with Keep The Conflict. He races Keep The Conflict with Tomlinson, Vieceli and a Queenstown trio, Matt Paterson, Jan Spary and her son, Al.
• Ray Coupland, the prominent Christchurch owner, broke fresh ground at Wingatui on Saturday when Coup Darci Be won. Coupland raced both the sire and dam of Coup Darci Be - Darci Brahma and Besty Coup.
Coup Darci Be, a 3yr-old having his first start, is trained by Michael Pitman. Besty Coup won seven races including the Canterbury Belle Stakes and Wairarapa Breeders' Stakes.
Coup Darci Be is among six foals Coupland bred from Besty Coup, before he sold the mare when reducing his breeding interests.
Coup Darci Be was nominated for the New Zealand Derby but Pitman said he would be withdrawn.
• Yazoom came from last early in a 16-horse field to win a 1600m maiden for Wingatui owner-trainer Bruce Jenkins.
Yazoom settled 15 lengths from the lead and the 3yr-old Yamanin Vital-Nzoom filly had 14 horses ahead of her at the 300m.
Jenkins races her with Brian Sceats, of Wingatui, who selected the sire in a breeding arrangement.
Jenkins said his son Logan (15) could take a lot of credit for the win as he rides Yazoom in work.
Nzoom won a 1400m maiden for Jenkins at Oamaru in 2004, paying $90.25 for a win.
