Busuttin and Young look to homeland for top-up talent

Cranbourne trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young have swooped on a pair of progressive three-year-olds from their native New Zealand.

Two-win filly Rising Star and last-start Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) third-placegetter Shoma are welcome additions to the stable.

The Tim and Margaret Carter-trained Rising Star was an impressive winner at Tauranga in mid-November and will sport the colours of Seymour Bloodstock, with the filly’s original trainers also remaining in the ownership.

Shoma, a son of Contributer filled the minor placing behind Romanoff and Affirmative Action in the New Zealand 2000 Guineas, which was run on a Heavy track after a freak hail storm on the day.

Despite being a ten-start maiden, Shoma had previously caught the eye when placed behind impressive winner Quantum Legend at Te Rapa, with that horse subsequently exported to Hong Kong.

New Zealand bred horses have won seven of the 33 Group One races run in Australia this season, or 21 percent, yet account for just 7.9 percent of runners.