Back Of The Bus added another notable chapter to the success story of New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Online Yearling Sale when the filly captured the Listed Phils Electrical & Gipsy Caravan Ryder Stakes (1200m) at Otaki on Thursday.
The Hello Youmzain filly, purchased by Pike Racing for $25,000 from the Wentwood Grange draft during the 2025 National Online Yearling Sale on Gavelhouse Plus, produced a determined performance to secure the $80,000 feature event and become the latest stakes winner to emerge from the young online auction platform.
The National Online Yearling Sale has operated for only five years but has already produced high-quality performers, including star filly Well Written and stakes winners Hitabell and De Armas. Back Of The Bus now joins that growing list of successful graduates.
Back Of The Bus Ryder Stakes victory marked the highlight of her two-year-old campaign, with the filly showing courage and race sense in the closing stages of the 1200-metre contest.
Back Of The Bus has now recorded two wins, a third and a fourth from five starts, taking her career earnings to $94,825. Her latest success followed previous strong efforts during the season, including victory in the Winter Series Final at Ellerslie and a placing in the Castletown Stakes.
Ridden by Allpress, Back Of The Bus was given a patient ride before producing her finishing effort at the crucial stage. The filly had shown promise in her previous outing at Otaki, where she encountered traffic before finishing strongly, and she stepped forward again when stakes company arrived.
Trainer and bloodstock agent Pike was delighted with the result, praising the filly’s consistency and toughness throughout the preparation.
“She has been a really genuine filly all season and has continued to improve,” Pike said after the win.
The result was especially rewarding given her modest purchase price. Bought for $25,000, Back Of The Bus has provided her connections with a significant return while also enhancing her future value as a broodmare prospect.
Pike was attracted to the filly because of her pedigree, with Back Of The Bus coming from a family he knew well. She is out of a half-sister to Witz End and traces back to the established Trelawney Stud family, giving her a strong foundation for future breeding prospects.
The Ryder Stakes also produced a clean sweep for New Zealand Bloodstock graduates. Runner-up Midnight Dart was purchased for $20,000 from Book 2 of Karaka 2025, while third-placed Rising Moon was another $20,000 purchase and earned valuable stakes money on debut.
The result continued Hello Youmzain’s growing record with graduates from New Zealand Bloodstock sales. Back Of The Bus became the second consecutive Ryder Stakes winner by the Cambridge Stud stallion, following Platinum Diamond’s success in the previous year’s renewal.
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