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Jeffries recognised as rising star in breeding industry

Alice Jeffries didn’t always see a future for herself in the breeding industry, but a very special filly played a key role in getting her to where she is today, working as Cambridge Stud’s Assistant Yearling Manager, and receiving Entain’s Newcomer Excellence Award on Sunday.Growing up on a sheep and beef farm in Tauranga, Jeffries’ father Warwick Jeffries delved into breeding on a small scale and was rewarded in a big way, breeding glamour mare Legarto out of his mare Geordie Girl.Befor...

Memorable weekend for Lawson

Waikato horseman Simon Lawson has an eye for a bargain, and the product of one of his purchases turned into his first stakes winner over the weekend.As Waikato Stud’s dry mare manager for a couple of years, Lawson was looking to get into breeding himself a few years ago and an unplaced mare called Mohegan Star caught his eye on online auction house gavelhouse.com, and he secured the daughter of Reliable Man with a final bid of $1,100.She quickly proved to be an astute purchase, with her half-b...

Manzoice back on top in Tattersall’s Cup

Manzoice (Almanzor) has already been a Group One winner during the Melbourne Cup Carnival at Flemington, and a welcome return to winning form in Saturday’s Gr.3 Tattersall’s Cup (2400m) at Eagle Farm may earn him a return to that big stage.The son of Almanzor ventured to Melbourne and won the Victoria Derby (2500m) in the spring of 2022. He had gone winless through the two and a half years since that classic triumph, but has been a regular placegetter since then including in the Gr.3 N ...

Goodwood celebrating surprise outcome

Goodwood Stud’s William Fell is enjoying an exciting ride with unbeaten star steeplechaser Jesko.While it has been an unforeseen outcome, it’s nevertheless a successful one with the son of the late Atlante quickly rising to the top of the jumping ranks.The late bloomer won three on the flat before a successful transformation for trainers Shaun and Hazel Fannin with the former also taking the reins.Jesko began his hot run at Wanganui before claiming the Manawatu Steeplechase (4000m) and Welli...

Tivaci two-year-old takes Oaklands Plate

New Zealand-bred colt Matahga (Tivaci) stamped himself as an exciting spring three-year-old prospect with a hard-fought victory in the A$120,000 Listed David Peacock Oaklands Plate (1400m) at Morphettville on Saturday.The step up to black-type level came less than a month after Matahga’s raceday debut, where he finished second over 1100m at Morphettville on May 31. The son of Tivaci won his next race in smart style at Murray Bridge on June 14, earning favouritism for Saturday’s Oaklands...

National Online Breeding Stock Sale online now

The National Online Breeding Stock Sale has launched on Gavelhouse Plus with bidding open on the 87 Lots sale which is set to end from 7pm on Wednesday 9th July.This year’s sale boasts a quality selection of both young and proven mares plus stallion shares in Reliable Man, Santos, Shamexpress and Wrote.gavelhouse.com and New Zealand Bloodstock representative Patrick Cunningham is pleased with the assembly of stock. “This annual sale of premium breeding stock holds plenty of appeal for breede...

Profondo makes impact with first weanlings

The first progeny of Windsor Park Stud stallion Profondo made a favourable impression during the NZB National Weanling Sale at Karaka on Thursday.The son of Japanese super-sire Deep Impact was himself a A$1.9 million yearling and won the Gr.1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) in Sydney as a three-year-old. He commenced his stud career at Windsor Park in 2023 and has served books of 177 and 173 mares in his first two seasons.Thursday’s catalogue featured four weanlings from Profondo’s first crop...

Per Incanto colt tops NZB National Weanling Sale

Little Avondale stallion Per Incanto’s outstanding season carried on in the Karaka sale ring on Thursday, where his weanling colt fetched a sale-topping $190,000 in the opening hour of the NZB National Weanling Sale.Catalogued as Lot 13, the colt is the second foal out of the Shamexpress mare London Express – the winner of seven races including the Listed Castletown Stakes (1200m) as a late-season two-year-old.The sale-topping colt was offered by Seaton Park and was bought by Australian bloo...

Kaha Nui Farm crowned leading buyer at NZB weanling sale

Successful pinhookers Kaha Nui Farm were to the fore at Karaka on Thursday, and were rewarded with the crown of leading buyer at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Weanling Sale.The boutique Waikato thoroughbred operation, operated by Nicky and Nick White, purchased three weanlings for a total spend of $300,000, and the couple were pleased with their acquisitions, who will return through the Karaka sales ring in next year’s National Yearling Sale.“It has been a really good sale and we have ...

Meet the Breeder - Olly and Annabel Tuthill

This week in Dunstan Horse Feeds Meet the Breeder, we caught up with Olly and Annabel Tuthill of Beaufort Downs. The couple, who have lived and breathed horses all their lives, bred Listed Castletown Stakes winner, Platinum Diamond (Hello Youmzain).Tell us the story of Platinum Diamond?We bought the mare Spritz, a few years ago. One of the main reasons we bought her was because she was from Annabel's Grandparent's family, they raced the group 1 winner Seamist.Spritz was a very tricky breeder, an...

Mission accomplished for Ardrossan partnership

The emergence of the Victorian-based Taken (Ardrossan) is another winning story for a New Zealand breeding and ownership group established to support the three-year-old’s young sire.The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained son of Ardrossan made it four wins on the bounce when he carried 60kg to victory at Flemington last Saturday.He was bred by the Dewar Partnership, established to promote the Waikato Stud stallion through the early stages of his career.“Taken has come a long way and...

Third time lucky for Cork in Tauranga Classic

After hard-luck stories in the Listed Team Wealleans Tauranga Classic (1400m) in both of the last two winters, Cork (Complacent) made amends in style on Saturday with a $22 upset in the fillies and mares’ feature.Cork had already proven herself as a Tauranga specialist, winning three of her five previous starts at the track including a seven-length Rating 75 romp on the Tauranga Classic undercard in 2022. But the Bay Of Plenty’s midwinter black-type feature had proved frustratingly elus...

Platinum Diamond provides Latta’s missing piece

The Listed John Turkington Forestry Castletown Stakes (1200m) was one of the few age-group features in the lower North Island that was missing from Lisa Latta’s CV, but the fast-improving filly Platinum Diamond (Hello Youmzain) dealt to that unfinished business at Otaki on Friday.Latta has picked up more than 80 black-type victories in her 1200-win training career, including Central Districts two and three-year-old prizes such as the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m), Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ P...

Gifted Pier continuing to do Mum proud

Pier’s (Proisir) latest black type success at Eagle Farm prompted major celebrations, but there was also a bittersweet side for connections of the high-class son of Proisir.He demolished his rivals in Saturday’s Listed The Wayne Wilson (1600m) to further his record, which already featured three-year-old victories in the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) and Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m).Pier is trained by the father and daughter combination of Darryn and Briar Weatherley with t...

Poignant Stradbroke win for War Machine

With a powerful and poignant performance in Saturday’s The Star Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm, budding superstar War Machine (Harry Angel) added extra Group One sparkle to the legacies of two much-missed New Zealand industry figures.The triumph came less than a week after the sudden passing in Kentucky of internationally renowned bloodstock agent Michael Wallace, who sourced War Machine’s dam Caserta on behalf of his brother David and late wife Maddy and parents Jim and Mary...

Kovalica back on top in Q22

Kovalica (Ocean Park) made a welcome return to winning form when he prevailed in a pulsating three-horse finish to the A$1.2 million Gr.2 HKJC World Pool Q22 (2200m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.The Kiwi-bred son of Ocean Park was the standout three-year-old of the Queensland Winter Carnival two years ago, winning the Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m) and Gr.2 Queensland Guineas (1600m) and placing against older horses at weight-for-age in the Gr.1 Doomben Cup (2000m).Kovalica went winless in 20 s...

Campaldino triumphs in Brisbane Cup

The Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) looms as a possible spring target for New Zealand-bred stayer Campaldino (Ghibellines), who continued his rapid rise with another outstanding win in the A$400,000 Gr.2 XXXX Brisbane Cup (3200m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.Within the space of nine weeks, the Ghibellines gelding has strung together four increasingly impressive victories. He kicked off with wins in the Orange Cup (2100m) and a Benchmark 78 handicap on Randwick’s Kensington track, prompting trainers Ga...

Pier picks up Stradbroke consolation

A runaway victory in Saturday’s A$160,000 Listed The Wayne Wilson (1600m) at Eagle Farm was a proud moment for Pier’s (Proisir) connections, but they could also be forgiven for wondering what might have been in the Gr.1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m).Pier ventured across the Tasman as the winner of four races in New Zealand, headed by the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) in 2022. The son of Proisir has found a promising vein of form in his latest preparation, producing powerful finish...

Pencarrow graduate continues family legacy

Pencarrow Stud’s foundation mare Richebourg (Vice Regal) has left a lasting impression on the Australasian thoroughbred landscape, with Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m) victor Maison Louis (Super Seth) further adding to that legacy with his Classic triumph at Eagle Farm on Saturday.The likes of Gr.1 Melbourne (3200m) and Caulfield Cup (2400m) heroine Ethereal, five-time Group One winner Darci Brahma, Group One winner Grand Echezeaux, and Group One performers Burgundy, Romanee Conti, Sup...

Vale bloodstock agent Michael Wallace

The New Zealand and international thoroughbred industries are mourning the loss of Michael Wallace, who passed away in the United States on Saturday night.Wallace was a highly respected bloodstock agent who successfully ran his own business before an eight-year stint as the chief operating officer for the China Horse Club.During his tenure, they celebrated 44 Group One victories and he was a key player in the purchase of the Triple Crown winner and successful sire Justify for the group.He left t...

Fresh Western Empire wins Hyperion

A gritty performance by Western Empire (Iffraaj) to win Saturday’s Gr.3 Hyperion Stakes (1600m) at Pinjarra has enabled the seven-year-old gelding to break the A$3 million barrier in career earnings.The Grant and Alana Williams-trained son of Iffraaj was as brave as ever, coming from a three-wide position midfield to wear-down favourite Magnificent Andy over the concluding stages.Western Empire missed the Belmont Sprint with a foot issue and hadn’t raced since finishing ninth in The Quo...

Bold Maison Louis resolute in Queensland Derby

The training partnership of John O’Shea and Tom Charlton continues to flourish as evidenced by a stable quinella in Saturday’s Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m) as Maison Louis (Super Seth) defeated King Of Thunder in a perfect result for the Sydney trainers.Charlton joined O’Shea in partnership this season and Maison Louis becomes the duo’s third Group One winner for the term after elite-level wins from Schwartz and Linebacker.Ridden by Ryan Maloney, Maison Louis came from three back o...

Meet the Breeder - Ricky and Anna Rhodes

This week in Dunstan Horse Feeds Meet the Breeder, we caught up with Ricky and Anna Rhodes who bred progressive stayer Campaldino (Ghibellines) who won two races in New Zealand before sold privately to Darby Racing, and took out the Gr.3 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2400m) at Doomben on Saturday.Tell us the story of Campaldino?Campaldino is by Ghibellines and is the 2nd foal out of our shocking mare Zuzana. Her first foal was a full brother called Zappolino. We purchased Zuzana off Gavelhouse.com ini...

BetaVet Under The Radar - John Atkinson

Our BetaVet Under The Radar focus this month is John Atkinson of Whitehall Farriers. John is extremely passionate about his role as a farrier and with three apprentices under his tutelage, he is also passionate about ensuring the future of the hoof is in good hands!Explain your role and how long you have working in it?My name is John Atkinson,  I am a New Zealand qualified Farrier and the owner-operator of Whitehall farriers. I began my apprenticeship with my father in 2017 and passed ...

Niance makes bold return in Bel Esprit

Exciting New Zealand-bred mare Niance (Swiss Ace) has bounced back from a serious injury and picked up right where she left off last spring, collecting her third consecutive black-type win in Saturday’s A$175,000 Listed Bel Esprit Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield.The five-year-old Swiss Ace mare has now had 11 starts for seven wins, a placing, and A$449,467 in prize-money. She announced her arrival on the big stage in Melbourne last spring with victories in the Listed Alinghi Stakes (1100m) in...