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Catalogue Launched for Landmark 100th National Yearling Sale

Fresh off the back of another record-breaking Ready to Run Sale, the cream of New Zealand’s yearling crop has been revealed for a landmark Karaka 2026, with a total of 1009 yearlings catalogued.Karaka 2026 will take place at the Karaka Sales Centre from 25 - 29 January, the iconic week on the sales calendar marking the 100th National Yearling Sale in New Zealand. Featuring a refreshed format in line with the momentous occasion, Book 1 will be conducted across two days, composed ...

Romanoff hits another high family note

Victory bells have been ringing for Marie Leicester and her family for decades, with Romanoff (Belardo) the latest to hit a Group One note.Leicester bred the Pam Gerard-trained son of Belardo who at Riccarton on Saturday added to an extensive role of honour when he triumphed in the New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m).His pedigree is full of top-quality performers, including the outstanding mare Melody Belle, with all stemming from Belle Star.She is the matriarch of a family line that started w...

Perfect Scenario retired

Group One performer Perfect Scenario (Iffraaj) has been retired following his unplaced run in the Gr.3 TAB Mile (1600m) at Riccarton last week.The eight-year-old son of Iffraaj has been a stable stalwart for Te Akau Racing’s southern base at Riccarton Park over the last couple of seasons and retires the winner of 11 of his 59 starts, with $570,000 in earnings.He was purchased by Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis out of Woburn Farm’s 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft f...

Proved secures first black-type success

A bargain buy from Windsor Park Stud’s Rugby, Racing and Beer yearling sale has now won six of her seven starts including a first black-type success in Saturday’s A$200,000 Gr.3 How Now Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.Proved (Time Test) was bred by Windsor Park Stud and is by Time Test out of the Shamexpress mare Out To Impress, who is a half-sister to the Gr.1 Victoria Derby (2500m) winner Monaco Consul.Windsor Park offered Proved at the 2022 edition of their popular Rugby, Racing and Beer...

Romanoff heads Gerard quinella in 2000 Guineas

The only thing certain as horses slogged their way to the winning post in Saturday’s Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) was that Matamata trainer Pam Gerard would produce the quinella in the Riccarton classic.Heavy rain during the day had seen the track reduced to a Heavy9 rating that threw a massive spanner in the works as connections of the 15 runners tried to work out if their horse could handle the downgraded surface and just how competitive they would be.Gerard...

Jimmysstar all class in Orr Stakes triumph

Brilliant New Zealand-bred gelding Jimmysstar lifted his Group One tally to three with another scintillating performance in Saturday’s A$1 million CF Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield, in which progeny of Little Avondale Stud stallion Per Incanto finished first and third.Jimmysstar (Per Incanto) burst into the top level of Australian sprinters last season with explosive victories in the Gr.1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) and All Aged Stakes (1400m).The Ciaron Maher-trained gelding has gone on to perfor...

Bozo reigns supreme in gruelling New Zealand Cup

Respected Wanganui trainer Kevin Myers captured his fourth Gr.3 Martin Collins New Zealand Cup (3200m) at Riccarton on Saturday courtesy of a supreme staying performance by Bozo (Satono Aladdin).An extraordinary storm in the early part of Saturday afternoon made the track a gruelling Heavy9 and turned the $450,000 staying showpiece into a case of survival of the fittest. Five-year-old mare Bozo, who was previously a five-time winner from 14 starts on heavy tracks, was the horse to fit that bill....

Agera’s astonishing rise continues in Tauranga Stakes

Three months after starting the season as a two-win horse with a rating of 70, Agera (Complacent) stepped on to the big stage at Tauranga on Saturday and became a weight-for-age winner in the Gr.2 Gartshore Construction Tauranga Stakes (1530m).The $150,000 feature capped an incredible rise for the Complacent gelding, who came into his six-year-old season with 18 starts to his name for two wins, eight placings and $81,490 in stakes.From eight starts this season, Agera has recorded six victor...

Southern mare strikes gold at Riccarton

Southern mare Inflamed (Ghibellines) used every inch of a sodden Riccarton racetrack to storm to victory in Saturday’s Listed Lindauer Stewards Stakes (1200m).Scenes seldom experienced on a New Zealand racecourse saw the meeting delayed shortly after the fourth race as hailstones the size of golf balls and torrential rain struck the venue in a violent 15-minute downpour that also had an accompanying thunder and lightning show.Raceday officials put the meeting back one race, and after jock...

Hong Kong and Chinese buyers dominate Ready to Run Sale

Buyers from Hong Kong and mainland China were an unstoppable force on the second day of the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale at Karaka on Thursday.Picking up where they left off at the end of Wednesday’s opening session, Hong Kong and Chinese buyers combined to purchase 57 horses on Thursday for a total of more than $13 million.That haul included all of Thursday’s four highest-priced lots, including a sale-topping colt by Zoustar out of the stakes-winning Hussonet mare Hijack Hussy.O...

Perry following proud family tradition

Bruce Perry’s long-standing involvement in the bloodstock industry was a done deal from the outset.The die was cast when the Masterton-based identity was born into a racing family and never considered an alternative career path after growing up on the outskirts of Feilding where parents Herrick and Judy owned and operated Highden Stud.“They were breeders and at the end stood Hula Town, who they also bred, so I got the bug very early on,” Perry said.At the end of his high school education, ...

Landmark Ready to Run results for Hello Youmzain and Armory

Back-to-back lots through the Karaka sale ring on Thursday’s second day of the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale produced unprecedented results for a pair of Kiwi sires.Cambridge Stud shuttle stallion Hello Youmzain hit a new high when Lot 283, a colt out of the Zabeel mare Cool Tart, was knocked down to Hongwei Chen for $700,000. The colt was offered by Barry Donoghue’s BMD Bloodstock.It was a new record price not only for Hello Youmzain but also for Donoghue, continuing a remarkable...

Mystic Park heads local quinella in TAB Mile

Riccarton galloper Mystic Park (Ocean Park) prevailed in a thrilling tussle between the locals in the Gr.3 TAB Mile (1600m) on his home track on Wednesday.The Michael and Matthew Pitman-trained gelding had been on an upward trajectory this preparation without winning and had the services of Victorian-based Kiwi-expat jockey Daniel Stackhouse, closing a $6.10 hope behind northern visitors Cannon Hill and Archaic Smile.Jumping from barrier six, Mystic Park was a stride slow from the gates and...

Top two lots follow proven ‘Ka Ying’ path

Colts by proven New Zealand stallions Per Incanto and Satono Aladdin provided the highlights on Day One of the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale with the top two lots set to join the Lindsay Park operation of the Hayes family.The father and son combination of David and JD Hayes oversaw proceedings at Karaka as Mainland Chinese owner Mr Sanxiong Gao signed the docket for Lot 105, a Satono Aladdin colt out of Shezdelicious for $675,000 from the draft of Riversley Park....

Homebred Harry brings big result

Manawatu dairy farmers Mark and Tania Stratford had a result to savour on the opening day of the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale when their homebred colt by Harry Angel out of Ocean Spray fetched $425,000 to the bid of Hong Kong trainer Mark Newnham and Sweetbriar Equine.The attractive bay was sold from the draft of Curraghmore and after breezing in an easy 10.75, drew plenty of interest.The Stratfords purchased Fastnet Rock mare Ocean Spray for just $4,250 and after seeking the advice ...

Matamata stud on a roll heading into RTR Sale

Waikato Stud was a dominant force at Pukekohe with a hat-trick of winners, and the premier nursery is hoping their celebrations continue this week during New Zealand Bloodstock’s Ready to Run Sale.The Matamata farm’s colours were carried to victory on Saturday by the exciting Smart Love and Magice (Savabeel) while graduate Princess Elly showcased trainer Craig Ivil’s skills with a first-up middle-distance victory.Waikato will offer seven youngsters at the RTR Sale at Karaka on Wednesday an...

Ceolwulf wins war of attrition in Champions Mile

The Joe Pride-trained Ceolwulf (Tavistock) landed the Gr.1 Champions Mile (1600m) at Flemington after a stirring 400m battle with runner-up Pericles with a nose margin in his favour.The five-year-old son of Tavistock was well and truly headed by Pericles inside the final furlong but relished the fight when galvanised under rider Chad Schofield on a testing Heavy 9 track.The last start winner of the Gr.1 King Charles III Stakes (1609m) is now a four-time Group One winner at a mile and proved he h...

Force Of Nature collects stakes success at Pukekohe

Progressive galloper Force Of Nature (Savabeel) returned to racing with a vengeance as he took out the feature event at Pukekohe, the Listed Legacy Lodge Sprint (1200m), courtesy of a rails-hugging ride from Triston Moodley.The Tony Rider-bred and owned son of Savabeel swept through the grades during the autumn and winter months, winning three of his four starts before finishing sixth of eight runners at Te Rapa in early August where he was found to be lame in a hind leg following the run.T...

Bates lands black-type feature in Riccarton homecoming

A perfectly judged front-running victory on Just Charlie (Zed) in the Listed Nautical Boat Insurance Metropolitan Trophy (2600m) capped a memorable New Zealand riding debut at Riccarton on Saturday for apprentice jockey Logan Bates.Born and raised in Canterbury and a son of leading southern rider Kylie Williams, Bates is forging a successful career as an apprentice in Victoria. The 24-year-old has ridden over 110 winners, headed by a first black-type success with Jigsaw in the Gr.2 McEwen S...

Gerry Harvey

This week in Dunstan Horse Feeds’ Meet the Breeder, we spoke with Russell Warwick on behalf of Gerry Harvey, who, bred Swiss Prince, the impressive winner of last Saturday’s Gr.2 James And Annie Sarten Memoria at Tauranga.How did you get into thoroughbred breeding?Gerry Harvey purchased Westbury Stud in the later part of 2008, and in 2010, a mare named Sahayb (by Zabeel) was purchased on his behalf at Karaka for $90,000. Sahayb was 12 years old at the time and produced six further foals...

Five members of quality Southern family on gavelhouse.com

The unreserved dispersal of highly respected horseman Hec Anderton’s estate has led to five members of an enormously successful South Island family being up for sale on gavelhouse.com.All five descend from the mainland marvel Princess Mellay (Mellay), whose 18 wins included the New Zealand Oaks (2400m) and two editions of the New Zealand Cup (3200m).Princess Mellay went on to be a significant influence at stud, with five winning foals headed by the 19-race winner and triple Group One winner Pr...

Unorthodox approach opens dream doors

An unconventional path to the bloodstock world enabled Dylan Johnson to turn his passion into a career.A forthright approach led to his first professional role in the breeding industry, and he subsequently landed a trusted position with one of country’s leading stables.Johnson gained a start when he secured a role at Gerry Harvey’s Westbury Stud and that led to his current association with multiple Group 1-winning Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh.“I was born and bred and grew up in Wellingt...

Big EV back on track with Balmerino victory

Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh was a relieved man following El Vencedor’s (Shocking) return to winning form in the Gr.3 Elsdon Park Balmerino Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie on Tuesday.The reigning New Zealand Horse of the Year was a standout in autumn, winning four consecutive Group One races before heading to Hong Kong where he was unplaced in the Gr.1 FWD QEII Cup (2000m).He returned this season to finish fifth and seventh in the Gr.1 Proisir Plate (1400m) and Gr.1 Howden Insurance Mile (...

Breeders’ Cup glory for Almanzor filly

Almanzor made another memorable impact at the highest international level over the weekend when his daughter Gezora (Almanzor) doubled her Group One tally with victory in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Turf (2200m) at Del Mar.She was bred in France where Cambridge Stud’s stallion son of the ill-fated Wootton Bassett stood at Haras d’Etreham before full breeding rights were secured by Brendan and Jo Lindsay’s farm in 2024 following six seasons of shuttle duty.The Gr.1 French Oaks (210...

Swiss Prince heads Sarten quinella for Marsh

A sensational few weeks for Stephen Marsh’s three-year-olds kept rolling on at Tauranga on Saturday when Swiss Prince (El Roca) led home a quinella for the Cambridge trainer in the Gr.2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial (1400m).Marsh had previously won the Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) with Magic Carpet on September 27 and the Gr.2 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) by almost seven lengths with Well Written on October 18.Well Written is unbeaten in two starts and is a $2.50 favourite for the Gr....