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Paddington makes late impact in National Weanling Sale

A highly successful NZB National Weanling Sale for first-season sires ended with a Paddington colt selling for $190,000.Offered by Seaton Park as a supplementary entry at Karaka on Thursday afternoon, the colt is a half-brother to Gr.1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) winner Lion’s Roar and was bought by Byerley Bloodstock’s Liam Peters for the second-highest price of the day.“It was obviously a big point going into the sale, him being a supplementary entry and a half-brother to a Group One winner...

Super Seth’s penultimate Kiwi crop to the fore at Karaka

Super Seth’s move across the Tasman to command a six-figure service fee at Coolmore leaves limited opportunities for buyers to secure his New Zealand-bred progeny, so it was no surprise to see him play a starring role in the NZB National Weanling Sale.Nine members of Super Seth’s penultimate Kiwi weanling crop went through the Karaka sale ring on Thursday. Eight of them sold for a total of $965,000, with an average price of $120,625.A pair of Super Seth colts fetched $180,000 each, the equal...

Chaldean makes big statement with first Karaka weanling

Buyers in both hemispheres have clamoured for the first weanling progeny of Cambridge Stud shuttle stallion Chaldean, and that huge demand continued with his very first weanling to go through the Karaka sale ring during the NZB National Weanling Sale on Thursday.Mike Fleming of major Australian players Bhima ventured across the Tasman and secured the quality chestnut colt for $250,000.It was the highest price paid at NZB’s National Weanling Sale since 2022, when a Savabeel-Bohemian Lily colt f...

Tony Rider adds The Oaks Stud to Milan Park holding

Tony Rider, already well established in breeding and racing through his Cambridge nursery Milan Park, has significantly increased his footprint with the purchase of neighbouring farm The Oaks Stud.Currently under the ownership of Queensland-based Dick Karreman and managed by Rick Williams, The Oaks Stud has a long history in thoroughbred breeding.The farm’s most famous graduate is the dual New Zealand Horse of the Year Seachange, who won 14 races, including five Group Ones, in Karreman’s blu...

Hallmark to offer half-sister to Group One winner Bonny Lass

Hallmark Stud will head to Karaka this week with a 10-strong draft for New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Weanling Sale, which is set to kick off at their world-renowned sales complex at 11am on Thursday.“We have a very good draft that we are looking forward to presenting in the next couple of days,” Hallmark Stud principal Mark Baker said. “Right across the board there are opportunities for end use as a racehorse or horses they can trade at any stage, be that as a yearling, breeze-up sta...

Snitzel’s son Mr Mozart a popular newcomer

Highview Stud-based Mr Mozart has proved popular with breeders since retiring to his Waikato base and numbers-wise claims the strongest first-season sire representation at this week’s New Zealand Bloodstock National Weanling Sale.Jamieson Park is the majority owner of the son of Snitzel, who has six youngsters in the auction, with selling to commence at Karaka at 11am on Thursday.Other stallion newcomers are Cambridge Stud’s Chaldean with two weanlings (Lots 3,54), Windsor Park Stud’s Padd...

Cambridge Stud to offer nine-strong weanling draft at Karaka

Fresh from Joliestar’s gallant placing in the Gr.1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (1200m) at Royal Ascot overnight, Cambridge Stud has turned its attention to New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Weanling Sale this coming Thursday where they are set to offer a select draft.Farm principals Sir Brendan and Lady Jo Lindsay are in England where they cheered home their multiple Group One-winning mare to her Royal Ascot placing, and while they aren’t going home with the desired result, they are ...

Divine Prophet’s Soothsayer stars in Eye Liner

Highview stallion Divine Prophet was credited with his fifth individual stakes winner when Soothsayer stormed home to capture the A$200,000 Listed Barrier Reef Pools Eye Liner Stakes (1350m) at Ipswich on Saturday.The black-type triumph capped a remarkable comeback to racing for Soothsayer, who placed in the Gr.3 Gold Coast Guineas (1200m) and Gr.3 Gunsynd Classic (1600m) as a three-year-old back in 2023 but then spent almost three years on the sidelines with a severe tendon injury.The six-year-...

Champion sire Savabeel passes away

Waikato Stud’s 10-time Champion New Zealand sire Savabeel has passed away, aged 24.A pillar of New Zealand’s thoroughbred breeding industry in recent years, Savabeel continued the legacy of his rich lineage, with his sire Zabeel and grandsire Sir Tristram revered as the sires of their generation.His former trainer Graeme Rogerson was sad to hear of the news of Savabeel’s passing from Waikato Stud principal Mark Chittick on Friday morning, but he is looking back on his life with fondness.�...

Loving the distance

Weekend Melbourne and Brisbane Group 1 racing was impacted by winter rains whereas Sydney’s racing at Rosehill was conducted on a Soft 5 surface providing a fair test for all, the feature won by 2400m specialist Thebudgiesmugla (Redwood), winner of the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (Listed, 2400m), formerly raced as the Winter Cup.Stakes winner 17 for Westbury Stud’s Redwood (High Chaparral), Thebudgiesmugla has definitely mastered the 2400m, Saturday’s maiden stakes was his fourth victory at the...

Last Chance to Enter National Breeding Stock Sale

Entries for the 2026 National Online Breeding Stock Sale are due online on Gavelhouse Plus by 10pm this Tuesday 16 June. In addition to quality off-the-track fillies and mares, the stand-alone breeding stock sale will give breeders the opportunity to offer proven mares as well as stallion shares and nominations at a key time ahead of the breeding season. Over the past three years the Sale-toppers have included Yearn, Asama Blue, Chanel’s Choice and Dee and Gee who ...

Top-Level Stallion Talent in NZB National Weanling Sale Catalogue

For pinhookers and end users alike, this month’s NZB National Weanling Sale at Karaka is an affordable opportunity to secure progeny of some of New Zealand’s best and brightest stallions.More than 40 sires are represented among the 143-lot catalogue, including established superstars and some of this country’s most exciting emerging talents.ACE HIGHAlready the sire of Group One winner Molly Bloom (NZ) from his first crop, Rich Hill Stud’s Ace High has taken h...

Novara filly makes perfect start to career

An invitation from Novara Park has translated into immediate racing success for Shaune Ritchie and his clients.The Cambridge trainer, who operates in partnership with Colm Murray, produced Dubawi Diva for a stylish debut victory at Matamata on Sunday.The two-year-old made all the running in the Entain/NZB Insurance Pearl Series Race (1050m) and held a strong gallop under apprentice Jack Taplin to make a dream start for all concerned.“We were approached by Luigi Muollo, who’s got Novara Park,...

Western Front anything but Quiet

A lengthy campaign for talented stayer The Western Front (NZ) (War Decree) is set to continue, with the Lindsay Park team of Ben, Will and JD Hayes eyeing further opportunities for the in-form galloper through the winter.The five-year-old resumed from a Pakenham jumpout in December and has enjoyed a fruitful preparation, recording four victories from eight starts and banking A$262,350 in prizemoney.His latest success came in the Listed Sandown Cup (3200m) on May 31, where he produced a...

Three in a row for War Eternal

Saturday’s A$160,000 Listed Wayne Wilson (1600m) at Eagle Farm completed a feature Queensland Winter Carnival treble for War Eternal (Pierro), who is racing in the form of his life as a rising eight-year-old.Previously a multiple Group placegetter and fourth in the Gr.1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) as a three-year-old, the New Zealand-bred son of Pierro broke through for his first stakes success in the Listed Bernborough Handicap (1600m) at Doomben on May 16. He followed that up with the Listed Sp...

Western Empire completes feature treble in Strickland Stakes

Almost five years after rising to the top of Perth racing with a five-win sequence that culminated in the 2021 edition of the Gr.1 Railway Stakes (1600m), remarkable veteran Western Empire (Iffraaj) is once again winning black-type races in a row.Saturday’s A$200,000 Gr.3 Swan Draught Strickland Stakes (2000m) at Belmont was the eight-year-old’s third start in his latest campaign and his third consecutive Group Three win. He had previously captured the Belmont Sprint (1400m) on May 16 a...

Thebudgiesmugla adds Queen Elizabeth II Cup to perfect 2400m record

Emerging stayer Thebudgiesmugla (Redwood) has never been beaten over 2400m, and he added a fourth win to that unblemished record when he stepped up to stakes level in Saturday’s A$200,000 Listed Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Rosehill.The New Zealand-bred son of Redwood has wasted little time in making an impression since crossing the Tasman less than a year ago to join Bjorn Baker’s Warwick Farm stable. He put together back-to-back wins over 2400m at Rosehill in October and November, then r...

Chaldean filly catches Group One eye

A unique individual went under the hammer at the Great Southern Weanling Sale and was warmly embraced by the buying bench.The first Southern Hemisphere youngster to be offered at auction by exciting young stallion Chaldean was purchased out of Burnewang North Pastoral’s draft by former Group One-winning jockey Scott Seamer.Now operating a breeding enterprise in New South Wales, Seamer had the final say on the filly (Lot 218) by Frankel’s multiple elite level-winning son at A$180,000.The youn...

Last Chance to Enter National Breeding Stock Sale

Entries for the 2026 National Online Breeding Stock Sale are due online on Gavelhouse Plus by 10pm this Tuesday 16 June. In addition to quality off-the-track fillies and mares, the stand-alone breeding stock sale will give breeders the opportunity to offer proven mares as well as stallion shares and nominations at a key time ahead of the breeding season. Over the past three years the Sale-toppers have included Yearn, Asama Blue, Chanel’s Choice and Dee and Gee who ...

Entries Open for Karaka 2027

Entries are now open for NZB’s Karaka 2027, with the action-packed week of selling set to take place at the Karaka Sales Centre from Sunday 24 January. The 100th National Yearling Sale marked by Karaka 2026 set a new benchmark for the industry with turnover rising by almost $10 million, validating the strength of the refreshed sales format and depth of demand for New Zealand thoroughbreds. Across a week that celebrated a century of New Zealand’s rich thoroughbred history, Kara...

Duchess threads a new path for Savile Row

Henrietta, Duchess of Bedford has thrown her support behind emerging stallion Savile Row with the Group One performed son of Makfi to relocate to Brighthill Farm this season.The now 12-year-old entire was bred by the late Kevin Hickman and originally retired to stud at his Valachi Downs in Matamata.However, upon Hickman’s passing and subsequent sale of the Matamata property, Savile Row has resided at Mapperley Stud for the past four seasons.Trained by the late Michael Moroney and Pam Gerard, S...

Hailstones hits the ground running for Noverre

Waikato Stud stallion Noverre was represented by his first winner when two-year-old gelding Hailstones ran out a strong winner of a maiden handicap (1300m) at Scone on Tuesday for Annabel and Rob Archibald.Ridden by Braith Nock, Hailstones sat outside the leader before hitting the front soon after straightening and proved too good for his older rivals as he withstood the late challenge of race favourite Leovanni.“He has always shown something from day one, but it was nice to see him put it tog...

War Eternal adds to stud’s carnival success

Cambridge Stud’s winter success in Queensland has continued with the durable War Eternal (NZ) (Pierro) adding to his black-type record.The homebred son of Pierro claimed Saturday’s Listed Spear Chief Handicap (1500m) at Eagle Farm for expatriate New Zealand trainer Bjorn Baker off the back of a previous Doomben win in the Listed Bernborough Handicap (1600m).The Cambridge farm’s colours have also been carried to victory in recent times in Brisbane by the Ciaron Maher-prepared Zous...

Curraghmore Set to Present Another Quality Karaka Weanling Draft

The tradition of presenting a quality selection is set to continue at Karaka on June 25 when Curraghmore offers its annual draft at the NZB Weanling Sale.Farm principal Gordon Cunningham takes genuine pride in the process of preparing Curraghmore’s weanling draft, with this year’s six-strong offering again bound to attract the attention of a discerning buyers’ bench.Colts by Sword of State, Ocean Park and Hilal, along with fillies by Super Seth, Satono Aladdin and Chaldean c...

War Eternal scores gritty stakes win at Eagle Farm

Evergreen galloper War Eternal (NZ) (Pierro) took his career stakes earnings over the A$1million threshold with a fighting performance to down the well-favoured Sun God (Fastnet Rock) in a tooth and nail battle to the finish of the Listed Spear Chief Handicap (1500m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.The Cambridge Stud graduate made it back-to-back Queensland black type victories after winning the Listed Bernborough Handicap (1600m) at Doomben last month, however on this occasion he looked certain to su...