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Further posthumous stakes honours for Ghibellines

The loss of Ghibellines (Shamardal) was further emphasised at Wingatui where the late resident of White Robe Lodge was the dominant force.The son of Shamardal was represented by two new stakes winners at the weekend and sired a trifecta on Saturday’s undercard.His son Cluedo Lane claimed top honours in the Gr.3 White Robe Lodge Weight-For-Age (1600m) for trainer Joseph Waldron while Noble Knight and Capo Dell Impero quinellaed the Listed Dunedin Gold Cup (2400m).The Sandy Cunningham-prepa...

Group One winner Savaglee retired

Group One winner Savaglee (Savabeel) has been retired from racing and a new home is being sought for the four-year-old entire as he transitions to a career at stud.Bred by Waikato Stud, Savaglee is by their Champion Stallion Savabeel and out of Glee, a full-sister to Group Three performer Symphonic, the dam of dual Group One winner Orchestral.They offered him through their 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft where he attracted the eye of The Oaks Stud’s General Manager Rick ...

Southern Guineas double for Hello Hayley

Hello Hayley (Hello  Youmzain) secured a Southern Guineas double when taking out the Listed Property Brokers – Ray Kean Dunedin Guineas (1600m) at Wingatui on Saturday, and trainer Sophie Price is now eyeing the triple crown with her filly.The daughter of Hello Youmzain was eye-catching when coming from last to win the Listed Southland Guineas (1400m) at Ascot Park a fortnight ago, and despite that effort she jumped a $12.30 sixth elect on Saturday, and jockey Donovan Cooper made fav...

Cluedo Lane runs them ragged in Dunedin feature

Underrated miler Cluedo Lane (Ghibellines) provided trainer Joseph Waldron with his biggest victory since returning from a stint in Australia last year as he ran a quality field ragged over the concluding stages of the Gr.3 White Robe Lodge Weight For Age (1600m) at Wingatui.Waldron, who left New Zealand shores just over six years ago, made the decision to return to his home region of Otago in in the middle of 2025 and commenced training from Wingatui at the start of the season.Things have ...

Noble Knight wins Dunedin Gold Cup

A peach of a ride and a superior staying effort combined to produce a stirring Listed Positive Signs + Print Dunedin Gold Cup (2400m) victory for Canterbury raider Noble Knight (Ghibellines) at Wingatui.The Sandy-Cunningham trained and part-owned eight-year-old went into the contest off the back of a victory over 2000m at Riccarton before rounding out his preparation for the feature staying event with a close up second behind race rival Smooth Operator in the Invercargill Gold Cup (2600m) t...

Catalogue Online for Highview Unreserved Deplenishing Sale

The catalogue for Highview’s Unreserved Deplenishing Sale, set to take place on Sunday 15 March, is now available to view online.Consisting of 43 lots, NZB will conduct the auction on-farm which will offer yearlings, two-year-olds, unraced stock, broodmares, and mares with a foal at foot.Yearlings by sires Armory, Divine Phophet, Embellish, Xtravagant, Hello Youmzain, Santos, Sweynesse, Wrote and more will be up for sale, while two-year-olds and unraced stock by Shocking, Sword of State to nam...

Meet the Breeder -The Drought Family

This week on Dunstan Horse Feeds’ Meet the Breeder, we speak with Nigel Drought, son of the late Gail Drought. Gail bred Final Return, who delivered a memorable victory in the Gr.3 Eagle Technology Avondale Cup (2400m) at Ellerslie last Saturday. This week, Nigel reflects on the journey and shares the story on behalf of his family.Photo note: The image above was taken at Ellerslie Racecourse, likely prior to Cassini contesting the Zabeel Classic on Boxing Day 2012. Nigel notes it was one of th...

Asva wins locally dominated Gr.3 Launceston Cup

Asva (NZ) (Capitalist) has produced a sharp form reversal from a Hobart Cup failure to victory in the Group 3 Ladbrokes Launceston Cup on Wednesday afternoon."I knew I had a fair horse, I put a line through the last run," winning trainer Glenn Stevenson said."If he can get put to sleep in his chance."He's always shown the ability, it's just been a matter of actually getting mature. It's a maturity thing that's been with him, and he's finally grown into the horse he is."Settled worse than mi...

Oaks Triumph Clinches NZB Filly of the Year Title for Ohope Wins (NZ)

Saturday’s $1m Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Ellerslie crowned Ohope Wins (NZ) (Ocean Park) as a spectacular winner of the 2025-26 NZB Filly of the Year Series.On December 31, Ohope Wins was a three-start maiden who had played no part in the first six legs of the prestigious series. But stunning come-from-behind victories in three of the last five races propelled her to a title-winning total of 28 points.Matamata trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scot...

Oaks quinella caps landmark period for Waikato Stud

Waikato Stud principal Mark Chittick has barely had time to draw breath just lately, but on Monday he found a brief window to reflect on what has been a landmark period for his family’s Matamata nursery.That all began 10 days ago with the announcement that unbeaten Group One winner Return To Conquer will take up duties at Waikato this spring, followed a day later by a first stakes success for resident sire Banquo when his son Justin Case won the Gr.3 Fairview Matamata Slipper (1200m), and in o...

Ka Ying Rising surges into Hong Kong racing history with 18th straight win

David Hayes believes Ka Ying Rising’s (NZ) (Shamexpress) extraordinary dominance can continue indefinitely after the world’s premier sprinter demolished quality opposition to post a Hong Kong record 18th successive victory in course record time in the HK$13 million Gr.1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m) at Sha Tin on Sunday.Stretching his unbeaten sequence beyond Silent Witness’ longstanding mark of 17 wins, slotted between 2002 and 2005, Ka Ying Rising imperiously steamr...

Final Return defies Aussie challenge in Avondale Cup

What a difference three weeks has made in the life of rugged stayer Final Return (Reliable Man).The durable son of the ill-fated Westbury Stud stallion Reliable Man had held the start up for over five minutes at his last run at Ellerslie due to a pre-race issue with the bandages he wears when racing in the right-handed direction.Despite the upset that day, the seven-year-old had gone a top race for trainer Janelle Millar and stripped even fitter on Saturday for his tilt at the time-honoured Gr.3...

Jaarffi gets deserved Group One victory

Acknowledged as one of the unluckiest horses going around in New Zealand, Jaarffi (Iffraaj) finally got the good fortune she deserved and her first Group One victory when she stormed home to take out the Sport Nation Otaki Maori WFA Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie.The six-year-old daughter of Iffraaj, who carries the colours of Cambridge Stud principals Sir Brendan Lindsay and Lady Jo Lindsay, has been amongst the top echelon of gallopers in New Zealand for the past two years but had been deni...

Yulong dominates NZ Oaks

Yulong Investments has made a splash in New Zealand this season, buying up the nation’s leading three-year-old filly talent, and they were once again rewarded at Ellerslie on Saturday when sealing the quinella in the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m).The burgeoning thoroughbred giant’s silks have been prominent at Ellerslie this season through the deeds of their undefeated Group One winner and $4 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) favourite Well Written, and they were once again t...

Belle Cheval on target for $4 million NZB Kiwi

Belle Cheval (Savabeel) will head into the $4 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) in winning form after taking out the Gr.3 Eagle Technology Uncle Remus Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie on Saturday.Following her convincing win in last month’s Gr.3 Almanzor Trophy (1200m) on Karaka Millions night, she was meant to head to Matamata last week for her final lead-in run for the Champions Day feature, but inclement conditions forced trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson to delay that final hit-out by a week.T...

Vale Reliable Man

High-class racehorse turned Group One sire Reliable Man has died aged 18.Westbury Stud General Manager Russell Warwick confirmed the striking grey died after complications from surgery to remove melanomas.“Being a grey horse, he was starting to suffer from melanomas, and he had quite a significant one under his tail,” Warwick said.“We did some surgery on Monday, which went really well but then he had some post-surgery complications, sort of 48 hours later and he was going downhill at a rap...

Coolmore purchases Super Seth

Star young stallion Super Seth, sire of four Group One winners from his first two crops, has been purchased by Coolmore from Waikato Stud to stand at its Hunter Valley base.The Caulfield Guineas-winning son of Dundeel will relocate to Coolmore Australia following six seasons at Waikato Stud, where he has developed into one of the most exciting young stallions in Australasia.The young stallion’s first crop included Gr.1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) winner Linebacker, Gr.1 Australian Guineas (1600m)...

Kazaru (NZ) Captures Tasmanian Oaks

OTI Racing’s $27,500 Karaka yearling purchase Kazaru (NZ) (Embellish) added significant value to her CV with victory in the A$150,000 Listed Kevin Sharkie Tasmanian Oaks (2100m) at Launceston on Friday.Kazaru was offered by Cambria Park in Book 2 of Karaka 2024 and was bought by OTI in partnership with Phill Cataldo Bloodstock. The emerging filly has now had seven starts for two wins, two placings and A$153,150 in stakes.Stakes-placed as a two-year-old in the Listed Oaklands Plate (1...

Waters awarded 2026 Sunline Trust International Management Scholarship

Niamh Waters has been announced as the 2026 recipient of the Sunline Trust International Management Scholarship and will depart on Saturday to begin her 30-week international experience, one of New Zealand thoroughbred breeding and racing’s most prestigious development opportunities.Funded by the Sunline Education Trust and administered by the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association, the scholarship provides an all-expenses-paid, bonded international experience designed to expose emer...

Kiwi Chronicles - Weather Gods strike again

The fact that weather is out of our control does not disguise our sheer disappointment when it ruins a popular event and the latest victim is the Matamata Racing Club’s Breeders’ Stakes Day, last Saturday.Last spring, a number of New Zealand race meetings were either abandoned or postponed due to weather. Last month Matamata pushed their January 21 meeting back two days due to rains which caused a landslide and subsequent deaths at Mt Maunganui. So much for stable summer weather.New Zealand�...

Partnership still going strong after nearly three decades

A long and successful Waikato breeding partnership was to the fore again at Matamata on Saturday where My Lips Are Sealed (Ace High) doubled her stakes tally.The Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson-trained mare made all the running in the hands of Rory Hutchings for a comfortable resuming victory in the Listed Lisa Chittick Champagne Stakes (1400m).My Lips Are Sealed was bred by Rich Hill Stud, who stand her sire Ace High, and Scott Williams’ Bloodstock Resources, and was sold through the forme...

Vale Martin Dennis

One of New Zealand racing’s most famous families has lost another member, with the recent passing of Martin Dennis, aged 82.Martin was the youngest member of the Dennis Brothers quartet, with the family facing a particularly tough last six months, with the passing of brother Tony in September.The brothers have been a pillar of South Island thoroughbred racing for more than 60 years, with a plethora of elite equine athletes coming off their Woodlands property.Dennis’ nephew, respected Southla...

Yulong add another Guineas heroine to Kiwi portfolio

Impressive Gr.2 Waikato Guineas (2000m) winner Autumn Glory (Ocean Park) has had an ownership change ahead of her tilt at the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Ellerslie on Saturday, with the daughter of Ocean Park to sport the colours of Yulong Investments.The late bloomer has been patiently handled by Roger James and Robert Wellwood and the filly dominated her male rivals at Te Rapa last week to advance her record to two wins from three starts, having broken maiden...

Double duty pays winning dividend for Price

Trainer Sophie Price put aside her regular Clerk of the Course duties at Invercargill on Saturday to watch her promising three-year-old filly Hello Hayley (Hello Youmzain) take out the Listed ILT Ascot Park Hotel Southland Guineas (1400m) at Ascot Park on Saturday.Price, who prepares a small team from her Winton stable, has had the daughter of Hello Youmzain in her team since late last year after she had one run for Karaka-based trainer Lance Noble.Successful second up at Ascot Park, Hello ...

Daring tactics secure second stakes win for My Lips Are Sealed

A heady front-running ride from Rory Hutchings helped underrated mare My Lips Are Sealed (Ace High) bounce back to winning form in the Listed Lisa Chittick Champagne Stakes (1400m) on her home track at Matamata on Saturday.Heavy rain in the previous 24 hours had a major effect on proceedings as runners on the day were faced with a testing Heavy9 surface that had many struggling to make ground in the final stages of their races.Hutchings took the bull by the horns to put the Mark Walker and ...