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Kiwi-bred makes Grand Impact at Caulfield

New Zealand-bred colt Grand Impact (Santono Aladdin – Serena Slam) has put himself right in contention for next month’s stallion-making race the Gr.1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) after his dominant win in the Gr.3 Blue Sapphire Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on Wednesday. The son of Satono Aladdin pinged out of the gates for jockey Ben Melham to settle outside leader Daumier. Turning for home the pack shifted to the middle of the heavy track where Grand Impact quickly found the lead and ran out...

Gunstock holds too much firepower at Caulfield

New Zealand-bred Gunstock (Tavistock – Zeranti) proved to be too good for his opposition in the Gr.3 Coongy Cup (2000m) at Caulfield on Wednesday. Jockey Jamie Kah settled Gunstock in behind pacemaker Johnny Get Angry. Kah sent the Tavistock four-year-old to the front at the 600m mark when the leader started to tire and quickly distanced his rivals, running away to a three-length victory. Trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr have had plenty of time for the gelding and they said things work...

Pier a hometrack hero

Friends and family are important to the Weatherley family and they were all out in force to celebrate the win of Pier (Proisir [AUS] - La Vitesse) in the Gr.2 AHD Hawkes Bay Guineas last Saturday. The talented three-year-old is trained by Darren Weatherley and his daughter Briar, and is raced by Darren, his wife Lou, old family friend Barry Wright, and Ozzi Kheir. Due to the large amount of rain in the Hawke’s Bay and the races being abandoned the previous week, the race along with the Gr.1 A...

Vadamos shines with first Group One

Rich Hill Stud principal John Thompson has a spring in his step after two members of his exciting stallion roster posted Group victories at Matamata on Saturday. Resident stallion Proisir (Choisir – Prophet Jewel) added another Group victor to his resume when his son Pier (Proisir – La Vitesse) took out the Gr.2 Hawkes’ Bay Guineas (1400m), while Vadamos (Monsun – Celebre Vadala) recorded his first Group One win as a sire courtesy of La Crique’s (Vadamos – Destiny Cove) dominant per...

Pier dominant in Hawke’s Bay Guineas

Local runner Pier (Proisir x La Vitesse) dominated his three-year-old rivals in the closing stages of the AHD Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m), dashing away to win the Group Two feature in fine style. With the race transferred to Saturday’s Matamata meeting after Hastings was abandoned due to inclement weather last weekend, the strapping son of Proisir was in his element on his home surface for trainers Darryn and Briar Weatherley. A last start second to race favourite Dynastic on the first day ...

Paisley Park takes out Matamata Cup

Local runner Paisley Park (Azamour x Musical Magic) showed he had taken plenty of improvement from his first-up performance at Te Rapa last month when he came with a withering late burst to score in the Listed Team Wealleans Matamata Cup (1600m). The Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall-trained eight-year-old had given plenty of cheek over 1200m in his campaign opener before weakening late in the piece and stripped in better nick for his home track feature. A well-judged ride by Wiremu Pinn, who ...

Darci La Bella adds stakes victory to burgeoning record

Progressive mare Darci La Bella (Darci Brahma x Bellaroof) added a valuable black-type victory to an already outstanding race record when she strode clear to win the Gr.3 Grangewilliam Stud Taranaki Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) at Hawera. The winner of eight of her 14 starts before contesting Saturday’s Group Three feature, the daughter of Darci Brahma went into the race as a warm favourite after finishing fourth to outstanding mare Imperatriz at Group Two level two starts back before winning co...

La Crique tastes sweet Group One success

It may have taken an extra seven days to come to fruition but Matamata mare La Crique (Vadamos x Destiny Cove) got a deserved success at the highest level when she took out the Gr.1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m) at Matamata on Saturday. The four-year-old daughter of Vadamos had been a heavily backed favourite to take the race at Hastings last weekend but with heavy rain forcing the abandonment of that meeting, connections had to wait an extra week before lining up in the Group One feature on the...

Meet the Breeder - Marie Leicester

This week we chat to Marie Leicester breeder of La Flora Belle, who won the Steelform Roofing Group Wanganui Cup -Listed (2040m) last week. Marie also has the Belle Family of mares that have been very successful over the years. How many mares do you breed from? I’ve cut down a bit, currently have six, I have retired two older mares this year. I have just retired dam of La Flora Belle, she’s had another filly this year so I will retain that filly, and retire her dam. What else do you have in ...

Meet the Breeder - Sam Williams

This week we chat to Sam Williams from Little Avondale Stud, breeder of Roch ‘N’ Horse (Per Incanto x Rochfort) who won the Gr.1 Champions Sprint (1200m) at Flemington on the weekend. How many broodmares are there under the Little Avondale Stud banner? 62 in total When selecting broodmares what do you think is more important - pedigree, race performance or conformation? Pedigree is the key thing for us, then type, then race performance. What are your criteria when looking for new sires to ad...

The New Zealand Pattern Committee Report explained

In the middle of September, the New Zealand Pattern Committee released their Report which lists the schedule of the Group and Listed winners for the 2022/23 season following its review of the 2021/22 season. It made for pretty grim reading for the future of our classic three-year-old races the Derby and the 2000 Guineas, which have both been issued with warnings. In total, seven races were given warnings compared to two last year, and 20 races were put on alert compared to 10 last year. During t...

Kiwis fly high in Australia

The season is only two months old and already New Zealand-bred horses have claimed four Group One events in Australia. Last weekend was a bonza, with not only two Group One winners, but six stakes winners in total (and a Group Two placing thrown in the mix for good measure). Like the 55 individual New Zealand-bred stakes winners in Australia last season, this term these horses cover a range of ages, distances and sires. The two Group One winners were six-year-old middle-distance geldings, while ...

Call for scholarship applications

The New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association, in partnership with the Keith and Faith Taylor Equine Scholarship Trust, are offering the opportunity of the lifetime for one young industry participant. Applications are now open for the Irish National Stud Scholarship which supports the successful candidate to attend the renowned establishment to complete the internationally recognised National Stud Diploma course, beginning in January 2023. The recipient then returns to New Zealand to com...

Smokin’ Romans snatches Group One gold in Turnbull

A dream spring for Smokin’ Romans (Ghibellines / Inferno) went to another all-new high at Flemington on Saturday, scoring his first Group One victory in the Turnbull Stakes (2000m). The Ghibellines gelding won his first stakes race only 10 months ago, capturing the Listed Pakenham Cup (2500m) in December of last year. He has continued on that upward trajectory this spring, heading to Caulfield last start and collecting his first Group win in the Gr.3 MRC Foundation Cup (2000m) on September 17....

Lost And Running on song for second shot at Everest

A year after an up-and-down spring culminated with a bold fourth in the A$15 million The Everest (1200m), Saturday’s Gr.2 Bisley Workwear Premiere Stakes (1200m) has given Lost And Running (Per Incanto / Dreamlife) a very different build-up to the world’s richest turf race. The New Zealand-bred son of Per Incanto prevailed in a thrilling finish to Saturday’s A$1 million feature at Randwick, which was the final dress rehearsal for The Everest on October 15. The lucrative sprint showpiece wi...

Flemington Group Two triumph for She's Licketysplit

New Zealand filly She’s Licketysplit (Turn Me Loose / She’s Slinky) showed she will be a force to be reckoned with in the upcoming Gr.1 Schweppes One Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on October 12 with a strong performance to take out Saturday’s Gr.2 Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m) at Flemington. Given an economical trip just behind the speed by rider Damian Lane, the daughter of Turn Me Loose cruised into contention early in the long run home at Flemington and looked to have plenty o...

No Compromise triumphs in heart-stopping Metropolitan

New Zealand-bred stayer No Compromise (Pins / Baggy Green) lived up to his name in a grandstand finish to Saturday’s Gr.1 Metropolitan (2400m) at Randwick, prevailing by a nose to claim his first triumph at the elite level. The Pins gelding has an exceptional pedigree, most notably as a half-brother to the multiple Group One winner Tofane, and he had shown big-race ability of his own with six previous victories headed by the Gr.3 NE Manion Cup (2400m). He had also placed in more than a dozen ...

Mr Maestro completes big Flemington double for Forsman

A powerful Gr.1 Victoria Derby (2500m) audition by Mr Maestro (Savabeel / Let Me Roar) capped a special day at the office at Flemington on Saturday for Andrew Forsman.The Cambridge trainer saddled two runners, and both won stakes races. Group One-winning filly She’s Licketysplit took out the Gr.2 Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m), and then four hours later in the final race on the card, Mr Maestro strode to a dominant win in the Listed ABC Bullion Super Impose Stakes (1800m). “It’s been a gre...

Meet the Breeder - Bob Emery

This week we chat to Bob Emery, breeder of Viktor Vegas (Tavistock x Purnima), winner of the Gr.3 Sky City Hamilton Waikato Cup (2400m). Bob has also enjoyed success over the years with a number of horses and is pictured with the NZTBA Breeders' Plate. How many mares do you breed from? 12 at present What else do you have in your bloodstock portfolio? Six yearlings going to Karaka in 2023. Plus six young fillies out on lease in New Zealand and Australia, I don’t race any horses at the present t...

Filly of the Year for sale on Gavelhouse Plus

Te Akau Racing’s New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Amarelinha  (Savabeel – Hopscotch) is the latest high-profile mare to be listed for sale on Gavelhouse Plus. The five-year-old daughter of Savabeel will be offered as a racing and breeding proposition, with the auction to run through until 7pm (NZ) on Wednesday 28 September. The dominant filly of her generation, Amarelinha won the 2021 Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m), the culmination of a stunning summer campaign. En route to her...

Perfect start for Cambridge Stud stallion Embellish

Cambridge Stud resident stallion Embellish made the perfect start to his stud career on Saturday when debut runner Luberon (Embellish – Elegant Achiever) lead all the way to land the Bear Morgan @ Harcourts Bream Bay 2YO over 800m at Ruakaka. Bred and raced by Cambridge Stud owners Brendan and Jo Lindsay and carrying their familiar black and yellow colours, Luberon is from the first crop of the former Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) winner who commenced his duties at the Stud during the ...

Mustang Valley Wins Grp.3 Boehringer Ingelheim Metric Mile (1550m) at Awapuni

Impressive last start Hastings winner Mustang Valley (Vanbrugh – Cream of the Crop) lifted her game several notches on Saturday as she claimed her first success at stakes level when taking out the Gr.3 Boehringer Ingelheim Metric Mile (1550m) at Awapuni. The four-year-old daughter of Vanbrugh had been competitive at the highest level during her three-year-old campaign where she numbered stakes placings in the Gr.3 Sunline Vase (2100m) and Gr.3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) will also finishing a cr...

I Wish I Win scores hard fought win in Sunday’s Listed Tile Importer Testa Rossa Stakes (1300m) at Sandown

Waikato Stud homebred I Wish I Win (Savabeel – Make a Wish) confirmed his status as a rising star of Australian racing with a freakish off-the-canvas victory in Sunday’s Listed Tile Importer Testa Rossa Stakes (1300m) at Sandown. A multiple Group One placegetter in New Zealand as a two and three-year-old for trainer Jamie Richards, the son of Savabeel was placed in the care of Peter Moody for his four-year-old campaign. A brilliant four-length win on his Australian debut at Caulfield on Augu...

Fostering success

It is a phone number no one wants to have to ring but are glad to have on hand in a time of need. During the breeding season hopes and dreams are running high so to lose a mare or foal is a confronting reality of the industry, though like all farming sectors there is no time to dwell on the tragedy as foals can deteriorate quickly. In steps the Foster Foal service, a national system that links orphaned foals with mares who have recently lost their offspring, ensuring that foals get the best poss...

Queen's acknowledgement function

The NZTBA honoured the memory of the former Patron Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, with a small gathering at Cambridge Stud earlier this week. Special guests Sir Patrick Hogan KNZM and Sally Cassells-Brown, were joined by former councillors Dave Winn, and Tom Williams to recall the Queen’s 1990 visit to Cambridge Stud, the opening of the NZTBA building in Auckland and how the Queen came to be patron. They were joined by a number of life members, some current NZTBA council members, local dignit...