Back to Blog

Gypsy Goddess all class in Oaks triumph

New Zealand-bred filly Gypsy Goddess (Tarzino x Invisible Coin) left her rivals with few excuses after landing the Gr.1 Queensland Oaks (2200m) for trainer David Vandyke and jockey William Pike at Eagle Farm on Saturday.The daughter of Tarzino went back from the horror outside draw of 18, and while the rangy filly relaxed well throughout, she was forced to cover plenty of ground rounding the home turn and presented widest in the home straight.It mattered little as the $4.40 favourite landed the ...

Vale Nadeem

Little Avondale Stud’s Group One-winning sire Nadeem has passed away. Bred by John Foote, Nadeem was bought for A$700,000 as a yearling in Australia by Angus Gold for Sheik Hamdan and Shadwell. Trained by David Hayes, the colt was a brilliant winner of the 2006 Gr.1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) on his way to being crowned Champion two-year-old colt of his year.  “It is with a heavy heart that Little Avondale(LA) announce the passing of Nadeem,” Little Avondale Stud said in a statement...

Petagnas to put new stamp on Valachi Downs

Pristine thoroughbred nursery Valachi Downs, in Matamata, has been sold to Lib and Katrina Petagna’s breeding business Elsdon Park. Kevin and Joanna Hickman quietly built the stud that now operates on more than 600 acres and covers all aspects of breeding and racing, including significant expansions in 2018 with the standing of stallions in a new purposely built station and the acquisition of a private training facility adjacent to the nearby Matamata racecourse. The transaction, which involve...

Sword Of State’s service fee released

Sword Of State will add further Group 1 quality to the Cambridge Stud roster in 2022 at an introductory fee of $15,000 + GST. The son of Snitzel triumphed in the G1 Sistema Stakes and the G3 Matamata Slipper to earn Champion New Zealand Two-Year-Old honours and trained on to add the G3 Almanzor Trophy and G3 King’s Plate against the older horses as a three-year-old to his impressive resume. Sword Of State was trained by Te Akau’s Jamie Richards before his departure to Hong Kong and finished ...

Pinarello triumphs in Queensland Derby

The Roger James and Robert Wellwood-trained Pinarello (Tavistock x Zonza) ran out a worthy winner of the Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m) after staving off the late challenge of Paternal under an inspired Leith Innes ride. The son of Tavistock jumped from barrier 17 in the 18-horse Classic, yet Innes had him one-off the fence passing the winning post for the first time and the promising young stayer did the rest. Pinarello had gone five weeks since winning the Gr.2 Championship Stakes (2100m) at Pu...

Leedox proves too strong in Pukekohe feature

Promising juvenile Leedox (Time Test x Bella Carolina) produced a determined effort to register his first raceday success when he took out the feature event at Pukekohe on Saturday, the Listed Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Futurity Stakes (1400m).Rider Ryan Elliot settled Leedox behind the early pace in the contest before tracking up along the inner approaching the home turn.As the field fanned across the track, Elliot sent the Andrew Forsman-trained runner through a gap one off the fence before a...

Kiwis get Flying Start with Godolphin

Godolphin has selected a dozen up-and-comers from around the world for the 2022-2024 edition of its Flying Start programme, including New Zealanders Liam Cunningham and Annabel Adams.The Kiwi pair will be joined by 10 others from Australia, Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Beginning in August at Kildangan Stud in County Kildare, Ireland, the two-year programme gives trainees the opportunity to learn and experience management operations and leadership in the global th...

Breeder celebrates black-type win

A mare bought sight unseen proved to be an astute purchase for Fairdale Stud’s Duncan Fell. In 2005 Fell entrusted a friend to buy two-time winner Eden (Zedative x Pleasure Garden) at the Inglis Summer Sale and she went on to produce five winners including Saturday’s Gr.3 R A Lee Stakes (1600m) winner Belle Plaisir (Proisir). “I bought Eden back when they used to have monthly sales at Inglis,” Fell said. “I had a friend working there at the time and he bought her for me pretty cheaply ...

NZB Insurance enhances Pearl Series support

By Dennis Ryan, RaceformAfter a decade of sponsorship for the Pearl Series that underpins filly and mare racing in this country, New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance has raised the stakes by broadening its support ahead of the new season. The NZB Insurance Pearl Series has already benefited filly and mare races to the tune of a significant six-figure sum, which will grow under a revised structure encompassing those already enrolled up to their five-year-old seasons as well as new recruits enrolled i...

Status quo for The Oaks Stud

It’s a case of status quo for The Oaks Stud for the upcoming breeding season. The Cambridge farm will once again stand a roster that includes Darci Brahma, U S Navy Flag, Roc De Cambes, and Niagara, with their fees remaining the same. Darci Brahma has had another solid year at stud and enjoyed the success of his daughter Sierra Sue who was victorious in the Gr.1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) and Gr.1 Futurity Stakes (1400m). “Darci Brahma had another great year. He had the biggest book he...

Pearl Series early bird entries set to close

Those wanting to make the most of the early bird entry fee for the 2022 NZB Insurance Pearl Series will need to get their nominations of 2020 born fillies in by next Tuesday. After Tuesday, 31 May the nomination fee will rise from $1,150 (including GST) to $1,725 (including GST. Administered by the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association, the NZB Insurance Pearl Series is a Bonus scheme for fillies and mares offering bonuses for owners, trainers and nominators of almost $2.4 million and...

NZB Weanling Sale On-farm parade schedule

New Zealand Bloodstock have organised a weanling parade schedule prior to their sale at Karaka on June 17, which can be seen below: Monday 30 May – Auckland 9AM Cambria Park at Ainsley Downs (3) (57 Bruce Road, Waerenga)9.30AM Hallmark Stud (6) – 97 Summertime Lane, Te Kauwhata10:15AM Jamieson Park (6) – 830 Koheroa Road, Mercer11:15AM Cambria Park (6) – 37 Ostrich Farm Road, Pukekohe12PM Hanui Farm (16) – 113 Kidd Road, Karaka LUNCH BREAK 2:30PM Little River Thoroughbreds (2) 145 Han...

Tofane sells for A$3.1 million

Curraghmore principal Gordon Cunningham was on hand on the Gold Coast on Wednesday to watch Tofane, a product of his Waikato farm, sell for A$3.1 million to the bid of Yulong Investments. Cunningham bred the daughter of Ocean Park who went on to win eight of her 30 starts, four at Group One level, and more than A$3.6 million in prizemoney. “It has been a great thrill to see her on the sale grounds,” Cunningham said. “She was beautifully presented and looked her magnificent s...

New Zealand-bred delivers black-type breakthrough for Bobbin

Stawell trainer Andrew Bobbin had a day to remember at Flemington on Saturday, celebrating his first stakes win in the Listed Hilton Nicholas Straight Six (1200m) with highly talented New Zealand-bred Ocean Beyond (Ocean Park x Frankly). Previously a three-time winner and Listed performer from the Warrnambool stable of Daniel Bowman, the four-year-old was transferred to Bobbin earlier this year and had made one previous appearance for his new stable – finishing second at Caulfield on May 7. Oc...

Valuable Australian Group win for Belle Plaisir

On the anniversary of her first stakes win in last year’s Listed Rangitikei Gold Cup (1600m), classy New Zealand mare Belle Plaisir (Proisir x Eden) doubled her black-type tally with a powerful come-from-behind performance in Saturday’s Gr.3 R A Lee Stakes (1600m) at Morphettville. A four-time winner from 19 New Zealand starts from the Awapuni stable of her part-owner Lucy Tanner, the daughter of Proisir was partially sold to Kildalton Park Racing last spring and crossed the Tasman to join t...

Verry Flash upsets in Rangitikei Gold Cup

A powerful late surge that carried him to victory in the Listed James Bull Holdings Rangitikei Gold Cup (1600m) at Trentham on Saturday may have put a hold on an immediate jumping career for handy winter galloper Verry Flash (Zed x Opulence). The seven-year-old older brother of champion mare Verry Elleegant claimed his ninth victory for owners Nick Bishara and Don Goodwin, courtesy of a patient ride by apprentice Faye Lazet who claimed the biggest victory of her fledgling career with the win. La...

Sword Of State retired

Last season’s New Zealand Champion Two-Year-Old Sword of State (Snitzel x In The Vanguard) has been retired from racing.A fortnight ago, the Group One-winning son of Snitzel kicked off his Queensland campaign with a runner-up effort in the Gr.3 Gold Coast Guineas (1200m).While he was destined to compete in the Gr.1 Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m) next week, the decision has been made to retire him to stud following an elevated temperature."Unfortunately, Sword of State spiked a temperatu...

Rugby racing and beer auction a success.

Following on from the success of last year, Windsor Park Stud returned to Christchurch for their Rugby Racing and Beer Sports Luncheon and Yearling Sale. A full house of 200 people attended the lunch which was described by Windsor Park Stud proprietor Rod Schick as pretty positive and well received. “The guests viewed the nine yearlings in the parade ring at Riccarton Racecourse before enjoying lunch, where they were entertained by leading Victorian trainer Ciaron Maher,” he said. “And fro...

BLOG | George Chittick, May 2022

Keith & Faith Taylor Equine Scholarship recipient George Chittick gives an update on his time at the Irish National Stud.At the start of my last blog I mentioned we were just over half way through the season and there had been 187 foals born here at the Irish National Stud. Just over a month later there have now been 313 foals born here and only six to go in the Sun Chariot foaling unit. Another jam packed busy month has passed full of working, lectures, learning, adventures and p...

Exciting times for The Bold One

Grangewilliam Stud stallion The Bold One has been enjoying a purple patch of form with his progeny and his fee has been adjusted accordingly for this coming breeding season. A son of Fastnet Rock, The Bold One is one of four black-type horses out of the multiple Group One winning O’Reilly mare The Jewel. “He had a pretty good week – he had a nice first-up winner (One Bold Cat) at Wanganui on Thursday and then another first-up winner (Mary Louise) on Saturday at Hawera where he had another ...

Warwick’s vision for Group 1-winning sire Tarzino

Tarzino (NZ) sired his first Group 1 winner on Saturday when Jungle Magnate (NZ) triumphed in brilliant fashion in the South Australian Derby. Following the Derby success, TDN AusNZ caught up with Westbury Stud’s General Manager Russell Warwick who is incredibly bullish about the 9-year-old's prospects. With Tavistock (NZ) sadly no longer with us, Westbury Stud’s general manager, Russell Warwick, hopes his emerging sire son, Tarzino, can enhance the legacy of one of New Zealand’s champion ...

Generation Next: Jaimee Gowler

In our latest instalment of Generation Next, we catch up with Waikato Stud’s Bloodstock Manager Jaimee Gowler, who has developed from polo groom into a key senior role at the famed Matamata-based nursery, Waikato Stud.While Gowler doesn’t come from a racing family horses have always played an important part in her life, with the New Zealand local growing up around them on her father’s sheep and cattle farm. “I started with horses in general when I was a kid, I was a pretty keen showjumpe...

Sinarahma all class in Rotorua Cup sign-off

Race favourite Sinarahma (Darci Brahma (NZ) x Shez Sinsational (NZ)) signed off her racetrack career with a dominant victory in the Gr.3 Campbell Infrastructure Rotorua Cup (2200m) on Saturday.The Allan Sharrock-trained Taranaki visitor came into the contest off the back of a last start third behind Two Illicit in the Gr.2 Travis Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa and carried the luxury weight of just 53.5kgs with topweight Big Mike (61kgs) taking his place in the line-up.Rider Matthew Cameron, who began...

Tarzino’s Jungle Magnate lands South Australian Derby

It is a case of mission accomplished for the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained Jungle Magnate (Tarzino (NZ) x The Love Of Money (Aus)), with the smart three-year-old stayer scoring a strong win in Saturday’s Gr.1 South Australian Derby (2500m) at Morphettville. The three-year-old Classic had been the target race for the son of Tarzino this campaign and the Cranbourne trainers placed the gelding to perfection this time in, winning three of his four starts including the Gr.3 Chairman’s S...

Stayer provides Shock result at Flemington

Kiwi import Hezashocka (Shocking (Aus) x Shezakiwi (NZ)) was back in the winner’s circle when a surprise $61 winner at Flemington in a Benchmark 78 over 1600m. After racing midfield in a sedately run affair, Hezashocka kicked well under Patrick Moloney and held off Lyrical Lad. The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained four-year-old sports the colours of OTI Racing and was purchased privately after winning the Gr.2 Championship Stakes (2100m) at Ellerslie as a three-year-old.  The son o...