Back to Blog

Self Obsession cements Oaks favouritism

The Jamie Richards-trained Self Obsession cemented her place at the top of the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) market with yet another game victory when landing the Gr.2 Little Avondale Lowland Stakes (2100m) at Hastings on Wednesday. The daughter of Shocking has now won her past four starts, three of them at stakes level, with her only defeat when finishing third on debut. It is the third Group Two victory for the strong staying filly, who previously landed the Gr.2 Roya...

Noverre to stand at Waikato Stud

Noverre, a Group One-winning son of Savabeel, will join his sire at Waikato Stud this coming breeding season. An exceptional type, the brown colt was an $800,000 purchase for Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis at the 2020 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale at Karaka, topping the Waikato Stud draft that year. After finishing second on debut as a two-year-old over 1200m, he broke his maiden three weeks later. He won the Gr.3 War Decree Stakes (1600m) in late October before displaying...

Davison looking forward to Karaka

Mapperley Stud principal Simms Davison is counting down the days to the start of New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale next week. The final touches are being put on his 34 strong draft, which are spread evenly over Book 1 and Book 2. After plenty of success on the track for their resident sire Contributer, there is no surprise to see their Book 1 draft is filled with the offspring of the exciting young sire.  “Contributer’s results on the track over the last 12 months have b...

Karaka 2022 to be Broadcast Live

Karaka 2022 to be Broadcast Live Book 1 of Karaka 2022 will be broadcast live on SKY Pop Up Channel 263 in New Zealand. Those who are unable to attend Karaka 2022 in person can keep up with all of the action in the sale ring and beyond with New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sales Series broadcast live across the six days of selling. Commencing on Monday 7 March and running through to the close of selling on Saturday 12 March, the broadcast can be viewed across various outlets. Book 1...

Ellis on final countdown to Karaka

While many people around the country were easing into a pleasant Sunday morning with coffee and some quiet contemplation on the week that was, Te Akau Racing boss David Ellis was hard at work putting the finishing touches on his preparation for the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales which commence at Karaka on March 7. Ellis considers the many hours he puts in to inspecting the more than 1000 yearlings that will go under the auctioneer’s hammer during the six days of the sale a lab...

Richardson delighted with Defibrillate

Matamata trainer Graham Richardson wasn’t expecting too much when he sat down to watch his pride and joy Defibrillate kick off his autumn campaign at Caulfield on Saturday Richardson is part of a syndicate of owners, including close friends Lance O’Sullivan and Brendon McCullum, who race the seven-year-old son of Shocking out of the Plumpton stable of Patrick Payne after he was sent there in 2019 following two wins from three starts for Richardson in New Zealand. Defibrillate has fashioned a...

Defibrillate goes back-to-back in Mornington Cup Prelude

Smart Kiwi stayer Defibrillate was back in winning form when successful in the Listed Mornington Cup Prelude (2000m) at Caulfield on Saturday for trainer Patrick Payne. The son of Shocking, who sports the colours of his original trainer Graham Richardson, lumped topweight of 60kgs to score an impressive win in the hands of Billy Egan. It was the second year in a row the seven-year-old gelding had won the Mornington Cup Prelude and his fourth win from six starts at Caulfield, advancing his overa...

Second Chipping Norton for freakish mare

Champion mare Verry Elleegant showed all her fighting qualities when landing her second Gr.1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m). Now an 11-time Group One winner, it was the first time the six-year-old daughter of Zed had won a Group One race that she had previously conquered, with the mare successful in 2021 having finished runner up to Te Akau Shark in the race in 2020. The reigning Melbourne Cup champion sat three-wide for much of the mile contest with jockey James McDonald making a decisive move...

Sierra Sue explosive in Futurity

Sierra Sue has doubled her Group One tally with a strong win in the Gr.1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday. The winner of the Gr.1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes over the same course and distance last spring, the Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained mare went to a new level when claiming elite level success under weight-for-age conditions on Saturday. The five-year-old daughter of proven sire Darci Brahma headed home a New Zealand bred trifecta, scoring by a comfortable 1¼ lengths...

Maven Belle remains unbeaten after stylish Breeders’ Stakes victory

Classy juvenile filly Maven Belle made it three wins from three starts when she swept to a clearcut victory in the feature race at Matamata on Saturday, the Gr.2 J Swap Contractors Ltd Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m). The Jamie Richards-trained daughter of Burgundy had looked to have a touch of class when she won on debut over 1000m at Te Aroha in early January. That impression deepened when she produced a similar performance to win the Gr.3 Platinum Homes 2YO Classic (1200m) at Te Rapa a fo...

Langkawi upsets in Kaimai Stakes at Matamata

Underrated stayer Langkawi came off the ballot and into the winners’ enclosure at Matamata on Saturday when he produced a determined finish to claim the Listed Matamata Veterinary Services Kaimai Stakes (2000m). The Peter McKay-trained six-year-old has been in a purple patch of form of late with three wins in his last four starts after a disappointing two seasons where he failed to deliver on the promise he showed during his three-year-old campaign where he finished third in the Gr.2 Auckland ...

Mascarpone scores emphatic Group One victory

Consistent performer Mascarpone capped a frustrating run of five consecutive placings to claim his first victory at the highest level when he took out the Gr.1 El Cheapo Cars WFA Classic (1600m) at Otaki. The Team Rogerson-trained five-year-old son of Shooting To Win is more commonly known as a high-class sprinting commodity having claimed minor placings in races such as the Gr.1 Telegraph (1200m) and twice in the Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m). Stepping up to the 1600m journey for the first time...

Mascot flies to Mannerism triumph

Four-year-old Tavistock mare Flying Mascot added a second Group Three victory to her burgeoning CV when landing the Mannerism Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield. The Tom Dabernig-trained mare was the winner of the Gr.3 Tesio Stakes (1600m) in the spring and went on to finish fifth in the Gr.1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) a week later. She commenced her autumn campaign with a good fresh-up performance when narrowly beaten into second by Probabeel in the Gr.3 Geoffrey Bellmaine Stakes (1200m) a fortnight a...

Alabama Gold too speedy in Matamata feature

Local runner Alabama Gold broke his maiden status in emphatic fashion when he led from go to whoa to take out the Gr.3 Fairview Matamata Slipper (1200m) at Matamata on Saturday. The speedy son of Windsor Park Stud stallion Turn Me Loose was coming off the back of an eye-catching late run for eighth in the Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) at Ellerslie last month, where a sluggish beginning and some home turn interference put paid to his winning chances. This time rider Sam Weatherley bounced the showy ...

Full head of steam for LA ahead of Karaka

With Per Incanto flying high on three sires’ premierships and young associate shuttle stallion Time Test on the board from his first domestic crop, the good times are continuing to roll for Little Avondale Stud. Farm stalwart Per Incanto currently occupies top four standings in New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore and a major presence in Australia through his gifted sprinting son Lost And Running, while Time Test has made a bright start to his career. From a handful of runners to date, Time Ru...

Cox enjoying new role ahead of Karaka 2022

Karaka 2022 will be more of the same but with a distinctive twist for highly respected horsewoman Kerrie Cox. For 17 years Cox played a key role in Waikato Stud’s rise to the top of the National Yearling Sale vendors’ table, however, this year she will front for another Matamata consignor, Blandford Lodge. Cox’s time at Waikato Stud began when she was still at high school with weekend and holiday work that evolved to a full-time job once her studies ended. Her skills, particularly in all-...

Perfect start for Savile Row

Valachi Downs stallion Savile Row made the perfect start to his career as a sire when his daughter Perfectly Suited scored on debut at Wanganui on Thursday. The juvenile was sent straight to the front in the Whanganui Chronicle 2YO (1200m) by jockey Bridget Grylls and the pair didn’t relinquish their advantage, with Perfectly Suited kicking clear of her rivals when turning for home, eventually running out a 6-1/2 length victor over Vino Bianca. Co-trainer Stephen Autridge was thrilled with the...

Third time’s a charm for Miss Ella

It was a case of third time’s a charm for Miss Ella when she was a convincing winner of the Listed Grangewilliam Stud “Derryn” Oaks Prelude (1600m) at Pukekohe on Wednesday. The race was initially set to be held at New Plymouth on February 5 over 1800m, but the meeting was abandoned after a slip in the first race. The race was subsequently rescheduled to the Taranaki Club’s February 18 meeting, which was also abandoned with the track being deemed unfit for racing before a race was condu...

2022 Sunline Scholarship awarded

The Sunline Education Trust have gone out of the box to ensure their 2022 scholarship is awarded. The International Management Scholarship usually enables the recipient to travel to England, Ireland and America but with uncertainty around international travel and border controls, this year’s grant has been awarded to a domestic project. Former Keith and Faith Taylor Equine Scholarship recipient Hannah Airey will receive the scholarship, supporting her to participate in a research study as part...

Artist Painting a New Career Path

Thoroughbreds - forward thinking, willing, brave, trainable, agile and gallop easily. They are a versatile breed of horse and with their trainability, never give up attitude and toughness they are ideal candidates for eventing competitors.  1996 Olympic champion Ready Teddy (Brilliant Invader x Double Summer) was the epitome of the versatile thoroughbred and was pretty perfect in the eyes of Blyth Tait. Each year the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association honour ‘Ted’ at the...

Hinepara provides timely update for Hunterville breeder

It’s been a pretty exciting month for Hunterville-based breeder Christopher Grace QSM, breeder of the Gr.2 Avondale Cup (2400m) winner Hinepara (Darci Brahma-Harinui). “It’s pretty handy getting four wins, one of them a Group Two win, to update the pedigree page a week or two before the sales series start,” enthused Grace when discussing the win of Hinepara. “I have two Almanzor yearlings to sell at Melbourne next week and two colts to sell at Karaka a week later all from this family.�...

Turn Me Loose filly impresses with debut victory

A gritty victory by two-year-old filly Lickety Split at her first raceday start at Ellerslie has given her sire Turn Me Loose a timely boost ahead of the upcoming New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale at Karaka. The Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman-trained youngster followed up an impressive trial win at Ellerslie late last month with a similar performance on Saturday as she overhauled pacemaker Slipper Island in the final stages after the pair had gone head-to-head over the final 400m. T...

Hinepara upsets in Avondale Cup

Ashvin Goindasamy loves upsetting in big races at Ellerslie and he did it again on Saturday when guiding Levin visitor Hinepara (Darci Brahma x Harinui) to victory in the Gr.2 Wallen Concreting Avondale Cup (2400m). Goindasamy had registered his biggest career win aboard Tiptronic in the Gr.1 Zabeel Classic (2000m) at the venue on Boxing Day and added a Group Two victory to his resume’ on the Josh Shaw-trained Darci Brahma mare. Betting in the race was dominated by Gr.2 Barfoot & Thompson Auck...

La Crique stamps Derby credentials with Avondale Guineas victory

If there were any doubts about exciting three-year-old filly La Crique’s (Vadamos x Destiny Cove) claims as a contender for top honours in next month’s Gr.1 Vodafone New Zealand Derby (2400m), they were well and truly quelled as she decimated her rivals when winning the Gr.2 AJC Avondale Guineas (2100m) at Ellerslie on Saturday. The Simon and Katrina Alexander-trained daughter of Rich Hill Stud stallion Vadamos was coming into the race off the back of a stunning four-length victory in the Gr...

Hometown glory for McKay and Palmetto

Local trainer Sally McKay got the win she has long desired when progressive three-year-old Palmetto (Ghibellines x Carolina Island) proved to good for his rivals as he strode clear to take out the Listed ILT Ascot Park Hotel Southland Guineas (1600m) at Invercargill. McKay, who prepares a small team from her Ascot Park base had made it clear in the build-up to the feature race at the Invercargill meeting that this was the race she had always wanted to win and had the belief that the leggy son of...