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Karaka all go, even in red

New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale in March is set to go ahead, even if the country enters the red alert level of the COVID-19 traffic light system. On Thursday, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that the entire country would enter the red traffic light alert level once the Omicron strain of COVID-19 entered the community. New Zealand Bloodstock were quick to quell fears that this would put their National Yearling Sale in jeopardy, with Managing Director Andrew S...

Third time lucky for Dragon Queen

The third time was the charm for Dragon Queen at Ellerslie’s Karaka Million twilight meeting on Saturday, landing a career-best victory in the Gr.2 Westbury Classic (1400m). Since her purchase for $50,000 by the New Zealand Chinese Jockey Club and Paul Moroney Bloodstock at Karaka in 2019, the daughter of Sweynesse has spent much of her 18-start career in stakes grade. That includes a close fifth in the Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) in 2020, followed by a sixth in last year’s Karaka Million 3YO...

Triumph to tragedy in Gore Guineas

The connections of highly talented three-year-old Mackenzie Lad went from a stakes-winning high to one of the worst feelings in racing within the space of a few seconds on Saturday afternoon. The Vespa gelding edged out the favourite Ruby’s Lad by a neck to claim his first black-type win in the Listed Liquorland Gore Guineas (1335m) but broke down badly soon after the finish line. “Sadly, he broke his leg past the line and had to be put down,” co-trainer Matthew Pitman said. “At least Di...

Sword Of State back with a vengeance at Ellerslie

Talented three-year-old colt Sword Of State shrugged off an indifferent Australian spring campaign to display his true class when he dominated his rivals in the Gr.3 Cambridge Stud Almanzor Trophy (1200m) at Ellerslie. Wearing the colours of Brendan and Jo Lindsay, who co-own the colt and sponsored the race, the son of Snitzel sat in the trail behind pacemaker Bonny Lass before rider Opie Bosson had him off the rail to challenge on the point of the home turn. Bosson said go at the 300m and Sword...

Bosson and Te Akau Racing take Karaka Million 2YO

The more things change, the more they stay the same was the feeling after the running of the Doubletree By Hilton Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) at Ellerslie on Saturday. On a night that generates enormous interest throughout New Zealand it was the familiar tangerine and blue racing colours of Te Akau Racing carried by the Jamie Richards-trained Dynastic who scooped the lion’s share of the $1million prize pool for owners the Te Akau 2021 Stallion Syndicate. By Cambridge Stud-based stallion Almanzo...

Babylon Berlin takes flight in Concorde

Speedy mare Babylon Berlin was at her brilliant front-running best when she led all the way to take out the Gr.3 Brighthill Farm Eminent First Yearlings Concorde Handicap (1200m) at Ellerslie. The Ben Foote-trained daughter of All Too Hard went into the race after a third placed finish behind Entriviere and Levante in the Gr.1 Sistema Railway at the venue on New Year’s day and was installed a $2.50 favourite for the contest ahead of the Jamie Richards-trained runner Festivity ($3.70). Most exp...

Richards collects another Karaka Million feature

On a night he has made somewhat his own in recent years, trainer Jamie Richards scooped a second $1million prize at Ellerslie on Saturday when Pin Me Up scored an upset victory in the Karaka Million 3YO (1600m). After snaring a sixth consecutive Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) with Dynastic just two races earlier, Richards was confidently expected to do the double with three-year-old On The Bubbles, who started a $1.50 favourite in the race. Last season’s winner of the two-year-old feature had a re...

Breeders celebrate Karaka Million 2YO victory

A purchase made while on a stint working overseas over twenty-five years ago paid off in spades for Windsor Park Stud’s Rodney Schick, when stylish colt Dynastic took out the $1 million Doubletree by Hilton Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) at Ellerslie on Saturday night. The Jamie Richards-trained son of Cambridge Stud stallion Almanzor is out of Volksraad mare Meir, a grand-daughter of Irish mare Guinevere, who Schick purchased for 32,000 guineas out of a Tattersalls sale while working in England i...

Levante claims Group One in thrilling Telegraph

High-class mare Levante broke through for a deserved Group One victory in a heart-stopping finish to Saturday’s JR & N Berkett Telegraph (1200m) at Trentham. The five-year-old daughter of Proisir went into the time-honoured sprint as an eight-race winner from 13 starts, including the Gr.2 Westbury Classic (1400m) and two editions of the Listed Counties Bowl (1100m). But a Group One victory had eluded the Ken and Bev Kelso-trained mare, who had previously finished second, third, fourth and fift...

Rising star Shamus heads superb Sharrock stakes double

Saturday’s Gr.2 Life Direct Wellington Guineas (1400m) at Trentham was a sink-or-swim moment for unbeaten three-year-old Shamus, and he rose to the challenge in superb style. Trained by Allan Sharrock in New Plymouth for his long-time clients Noel and Ron Stanley, the son of Shamexpress had made a big impression with dominant victories in each of his first three appearances. But Saturday’s Guineas was on a different level to anything he had come up against before, sampling the black-type wat...

Hanalei too strong in Wellesley Stakes

Promising filly Hanalei showed she had taken plenty from her runner-up performance on debut at Te Aroha at the start of the month, when she dominated her two-year-old rivals in the Listed IRT Wellesley Stakes (1100m) at Trentham. The Jamie Richards trained daughter of Darci Brahma had been heavily backed for her first-up performance but had to bow to stablemate Maven Belle after struggling to find clear galloping room early in the straight that day. Trentham’s wide-open spaces worked a treat f...

Bankers Choice makes light of tough Trentham task

Exciting galloper Bankers Choice showed he is well on his way to becoming a star of New Zealand racing with a last to first performance to take out the Gr.3 Dixon & Dunlop Anniversary Handicap (1600m) at Trentham on Saturday. Trainer Stephen Marsh had been in two minds about where to start the talented performer during the week with an engagement at the Tauranga meeting on Friday also an option for the four-year-old son of Mongolian Khan. Marsh has handled Bankers Choice with kid gloves through ...

White Noise confirms Derby credentials

Promising three-year-old White Noise had a class edge on his rivals when landing Sunday’s Listed Te Akau Gingernuts Salver (2100m) at Ellerslie, confirming his status as a genuine Gr.1 Vodafone New Zealand Derby (2400m) contender at the same venue in March. The Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman-trained son of El Roca justified his $2.40 favourite quote when he came with a determined finish for rider Ryan Elliot to down second favourite Regazzo in a stirring duel over the final 200m. Elliot was c...

Zebrowski lands January Cup

New Zealand-bred five-year-old Zebrowski ran out a strong winner of the Gr.3 January Cup (1800m) at Happy Valley on Wednesday night for trainer Caspar Fownes. The son of Savabeel relished the strong tempo to come from mid field under Joao Moreira to score in the city circuit’s only Group race of the season. Runner up in the 2020 Gr.1 Australian Derby (2400m) behind Quick Thinker when prepared by Team Hawkes, Zebrowski has now won two of his seven races since being sold to Hong Kong and has rac...

Shaw prepared to dream with Tigertiger

A decision to send maiden galloper Tigertiger to the Mornington stable of Robert Blacker is paying dividends for his Foxton-based owner and breeder Ian Shaw after the son of Zed picked up his fifth win from just 10 Australian starts in the Listed Bagot Handicap (2800m) at Flemington on Saturday. Shaw bred Tigertiger from his Gr.2 New Zealand Cup (3200m) winner Hoorang, who also numbered the Listed Marton Cup (2200m) amongst her nine career victories. Shaw had plenty of belief in Tigertiger as a ...

New Years Day Black Type Success

Te Akau Racing, trainer Jamie Richards and jockey Opie Bosson have gone back-to-back in the world’s first Group One race of the year, stealing the show with a scintillating performance by Entriviere in the Sistema Railway (1200m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day. Last year’s Railway was the fifth of nine career Group One victories for Avantage, but Entriviere is just getting started. The Ellerslie sprint showpiece was the first taste of Group One racing for the super-talented daughter of Tav...

Hasabro soars to first stakes win

A shift to the South Island has worked wonders for Hasabro, who picked up his first black-type win in the Listed Alleviate Administration Hazlett Stakes (1200m) at Wingatui on Boxing Day. The son of Savabeel spent the first four seasons of his career in the Ardmore stable of Stephen McKee, winning four races and running second in this year’s Gr.2 Easter Handicap (1600m) at Ellerslie. But McKee’s decision to bring the curtain down on his training career coincided with Hasabro’s move south, ...

Boxing Day Races Black Type Winners

Veteran galloper Tiptronic led all the way to take out his second career Group One prize when he captured the Gr.1 Cambridge Stud Zabeel Classic (2000m) at Ellerslie The Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall-trained eight-year-old had hinted he could return to his best form when finishing on strongly for third in the Gr.1 Captain Cook Stakes (1600m) at his most recent start. The son of O’Reilly had finished fifth in the race a year earlier after being forced to sit three-wide throughout, however...

First New Zealand winner for Time Test

Little Avondale Stud's shuttle stallion Time Test has been credited with his first Southern Hemisphere winner after Time Ruler won at Tauranga on Friday.Trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott have timed their run to the DoubleTree By Hilton Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) at Ellerslie next week to perfection with the promising juvenile who ran away to a comfortable 5-1/2 length victory in the Ray White Mount Maunganui Juvenile (1200m), with his $17,250 earnings from the race booking his spot in...

First winner for Satono Aladdin

Two-year-old gelding Kabugee showed a glimpse of his talent when winning on debut at Te Aroha on Monday over 1000m and in the process provided his Rich Hill Stud sire Satono Aladdin with his first New Zealand bred winner. Sent out an overwhelming $1.40 favourite on the strength of two trials victories, the Jamie Richards-trained Kabugee settled three-back on the fence under Opie Bosson after not showing a lot of speed from the barriers. Angled into the clear at the top of the straight, Kabugee p...

Stakes winner just what the doctor ordered for Tarzino

Kiwi-bred filly Gypsy Goddess became the first stakes winner for Westbury Stud stallion Tarzino when she cruised to victory in the Gr.3 Grand Prix Stakes (2100m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday. The effortless performance kept her unbeaten record intact, with four wins from as many starts and stamped her as an exciting flag-bearer for her sire who has produced four winners and 10 placegetters from his eldest crop, which are just three. For Westbury Stud General Manager Russell Warwick, the win held p...

Tarzino’s Gypsy Goddess a star on the rise

Kiwi-bred filly Gypsy Goddess made a one-act affair of the Gr.3 Grand Prix Stakes (2100m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday, cruising to victory to keep her unbeaten record intact, with four wins from as many starts. In the process, the David Vandyke-trained filly provided exciting Westbury Stud stallion Tarzino with his first stakes winner. Sent out a $1.24 favourite, Gypsy Goddess travelled like the winner throughout under a patient Stephanie Thornton, who barely had to shake the reins to produce a n...

Grylls provides Baker with notable milestone at Awapuni

Visiting Matamata rider Craig Grylls had a day to remember on Saturday when he took out the two feature races on the card at Awapuni, albeit in contrasting fashion. Successful aboard the Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman-trained Oneroa by just a nose in a desperate finish to a rating 74 1200m contest earlier in the day, Grylls repeated the dose in similar fashion in the Gr.3 Humphries Construction Manawatu Cup (2250m) aboard stablemate Marroni. In between times he also guided class mare Coventina ...

Coventina Bay brilliant in fresh-up victory

Taranaki mare Coventina Bay reminded racegoers of her undoubted class when she came from last at the turn to down a small but quality field in the Gr.2 Carters Manawatu Challenge Stakes (1400m) at Awapuni. Unsighted since completing a somewhat disappointing three-race campaign during the Queensland Winter carnival back in June, trainer Robbie Patterson had given the six-year-old daughter of Shamexpress three trials in the last month to prepare the mare for her resuming run. An effortless four an...

Opulence named Broodmare of the Year

Opulence (Danroad x Mulan Magic) has been named the 2020-21 Eight Carat New Zealand Broodmare of the Year, sponsored by Arion Pedigrees. Owned by recently crowned New Zealand Small Breeder of the Year Don Goodwin, Opulence is the dam of Verry Elleegant (Zed) who won five Group One races during the 2020-21 season. Goodwin could not have predicted the heights Opulence would take him to when he purchased her in foal to Towkay for $14,000 at the 2011 New Zealand Bloodstock May Sale. He was looking f...