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Rich Etiquette at Te Rapa

David Ellis is no stranger to the top end of the buyers sheet at a New Zealand Bloodstock sale, and he found himself there once again on Wednesday when purchasing the top lot on day one of their Ready to Run Sale at Te Rapa. Caught in a bidding duel with bloodstock agent Bryce Tankard and an online bidder, Ellis was adamant he was going to secure lot 107, the Savabeel colt out of Etiquette, a full-sister to multiple Group One winner and ill-fated Waikato Stud stallion Sacred Falls. The bids quic...

First winner for Puccini

Mapperley Stud stallion Puccini sired his first winner at Rotorua on Tuesday when Giacomo won the Lance Lawson (1560m) for trainer Peter McKay. It was fitting that Puccini’s first winner was trained by McKay, with the Matamata horseman overseeing his racing career, where he won eight races including the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) and Gr.1 Thorndon Mile (1600m). It was Giacomo’s third raceday start on Tuesday and he relished the step up in distance and the firmer track on offer at Rotorua...

Mondorani fulfils NZ Cup prediction

A prophecy made by Wanganui trainer Kevin Myers three years ago came to fruition last weekend when Mondorani (Burgundy – Del Mondo [USA]) won the Gr.3 New Zealand Cup (3200m). When the horse first arrived in his stable as a four-year-old Myers told his breeder John Murdoch that he thought the horse was a bit weak but in time he would win a New Zealand Cup with him. Murdoch who bred and races the horse with his wife Karlene had been patient with Mondorani until he went to Myers and was happy to...

Date change for Auckland Cup to accommodate Karaka Sales

Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup Day has been put back a day to Sunday March 13 in order to accommodate New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale series. The Karaka Sale is now set to commence Monday 7 March and run through until Saturday 12 March, rather than the original Sunday 6 March commencement. New Zealand Bloodstock’s Managing Director Andrew Seabrook said the move was in the best interest of prospective international buyers. “The rationale behind moving the Sale back by one ...

No secret about speedy filly

Speedy filly Grace’s Secret made it two wins from two starts when she led throughout to take out the Listed Riccarton Park Function Centre Welcome Stakes (1000m) at Riccarton on Saturday. The Shane Kennedy and Anna Furlong-trained daughter of Vadamos had performed in similar fashion when winning at the venue on debut over 800m, however rain on race morning left some punters in doubt over her ability to handle the tricky Slow7 conditions as she drifted from an opening quote of $1.30 to start at...

Richards provides first four in Group One feature

Trainer Jamie Richards added another milestone to his already storied training career when he provided the first four home in the Gr.1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton. Impeccably bred filly The Perfect Pink gave Richards his 50th Group One victory of his career and an elite level double at the carnival for he and jockey Opie Bosson, after the pair combined just seven days earlier to capture the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) aboard Noverre. The Perfect Pink, ...

Mondorani upsets in New Zealand Cup

It was some Kevin Myers magic at play at Riccarton on Saturday when outsider Mondorani ($22.60) stormed home down the outskirts of the Riccarton track to take out the 158th running of the Gr.3 Martin Collins New Zealand Cup (3200m). Myers has long made Riccarton a happy hunting ground despite operating from his North Island base at Whanganui. Having already produced four winners during the Cup Week carnival, including a double earlier in the day with Kopua and Ucalledit, Myers provided the piece...

Justaskme takes Tauranga feature

A patient ride by Sam O’Malley proved the key to victory as Taranaki visitor Justaskme stormed clear to win the Gr.2 Gartshore Tauranga Stakes (1600m) at Tauranga. The six-year-old son of No Excuse Needed relished the Heavy10 footing and looked to be travelling like a winner a long way out, despite being last in the seven-horse field. With stablemate and race favourite Tavi Mac setting up a solid pace in front, O’Malley began a searching run out wide at the 600m as he tracked down eventual r...

NZTR Directions Paper and how it affects breeders

In the NZTR direction paper there is a section on developing a breeders Championship Series. We would appreciate you taking the time to read below and provide us with some feedback by Tuesday. Breeders Championship The second major initiative being considered is the proposed establishment of a Breeders Championships which would provide our 4YOs with an opportunity to run in a $1m race. The intention here is to create, over time, a day similar to the successful Karaka Millions race meeting that w...

WINTER INITIATIVES LEAD NEXT STAGE OF INNOVATION FUND APPROVALS

The third group of NZTR’s Innovation Fund recipients has been announced with three initiatives meeting the criteria. Applications from the Whangarei Racing Club and Wellington Racing Club were approved, along with a combined effort from Auckland Thoroughbred Racing (ATR), Waikato Racing Club and Whangarei Racing Club who took a regional view when planning their approach. The northern clubs’ Winter Championship Series is based on Flemington’s Winter Championship Finals Day, with five finals...

Jeff Drinkwater recognised at Wellington Branch awards

The Oxford dictionary describes a volunteer as a person who willingly works for an organisation without being paid. Jeff Drinkwater, the Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer of the Wellington Branch of the NZTBA certainly epitomises that definition. The branch recognised Drinkwater's efforts at a function following their AGM last week, presenting him with the John A Higgs Trophy for Contribution to the Branch. “It was a real shock especially as I am still in all the roles and look forward t...

Karalino bags fortuitous Group success

Five-year-old mare Karalino (NZ) (Zacinto x Tawny Run) landed the Gr.3 Valachi Downs Canterbury Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) for trainers Stephen Autridge and Kris Shailer in a dramatic finish to the fillies and mares feature at Riccarton on Wednesday. Race favourite Providenceprovides (Real Impact) had shot clear and was being hailed the winner when she collided with the running rail and became unbalanced with 100m to run, gifting Karalino the win, with Beneficial (NZ) (Highly Recommend...

Markus Aurelius conquers Riccarton mile as Te Akau duo shine

Fresh from landing the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton last Saturday with glamour colt Noverre (NZ) (Savabeel), the Te Akau team were again to the fore on the middle day of the New Zealand Cup Meeting. The Jamie Richards-trained pair of Markus Aurelius (NZ) (Ghibellines) and Summer Monsoon (Stratum) landed a stakes double at the Christchurch course, as the powerful Matamata stable flexed its muscle, with both ridden by retained rider Opie Bosson.   Hardy five-year-ol...

Age of Chivalry back in winner’s circle with Flemington Group Three

The Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra-trained Age Of Chivalry has been a model of consistency but was back in the winner’s circle for the first time since August 2019 when digging deep to land the Gr.3 Chatham Stakes (1400m) at Flemington. The six-year-old son of He’s Remarkable has been a stable favourite for the training partnership, which will go their separate ways at the end of the month. Multiple Group One-placed Age of Chivalry pulled out too many stops for Crosshaven and Justacanta, wi...

Zayydani heads Kiwi-bred quinella in Matriarch

A long-range plan to target the Gr.2 Matriarch Stakes (2000m) with impeccably bred mare Zayydani has come off for Lindsay Park trainers Ben and JD Hayes. The daughter of Savabeel, who sports the colours of Brent and Cherry Taylor’s Trelawney Stud, was the first winner and first stakes winner for the Hayes brothers partnership when winning a Listed race at Eagle Farm back in June. The five-year-old mare had three runs in readiness for the Group Two mares race and had caught the eye when a good...

Noverre all class in 2000 Guineas

The partnership of jockey Opie Bosson and Te Akau Racing provided another memorable moment in the history of the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) when they combined to land the blue ribband event with stunning Savabeel colt Noverre. Bosson has made the race his own since first winning it aboard Danske in 1998, claiming victory on eight occasions, including wearing the Te Akau tangerine and blue colours in three of those victories. The champion hoop delivered a typic...

All roads lead to the New Zealand Cup for Mr Intelligence

Topweight Mr Intelligence gave his rivals weight and a beating as he provided the perfect dress rehearsal for next weeks’ Gr.3 Martin Collins New Zealand Cup (3200m) when he took out the traditional lead-up event, the Listed Nautical Boat Insurance Metropolitan Trophy (2500m) on Saturday. Tapanui-base trainers Nikki and Barrie Blatch brought the lightly raced six-year-old son of Niagara north to Riccarton in recent weeks as they furthered the Cup preparation for their charge, who had been roun...

Stakes quinella for Marsh at Te Rapa

Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh maintained the winning roll he has been on of late when he produced the quinella in the feature race at Te Rapa on Saturday, the Listed Legacy Lodge Sprint (1200m). Punters had expected Run To Perfection to be the leading light for Marsh however it was stablemate Raposa Rapida who threw everyone a curveball when he sat wide throughout before holding out the late charge of Run To Perfection to take out the event. The seven-year-old was having his first run since fi...

Babylon Berlin too quick in Riccarton dash

Speedy mare Babylon Berlin got her spring campaign off to the best possible start when she proved too slick for her rivals in the Listed Donaldson Brown Pegasus Stakes (1000m) at Riccarton. The Ben Foote-trained daughter of All Too Hard had shown she has a touch a class about her during a three-year-old campaign where she finished in the top three in nine of her ten starts, winning four times including the Gr.3 Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) in her last start before being put aside for a w...

2022 Irish National Stud Scholarship recipient announced

The 2022 Keith & Faith Taylor Equine Scholarship has been awarded to a young industry participant from a family ingrained in fabric of the New Zealand thoroughbred breeding industry. George Chittick, who turns 19 on Sunday, is the third generation of his family from the renowned Waikato Stud to pursue a career with horses. The scholarship will support Chittick to travel to Ireland in January next year to complete the internationally recognised Irish National Stud Diploma course. “I’m very ho...

Stakes win has South Island breeders in high spirits

Canterbury breeders Edwina Morris and Alan Jones are feeling a little overwhelmed from all the messages, calls and texts they have received since Spirit of Gaylard (Puissance de Lune [IRE]-White Dove) won the Listed TAB Trophy (1800m) on Tuesday. “It’s quite unbelievable,” an excited Edwina Morris of Berkley Stud fame said with obvious pride. “We were actually just excited to have him running on such a big day as Melbourne Cup day, we weren’t expecting much, even though the connections...

NZ sires to the fore in Australia

The NZ suffix has featured prominently in Australia this spring, so it’s no surprise a couple of Kiwi stallions are featuring prominently on the Australian Leading Sires table this season. The Kiwi brigade is being led by Grangewilliam Stud stallion Zed, who sits fourth on the list with A$5.8 million in earnings, while Rich Hill Stud’s Shocking isn’t too far behind in sixth, with A$5.4 million to his credit. Other New Zealand stallions to feature prominently include Savabeel (9th, A$4.5 mi...

Karaka Yearling Sales move to March

Due to the uncertainty surrounding the ongoing pandemic, New Zealand Bloodstock has announced that its 2022 National Yearling Sales Series will be postponed to the later date of March. The following dates have been confirmed for Karaka 2022: Book 1 Sale:  Sunday 6 - Tuesday 8 March, commencing 11am (NZT) each day. Book 2 Sale:  Wednesday 9 - Friday 11 March, commencing 11am (NZT) each day. The 2022 Karaka Million Twilight meeting held at Ellerslie will remain at the current date of ...

Double Cup delight for Grangewilliam

Grangewilliam Stud celebrated further success in the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) when the champion mare Verry Elleegant powered to an outstanding victory at Flemington on Tuesday. The Waitotara nursery, located about 30km north-west of Wanganui, is operated by Mark Corcoran, who stands trainer Chris Waller’s star six-year-old’s sire Zed. Verry Elleegant continued the Corcoran’s success in the Flemington feature as Mark’s father John bred Doriemus, who in 1995 famously completed the Caulfi...

Melbourne Cup victory caps a terrific Tuesday for Goodwin

Don Goodwin can now add Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) breeder and owner to his resume after Verry Elleegant was a resounding winner of the staying feature at Flemington on Tuesday. The winner of nine prior Group One races, Goodwin was confident of a bold showing from his classy mare and he was jubilant she was able to pull the historic win off. “I am immensely proud,” Goodwin said from his Auckland home. “I was pretty confident but I was even more confident at the end of the big straight at ...