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Underrated Zed making name the hard way

Zed may be one of New Zealand’s most solidly proven stallions, but there’s still plenty of room for broodmare owners that want their mares to visit him. Grangewilliam Stud’s son of Zabeel has had another very good season domestically, finishing in the top 10 of the sires’ list for the third successive year, while across the Tasman he finished 28th on the General Sires’ list.  Zed’s headline act for the last few seasons is his brilliant daughter Verry Elleegant, who has a strong ...

National Breeding Awards & Waikato Stallion Parade Postponed

After a hiatus in 2020 due to COVID-19, the Waikato Branch of the NZTBA were looking forward to a bumper weekend in the Waikato this week with the gavelhouse.com Waikato Stallion Parade book-ending the Ebbett VW National Breeding Awards. Last night’s announcement that New Zealand would move to a Level 4 lockdown, has unfortunately curtailed those plans The gavelhouse.com Waikato Stallion Parade weekend has been postponed to Saturday 4th & Sunday 5th of September and will be run in accordance ...

Te Aroha Stallion Service Scheme

Each year the Te Aroha Jockey Club runs a Stallion Service Scheme.  All the profits from this scheme supports the NZ Thoroughbred Breeders G1 raceday at Te Aroha in April. Make a bid on the stallion of your choice and we will endeavour to secure that service for your mare. Each year we are seeing a decline in foal number so your support for this scheme not only supports a Group 1 raceday but also help to grow foal numbers. Please find attached this year’s stallion details.  If you ...

Course to draw new blood to thoroughbred industry

Like many primary industries, there has been a growing shortage of skilled labour in the thoroughbred industry, but the cavalry are coming. Byerley Park’s Daniel Nakhle has long held ambitions of setting up an educational provider at his South Auckland property, and that dream will come to fruition next month. Nakhle and Byerley Park Manager, former jockey Donavan Mansour, have been working behind the scenes over the last 18 months to get a thoroughbred introductory course off the ground. The ...

Vale Michael Stedman

There was a certain uniqueness about Michael Stedman, an Australian who forged his career as a bloodstock agent on the “other” side of the Tasman, and through that became a strident advocate of the Kiwi-bred racehorse. Reflections on the affable New South Welshman have abounded over the past week in the wake of his death from cancer at age 73 in Sydney. After following a family tradition and qualifying as a pharmacist in his central coast hometown of Terrigal, Stedman found himself increasin...

Wallace buoyed by trans-Tasman feature double

If anyone needed reminding about the ability of Ardsley Stud to raise top-level racehorses, they got a double reminder last Saturday. Outstanding jumper Tallyho Twinkletoe, who created history when winning the Grand National Steeplechase (5600m) at Riccarton, and Sierra Sue, victorious in the Gr.2 PB Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield, were both raised and sold on the Wallace family’s Wairarapa farm. Sierra Sue was foaled at Ardsley Stud. She was bred by John Fokerd, who subsequently dispers...

Notable stakes success for Time Test

Little Avondale’s young shuttle stallion Time Test recorded his first stakes winner at Newbury on Friday when Tardis powered home in the Listed St Hugh's Stakes (1050m) for trainer Michael Bell under the urgings of Oisin Murphy. The two-year-old filly is on a steep upward curve, having broken her maiden decisively at Bath last month following two placed efforts previously.  She is the first foal out of Twizzell, a daughter of Equiano who won twice over 1000m Tardis' Newbury success marked...

Double for Ribchester

Haunui Farm shuttle stallion Ribchester sired a double in the UK on Friday to provide him with his eighth and ninth winners respectively. First to strike was the Karl Burke-trained Snooze n You Lose, who impressed on her second start at Nottingham. Bred by the Bryce family’s Laundry Cottage Stud Farm and out of the Noverre mare Wake Up Call, she was always traveling comfortably and was not extended to win by a length. Just over an hour later at Wolverhampton, Oh Great registered his first win ...

Mastercraftsman dies aged 15

Former Windsor Park Stud shuttle stallion Mastercraftsman died at Castlehyde Stud in Ireland on Friday following a suspected heart attack. The 15-year-old son of Danehill Dancer was European Champion two-year-old of 2018 having won the Gr.1 National Stakes (1400m), Gr.1 Phoenix Stakes (1200m) and Gr.2 Railway Stakes (1200m).  The Aidan O'Brien-trained colt then won the Gr.1 Irish 2,000 Guineas (1600) and the Gr.1 St James's Palace Stakes (1600m) at Royal Ascot before running a game second t...

Auckland Stallion Parade and Presentation

Breeders should circle Sunday 29th August on their calendars as the Auckland Branch of the NZTBA look to host the Auckland Stallion Parade at Haunui Farm and Westbury Stud, followed by a casual function for NZTBA members to celebrate the success of Group race winners bred in the Auckland region.The day will start at 10.30am at Haunui Farm with 2021 Champion First Season Sire Belardo and exciting young stallion Ribchester on show with the possibility of some early foals by Ribchester also hitting...

Update from the NZEHA

The NZEHA provides an update on their progress in various areas of the organisation:1. VetIntel VetIntel is an equine disease surveillance system which collects data from veterinary practices.  It works by picking up disease codes used by the veterinary practice’s administration software and holding this information in a central database.  This information can be analysed to provide important information regarding disease prevalence and equine population health. The data collection, ...

Freshwater Farm Plans and Stock Exclusion low slope maps proposals: Consultation open for public submissions

MPI are asking for your feedback on the proposed freshwater farm plan system, the content of plans, how to transition to the system, and how plans will be implemented. They are also asking for feedback on changes to the low slope map in the stock exclusion regulations. Public submissions are being accepted from 26 July until 12 September via online versions of the two discussion documents. Supporting information is available here for:  Freshwater farm plansLow slope map for stock exclusionT...

Celevacci provides breakthrough success for Tivaci

Waikato Stud stallion Tivaci is on the board following the debut success in Australia on Wednesday of his three-year-old son Celevacci (NZ). Young sinre Tivaci had sired four previous placegetters from a handful of representatives before Celevacci, who had been a lead-up trial winner, was victorious at the first time of asking over 1400m at Belmont in Western Australia for part-owner and trainer Adam Durrant. “It’s really great news and I’ve been saying all along that Tivaci’s progeny wi...

30 Day Foal Notification

An important part of NZTR’s thoroughbred welfare mandate is understanding where our horses are from birth to death. The new rule regarding 30-day foal notification has been brought in specifically to deal with the “birth” aspect.  Up until now the first NZTR knew of the existence of a foal was when Mare Returns were filed (by 28 February) at which stage the foal could be six months old. NZTR now requires notification of a foal’s existence within 30 days of its birth.  This can ...

History Mystery of 1960

Originally printed in the ANZ Bloodstock NewsAn old trick question used to be: Can you name the 1957 Auckland Cup winner? It was a trick question because for the four-day carnival of the 1957-58 racing season the Auckland Racing Club switched their annual feature two-miler from Boxing Day to New Year’s Day. There was no Auckland Cup run in 1957. In case you were wondering, the ‘56 Cup was won by Yeman (Sabaean), and the ‘58 version by Red Eagle (Revelation). On similar lines, the annual Ne...

Buckingham passes away

Gregarious, generous, a great contributor, best describe Clyde Buckingham who passed away last week after a short illness in Middlemore Hospital, aged 83. Buckingham was a Gold Star member of the Auckland Racing Club, where he had served as a director in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, and an active member of the Auckland Branch of the NZTBA. He also served as a director of the Counties Racing Club, the nearest club to the Karaka lifestyle property he shared with his wife Patricia on their...

Vale Michael Stedman

The thoroughbred industry lost one of its most respected men after prominent bloodstock agent Michael Stedman passed away at the age of 73 last week. Stedman, one of the great characters of the industry, initially began his career outside of the racetrack working as a chemist alongside his father based in Terrigal, New South Wales. His passion for the racing industry ignited when he began bringing Australian racing enthusiasts across the Tasman to participate in stud tours throughout New Zealand...

Another winner for Ribchester

Haunui Farm shuttle stallion Ribchester was credited with his seventh individual winner this week when Shaikha (Ribchester x Kerila (Makfi)) won on debut at Deauville on Thursday. Shaikha impressed when jumping smartly and tracked the pace in second through the early stages of the race. At the half-way mark she made her move and finished strongly to win by three lengths. Four-time G1 winner and two-time European Champion Miler Ribchester has made a strong start to his career in the northern hemi...

Broodmare 2021 Nominations

Three fantastic racemares and a classic three-year-old colt have propelled their dams into finalists for the Eight Carat Broodmare of the Year Award (sponsored by Arion Pedigrees) to be announced later this month at the Ebbett VW National Breeding Awards. Extra Explosive (Ekraar[USA]- Explosive) the dam of the triple Derby winner Explosive Jack is among the nominees along with Far Fetched (Pins[AUS]-Beyond) the dam of Probabeel, Meleka Belle (Iffraaj[GB]-Empress Belle) the dam of Melody Belle an...

Passing of Lorraine Jameson

The New Zealand Thoroughbred breeding industry lost one of its trailblazing woman breeders recently with the passing of Lorraine Jameson. The proprietor of Cardoness Stud on the outskirts of Masterton, Jameson hit the headlines as a breeder when she, topped the 1970 National Yearling Sale at Trentham with a record price of $60,000. Four years later she did it again, sharing the honour with neighbouring Wairarapa breeder Nancy Williams when they both sold colts for a record breaking $100,000. Th...

An Evening with the Breeding Experts

The CMWO branch of the NZ Thoroughbred Breeders' Association invites you to join us for a breeding educational evening in the Phar Lap Room at Riccarton Park on Friday, August 13th. The evening will feature a selection of industry experts speaking on a range of issues and practices relevant to both commercial breeders and owner/breeders.  We encourage anyone with an interest in breeding to attend, all are welcome, it promises to be a highly informative ev...

Another Clean Sweep for Champion Sire Savabeel

Outstanding Waikato Stud stallion Savabeel has asserted his dominance yet again in season 2020-21 with another clean sweep of New Zealand’s three major stallion awards. For a seventh time in succession the son of Zabeel has won the Grosvenor Award, as Champion New Zealand-based sire by total progeny earnings within New Zealand. It is the fifth time in the past six years that Savabeel rules supreme in the Dewar Award, for Champion New Zealand-based sire by total progeny earnings within New Zea...

Belardo secures first season sire crown

Haunui Farm shuttle stallion Belardo secured last season’s title of New Zealand’s top first season sire with Yeaboi’s runner-up result in the Listed Ryder Stakes (1200m) at Otaki on Saturday. Belardo finished the season with four winners from 20 runners in New Zealand, including three black-type performers. Avonallo was Belardo’s flag bearing juvenile, having won the Listed Welcome Stakes (1000m) at Riccarton in November before placing in the $1 million Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) at Elle...

Contributer crowned Champion second season sire

Mapperley Stud stallion Contributer has been crowned New Zealand’s Champion second season sire. The son of High Chaparral sired 13 individual winners in New Zealand, notching up 18 separate victories and accumulating a total $354,916 in stakes. His star performer was Llanacord, the winner of the Gr.2 Lowland Stakes (2100m), while he also sired the stakes performers Follow Your Dreams, Lily’s Dream and Miss Dixie. Contributer’s status continued to rise with some exceptional performances in ...

Per Incanto Top of the Pops in Hong Kong

An outstanding season in Hong Kong for Little Avondale Stud sire Per Incanto hasn’t gone unnoticed by the breeders of some of that jurisdiction’s best gallopers. Per Incanto finished the recently completed 2020-21 season clearly atop the stallion premiership in Hong Kong both in terms of winners and wins. His 17 winners were four more than the next best, Exceed And Excel and Snitzel, while the 30 wins his progeny recorded were 10 clear of Snitzel and Deep Field. Those winners mostly came fr...