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Champion Stayer Let’s Elope for Hall of Fame Induction

Let’s Elope, one of the great racemares in Melbourne Cup history, has earned induction to the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame. Already a member of the Australian Racing Hall of Fame, Let’s Elope will take her place alongside fellow New Zealand-bred greats of the turf at the Hall of Fame induction dinner in Hamilton on the evening of May 2. Previous inductees with the Melbourne Cup on their CV are Carbine (1890), Phar Lap (1930), Rising Fast (1954), Might And Power (1997) and Ethereal (2001),...

Synchronize Lands Pearl Series Maiden

Talented juvenile Synchronize made an impressive debut at Matamata on Wednesday, winning the NZB Insurance Pearl Series Maiden 2YO (1050m), landing a Pearl Series bonus in the process. The daughter of Savabeel had been impressive in three trials victories prior to her raceday debut, and the Jamie Richards-trained filly was duly sent out a $1.50 favourite. Positively ridden from an inside draw by Danielle Johnson, Synchronize comfortably had the measure of runner-up Show A Million to provide Te ...

Filly scores fitting win

Annavisto’s (Reliable Man x Avisto) win in the Listed Bendigo Guineas (1400m) last Saturday proved to be more than just a highlight for her big group of owners. The Reliable Man filly provided her breeder Greg Tomlinson of Nearco Stud with a very significant treble. Tomlinson bred her dam Avisto (Tavistock-Miraculous Miss[AUS]) and she has the honour of being the first stakes winner for Nearco Stud, she was also the first stakes winner for Tavistock, and now she has given Tavistock his first s...

NZB South Island Sale now live online

New Zealand Bloodstock’s annual South Island Sale of yearlings is now live and available to view on plus.gavelhouse.com. Bidding on the online sale will commence from Monday 12 April, with the first lot closing incrementally at 7pm on Wednesday 14 April. For the second consecutive year the sale will operate on the digital auction platform with the catalogue featuring a line-up of 64 lots. Included in the auction is the Almanzor half-brother to Group One winner I Do offered as lot 41 from the d...

KIWI CHRONICALS- Zabeel flies NZ flag in dual G1 scalp

by Llyod Jackson, ANZ Bloodstock News New Zealand breeders proudly hoisted their flag at Saturday’s delayed Rosehill meeting and, unsurprisingly, Zabeel (Sir Tristram) had much to say about two of the five Group 1 contests. In this column a few weeks ago, considerable space was given to “under appreciated” sire Zed (Zabeel), who stands at Mark Corcoran’s Grangewilliam Stud in South Taranaki. That apparent lack of enthusiasm for Zed will likely not alter that much but savvy breeders might...

Polly adds a pretty penny to value with Epona victory

by Paul Vitesse, TDN AUS NZPolly Grey (NZ) (Azamour {Ire}) is the gift that keeps on giving to Kylie Fawcett and partners with her latest victory in the G3 Epona S. at Rosehill adding significantly to her future broodmare appeal. The talented Polly Grey is prepared by Chris Waller after she was initially trained by her Matamata-based part-owner Kylie Fawcett, who was bequeathed the grey by her late breeder Barbara Perry.Barbara was originally from the Wairarapa and moved to the Waikato in retire...

Racing unites to mourn death of legendary owner-breeder Hamdan Al Maktoum

Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, one of the most prominent and influential figures in international horseracing for more than four decades, has died at the age of 75. The older brother of Sheikh Mohammed, Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum helped to change the face of the sport in Britain and across the world through his investment in sponsorship, equine property and bloodstock, racing thousands of horses in his blue and white silks, including the likes of champions Nashwan, Salsabil, Dayjur and ...

Verry Elleegant Draws First Blood in Ranvet

Star New Zealand-bred mare Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed) drew first blood against imported galloper Addeybb, with the top-class duo renewing their rivalry of 12 months ago in a stirring finish to the Gr.1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill. In landing her eighth Group One, Verry Elleegant had a length to spare on Addeybb with game pacemaker Angel Of Truth back in third. Prepared by Chris Waller, Verry Elleegant had come up second best in last year’s Ranvet Stakes behind the William Haggas-trained ...

Belle Fascino Headlines Riccarton Double for Marsh

Cambridge conditioner Stephen Marsh enjoyed a successful day at Riccarton on Saturday when honest mare Belle Fascino provided him with the second leg of a race to race double in the feature event on the card, the Gr.3 Valachi Downs South Island Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m). The Marsh-trained Atishu had registered a phenomenal performance thirty minutes earlier when she overcame a rocky start to storm to victory over her age group rivals over 1400m, but it was the seven-year-old Belle ...

Innes Produces Front-Running Gem to Lift Japan Trophy

Leading northern rider Leith Innes produced a front-running masterclass at Tauranga on Saturday as he guided gritty galloper Packing Rockstar to his first stakes victory in the Gr.2 Ultimate Mazda Japan Trophy (1600m). The Fastnet Rock five-year-old has proven a model of consistency since returning to New Zealand following one unsuccessful start in Hong Kong. Now in the care of Lauren Brennan, Packing Rockstar had produced an eye-catching performance to score over 1400m at Ellerslie at his last ...

Fletcher to be inducted into Hall Of Fame

By Dennis RyanOne of the true gentlemen of the thoroughbred world is to be honoured with induction to the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame. Sir James Fletcher, industrialist, philanthropist, thoroughbred breeder, owner and administrator, has been acknowledged for the foresight that transcended his business career into the world of the horse. As the son of a Scottish immigrant father of the same name who founded one of New Zealand’s iconic commercial entities in the first decade of the 20th Cent...

Pearl Series early bird entries nearing close

The early bird entries for the NZB Insurance Pearl Series are set to close on March 31. The lucrative series, administrated by the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders' Association, awards bonuses to nominated fillies and mares who win registered races during their two, three, and four-year-old seasons. Bonuses of almost $2.6 million and prizemoney of nearly $2.8 million are spread across 215 individual races throughout the country. NZB Insurance representative Jim Bruford said the scheme was devel...

Oaks Heroine a New Star for Waikato Stud’s Jacqwin Line

Amarelinha’s superb victory in Saturday’s Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham has breathed new life into a quality family that Waikato Stud bought into almost two decades ago. By all-conquering Waikato Stud stallion Savabeel out of the young O’Reilly mare Hopscotch, Amarelinha was bred by Waikato Stud and went through their Book 1 draft at Karaka 2019, where she was bought by Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis for $300,000. Two years on, Amarelinha has been a standout of her generation i...

Need I Say More Secures Sixth Stakes Success in Guineas

No three-year-old in New Zealand this season has enjoyed as much black-type success as the prolific winner Need I Say More, who added Saturday’s Gr.2 Fusion Electrical Wellington Guineas (1400m) at Trentham to his near-faultless formline. The winner of the Gr.3 Waikato Stud Slipper (1200m) as a juvenile, the classy chestnut has added this season’s Gr.3 Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m), Gr.2 Sarten Memorial (1400m), Gr.3 Almanzor Trophy (1200m), Listed Mufhasa Stakes (1300m) and now Satur...

Stable Pet Makes Amends in Lightning

Less than an hour after lamenting bad luck in one Trentham feature on Saturday afternoon, Johno Benner and Hollie Wynyard struck gold in the next one with stable favourite Grand Mayson. A perennial placegetter with 13 seconds and thirds through his 26-start career, the six-year-old son of Power produced a scintillating late burst to win the Listed Hardy Trade Supply Lightning Handicap (1200m). Just 40 minutes earlier, Benner and Wynyard’s last-start Gr.1 Levin Classic (1600m) winner Bonham ov...

Amarelinha Brilliant in New Zealand Oaks Victory

Talented three-year-old Amarelinha gave her rivals a galloping lesson as she claimed a brilliant victory in the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham. The Jamie Richards-trained Savabeel filly had been expected to dominate proceedings after winning four of her last five starts, but even the best laid plans can come unstuck and that was nearly the case on Saturday. Backers of the $1.60 favourite had their hearts in their mouths as the gates opened with Amarelinha appe...

Coventina Bay Takes Cuddle Stakes Victory After Tough Battle

Progressive galloper Coventina Bay delighted her army of fans when taking out the Gr.3 Wentwood Grange Cuddle Stakes (1600m) on Saturday, but it was a close-run thing in the Trentham feature for the fillies and mares. Sent out a $1.70 favourite for the contest, the Robbie Patterson-trained mare was shooting for back-to-back victories after scoring impressively over 1400m at Matamata last month. Punters were well on terms with themselves throughout the running as regular pilot Sam Collett had Cov...

Waisake Collects Another Trentham Feature

Class prevailed at Trentham on Saturday when last-start Gr.3 Wellington Cup (3200m) winner Waisake collected another feature race at the venue with a gritty victory in the Listed Fasttrack Insurance 5K New Zealand St. Leger (2600m). Unsighted since taking out the Cup in late January with a booming late run, the Allan-Sharrock-trained six-year-old had his normal race tactics turned upside down when apprentice rider Hazel Schofer found herself trapped wide throughout the early stages of the race. ...

Pearl Series Offers Big Thrill

Levante may be a Group One placed Group Two winner but for her owners, winning a NZ Bloodstock Insurance Pearl Series Bonus was a big thrill. The Proisir (AUS) mare won the Royal Descent Stakes at Ellerslie on Auckland Cup day, which also carried a $20,000 Pearl Series Bonus. “It’s a big thrill and that extra $20,000 added to the stake makes a big difference, it’s just lovely to see her back in winning form,” said her part-owner Phillip Brown referring to her missing the start and flying...

Lion Roars the loudest at Randwick

Leading into the Gr.1 Rosehill Guineas this weekend Mount Maunganui based breeder Peter Gillespie is facing a few sleepless nights. He will be wondering how Lion’s Roar – the Contributor colt he bred - will fare given his impressive win recently in the Gr.1 Randwick Guineas (1600m). “It’s the first (Group One winner) I have bred,” Gillespie said. “It was a huge thrill, I couldn’t sleep that night I was so filled with expectation of where we were going next, can he win the Rosehill...

Valachi Downs’ Unreserved Reduction Live on Gavelhouse Plus

In a move to consolidate numbers, prime Waikato-based nursery Valachi Downs is represented by 52 Lots in a stand-alone unreserved reduction auction launched today on Gavelhouse Plus. Buyers must pre-register to bid in this auction with the sale running through until the final countdown from 7pm (NZ) on Friday 26 March. “Kevin and Jo Hickman are refocusing Valachi Downs as a more private and smaller nursery and racing stable with the same goal of producing, selling and racing elite racehorses,�...

McCullum to Headline SEN Launch in NZ

Sports Entertainment Network (SEN) is set to expand into New Zealand announcing plans to acquire 29 TAB NZ AM/FM radio licences and signing former New Zealand Test captain Brendon McCullum as headline talent. SENZ – as it will be known, will become New Zealand’s new Home of Sport and Racing – and aims to be the destination for New Zealand sports fans, with soon-to-be-announced live sports rights to be supported by marquee local programming. McCullum will front and co-host the all-important...

Proisir nomination up for grabs

A service nomination to Proisir is on offer to all New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association members attending the NZTBA Breeders’ Stakes meeting at Te Aroha on Saturday, April 10. Any NZTBA member at Te Aroha will be eligible to enter the prize draw for the nomination and the winner will be the person who draws the first horse past the post in the day’s feature race, the Gr.1 Fibre Fresh - NZ Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m). It is through the generosity of the Proisir Syndica...

#CompleteTheFleet

The New Zealand Horse Ambulance Trust was established in 2016 for the purpose of funding, procuring and operating a national fleet of horse ambulances. The Horse Ambulance Trust is one away from a goal they set back in 2016 to fund and procure ten horse ambulances. The custom made ambulances have a full hydraulic suspension system and are designed to give injured horses the best support for a positive outcome. With the public's help they are fundraising for a final horse ambu...

Battling Billy Causes Minor Upset in Auckland Cup

Rotorua galloper Ocean Billy gave trainer Bill Pomare his biggest thrill on a racecourse when he proved too tough in the concluding stages when taking out Saturday’s Gr.1 Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup (3200m) at Ellerslie. The rugged Ocean Park five-year-old won the Gr.3 Waikato Cup (2400m) back in December to frank his credentials for Saturday’s two-mile classic but had been strangely absent from most of the pre-race discussions before the race. Settled well beyond mid-field by Johnathan ...