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Derryn Yearlings Add New Element for High-Flying Grangewilliam

While remarkable stallion Zed continues to put Grangewilliam Stud’s name in lights on both sides of the Tasman, the next generation gets its time to shine with Derryn’s first yearlings going under the hammer at Karaka 2021. Grangewilliam can lay claim to New Zealand’s highest-ranked sire in Australia this season, with Zed currently sitting in 14th place on the Australian premiership. His progeny have amassed more than A$4.6 million across the Tasman in 2020-21, headed by Gr.1 Caulfield Cu...

A Whole New World Awaits Progeny of Satono Aladdin

Rich Hill Stud’s John Thompson is confident the first yearlings by the farm’s shuttle stallion Satono Aladdin will be well received as they get set to go under the hammer at what will be a unique Karaka 2021. A son of phenomenal Japanese stallion Deep Impact, Satono Aladdin was a top-flight racehorse who won eight races including the Gr.1 Yasuda Kinen (1600m) in a slick time of 1:31.5. Shuttling from Japan’s world-famous Shadai Stallion Station, Satono Aladdin served 91 mares at Rich Hill ...

Cunneen Records Maiden Training Victory

Riccarton trainer Meg Cunneen broke through to record her first victory when Mamma Sans by Tavistock (NZL)-Tanzer (NZL) (Stravinsky) won the Alex Hayward/Noel Wafer Pow Memorial (1810m) at Kumara on Saturday. Cunneen (26), the daughter of Mid Canterbury rugby centurion Paul Cunneen, who bred the mare in partnership with Eric Parr and races her himself, boasts a strong equestrian background. It was the second time in a week that Cunneen had travelled Mamma Sans to the West Coast, a...

Stakes Targets Beckon Promising Filly

Maria Farina by Contributer (IRL)-La Vitesse (NZL (Darci Brahma (NZL) kept her unbeaten record intact at Ellerslie on Sunday in the Blue Bubble Taxis 1200 and now a Group Three target beckons the promising filly later this month. The Darryn Weatherley-trained three-year-old settled to the rear of the field for Weatherley’s jockey son Sam. The pair were last turning for home, however, Weatherley was able to navigate his charge through a gap that presented itself at the 200m mark ...

Milford Too Strong in Ellerslie Feature

The familiar combination of trainer Stephen Marsh and owner Lib Petagna combined to take out another feature three-year-old staying event at Ellerslie on Sunday when Milford dashed home late to win the Listed Te Akau Gingernuts Salver (2100m). Medaglia D’Oro colt Crown Prosecutor carried part-owner Petagna’s colours to victory in the 2015 Gr.1 Vodafone New Zealand Derby (2400m) for Marsh, who will look to replicate that success in the blue riband event in March with Milford. Marsh has made n...

Time Test Set for Karaka Yearling Debut

A few months after celebrating a milestone 80th anniversary, time-honored Little Avondale Stud is set to break new ground in early 2021. Owned and operated by successive generations of the Williams family since 1940, the Masterton nursery has become a mainstay among vendors at the annual National Yearling Sales. Karaka 2021 will be an extra special edition, featuring the first crop of yearlings by Little Avondale’s new shuttle stallion Time Test. There are eight Time Test yearlings in the cata...

Beauden Defends Marton Cup Crown

Exciting stayer Beauden by Bullbars-Belle Femme (Zeditave) returned to the scene of his 2020 triumph in the Listed Japac Marton Cup (2200m) on Saturday and made it back-to-back victories in the race with a devastating performance. The Team Rogerson-trained six-year-old came into the race off the back of an emphatic four length win in the Taupo Cup, where regular rider Ryan Elliot had set him alight well before the home turn that day to blitz his race rivals. Elliot adopted similar...

Wall of Fame Helps Dispel Misinformation

Thoroughbreds are well-known for their versatility off the track and a recent addition to the New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) demonstrates this, along with the longevity of some of our retired racehorses. The Horse Wall of Fame (found here) includes returnees from Hong Kong, Derby winners, top handicappers, moderate to fair racehorses, non-winners and unraced horses.  Each of them has now found a role off the track, either as top performing eventers and show jumpers, therapy horses, ...

Williams buoyed by reinvigorated racing outlook

Little Avondale Stud’s Sam Williams hopes a new enthusiasm he sees in local racing can fuel the upcoming National Yearling Sales at Karaka. Williams ventured from his Wairarapa base to see his promising mare Roch ‘N’ Horse win a Rating 65 event at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day, but he said it was the attitude of people he met during the day that gave him the most optimism ahead of New Zealand Bloodstock’s flagship sale. “I bumped into a crew of South Islanders, they said ‘I’ve got ...

Smithies optimistic ahead of sale

Joe and Max Smithies of Monovale Farm are looking forward to offering their 13-strong draft at New Zealand Bloodstocks’ National Yearling Sale at Karaka later this month. The Waikato brothers will offer 10 lots in the Book 1 Sale and they are particularly excited about the prospects of lot 544, the Savabeel filly out of Miss Opulence. She is a full-sister to the 2020 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run sale topper, who was purchased by Te Akau’s David Ellis out of Riversley Park’s draft fo...

Tralee Rose thrashes her rivals in Bagot

Kiwi-bred mare Tralee Rose (NZ) (Tavistock) will be aimed at feature staying races after her runaway seven length victory in the Listed Bagot Handicap (2800m), which was the biggest win in that race this century.Symon Wilde said he hadn’t trained a horse with the staying capabilities of the lightly raced mare and he wasn’t surprised by how she handled her first assignment at 2800 metres in the Listed race where she led home a New Zealand-bred trifecta.“I’ve never seen one with ...

Richards and Johnson continue carnival roll

Trainer Jamie Richards, jockey Danielle Johnson and Te Akau Racing have continued their dominant Ellerslie Christmas Carnival form with a stakes double through the deeds of Imperatriz (I Am Invincible) in the Gr.2 Barneswood Farm Eclipse Stakes (1200m) and Savy Yong Blonk (NZ) (Savabeel) in the Gr.3 SKYCITY City Of Auckland Cup (2400m). Richards saddled an unprecedented six winners on Boxing Day including three at black-type level, while Johnson collected four wins during the time-honoured raced...

Surgenor comes up roses at Ellerslie

A wide draw and a step up in class couldn’t hold down underrated mare Showoroses (NZ) (Showcasing) as she led from go to whoa to take out the Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m) at Ellerslie. The Joanne Surgenor-trained four-year-old had employed similar tactics against her own sex when taking out the Gr.2 Cal Isuzu Stakes (1600m) at Te Rapa last month. Friday’s contest pitted her against the best of the boys as well, with rider Vinnie Colgan once again seizing the initiative after Showoroses worke...

Sponsor takes major prize in Royal Stakes

Valachi Downs principal Kevin Hickman picked up the thick end of the prizemoney from the race that he sponsored at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day when promising three-year-old Needle And Thread (Makfi) led all the way to win the Gr.2 Valachi Downs Royal Stakes (2000m).Hickman bred and races the Makfi filly, who had put a flashing light on her head for the race when battling on strongly for fourth in the Gr.2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m) at the venue on Boxing Day.Rider Craig Grylls took ...

Concert Hall Gets Maiden Group One Success

Versatile mare Concert Hall by Savabeel- Classic Legacy (Carnegie) bagged the Group One victory she richly deserved when she stormed home out wide to snatch victory in the Gr.1 Cambridge Stud Zabeel Classic (2000m) at Ellerslie. Prepared for owner and breeder Joan Egan by Roger James and Robert Wellwood, Concert Hall had looked a Group One winner in waiting throughout her career having won four individual stakes races before her success on Saturday, while she had been runner-up to race rival Roc...

Amarelinha the Latest Bright Young Talent in Tangerine

Champion trainer Jamie Richards and the Te Akau team have sent out an abundance of talent this season, and a remarkable performance in Saturday’s Gr.2 Jamieson Park Eight Carat Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie may have moved Amarelinha by Savabeel- Hopscotch (O'Reilly) towards the top of the list. Along with Melody Belle’s Group One Hawke’s Bay heroics, a five-win haul on New Zealand Cup day at Riccarton and now a sensational six on Boxing Day, Richards has been responsible for a seemingl...

Exciting Colt on Proven Levin Classic Path

The all-conquering Te Akau team is sticking to a proven Group One formula with rising star three-year-old Brando by Savabeel- Saoirse (Iffraaj). The striking son of Savabeel scored a dominant victory in Saturday’s Listed Shaw’s Wire Ropes Uncle Remus Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie, which will be used as a springboard into the Gr.1 Levin Classic (1600m) at Trentham on January 16. In the two years prior to its elevation to Listed status in 2018, Te Akau won this Boxing Day three-year-old event wi...

Promising Mares Feature Prominently at Ellerslie

Progressive mare Vamos Bebe by I am Invincible- Hurtle Myrtle (Dane Shadow) took the step up to stakes company with relative ease when she strode clear in the final stages of Saturday’s Listed Hallmark Stud Sprint (1200m) at Ellerslie for a comprehensive victory. Trainer Jamie Richards backed his opinion of the I Am Invincible four-year-old, who was rated a clear six points lower than any of her eight rivals and was rewarded with performance that showed she is well up to top company over ...

International Breeders Federation Webinar

The NZTBA invite you as a member to register for the International Breeders Federation Webinar. This is free to our members. Registration is now OPEN to attend global Webinar on 21st January 2021 at 13.00 UK Time (2am New Zealand time) Thoroughbred Breeding in Today’s World  - challenges, threats and opportunitiesFollow HERE to register: For full details on the event please click the link below. ...

Karaka 2021 - Yearling Parade Information

5th January Cambridge Trials  6th January 9.30am Woburn Farm (book 2) 61 Tarr Road, Ohaupo 10am Phoenix Park 242 Kaipaki Road, Ohaupo 11am Prima Park 381 Mystery Creek Road, Ohaupo 11.30am Landsdowne Park 389 Mystery Creek Road, Ohaupo 1pm Carlaw Park 473 Kaipaki Road, Ohaupo 2pm Woburn Farm (book 1) 61 Tarr Road, Ohaupo 3.15pm Leanach Lodge 114 Norrish Road, Ohaupo 7th January 10.30am Trelawney Stud 319 Maungatautari Road, Cambridge11.30am Archer Park 116 Redoubt Road, Cambridge1pm Kiltann...

Fasttrack Insurance Breeder Profile - Wayne Darling

A quick look at the breeding of Coventina Bay (Shamexpress - Coventina by High Chaparral [IRE]) the recent winner of the Gr.3 J Swap Sprint at Te Rapa, and you could be forgiven for thinking she was bred by Windsor Park Stud. By their resident sire Shamexpress, Coventina Bay is a granddaughter of their fabulous matriarch Nimue, however a check in the stud book will tell you the breeder is EVB Ltd, the business operation of NZTBA member Wayne Darling. New Plymouth based Darling counts himself ver...

Forbes’ rise from Cambridge pocket-money to Yarraman’s Yearling Manager

- Georgie Dennis, TDN AUS NZYarraman Park Yearling Manager Lance Forbes is quickly stamping himself as a rising star among the breeding industry. Having being born into a renowned Kiwi horseman-family, racing has always been in his blood. Hailing from New Zealand, Lance Forbes has been around high-quality horses from a young age, with his first job being at the large operation of Cambridge Stud.“I started off when I was about 13-years-old and on my school holidays I used to go to Cambridge Stu...

Thrilling finish to Manawatu Cup

Hastings visitor Hunta Pence overcame his apparent dislike of the Awapuni track to register his biggest career victory when he took out the Gr.3 Bramco Granite and Marble Manawatu Cup (2300m) in a desperate finish on Saturday. The Patrick Campbell-trained eight-year-old had failed to finish in a dividend bearing placing in ten previous trips to the Palmerston North circuit, including fifth place finishes in the two previous editions of the staying feature. A last-start winner of the Listed Wanga...

Frodo too Fast in Group Two Feature

Pocket rocket Tavi Mac, who affectionately carries the moniker Frodo due to his diminutive stature and ungainly build, captured the biggest victory of his burgeoning career when he dashed away from his rivals in Saturday’s Gr.2 Kevin Pratt Memorial Manawatu Challenge Stakes (1400m) at Awapuni. The Allan Sharrock-trained son of Tavistock has captured hearts due to a pugnacious, never-say-die attitude that has now produced ten wins from 15 career starts, with his last three victories at stakes l...

THROWBACK THURSDAY | DB Racing Annual 1978-79 | OL’ GINGER by BARRY STREET

“Not bad for an old fellow, eh?” Reluctantly, Ginger shows a strong, straight row of teeth, which belie his old age of 33.  On the outskirts of Matamata there lives a great lover- a professional womanizer, which sounds like a fun way of making a living. His name is Ginger. Ginger is estimated to have 50 wives and 2900 girlfriends, all of whom have found him irresistible. He's getting old now. But no one dares tilt for his title.  If anyone did, he would face a fight to the dea...