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Wally O’Hearn – one of the truly good guys

By Dennis RyanRacing bid farewell to one of its true-blue good guys when Wally O’Hearn lost his brave fight with cancer early Saturday morning. Hours later, jockeys riding in the second race at Riccarton wore black armbands as a mark of respect on what was one of Wally’s favourite racedays. The name W R O’Hearn appeared in the racebook as a part-owner of Letsbringiton, who rallied for fifth but like Race 9 runner Where’s Wally, wasn’t quite able to carry the day. Wally O’Hearn learn...

Little Avondale celebrate success with Avonallo

Sam Williams isn’t the first to sell a broodmare only to have her progeny come out and perform with distinction a short time later, but he isn’t losing sleep over it, in fact he couldn’t be happier with the result. Williams bred and shares in the ownership of recent Listed Welcome Stakes (1000m) winner Avonallo (Belardo) though he had sold his dam Real Angel (O’Reilly – Centrefold Angel) through online auction house gavelhouse.com in April. “Heading into COVID-19 I decided I was goin...

Curraghmore graduates shine at Cup Week

Kahma Lass (Darci Brahma – Distinctive Lass) capped off a great Cup Week at Riccarton for Te Awamutu farm Curraghmore when winning the Gr.1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) on Saturday. Wearing the colours of her owners Brendan and Jo Lindsay of Cambridge Stud, and ridden superbly by Opie Bosson Kahma Lass defeated a quality field by an official margin of 0.8 lengths. “I’m so pleased for her breeder Greg Tomlinson of Nearco Stud,” said Curraghmore’s Gordon Cunningham. ...

Concert Hall caps superb week for Cambridge pair

The Roger James and Robert Wellwood stable capped off a superb week when classy mare Concert Hall (Savabeel (AUS) Classic Legacy (NZ) by CARNEGIE) captured the Gr.2 Gartshore Tauranga Stakes (1600m) at Tauranga on Saturday. The Cambridge stable picked up the Gr.2 Coupland’s Bakeries Mile (1600m) at Riccarton on Wednesday with Hypnos and made it a Group Two double in the space of 72 hours courtesy of the Joan Egan-bred and raced Concert Hall. James has made no secret of the high ...

Bosson and Richards combine for 1000 Guineas triumph

The potent combination of trainer Jamie Richards and rider Opie Bosson were back doing what they do best on Saturday — winning Group One races — as they combined to guide Kahma Lass (Darci Brahma (NZ)- Distinctive Lass (AUS) by Orientate) to victory in the Gr.1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton. Wearing the colours of Cambridge Stud proprietors Brendan and Jo Lindsay, Bosson produced a masterclass to weave the Darci Brahma filly between runn...

Avonallo turns tables in Welcome Stakes

In a battle that most pundits expected, speedy two-year-old Avonallo (Belardo (IRE)- Real Angel (NZ) by O’Reilly) turned the tables on rival Follow Your Dreams to take out Saturday’s Listed Frantic Bloodstock Welcome Stakes (1000m) at Riccarton. The pair had met on two occasions previously over 800m where Follow Your Dreams had the edge on Avonallo, however a rise in distance to 1000m and the addition of top rider Opie Bosson aboard the Jamie-Richards-trained Belardo colt...

Stakes winners keep coming for Belardo

Haunui Farm shuttle stallion Belardo, is among Europe’s leading first season sires and increased his tally of stakes winners to four overnight when his unbeaten son Belloccio took out the Grand Criterium du Languedoc over a mile at Toulouse.Travelling close to the speed throughout, Belloccio quickly responded when asked the question by Olivier Peslier and ran out to a length-and-a-quarter margin at the line.BELARDO’s three other stakes winners are the Group winning fillies Isabella Giles (G2...

Aegon: a quintessential Waikato Stud product

The win of Aegon, a son of the late Sacred Falls, in last Saturday’s Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) provided cause for triumphant reflection from powerhouse breeders Waikato Stud. Bred and sold by the Matamata nursery who were recently named as the 2019/2020 New Zealand Breeders of the Year, Aegon has come a long way in a short time for trainers Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman, with the latter joined in the ownership by the Zame family. The unbeaten three-year-old defeated Bourbonaire ...

NZTBA sponsor new Ex-Factor award

The NZTBA will sponsor a new award at the Beyond the Barriers Dunstan Ex-Factor competition at Equifest at Taupo on November 27-29. The inaugural Equifest competition, which replaces Equidays, will feature the popular competition for off the track thoroughbreds and for the first time, the NZTBA Judge's Choice award. "This competition is the cornerstone event for Beyond the Barriers and allows us to showcase the versatility and suitability of Thoroughbreds as sporthorses," organiser Nicky Wallace...

NZTR director appointments

The Members’ Council of New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) yesterday announced three new appointments to the NZTR Board. The new appointees - Darryll Park, Andrew Fairgray and Mike Clarke (from 1 January 2021) – will take up their positions following the NZTR AGM on Tuesday 17 November. At that time chairman Dr Alan Jackson and board members Victoria Carter and Rick Williams will depart.  During their time at the Board table the industry has been faced with many challenges throughou...

NZB online bidding registration open

After months of preparation and extensive testing, New Zealand Bloodstock is pleased to announce that registrations for their online bidding platform are now open, with the platform due to debut at the Ready to Run Sale on November 18 and 19.   With COVID-19 preventing NZB’s international clientele from physically attending their sales, the decision was made early in the year to create a robust online bidding platform. The upgrade to ultra-fast fibre at Karaka has enabled NZB to off...

Scholarship winner announced

Nathan Trumper has headed a strong group of applicants to win the 2021 Keith and Faith Taylor Trust Equine Scholarship. Administered by the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association, the scholarship will support Trumper to travel to Ireland early next year to attend the world renowned Irish National Stud and complete the breeding diploma. Like many, Trumper’s early introduction to the thoroughbred industry came through family ties when helping out at his grandparent’s stud and trainin...

Weigh In- 02.11.2020

Emily Bosson and Michael Guerin review the weekend of racing and preview the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m)....

Pearler Saturday for Nakhle

A lot can happen in 10 minutes. That was the case for prominent breeder/owner Daniel Nakhle who was on track at Pukekohe on Saturday to watch his promising mare Arrivederci win the NZB Insurance Pearl Series Race (1200m). Nakhle barely had time to watch the replay before Crosshaven, a horse Nakhle co-bred and retained a share in, battled it out to prevail in the finish of the Gr.3 Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) at Flemington. “It was probably the best 10 minutes I have experienced in racing,” N...

Melbourne Cup owner on the ride of his life

There won’t be many people hoping for a dead-heat in this year’s Melbourne Cup, but Tony Rider will be one. The principal of Cambridge thoroughbred nursery Milan Park has a connection with two horses in the great race – Oceanex and The Chosen One. Rider bred the former and co-owns the latter and he said it’s a surreal moment to have two chances in the race that stops a nation. “It’s a dream come true to have a horse in the Melbourne Cup,” he said. “We were fortunate to have one i...

Second Cup win for breeder would be nice surprise

Rich Hill Stud’s John Thompson knows what it takes to breed a Melbourne Cup winner. In 2015, the Walton nursery, near Matamata, was represented by outsider Prince Of Penzance, who famously combined with Michelle Payne to triumph in the great race. On Tuesday, the stud will be represented by another feel-good Cup runner in Surprise Baby. A son of resident sire Shocking, himself a Melbourne Cup winner, Surprise Baby was sold by Thompson for just $5,500 as an untried three-year-old via gavelhou...

Another Stakes win for Belardo filly Lullaby Moon

Belardo  filly Lullaby Moon added a second stakes victory to her record on Saturday when she won the Gr.3 Prix Miesque Stakes (1400m) at Chantilly, four weeks after winning the Listed Two Year Old Trophy (1200m) at Redcar. Ridden by Richard Kingscote the Belardo filly tracked the leader before taking the lead 400 meters out. She was challenged 200m from home before asserting her dominance and winning by two lengths. Lullaby Moon is the best performer from the winning Indesatchel mare Bold B...

Robertson new Racing Minister

For the second term in succession, the Deputy Prime Minister will also be the Minister for Racing in New Zealand.  Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has revealed the ministerial positions for the new Government, with Grant Robertson being promoted to Deputy Prime Minister. In addition to Deputy PM duties, Robertson will continue to serve as Finance Minister and also focus on infrastructure, sport and recreation and racing. Robertson replaces Winston Peters, who played a key role in ensuring the...

Johnny lives up to Perry's staying expectations

By Bren O'Brien for TDN AUS NZAs the field turned for home in Saturday's G1 Victoria Derby and Johnny Get Angry (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) loomed to tackle the leaders, there was no-one more confident than his breeder Greg Perry that the big gelding would outstay his rivals and complete a Flemington fairytale. As Johnny Get Angry's rookie trainer Denis Pagan, the two-time AFL premiership winning coach who had only had his licence for six months, and young jockey Lachie King, the son of dual Victoria ...

Pagan kicks Derby goal with Kiwi bred

In an amazing result, former AFL coach Denis Pagan has won the Gr.1 Victoria Derby (2500m) with New Zealand-bred Johnny Get Angry (NZ) (Tavistock) just four months after saddling up his first runner as a trainer. The 73-year-old, who coached North Melbourne to win AFL premierships in 1996 and 1999, has had only 12 runners under his owner-trainers' licence which he took out six months ago. Pagan was in tears, as was 22 year-old apprentice jockey Lachlan King who also rode his first Group One winn...

Telperion posts first winner

Westbury Stud-based sire Telperion made the best start possible to his stallion career when his first runner to the track was successful at Awapuni on Saturday. Stormy, a showy chestnut from the Tony Pike stable, showed plenty of grit and determination to win first-up over 1000m after waging a home straight war with fellow debutant Wakari. The two-year-old colt sat three-wide on the speed for most of the race before joining issue with Wakari at the 300m mark. The pair went at it tooth and nail w...

Rich Hill graduates chasing feature prizes

A trio of Rich Hill Stud graduates will be vying for top honours in Group One features in Australia this coming week. Riodini and Albarado will be in action at Rosehill and Flemington respectively on Saturday while Surprise Baby will have a second crack at the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on Tuesday. Riodini takes his place in the A$7.5 million Golden Eagle (1500m) off the back of a runner-up finish in the Gr.2 Shannon Stakes (1500m) and a third-placing in the Gr.1 Epsom Handicap (16...

Breeder on track for repeat G1 1000 Guineas

This time last year I caught up with Coll MacRury as Travelling Light the filly he and his father bred, and race had just won the Gr.2 Barneswood Stud Soliloquy Stakes and was on a path to the Gr.1 1000 Guineas. Be it groundhog day or déjà vu or just an incredible co-incidence but this week I called him to talk about Vitesse Bo (Proisir[AUS]-Cissey Bowen) a half-sister to Travelling Light, who is also on a path to the Gr1 1000 Guineas, after she won the Gr.3 War Decree Stakes at Riccarton. For...

First trial winner for Turn Me Loose

Windsor Park Stud stallion Turn Me Loose recorded his first trial victory as a sire when his two-year-old colt out of Group Three performer Angel del Dinero won his 800m heat at Taupo on Tuesday. Trainers David and Emma-Lee Browne were pleased with his first hit-out on the track and said he will take a lot of benefit from the day out. “We were really happy with him,” Emma-Lee Browne said. “He has always shown a bit at home, but it was his first time away from the farm so you never know how...

Weigh In: October 26

Emily Bosson and Michael Guerin review the weekend’s racing on both sides of the Tasman....