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First Crop Sire Focus: Time Test

With an outstanding pedigree matched by his looks and multiple Group victories on his CV, Time Test has been hugely popular in the early stages of his career both at the English National Stud and at Little Avondale Stud.In response to the COVID-19 pandemic Little Avondale Stud has lowered their 2020 service fees, as such Time Test will stand this season at $6,000 +GST.Time Test's oldest southern hemisphere crop are now weanlings and are impressing in type and temperament. You can view a range of...

Wartime Hero acknowledged by Hall Of Fame

By Wally O’Hearn A thoroughbred mare who overcame more trials and trauma than any other thoroughbred in New Zealand history has been acknowledged by the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame. You won’t find her name attached to any major race wins or for exceptional deeds on the racetrack. Bess is linked to an era which affected the lives of all New Zealanders, and represents the demands put on horses during war. More than 10,000 New Zealand horses were sent overseas during the First World War (19...

NZTR announce initial stakes money

With the assistance of working groups of trainers and clubs, New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) has developed a return to racing plan which includes a flat stakes level of $15,000 for all races at 13 meetings during July. A number of initiatives will also be introduced with the focus on reducing costs and spreading returns for owners. They include ensuring a wider distribution of stakes to more owners, payments will be made back to 14th, no nomination/acceptance fees for those horses which s...

Lion roars for Contributer

Multiple Group One winner Contributer sired his first winner when Lion’s Roar won the Good Luck Andrew Bensley 2YO Showcase Handicap (1200m) at Wagga on Thursday. Fittingly, the Champion Thoroughbreds-raced gelding was prepared by John O’Shea, who trained Contributer to win both the Gr.1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) and Gr.1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) when head trainer at Godolphin. “Contributer was a very special horse to me and hopefully he will continue to be,” O’Shea said. “I was d...

Level 3 Covid-19 Equine Activities update

Guidance on equine activities permitted under COIVID-19 Alert Level 3 30 April 2020 The following relevant information was provided among guidance issued today by the Ministry for Primary Industries.  NZTR also reminds all employers/businesses that they must have a COVID-19 Health & Safety Plan (refer link to Worksafe template) to operate under COVID-19 Alert Level 3. Any queries may be directed to Martin Burns, GM Welfare & Sustainability. Horse Transport At Level 3 horses are classed as ...

NZB Airfreight resumes with trial flight

Under strict health and safety requirements, NZB Airfreight has successfully completed a test flight with a small pool of horses from Auckland to Sydney. With new regulations and plans in place for grooms, New Zealand Bloodstock can confidently begin to work on limited flights for the backlog of horses requiring trans-Tasman travel. The test flight was conducted with all grooms and travelling staff in full personal protective equipment, including overalls, masks and gloves, with loading and unlo...

Changing of the guard at Haunui

Haunui Farm has announced that the decision has been made to call time on the shuttling career of Group One producing stallion Iffraaj. “After lengthy discussions with the team from Darley, we have made the decision to retire Iffraaj from Southern Hemisphere serving duties after 12 years. At 19 years of age, the decision was made solely in Iffraaj’s best interests,” Haunui Farm Managing Director Mark Chitty said. “I’d like to take this opportunity to thank His Highness Sheikh Mohammed ...

NZB National Weanling Sale to Debut on Gavelhouse Plus

With New Zealand Bloodstock’s Karaka May Sale having to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 lockdown, the decision has been made to hold a quality weanling only sale in its place on Gavelhouse Plus in June.The National Weanling Sale will be open to all vendors and allow those who normally trade at the Karaka May Sale an opportunity to trade young stock within a timely manner.With the sale running under NZB terms and conditions, all weanlings offered at the Sale will be eligible for the ...

Horse road transport set to resume

Horse transport by road is set to resume when the country moves into Covid-19 Alert Level 3 at 11:59pm next Monday. Leading horse transport business Majestic Horse Floats said they are now taking bookings for next week. “We will have strict protocols in place to keep both clients and our staff safe,” Majestic Horse Floats said in a statement. “We will endeavour to keep to the 2m separation rule.” Demand is expected to be high and Majestic Horse Floats is calling for patience. “Due to a...

Super Seth retires to Waikato Stud

Group One winner Super Seth will retire to Waikato Stud this season, giving breeders access to the first Gr.1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) winner to stand in New Zealand in three decades. Super Seth won five of his 12 career starts, highlighted by his victory in last year’s Caulfield Guineas. He will stand at Waikato Stud at an introductory fee of $35,000 + GST. Waikato Stud principal Mark Chittick said consideration had been given to furthering Super Seth’s racing career, but with uncertainty ...

Curraghmore a proven source of Group winners

The Championships in Sydney have been compulsory viewing for many during the COVID-19 lockdown with the success of New Zealand exports, both equine and human a welcome diversion. One viewer celebrating over the weekend was Curraghmore's Gordon Cunningham. Two of his farm’s graduates Tofane (Ocean Park – Baggy Green[AUS]) and Kinane (Reliable Man[GB]-Tres Rapide) raced away with group race spoils winning the Gr.1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) and Gr.3 Frank Packer Plate (2000m) respectively. “It ...

Novara Park announce 2020 service fees

Novara Park, near Cambridge, have announced that service fees will remain unchanged for the forthcoming 2020 breeding season for their exciting young stallion duo of Sweynesse and Staphanos. Sweynesse is the Leading New Zealand First Season Sire on earnings, winners and stakes-winners and while in previous years this would normally lead to an increase in service fee, Novara Park have decided to keep his service fee unchanged at $6,000+GST. From limited two-year-old runners Sweynesse already has...

Draft racing calendar released

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) has released a proposed calendar for August through to early November to give owners, trainers and racing participants some certainty for the next six months.  This follows the RITA announcement for consultation of the revised racing calendar for the balance of the 2019/20 racing year earlier on Tuesday, which included the month of July for Thoroughbred Racing. “We acknowledge that the situation in the national fight against Covid-19 is changing ra...

Westbury Stud stallion proving to be reliable

Westbury Stud stallion Reliable Man bolstered his CV on the weekend when his son Kinane took out the Gr.3 Frank Packer Plate (2000m) at Randwick on Saturday. The Chris Waller-trained gelding has now recorded two wins from just four starts and with Saturday’s victory he became his sire’s seventh Group winner and 11th stakes winner. Westbury Stud General Manager Russell Warwick was delighted with the result and is excited about the gelding’s prospects. “He looks pretty smart,” Warwick sa...

NZTR update: 20.4.2020

NZTR provide an update on Monday, April 20The announcement this afternoon by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, that New Zealand would move to Alert Level 3 from 11.59pm on Monday, 27 April, was greeted with cautious optimism by NZTR. The Prime Minister said that following two weeks at Alert level 3, a further review and alert level decision will be made on May 11. Over the past few weeks NZTR has developed protocols to enable training, trialling and racing to be safely conducted under COVID-19 leve...

Waikato Stud celebrate further success for resident stallion Ocean Park

There was plenty of cause for celebration amongst the Waikato region’s thoroughbred breeding fraternity on Saturday afternoon following the running of the Gr.1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick. The nail-biting last stride victory by Tofane provided a triumph for both her breeder, Curraghmore Principal Gordon Cunningham, along with Waikato Stud and their resident stallion Ocean Park who is the sire of the Mike Moroney-trained four-year-old mare. Also celebrating were Kevin and Joanne H...

White legacy continues

In 2006, a filly by Zabeel out of Carmina Burana came into the world in the usual way, but her appearance was anything but normal. The three-quarter sister to champion galloper Might And Power was pure white in colour.  "It is a pure-bred thoroughbred and I don't think there would be too many foals born pure white, as white as driven snow,” legendary studmaster Sir Patrick Hogan said at the time. “You just don't get that colour. In the 65 years I've seen foals being born, it's the fir...

gavelhouse.com set to launch enhanced site

In conjunction with parent company New Zealand Bloodstock, industry leader in online thoroughbred and standardbred sales, gavelhouse.com, will launch an enhanced platform in May named Gavelhouse Plus. With a focus on innovation and servicing clients in the best possible way, General Manager Haylie Martin has been keen to take the platform to another level. “Gavelhouse Plus is an idea that has been bubbling away for a while and the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic gave us the impet...

Breeder reaches Group One goal

Matamata horseman Mark Lupton has been associated with a few good horses in his time, some of them even Group One performers, but nothing compares to winning the Gr.1 Sydney Cup (3200m) with Etah James (Raise The Flag [GB]-Etah). “I am trying to come to grips with it all, it’s amazing really,” Lupton said a couple of days after the win. “Now that I have watched the replay so many times it is beginning to feel real. You wish for all these things and now I am really starting to believe tha...

Champion galloper Might And Power passes away

Champion galloper Might And Power has died aged 26 after a bout with colic. The New Zealand born and bred thoroughbred superstar, who took out the Gr.1 Caufield Cup (2400m) and Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) double in in 1997, was a resident of the Living Legends retirement home near Melbourne and was rushed to Werribee Equine Centre on Saturday night but could not be saved. Bred by Windsor Park Stud in Cambridge the son of champion sire Zabeel was owned by Sydney businessman Nick Moraitis, trained ...

Two times the celebrations for White Robe Lodge

By Lloyd JacksonWhite Robe Lodge and the Anderton family had much to celebrate on Easter Saturday when their resident stallion, Raise the Flag (Sadler’s Wells), sired his first Group One winner after Etah James took out the Sydney Cup (3200m). Etah James’ stamina was two fold at Randwick. The 3200m is a test in itself but combined with the gluey track she had to be extra tough. The way she stuck to her task was typical of what New Zealand-bred stayers are renowned for. Raise The Flag, a beau...

Toffee Tongue adds to family legacy

Regally bred filly Toffee Tongue added to her family’s rich legacy when finishing runner-up behind Colette in the Gr.1 Australian Oaks (2400m) at Randwick on Saturday. The Chris Waller-trained daughter of Tavistock is a full-sister to former Hong Kong Horse of the Year Werther, Group One performer Milseain, and Gr.3 New Zealand Cup (3200m) winner Gobstopper. She earnt black-type when second behind Colette in the Gr.2 Adrian Knox Stakes (2000m) a week prior and is now on the way towards paying ...

Kiwi mare lands Sydney Cup

Jockey Glen Boss considered her his best long-shot ride in a Group One race and Kiwi mare Etah James (NZ) (Raise The Flag) has proven him right, upsetting her more fancied rivals to win the Gr.1 Sydney Cup (3200m) at Randwick. Making her debut for co-trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, the well-travelled mare has spent most of her career in Victoria with Matt Cumani before a brief stint with part-owner and New Zealand trainer Mark Lupton. Transferred for a Sydney Cup campaign, Etah James ha...

Return to Racing - further clarity

A Tuesday morning conference call involving NZ Thoroughbred Racing personnel and some 50 club representatives provided further clarity of the path towards the resumption of racing. NZTR CEO Bernard Saundry (pictured) chaired the conference call, repeating earlier indications of the intense work taking place between the codes, RITA and Government in finding a way for racing through the current Covid-19 lockdown. “We need to ascertain what will get us through to the end of the year and what 202...

Shout The Bar and the Foxbridge Connection

by Lloyd JacksonAt just her fourth raceday appearance Shout The Bar (Not A Single Doubt) certainly had her work cut out against rival star fillies Probabeel (Savabeel) and Funstar (Adelaide) when taking out the Vinery Stud Stakes (Gr.1, 2000m) at Rosehill on Saturday, March 28th. Her performance was aided by a clever ride from Adam Hyeronimus, leading somewhat comfortably from the jump then applying the pressure from the 600m. Having saved some of her energy earlier in the race she therefore had...