Back to Blog

Weanling walk a winner

The inaugural tour viewing progeny of first season sires in the Waikato has been chalked up as a success. The JLT sponsored event, which was organised by the Waikato branch of the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association, visited six farms where around 10 weanlings were paraded at each property to a crowd of 60 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association members. “For our first weanling walk tour we were very happy with the turn out we got,” organiser Derek Mayne said. “We had...

Rudkin ready to Rock On

After nearly a year off the racing scene Rock On Wood (Redwood[GB]- Rock On Rye[AUS]) is shaping into a very progressive racehorse. His recent win in the Listed ANZAC Mile at Awapuni was his third in this campaign from three starts, and his fifth in total from only nine career starts. Rock On Wood is trained at Levin by Leanne Elliot and is raced by her and her mother Jill Ker, and in his last three wins has been ridden by the Elliot’s son Ryan – the country’s leading apprentice. As a thre...

Ardrossan to stand at Waikato Stud

Lightly-tried stakes winning sprinter Ardrossan will offer New Zealand breeders a unique opportunity to tap into a high-class source of speed and class when he begins the second phase of his career later this year at Waikato Stud where he will stand at $8,000+GST. The precocious son of champion stallion and sire of sires Redoute’s Choice has been retired following a career-ending injury in Sydney where he had finished third in the Gr.3 Star Kingdom Stakes (1200m) on an unsuitably heavy track. ...

Nine straight for Beauty Generation

New Zealand-bred galloper Beauty Generation showcased why he is the world’s highest rated active racehorse when he trounced his opposition in the Gr.1 Champions Mile (1600m) at Sha Tin on Sunday. It was the six-year-old geldings ninth straight win and eighth of the season, setting a new benchmark in Hong Kong after bettering the previous record of seven, jointly held by Entrapment and Ambitious Dragon. He also became the highest earning horse in Hong Kong’s history, amassing HK$84.8 million ...

White Robe lead the way at southern sale

Mosgiel stud farm White Robe Lodge had another memorable result at New Zealand Bloodstock’s South Island Sale on Monday. The South Island operation extended their leading vendor by aggregate streak to three consecutive years, while resident stallion Ghibellines secured the title of leading sire by aggregate. The farm also sold the top-priced lot of the day, lot 57, the Per Incanto yearling filly out of stakes-winning mare Cherry Creek, a half-sister to Group Three winner Coulee. She was knocke...

Successive Success for Zed Em

Zed Em was being toasted on both sides of the Tasman when he was hailed as the King of Oakbank at the popular South Australian meeting on Saturday. Three of Zed Em’s five Wairarapa owners had a raceday experience they will never forget when being on course to watch the horse they refer to as Bobby extend his unbeaten Oakbank record to five with the completion of the Von Doussa (3250m) – Great Eastern Steeplechase (4950m) double for the second year in succession. Last year Zed Em became the f...

NZTBA Breeders Bulletin Autumn 2019

...

The Laffey's and Who Dares Wins

There was plenty of excitement in the Laffey household in Masterton last weekend when Who Dares Wins (Iffraaj[GB]- Wee Tipple) won the Gr.3 Coca Cola Canterbury Gold Cup. “Very exciting man alive it was a great thrill, all my children were here watching it and the place just went off. You would think it was the Melbourne Cup,” recalled a still very excited Rosie Laffey, who bred Who Dares Wins with her mother Margaret Wallace. “We are very excited to get that group win, it was amazing ther...

Dunstan Feeds - Under the Radar Q & A with Keeper of the NZ Stud Book Julie Walker

...

Ready Teddy award honours Olympic champion

It has been more than 20 years since Ready Teddy and Blyth Tait set the benchmark of what can be achieved with an off the track thoroughbred. Tait and the chestnut son of Brilliant Invader were at the top of their game in the 1990s winning Olympic Gold at Atlanta in 1996, and after success at the 1998 World Equestrian Games Ready Teddy became the first horse in the world to win eventing gold at both pinnacle events. This year the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association will honour ‘Te...

Fabulous Day at Te Aroha enjoyed by NZTBA Members

The Waikato Branch of the NZTBA hosted a marquee at Te Aroha to witness the running of the Gr.1 Fibre Fresh New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes. Around 120 members from throughout the country enjoyed the trackside location, the camaraderie and witnessed some fabulous racing including the all the way win by the Savabeel (AUS) mare Nicoletta in the group one event. Waikato Branch President Keith Lunn was very pleased with the turn out and how the day played out.  “I thought it was a g...

Vale Trevor McKee

The racing industry lost one of its most respected and admired characters with the passing of Trevor John McKee ONZM last week. Born in 1937 Trevor entered the industry as an apprentice jockey, and progressed to be a champion trainer, becoming a successful, owner, breeder and businessman along the way. He started his training career in Pukekohe after a compulsory stint in the army at the end of his jockey apprenticeship in the 1950’s. During his service he worked as a cook, and working with f...

Sam Bergerson's Sunline Scholarship experience continues

The second half of my Shadwell journey began with a two week stint at SnarehillFarm - the rehabilitation yard for all the Sheikh’s horses in work. There were two yards comprising a total of 40 boxes which were all pretty much in use whilst I was there. As all the horses were nursing some sort of issue you can imagine the attention to detail and quality of care for these horses had to be nothing short of the best. No expense was spared for the well-being and care of these horses. The facilities...

Ryan Stacey's Irish National Stud journey continue's

As the 1st of March rolled around, we were greeted with a descent dumping of snow overnight. Causing to bring the inner child out of everyone, with snowballs flying everywhere across the yards and hostel. Weather wise it’s slowly getting warmer, though I still find myself needing a few layers on most days. This month’s rotation with work around the farm yards have kept me busy which included Minoru (Mares in foal down) Blandford (Mares and Foals) both with Leona who loves to keep you on your...

Vicki Pascoe Service

Vicki Pascoe’s significant contribution to racing was celebrated on Breeders’ Stakes day at Te Aroha. Pascoe is the latest recipient of a New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) Service Award. The awards were introduced by NZTR this season, with the aim of acknowledging people who have   made valuable contributions to thoroughbred racing, usually but not necessarily in voluntary roles, and often with limited formal recognition. Pascoe has had a lifelong interest in horses and the th...

Paradox and planning come together in a Verry Elleegant result

Our Fasttrack Breeder Profile focus's on octogenarian Don GoodwinIn thoroughbred racing and breeding it’s never hard to find examples of the paradox that makes both pursuits so intriguing and unpredictable. The latest telling example came in the Gr. 1 Vinery Stud Stakes at Rosehill last week when NZ-bred Verry Elleegant led home Frankly Awesome, a filly conceived in the United Kingdom and born in Australia. The origins of both are not the only stark contrast; the other is that Verry Elleegant ...

Matamata celebrates Brutal Group One

The Matamata thoroughbred community celebrated another Group One victory on Saturday when Brutal took out the Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick. The three-year-old colt was bred by Auckland-based Anne Storey and her mother Ruth Kerr-Taylor and was born and raised at Mapperley Stud near Matamata, who sold him through their 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale draft to Hawkes Racing for $220,000. The Matamata connection runs further, with Brutal being by Waikato Stud’s deceased cha...

Goodwood's second G1 success

Goodwood Stud principal William Fell received a late wedding present on Saturday when Nicoletta won the Gr.1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) at Te Aroha. The 2017 New Zealand Breeder of the Year recently married central districts jockey Rosie Myers and he was delighted to notch another Group One as a breeder. “It was outstanding, she certainly deserved it I thought,” Fell said. She’s a pretty tough mare. “Last year she ran a pretty good race, where she ran third. It w...

Stallion covering statistics released

Waikato Stud’s resident sire Savabeel headed the list for number of mares covered during the 2018 breeding season. The four-time champion New Zealand sire covered 182 mares which was up on last year’s tally of 167. Coming in second on the list was Champion European three-year-old Almanzor, who was standing his first season in New Zealand at Cambridge Stud, covering 139 mares off the back of his $30,000 service fee. A full list of registered stallions and the number of mares covered can be vi...

Algie family's pride and joy rewards

Just over two years ago, Jacksstar (Zed – Star Guest by Pentire) suffered a tendon injury when finishing third in the 2017 Auckland Cup, for most five-year-old geldings that would have been the end of their career, but not for “Jack” the recent winner of the Gr.2 City of Palmerston North Awapuni Gold Cup. At the time he was injured he was already the winner of five races including the Gr.3 Manawatu Cup and the Listed St Leger, so there was a little bit of money in the kitty and his owners ...

Mark Corcoran and Zed an unforgettable weekend

Grangewilliam Stud principal Mark Corcoran experienced one of his biggest moments in racing on the weekend when Verry Elleegant secured Group One glory in the Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill. Corcoran stands her sire Zed at his Waitotara property, near Wanganui, New Zealand, and he said the win was made even sweeter given Verry Elleegant’s close association with the farm. “It doesn’t get any better than a Group One,” Corcoran said. “This win was pretty special for the farm becau...

Lou and Val's breeding venture

A life-changing moment in 2017 has enabled Lou Te Keeti and his wife Val to pursue their shared love of thoroughbreds to the maximum and Group 1 success at Awapuni will realise a dream. The Tauranga couple have always had a small scale interest in racing, but two and a-half years ago a NZ$10.3 million lottery strike allowed them to significantly expand their operation and on Saturday another jackpot beckons. They race the talented filly Aalaalune (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}), narrowly beaten in the ...

NZTBA member Joan Egan enjoying success

A year after celebrating her first Group One success as a thoroughbred breeder, Joan Egan is having a ball with her small but select racing string. When Beauden won Sunday’s Woodville Cup, the Team Rogerson-trained gelding took his owner-breeders’ tally for the season to nine wins. A day earlier Concert Hall had completed a hat-trick by winning the Gr. 3 Cuddle Stakes at Trentham, going one better than Sandrine’s Ellerslie double in late February-early March. Egan’s Group One winner was ...

Scholarship Blog: Sam Bergerson's from Shadwell Stud

After a whirlwind Karaka yearling sales and a few emotional goodbyes, I was on my way. First stop Shadwell Stud, Norfolk, UK. As this is the first time a scholarship recipient has attended Shadwell Stud, I thought some background would be helpful: Shadwell’s global breeding and racing enterprises involve both Thoroughbred and Arabian horses, bred and brought to race in the renowned blue and white racing silks of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum. It encompasses Shadwell Estate C...

Equine breeding trainees of the year awards

Trainees who completed their National Certificate in Equine qualifications in 2018 were considered for the Level 3 and Level 4 Trainee of the Year awards. As well as being presented with trophies, NZTBA generously donated gift packs which contained a number of books including copies of Give a Man A Horse, signed by Sir Patrick Hogan and a year's membership to the NZTBA The winners were Jim Carroll (Windsor Park Stud) who was presented with his award by Rick Williams (General Manager of The Oaks ...