Back to Blog

Auckland awards recognise breeders

The reigning Champion Horse of the Year Melody Belle and her breeder Marie Leicester received more accolades over the weekend, at the Auckland Branch of the NZTBA Annual Awards. At a lunch at New Zealand Bloodstock's complex in Karaka, following a successful stallion parade at Westbury Stud and Haunui Farm, the breeders of 18 individual group winners were presented with their trophies and honoured for their achievements. Among those 18 were five group one winners, Bostonian (Jimmy Choux-Keepa C...

Scholarship winners announced

Three young women working in the thoroughbred industry are heading overseas early next year to enhance their careers thanks scholarships promoted by the NZTBA.. The Sunline International Management Scholarship has been awarded to Kyla Robb, and due to the high calibre of applicants and the generosity of the Keith and Faith Taylor Family, both Hannah Airey and Laura Macnab will study at the Irish National Stud. According to previous International Management Scholarship winner and now NZTBA Counci...

Saturday double caps off stunning week for Shocking

Rich Hill Stud principal John Thompson was a happy man as he reflected on a wonderful week for his resident stallion Shocking while sipping on his Sunday morning coffee. A brace of Australian victories on Saturday capped off a seven-day stretch that saw the dual Group One winning son of Street Cry produce eight individual winners throughout Australia, New Zealand and Macau. Amongst those successes was impressive Rosehill winner Shock Alert for former kiwi trainer Bjorn Baker while promising thre...

VIDEO: Cambridge Stud on Bred To Win

Watch Bred To Win's Caroline Searcy and Cambridge Stud CEO Henry Plumptre discuss Savabeel's only Gr.1 winning son at stud- Embellish, along with resident sires Tavistock and Burgundy, and the New Zealand Thoroughbred industry in general....

TRAC- Stallion Service Placement Scheme

...

Stakes winner Cooga Doon a first for his breeders

Rahotu couple Philly and Paddy Mullin consider themselves new to the breeding game, and are absolutely delighted to have bred their first stakes winner Cooga Doon (Makfi[GB]-Monachee). The three-year-old son of Makfi was an impressive winner in the recent Listed HS Dyke Wanganui Guineas over 1350metres, beating his nearest rival Sai Fah(Rios-Rongonui) by nine lengths with a further four lengths back to Blue Rata Eligius (Rios – Blue Rata), at only his second start. “He’s a beauty isn’t h...

STAR MARE MELODY BELLE DOMINATES HORSE OF THE YEAR VOTING.

Glamour galloper Melody Belle has added the New Zealand Horse of the Year title to her growing list of achievements. The Matamata mare was an almost unanimous choice for Horse of the Year, which was announced at the New Zealand Thoroughbred Horse of the Year Awards, in Auckland on Sunday night. Of the 61 votes cast for Horse of the Year, Melody Belle received 59, with one apiece for stablemate Te Akau Shark and Bostonian, who was a dual Group I winner in Australia. Melody Belle was also named Ch...

Stakes success for ill-fated Atlante

The victory of promising three-year-old filly Riva Capri in Saturday’s Listed The O’Learys Fillies Stakes (1200m) at Wanganui conjured up mixed emotions for well known bloodstock agent Bruce Perry. Perry, who selects and manages the thoroughbred interests of Wellington-based owner/breeder Lib Petagna, was thrilled to see the Guy Lowry and Grant Cullen-trained filly carry Petagna’s colours to victory as the first stakes winner for the ill-fated Mapperley Stud stallion Atlante. The win also ...

NZTBA Breeder and Broodmare of the Year Winners Announced

The deeds of the Champion Hong Kong galloper Beauty Generation (Road To Rock[AUS]-Stylish Bel[AUS]) have been significant in the decision of this year’s Breeder of the Year Nearco Stud and Eight Carat Broodmare of the Year Stylish Bel (Bel Esprit[AUS]-Stylish Victory), at the Horse of the Year awards evening hosted by NZTR. Nearco Stud is the name given to South Island entrepreneur Greg Tomlinson’s thoroughbred business, and he was on hand at the gala event to accept the trophy for Breeder o...

Gifted horsewoman gives thousands of thoroughbreds a life after racing

Gina Schick has developed a busy lifestyle and business retraining racehorses for a new life off the track. The dedicated horsewoman has hundreds of thoroughbreds coming through her gates at Event Stars in the Waikato each year, preparing and placing them into new homes around the country. Years ago, during a dinner in Hong Kong, one of the world’s leading jockeys said to me matter-of-factly, “many people think racehorses are like casino chips.”It was an appalling statement loaded with har...

Red letter day for The Oaks Stud

The Oaks Stud General Manager, Rick Williams was quietly confident leading into the weekend that owner Dick Karreman and resident stallion Darci Brahma could be in for plenty of thrills from their racing representatives engaged at both Hastings and Ruakaka on Saturday. However, even he couldn’t predict the level of success they would enjoy with Karreman represented by four individual winners, all sired by Darci Brahma, who also added two further victories to rack up a sensational six successes...

Crofskey's add another stakes win to their count

The Singaporean Champion three-year-old of his year Countofmontecristo (Echoes Of Heaven[AUS] – Replicate) returned to form to win the Listed Merlion Trophy in Singapore on Sunday, much to the delight of his Taranaki based breeders Heather and Peter Crofskey. It had been around 700 days since the now six-year-old gelding last won a race, after winning seven races at three and four, including two of the Singapore three-year-old Triple Crown races the Three-Year-Old Classic, and Three-Year-Old S...

RITA Racing Reform Programme Update

Good evening, It’s been just sixty days since the establishment of the Racing Industry Transition Agency (RITA) and a timely opportunity to update you on progress against the Reform Programme the Board are advancing on behalf of the Minister for Racing.  Our strategic focus is set out very clearly in the letter of expectation from the Minister for Racing -  we must work to secure the long-term success of the New Zealand racing industry. We must reform the industry into a more sustain...

Auckland Stallion Parade

The Auckland NZTBA Stallion Parade will take place on Sunday September September 15 and will be followed by an awards lunch at New Zealand Bloodstock. The first parade will commence at 10:30am at Westbury Stud (700 Linwood Road, Karaka) where the farm will showcase stallions El Roca, Redwood, Reliable Man, Swiss Ace, Tarzino and Telperion. The tour will then continue to Haunui Farm (113 Kidd Road, Karaka) who will parade Iffraaj and Belardo, along with some of Belardo’s first crop of yearlings...

Roaring Lion loses battle with colic

Cambridge Stud and staff are devastated to report the loss of stallion Roaring Lion overnight from further complications, following two major colic surgeries three weeks ago. Last year's Champion European three-year-old Roaring Lion won four Group One races from 1600m to 2000m, earning a Timeform rating of 130. Roaring Lion won eight of his 13 starts for trainer John Gosden and strung together four successive Group One wins last year, usurping the Eclipse Stakes (2000m), Juddmonte International ...

VIDEO: Eminent on Bred To Win

The latest instalment of Bred To Win featured Brighthill Farm's new stallion Eminent. In this clip Caroline Searcy talks to Nick King on the son of Frankel and his stallion credentials. ...

Vespa produces two trial winners

Wellfield Stud stallion Vespa’s first crop of juveniles are starting to hit the track and are showing promising signs, with two trials winners on Tuesday. A Stephen Autridge-trained filly, out of two win mare Langara, won her 650m heat at Te Rapa by half a length, while the Johno Benner and Hollie Wynyard-trained Piaggio looked impressive when taking out his 600m heat at Foxton by five lengths. “He’s a neat tidy horse with a fair bit of ability,” Benner said. “He looks like his sire an...

FASTTRACK INSURANCE BREEDER PROFILE: David Archer

David Archer was initiated into the world of racing as a pre-schooler and that early interest developed into a lifelong passion that has given him some of the biggest thrills possible for an owner or breeder of thoroughbreds. “Like a lot of people in my generation my interest came from my father, my parents,” Archer said. “We have a photograph of me in the New Zealand Herald when I must have been about four years of age sitting on the fence watching the races at Ellerslie. “Right through...

Dunstan Feeds - Under the Radar

This is a short Q & A with an industry person to gain a little more insight into who they are…. for this month's “Under the Radar” we talk to North Island Foster Foal co-ordinator Philip Smyth What is your industry involvement and how did you become involved I had equestrian background beginning with Pony Club then this continued to show jumping. My brother and I decided to go breeding the sales and purchased a couple weanlings and that was the beginning of a family interest that inv...

New Season Sire Preview

...

New focus at The Oaks Stud

There has been a change of direction by The Oaks Stud owner Dick Karreman with some of the younger horses and the likelihood of some further major decisions to be made in a year or so. Since purchasing The Oaks Stud in 2002, the successful Queenslander has watched a steady stream of winners emerge from the Cambridge property, either bred and raced or sold by the stud, or progeny of one of its resident stallions. He has enjoyed many highlights with home-bred fillies, headed by the seven-time Gro...

Ride Like A Girl exclusive

The New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association have secured the first viewing of the inspirational movie Ride Like A Girl, the story of Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) when riding New Zealand-bred Prince Of Penzance to victory in 2015.  The viewing will take place on Friday August 23, from 5pm at the Tivoli Theatre in Cambridge. Cashbar available. Movie starts at 5:45pm. Tickets are strictly limited and to secure please phone the NZTB...

Another Group Winner for Charm Spirit

Leading young sire Charm Spirit's progeny continued on with their fine form overnight when his three-year-old son Kick On defeated the older horses to land a thrilling renewal of the Gr.3 Tattersalls Sovereign Stakes (1600m) in England. From the stable of champion Newmarket trainer John Gosden, Kick On produced a performance reminiscent of his own sire's relentless courage and class to hold off Gr.1 Queen Anne Stakes (1600m) hero Accidental Agent. "To be honest, from where I was standing I wasn'...

Rutten honoured by NZTBA Wellington

A very humble Chris Rutten was recently awarded the John A Higgs Award at the Annual General Meeting of the Wellington Branch of the NZTBA. “It was completely unexpected, but awesome to win,” according to a delighted Rutten when discussing the award a few days after the announcement. “It was great to get recognised for the work we do here at Cavallo. A lot of my clients have won the award over the years, and there were a few of them to help us celebrate. It was a nice surprise.” Rutten i...

Guidelines for dealing with strangles

The disease caused by the bacterium Streptococcus equi var. equi, or strangles, is commonin New Zealand, as it is in many countries where there is a significant population of horses. The disease is found throughout the country and is a readily transmissible disease enhanced by the normal movement of horses between premises, especially in race yards and studs. During the breeding season movement of horses between farms is extremely high so vigilance is needed to restrict the spread of stran...