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Winning breeding confidence at Jamieson

Further top-flight success on the home front and an overseas double has boosted spirits at Jamieson Park ahead of New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale.Farm graduate Grail Seeker (Iffraaj) doubled her tally at elite level with her dazzling victory in the Gr.1 Telegraph (1200m) at Trentham last Saturday, her first appearance since she won the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m).The Jamieson Park-bred and sold Holymanz then starred in Australia with his successful defence of his Coastal C...

Further stakes success for long-time associates

A long-standing breeding partnership has come up trumps again with a daughter of Ace High their latest success story.Rich Hill Stud and Scott Williams’ Bloodstock Resources bred My Lips Are Sealed, who triumphed in Saturday’s Gr.3 Phar Lap Trophy (1600m) at Trentham, where the four-time winner finished a close second in last season’s Gr.3 Eulogy Stakes (1600m).Trained by Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson, My Lips Are Sealed was sold through Rich Hill’s 2022 draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’...

Grail Seeker soars to Telegraph triumph

Within the space of just two starts as a four-year-old, Grail Seeker (Iffraaj) has announced her arrival as one of the brightest stars in New Zealand racing.A first-up winner of the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) at Hastings back at the beginning of September, the Iffraaj mare lined up for her first race in 119 days at Trentham on Saturday and blew her rivals away again in the Gr.1 TAB Telegraph (1200m).It was the 40th win of a standout season for trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott, ...

Ruby Rocks upsets in Marton Cup

Outsider Ruby Rocks (Burgundy) overcame plenty of pre-race drama to register her biggest career victory when she led all the way to upset at odds of $61 in Saturday’s Listed Lincoln Farms Marton Cup (2200m).Trainer Roger Allen and the eight-year-old mare had to endure a horror journey to the Trentham track from their Opaki base after a serious motor vehicle accident left them sitting in traffic as the Remutaka Hill section of State Highway Two was closed for several hours.Allen only arriv...

My Lips Are Sealed secures valuable stakes win

A black-type victory eluded My Lips Are Sealed (Ace High) by the barest of margins in the Gr.3 Eulogy Stakes (1600m) at Trentham last season, but the talented mare returned to Wellington on Saturday and went one better in the Gr.3 Rydges Wellington Airport Phar Lap Trophy (1600m).The daughter of Ace High showed plenty of early promise as a three-year-old, scoring a first-up victory by two and a half lengths at Avondale in September of 2023. She was unsuited to the Good4 track conditions whe...

Rich plan for Group winner’s dam

The emergence of Bourbon Empress (Proisir) has gone a long way toward confirming a future plan for Highline Thoroughbreds.The Stephen Marsh-trained daughter of Proisir was bred by Cam and Eva Heron’s Cambridge operation and her victory in the Gr.2 Rich Hill Mie (1600m) has all but decided the way forward for the mare’s dam Amiga Mia.“She’s got an Ardrossan colt at foot and we’ve left her empty this year and thought we’d wait and see what happens with Sulabella, who has won five,...

Hemlock Stone delivers Perth Cup boilover

New Zealand-bred gelding Hemlock Stone (Dalghar) defied $81 odds to score a stunning come-from-behind victory in the A$1 million Gr.2 Perth Cup (2400m) at Ascot on New Year’s Day.The Dalghar gelding is trained by Grant and Alana Williams for syndicator Belhus Racing, and he was bought for just A$11,000 from Book 2 of the 2021 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale. His 21-race career has now produced seven wins, four placings and A$765,990 in stakes.Hemlock Stone was a late starter, beginning...

Son of Sun shines in Queen Elizabeth

Progressive stayer Son of Sun (Tavistock) continued his golden run at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day when taking out the Gr.3 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2400m) in the hands of in-form hoop Matt Cartwright.The five-year-old son of Tavistock had won four of his six prior starts at the Auckland venue, including the Dunstan Horsefeeds Stayers Championship Qualifier (2100m) last month.His record on the track didn’t evade punters attention, who backed him into $5.50 favouritism for Wednesday’s st...

Bourbon Empress all class in Rich Hill Mile

Trainer Stephen Marsh believed he had two live chances going into the Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m) at Ellerslie on New Years Day, and that judgement proved spot on as his lightweight runner Bourbon Empress (Proisir) downed a talented line-up of milers to claim victory.The four-year-old daughter of Proisir had caught the eye when finishing a hard charging second in the Stella Artois 1500 Championship Final (1500m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day, notably a race that stablemate and race rival Prove...

Classy win by promising filly in Ellerslie feature

Promising filly Real Class (Vadamos) has put herself firmly into $1 million Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) calculations following her victory in the Gr.2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day.The daughter of Vadamos settled midfield for jockey Rory Hutchings, who elected to improve his filly three-wide from the 800m mark and hit the lead within 200m. Her rivals were looming on the turn, but Real Class was able to show her tenacity and repe...

Sweet start to New Year for Bergerson

Central Districts filly Too Sweet (Satono Aladdin) lived up to punters expectations when she downed a handy field in the Gr.2 SKYCITY Eclipse Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie on New Year's Day.Brought north by trainer Roydon Bergerson after winning on debut at Trentham back in October and then finishing second at that venue in early December, the daughter of Rich Hill Stud stallion Satono Aladdin closed as the $3 Fixed Odds favourite for the first stakes race of the New Year after some inspired late ...

Tavi Time snares Summer Cup

Talented five-year-old Tavi Time (Tavistock) edged out Osipenko in a thrilling finish to the Gr.3 Summer Cup (2000m) at Randwick on Boxing Day.The Kris Lees-trained son of Tavistock was ridden by Jay Ford and carried a somewhat luxury weight of 53kgs after lumping big weights in handicaps at his past two outings, having previously run well when fourth in the A$3 million Big Dance (1600m).Coming from midfield, Tavi Time had to wait to clear rivals heels and wore down fellow Kiwi bred Osipenk...

Hitabell provides Marsh with Boxing Day double

A brilliant front running ride by Courtney Barnes and a never say die attitude from her mount Hitabell (Embellish) provided trainer Stephen Marsh with a Boxing Day double as the trio combined to claim the Gr.2 Hallmark Stud Eight Carat Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie.Marsh, who had produced Provence to win the Westbury Stud Royal Descent Stakes (1400m), had given Hitabell a short freshen up after the filly produced a similar winning performance in the Listed O’Learys Fillies Stakes (1340m) at Wan...

Snazzytavi reigns in Zabeel Classic for Cambridge Stud

This year’s phenomenal rise of Snazzytavi (Tavistock) was fittingly capped off in the Gr.1 Cambridge Stud Zabeel Classic (2000m) on Boxing Day, but another star mare didn’t let her away with an easy victory in the Ellerslie feature.Snazzytavi, owned by race sponsors Brendan and Jo Lindsay, has been carefully handled by trainers Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall, having just her 15th start on Thursday. The mare’s eight victories to date included the Gr.3 Easter Handicap (1600m), Gr.1...

Yaldi comes out on top in blockbuster Auckland Guineas

In a blockbuster edition of the Gr.2 Shaw’s Wire Ropes Auckland Guineas (1400m), outsider Midnight Edition (Wrote) and favoured runner Yaldi (Ardrossan) went to the line as one, with the latter securing the Boxing Day feature in a protest.Yaldi had been an impressive juvenile, winning on debut before placing at stakes level in Australia. The imposing galloper had done little racing in his three-year-old season, making his first appearance since August when finishing a narrow second t...

About Time gets moment to shine in Dunstan Final

About Time (American Pharoah) was a rising star in the staying ranks as a three-year-old, and 12 months later, the Cambridge Stud mare collected another holiday feature with a powerful display in Dunstan Stayers Championship Final (2400m) on Boxing Day.The daughter of American Pharoah had burst on to the scene in December last year, placing in the Listed Trevor and Corallie Eagle Memorial (1500m) and winning the Gr.2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2000m) on New Year’s Day.She was spelled after...

Pivotal Ten takes Wingatui feature

Progressive filly Pivotal Ten (Ten Sovereigns) completed an impressive hattrick of victories when she proved too tough on a testing Heavy 10 Wingatui surface to capture the Listed NZB Insurance Stakes (1400m).Ridden by her trainer Samantha Wynne, the daughter of Ten Sovereigns had broken her maiden status on a Slow 7 surface at the venue back in October over 1200m before repeating the dose at Timaru a month later.Given time to get over that run. Wynne presented the filly in superb condition...

Vale Don Goodwin

Don Goodwin, the breeder of 11-time Group One winner Verry Elleegant, has passed away, aged 86.Goodwin was a proud student of thoroughbred pedigrees, and it was this passion that led him to acquiring Verry Elleegant’s dam, Opulence, to send to Grangewilliam Stud stallion Zed, for whom he was a shareholder.It was purchasing Opulence off trainer Nicholas Bishara that set the wheels in motion for the formation of a lucrative partnership and friendship between the pair, which took them on the ride...

Little Brose to Little Avondale

Group One winner Little Brose (Per Incanto) will stand at Little Avondale Stud next year, alongside his sire Per Incanto, after a deal was brokered with the Wairarapa farm recently.Out of Group Three performer Mohegan Sky, Little Brose was purchased out of Sledmere Stud’s 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale by Lindsay Park Racing for A$200,000.He made a quick return on the Victorian operation’s investment, going on to finish runner-up on debut in the Gr.3 Maribyrnong Plate (100...

Stakes success for Gold Bullion

Four-year-old gelding Gold Bullion (Savabeel) dug deep to stave off all challengers when leading throughout to land the Listed Seven Members Mile (1600m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday for trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott.The son of Savabeel was ridden to victory by Regan Bayliss and looks set to leave his mark on the Queensland Summer Carnival as he chases further stakes success.Now the winner of three of his 14 starts with a further five placings, Gold Bullion was second-up after finish...

Gritty Goldman wins Pakenham Cup

One-time Melbourne Cup favourite Goldman has bounced back to winning form for the first time in more than 18-months when leading throughout to score in the Listed Pakenham Cup (2500m) on Saturday.The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Goldman last saluted in the Listed Roy Higgins (2600m) in March of last year which rocketed him to 2023 Cup favouritism.While subsequent preparations haven’t gone to plan, Goldman relished being in his favoured on-speed ride under Beau Mertens and out-toughed...

Islington Lass all class in Manawatu Cup

The Allan Sharrock training polish was to the fore again at Trentham on Saturday when classy mare Islington Lass (Proisir) stepped up to a middle distance for the first time in her 16-start career to score a clear-cut victory in the Gr.3 Humphries Construction Manawatu Cup (2300m)The seven-year-old had hinted at her last start in the Gr.3 Great Northern Challenge Stakes (1600m) at Ellerslie that she was looking for more ground when finishing off strongly over the final stages of the contest...

Intention scores Wakefield upset

Overlooked in the lead-up to Saturday’s Gr.2 Happy Hire Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m) at Trentham, Intention (Bivouac) burst out of the shadows of her higher-rated rivals and scored an impressive upset win.The $175,000 feature was only the second start for the Awapuni filly, who finished fourth on debut at Otaki on November 28 after jumping awkwardly from the starting gates and then bucking in the early part of the race.Carrying the blue and white colours of Tineke Balcombe’s In To...

Patterson and Grylls combine for dominant Eulogy Stakes win

The familiar combination of trainer Robbie Patterson and jockey Craig Grylls continued their outstanding success rate in stakes races when promising filly Leica Lucy (Derryn) took out the Gr.3 Lawnmaster Eulogy Stakes (1600m) at Trentham.The daughter of Grangewilliam Stud-based stallion Derryn had impressed when winning on debut at New Plymouth last month before being narrowly beaten over 1400m at Trentham a fortnight ago.Relishing the step up in distance to 1600m on Saturday, Leica Lucy se...

Marotiri Molly delivers career highlight for Dixon

Matt Dixon collected his biggest win as a solo trainer when his much-improved mare Marotiri Molly (Per Incanto) ran away with the Gr.2 Bramco Granite & Marble Manawatu Challenge Stakes (1400m) at Trentham on Saturday.Foxton-based Dixon trained five Group and Listed winners in partnership with David Haworth between 2009 and 2014, but had not scaled those heights since resuming his career on his own in 2019. Marotiri Molly has changed all that.Dixon has had to be patient with Marotiri Mol...