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Michael Martin recognised with lifetime NZTBA membership

At the Annual General Meeting of the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association last week, Michael Martin the former long-term Chief Executive of the Association was honoured with Life Membership. Martin had a long tenure at NZTBA, working for the association for 23 years, 21 of those as chief executive. “It is the first time they have awarded the lifetime membership to a former employee,” Martin said. “I feel particularly honoured and I am joining a list of very eminent people in th...

NZTBA shows full support for Messara Report recommendations

The much anticipated Messara Report into the state of the New Zealand racing industry has been released and the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders Association (NZTBA) fully supports the changes recommended. The Minister of Racing Winston Peters presented the report in Hamilton last night to a large audience of industry participants and supporters, and it outlined 17 key recommendations for change. He recognised that the industry was in a precarious state and it was “reform or die”. “Mr Mes...

Waikato Stud and Garry Chittick named 2018 New Zealand Breeder of the Year

For the sixth time Waikato Stud and Garry Chittick have won the title of Breeder of The Year at the NZTR New Zealand Horse of the Year Awards. As well the Waikato Stud Stallion Savabeel made a clean sweep of the stallion awards winning the Grosvenor Award (Champion New Zealand Sire), Dewar Award (Champion New Zealand Sire for Australasian stakes money) and  the Centaine Award (Champion New Zealand Sire for global earnings). In a stellar year for the stud, they produced three Group One winne...

Belardo's first NZ foals have arrived

The first southern hemisphere crop of Champion 2YO Belardo (Ire) (Lope De Vega) are hitting the ground in 2018 with a handful of arrivals at Haunui Farm so far this month. Mark Chitty says, “It’s an exciting time at Haunui as we welcome the arrival of Belardo’s first crop of southern hemisphere foals.  We’re more than happy with what we are seeing so far and welcome anyone on to the farm to inspect them – I’m sure breeders will be impressed.” A G1 winner at 2YO & 4YO, Belardo...

Cambridge Careers Day - a great success

NZTR put the educational opportunities and qualifications it offers in front of a large group of school students attending the Careers Expo held at Cambridge Raceway, on Wednesday 8 August. The main organiser - NZTR Training Adviser Kay Hogan, with assistance from Vicki Pascoe, Matthew Barnsley and Sally Waters who assembled an attractive booth on site, and were on hand to talk to prospective students and their parents. Chris Watson and Wendy Cooper also made themselves available over the day to...

Messara report release date

Finally the much awaited John Messara report has a release date,  it would be appreciated as an  industry participant that you could attend to show your support to our Racing Minister  To rsvp please email rsvp@dia.govt.nz...

Seminar - new treatment options for endometriosis in mares

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NZTBA Wellington 2017/18 Awards Evening

Breeding Excellence Awards Graeme Hunt for Almost Court winner of the CRC Canberra Cup LR John Fokerd, Audrey Seeto and Victor Osborne for China Star winner of the MRC Manawatu Breeders Stakes G3 John Barnao, Tommy Heptinstall and Tom Pivac for Gobstopper winner of the CJC New Zealand Cup G3 Lib Petagna for Lanciato winner of the NJC Newmarket Handicap G3 Jim Quin for Liapari winner of the ATC Civic Stakes LR Lib Petanga for Santa Catarina winner of the WRC Waikato Equine Vet Centre Stakes LR ...

Scholarship Blog: Sunline Scholarship recipient David Morris latest update on his last placement

My last weekend in Ireland was spent watching Latrobe win the Irish Derby.  What an awesome way to end a great time in Ireland!.   A big thank you to everyone at Coolmore, for helping me along the way. Since arriving in Kentucky it has been flat out.   After getting off the plane, I was straight into the July Fasig-Tipton sale in Lexington and it was the first taste of the Taylormade way of selling horses.  It didn’t take long to see why they are the best Thorough...

The waiting is over for New York Minute

Cambridge based mare New York Minute (Iffraaj[GB]-Zenno Queen) showed black type ability at her second only start as a three-year-old, however it was not until the closing stages of her five-year-old season that she managed to score her first black type win. That was in the Listed Tauranga Classic in late June, improving on her second placing last year, and for good measure she backed up at her next start and won the Listed Opunake Cup, a race she was placed third in last season. At the start of...

First NZ Stakes race for the new season goes to Platinum Command

The new season is under way and the first stakes race the Gr. 3 Winter Cup has been run and won at Riccarton by Platinum Command (Red Giant[USA]-Wednesday Rocks), bred at Westbury Stud by Gerry Harvey. “It’s a nice way to start the season with a black type winner,” said Westbury Stud’s General Manager Russell Warwick. “You never know how the cards are going to fall each season and where the stakes winners will come from, but it’s a good start. I think from Wednesday (August 1) throu...

Danielle Southey reflects on her Irish National Stud experience

After six months in Ireland Danielle Southey is happy to be back in New Zealand and back at work at Trelawney Stud. ”I missed home, I missed cooking for myself and driving myself,” said the bubbly young woman earlier this week. “I had my first day back at Trelawney Stud, it was great catching up with the mares I foaled last spring and seeing their babies that are nearly yearlings, hopefully I won’t be going anywhere for a while.” Southey was the recipient of the Keith and Faith Taylor ...

Racing Industry backs Cancer Society

The New Zealand horse racing industry is continuing its support of the Cancer Society of New Zealand with NZRB Daffodil Racedays 2018. Now in its fifth year, the initiative is proudly supported by the New Zealand Racing Board (NZRB), who this year will be making a substantial cash donation for every winner across every Daffodil raceday across New Zealand. New Daffodil raceday silks have been created and the NZRB will donate $1,000 per winner in the silks on Tarzino Trophy Daffodil Raceday at Ha...

Bargain purchase pays dividends for Taylor family

The last stakes race of the year, the Listed Ryder Stakes, has been run and won by Aternatin(Showcasing[GB]-Fudge). A lightly raced two-year-old, by Showcasing(GB), he became the eighth individual two-year-old winner for that sire and his third two-year-old stakes winner this season. Aternatin began his racing career in December and finished sixth behind the subsequent Group One winner Sword of Osman. He next appeared at the races in late March where he finished fifth, and then did not race aga...

Savabeel sets the standard

It might seem like business as usual but closer examination of champion stallion Savabeel's achievements from the past 12 months reveals just how good his season has been. Such is Savabeel's record, expectation is that he continues to churn out high quality racecourse performers with monotonous regularity. And while that's again been the case for the 2017-18 season, the Waikato Stud sire has continued to forge through old barriers and set a new benchmark of siring success. At next month's New Ze...

Scholarship Blog: Danielle Southey - graduates from the Irish National Stud with Merit

Hello from Ireland one last time Well people said to me that this would be an amazing six months of my life, and they weren’t wrong. My time at the Irish National Stud has been amazing and with a great bunch of people. For the month of June all the yards were starting to quieten down as its coming up to the end of the breeding season for the northern hemisphere. With mares going out from Maddenstown and some mares and foals going home from Blandford and Black Cherry.  With everything ca...

Another strong season for underrated stallion

The progeny of the ever consistent The Oaks Stud stallion Darci Brahma have had another quality season. The son of Danehill will finish second to New Zealand’s all-conquering sire Savabeel in the Centaine Award for global earnings, with his progeny winning in excess of $11 million for the season. Only Savabeel and successful shuttle stallion Iffraaj will have enjoyed better 2017/18 seasons domestically in New Zealand. Progeny of Darci Brahma recorded two Group One victories this season, wit...

Nearco Stud bred Beauty Generation named Hong Kong Horse of the Year

Beauty Generation (claimed the Hong Kong Horse of the Year award on Friday night. A three-time Group One victor this term, Hong Kong’s standout five-year-old was also named Champion Miler. John Moore’s stable star had an outstanding sophomore Hong Kong campaign with five wins from eight starts. The gelding, raced by Patrick Kwok Ho Chuen, improved further this term after placing in two of the three four-year-old Classic Series races last season. Victorious on his seasonal reappearance in th...

Exciting 24 hours for Novara Park

Ill-fated Novara Park stallion Jakklaberry was represented by a strong winner at Geelong on Friday when the Matt Cumani-trained Gelignite Jack saluted at his second race day start.  The two-year-old colt showed good improvement from his fourth placing on debut to score over 1300m and looks like he will be suited over further ground like his breeding would suggest. Ridden by Dean Holland, Gelignite Jack trailed the leaders throughout and was solid to the line. “Dean did an excellent job,...

Nine for Charm Spirit

Windsor Park Stud’s shuttle stallion Charm Spirit recorded his ninth individual winner from his first crop of European two-year-olds when Chicago May won over 1400m at Naas on Saturday. The Henry De Bromhead-trained filly won by two and a-half lengths after distancing her rivals at the 200m mark. “She is a filly we have always liked, but I thought she would need the run as I hadn't done that much with her at home,” De Bromhead said. “I'm delighted with her as she's done it very well in t...

Uninformed article delivers the wrong message in mainstream media

Racing has been getting a bad deal in mainstream media which seems to go hand-in-hand with the media backhanders constantly being dished out to Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Racing Winston Peters. AM Show host Duncan Garner is a regular offender but many of his comments seem to come from sheer ignorance, his ego, and a political bias that places him in the camp firmly opposed to Winston Peters, NZ First and its policies. Then you get the article that appeared on the inside front page of ...

Bostonian's win part of magnificent family journey

After winning the Gr.3 Sunshine Coast Guineas with Bostonian (Jimmy Choux-Keepa Cheval), Auckland based breeder David Archer is the first to admit that he has been very lucky with his horses and they have taken him and his family on quite a journey. Bostonian is the latest star in the family owned by Archer Equine Investments Ltd, which also races the Gr.2 ATC Chairman’s Cup winner Charles Road, and he has been campaigning in Queensland for the last two months. Although dogged by bad luck to b...

NZTBA Breeders' Bulletin Winter Edition

The Winter Edition of our NZTBA Breeders' Bulletin is now available for you to enjoy. Any feedback or news items are welcomed by us for future editions please email Justine@nzthoroughbred.co.nz Click on the file below to read ...

Super Saturday for Shinko King

The progeny of deceased stallion Shinko King had a standout day on Saturday, with Megablast taking out the Listed Caloundra Cup (2400m), while Monarch Chimes and Justa Charlie won the two feature jumps races at Hawke’s Bay. Novara Park manager Ray Knight stood Shinko King at Ashwell Farm and is enjoying watching the continued success of his progeny. “He was always a special horse, he was a very good racehorse and he probably didn’t get the patronage at stud we would have liked,” Knight s...

Need Help with Environment Rules?

The landscape is changing. Historically most horse properties have been permitted under regional council rules. However, with the increased focus on water quality all land uses are coming under the spotlight and this includes horse properties. Burying your head in the sand will not make it go away. And these changes are happening around the country, all at various stages and all regions have different rules. So if you are asking any of the following; What is a regional plan? What is a controlle...