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Obituary NZTBA Life Member Robin Archer

From the All Blacks to Sunline, a life of exceptional sporting achievement NZTBA Life Member William Roberts “Robin” Archer, who died in Auckland on 9 March 2018 aged 87, was successful in business, active in the community, and achieved fame in rugby and racing. Born in Invercargill and raised in Gore, Robin was a member of a notable Southland sporting family, and initially attracted attention as a member of the talented 1946-48 Gore High School First XV. That experience, combined with a s...

Waikato NZTBA member Joan Egan adds Group One to her breeding achievements

Waikato NZTBA branch member Joan Egan can now add breeding a group one winner to her list of achievements after Sword Of Osman (Savabeel-Bunyah[IRE]) won the prestigious Gr.1 Sistema Stakes at Ellerslie recently. A two-year-old son of Savabeel, and his 16th group one winner, Sword Of Osman was having only his fourth race day start when he scored in the 1200 metre Sistema Stakes. He won on debut at Manawatu in late December, before over racing to finish eight in the Karaka Million a month later.&...

Potential Melbourne Cup campaign for Kiwi mare

It has been nearly a decade since Rich Hill Stud stallion Shocking won the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) and this year he could have a contender in the race in the form of his Group One-winning daughter Fanatic. The Lindsay Park-trained mare once again showed her class over two miles when winning the Gr.2 Adelaide Cup on Monday and her camp believes she is a genuine star over that distance. Bred and owned by Taranaki dairy farmer Sean Kiernan, the five-year-old mare will now be set for the Gr.1 Syd...

Stallion’s future locked in at Highview

Wrote’s long-term New Zealand future is guaranteed following a successful move by Highview Stud. The Irish-bred stallion was well-received by breeders in his first season, prompting farm principal Brent Gillovic to purchase the son of High Chaparral outright. “After protracted negotiations we have managed to buy him outright,” he said. “We’ve bought him along with Peter Yip of the Hong Kong Breeders’ Club and Duncan Grimley, a good friend of mine in Australia.   “There will b...

Sunline Scholarship recipient David Morris's first blog from Cheveley Park Stud

Before I headed off on my journey I was very lucky to be apart of Sir Patrick and Lady Hogan’s last yearling draft and what a success that was, great results and a awesome farewell ceremony. A couple days later and I had started the long 36-hour trip to Newmarket where I was transported on a buggy from one terminal to another in New York to get my connecting flight on time. My first day at Cheveley I was very nervous but excited at the same time and was placed on Sandwich Stud, the yearling di...

Dream day at Ellerslie for prominent owner/breeder

Well known owner/breeder John Bromley had what he could only describe as a dream day on Saturday. While he couldn’t celebrate a victory at Ellerslie, Bromley still enjoyed a massive thrill with his two runners in Darscape Princess and Alinko Prince who were both competing at Group One level. Lightly raced Darci Brahma mare Darscape Princess put up a superb performance in her elite level debut as she stormed home to finish a gallant second in the Gr. 1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m). B...

Obituary NZTBA Life Member Jeanette Broome

The New Zealand thoroughbred breeding industry lost one of their quiet achievers this week with the passing of Jeanette Broome ONZM. Jeanette an original boutique breeder had the honour of breeding the winners of two of the most famous races in the world the 1991 Grand National Steeplechase at Aintree with Seagram(Balak-Llanah) and the 1997 Melbourne Cup with Jezabeel (Zabeel-Passefleur), from a small band of carefully nurtured broodmares. Her breed also had success throughout Asia and in Austra...

Patience reaps rewards for Matamata breeders Mark and Cath Lupton on both sides of the Tasman

There is an old adage which says that good things come to those who wait - it’s wasted on millennials - but is something most breeders hang on to with anticipation. One such breeder who is reaping the rewards of patience is Matamata based Mark Lupton, who is now racing two up-and-coming mares, one he bred Etah James (Raise The Flag[GB]- Etah) and one he bought Yearn (Savabeel-Uno Princess). “You wait a lifetime to get one good horse and to get two of the buggers at once is pretty amazing,”...

Grunt spells ahead of lucrative spring

Talented three-year-old colt Grunt will now head to the spelling paddock in preparation for the spring after securing his first Group One win when victorious in the Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday. After placing behind Aloisia and Salsamor on debut as a two-year-old, Grunt has not been beaten in four subsequent starts.  The well-bred son of O’Reilly provided a preview of what was to come when winning the Gr.3 C.S. Hayes Stakes (1400m) a fortnight ago, and he has now p...

Danielle Southey's first blog from the Irish National Stud

This is Danielle’s first blog from The Irish National Stud There are 26 students with diverse backgrounds from Ireland, England, France, Belgium, Germany, USA, China, Japan, Australia and myself representing NZ  on this year’s Irish National Stud course.  We are doing weekly placements all over the stud so we are now into our third week. First week I was in the Black Cherry/Kildare Yard where we only had a few mares as the northern hemisphere stud season is only just getting under ...

Deloitte Report released but administrative impasse remains

Following months of waiting for a report on racing commissioned more than a year ago by New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing, an abridged version was finally released this week along with an edict to the industry’s racing clubs and stakeholders. The ‘Deloitte Report’ was compiled by the internationally renowned company of the same name which specialises in high-end accountancy and financial risk advice. It was commissioned to examine, review and comment on the current New Zealand Racing Board s...

Spanish Whisper does her owner breeders proud

Winning races is not something new to South Auckland based father and son Elias and Daniel Nakhle, but breeding a stakes winner is. The Nakhles along with Darren Brady, bred and raced the recent Gr.2 J Swap Contractors Matamata Breeders Stakes winner Spanish Whisper (Lope de Vega[IRE]-Cutting Remark[AUS]). “She didn’t really have a right to be there,” said Daniel Nakhle after she put up a huge fight to win the prestigious fillies’ event, “she is not a two-year-old type.” Spanish Whis...

Alamosa on a roll

The progeny of Wellfield Lodge stallion Alamosa are firing on all cylinders. The multiple Group One-winning son of O’Reilly has been represented by three new stakes winners this season in On The Rocks, Beefeater and Aspen Lass, while the multiple stakes winner Stolen Dance achieved a well-deserved Group One win in the Thorndon Mile (1600m) before being retired to stud. Already the sire of a classic winner in 2013 Gr.1 VRC Oaks (2500m) winner Kirramosa, Alamosa has an opportunity to taste furth...

Stud suffers major loss

Novara Park has suffered a cruel blow with the passing of foundation stallion Jakkalberry. “He got a gut infection and that was that, it was pretty quick and we had to put him down early this morning,” studmaster Ray Knight said. “To say it was premature is an understatement, the signs couldn’t have been more encouraging for the horse. He’s only had two to the races and they’ve both gone well.” They include the Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman-trained Thomas Aquinas, who was runner-...

Alamosa's derby hopeful On The Rocks

The outcome of the Gr.2 Avondale Guineas has always been a good indicator for the upcoming Gr.1 New Zealand Derby.In 2012 Silent Achiever won the race, and went on to win the Derby, and since then Puccini followed in 2014, Mongolian Khan in 2015, Rangipo in 2016 and last year Gingernuts won the double as well. Prior to that in the last couple of decades Zonda, The Phantom Chance, St Reims and Leica Guv have also completed the double. This year’s winner of the Avondale Guineas, On The Rock...

Mare Returns Due

Attention Broodmare Owners Just a friendly reminder that 2017 mare returns are due by 28 February 2018. Owners are responsible for registering their mare as a broodmare after she is covered for the first time and for maintaining her registration in the Stud Book until she is retired from breeding or is sold or leased out. Owners must lodge a return every season even if the mare does not produce a live foal or isn’t covered. You can complete your return: On-Line via Breeders Service Centr...

Scintillating win for Xpressmymind

A scintillating win by the speedy filly Xpressmymind (Shamexpress- My Amnesia(Aus), provided Shamexpress with his first winner when she took out the NZB Insurance Pearl Series race at Riccarton recently. Having only her second start Xpressmymind beat Miraslava by three lengths over 900 metres coming home the last 600 in a slick 32.88 seconds. In her first start she was checked out of the race at the start but still got up to finish second a neck behind Miraslava.  To add to the excitement ...

Cambridge Stud buys into another top colt

Group One winner Age Of Fire will take his place on the Cambridge Stud stallion roster at the conclusion of his racing career. Te Akau principal David Ellis has confirmed the son of Fastnet Rock has been secured for duty by the farm’s incoming owners Brendan and Jo Lindsay, in partnership with the three-year-old’s current ownership syndicate. Trained by Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards, Age Of Fire will be the latest member of the stable to head to Australia when he departs for Sydney nex...

Pendleton - Jeanette Brown's dream fulfilled

Amidst a life spent around horses Jeanette Brown always dreamed of owning thoroughbreds. She fulfilled her dream when she purchased her first filly to race in 2002, and recently she took that dream to the next level when she bred her first stakes winner Pendleton (Rip Van Winkle[IRE]- Ihadadream). The lightly raced four-year-old mare won the time honoured Listed Dunedin Gold Cup at only her ninth start. Trained by Shane Kennedy and Anne Furlong at Riccarton Park, Pendleton has now won four races...

Enter your Fillies now for Pearl Series

Early Bird entries for the 2018 intake of yearling fillies for the NZB Insurance Pearl Series are being taken now by the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders Association (NZTBA) but will close on March 16. “Now is the time to register any fillies that you may have bought at the sales, or that you have brought home from the sales, for them to be eligible for Pearl Bonuses in the 2018-19 season through until the 2020-21 season,” according to NZTBA Business Development Manager Justine Sclater. “...

Obituary Arthur Avis

Auckland NZTBA branch member and popular owner Arthur Avis passed away peacefully this week aged 94. Avis grew up near Trentham in the Hutt Valley and that is where his interest in racing began. He was educated at Hutt Valley High School where he played rugby in the first XV, was a veteran of World War II serving in Egypt, where rumour has it his initials were carved in a pyramid, before embarking on a successful business career back in the Hutt Valley. Although he harboured an interest in racin...

Pitman continues family connection

The performance of promising juvenile Thunder Bay has encouraged trainer Michael Pitman to extend the family connection at Karaka on Sunday. Niagara filly Thunder Bay has made a flying start to her racing career with three-runner-up finishes in her first three starts including one at stakes level. Making the results even more impressive is the fact that two of those runs were behind Karaka Million (1200m) winner Avantage with the other behind Al Hasa, who placed second in the Karaka Million. Pit...

Iffraaj connection key for Fraser-Campin

An established connection with Haunui Farm stallion Iffraaj was strengthened further for Cambridge-based trainer Mark Fraser-Campin on the final day of the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale at Karaka. Fraser-Campin outlaid $30,000 for Lot 1119, a colt out of Tale Of The Cat mare Estelle, who was presented through the Woburn Farm draft. The colt features Gr.1 Levin Classic (1600m) runner-up, Le Choix, in his pedigree while he also traces back to outstanding Australian juvenile Dance H...

Baker bags Book 3 sale-topper

Hallmark Stud boss Mark Baker continued a great sale for the progeny of Haunui Farm stallion Showcasing when he set the day’s benchmark figure during the final session of the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale at Karaka. Acting on behalf of a Hong Kong based client, Baker outlasted a number of serious contenders to secure the athletic youngster for a final bid of $68,000 from Matamata trainer Andrew Scott, who was the underbidder.  “There wasn’t much petrol in the tank as I...

South Island Nursery shines on day six at Karaka

South Island nursery Berkley Stud garnered bragging rights from the second day of the Book 2 session of the National Yearling Sale when they sold the day’s top-priced youngster. A colt by the stud’s promising young sire Highly Recommended set the benchmark when Ascot Farm’s Bruce and Maureen Harvey outlaid $175,000 to secure him. The well-related individual is a full brother to stakes winner Waldorf and a half-brother to Gr.3 Winter Cup (1600m) winner Timy Tyler. Renowned for their pin-hoo...