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Waikato Breeders Winter Seminar 29th June 2017 - Cambridge

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Hard Merchandize scores another impressive 2YO win

Hunterville breeder Chris Grace QSM is no stranger to breeding stakes winners, he started that trend in the 80's with his first brood mare Clearness. However the latest winner to join his honour roll, Hard Merchandize (Burgundy- Pride and Passion[AUS]) is from an Australian bred mare, not from the family that has served him well with nine generations of winners. When he won the listed Castletown Stakes, Hard Merchandize became the first stakes winner for his sire Burgundy, a son of Redoute's...

Cameron Ring - April 2017 blog from the Irish National Stud

Plenty more happening in the month of April. It's scary to think it's already been 4 months into the course. Before we know it we'll be graduating and on our way to all achieve greatness across the globe. We've been chipping away into the thick end of the breeding season, although it's like 2 seasons merged into one, with the National Hunt mares cycling later on in the year and going through their transitional phase in March/April. Lectures have been running to schedule with many more guest lect...

Belle ringing again for breeder

Melody Belle is ensuring history is repeating itself with a series of outstanding performances this season in a 'second coming' to add to the family roll of honour. The Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards-trained filly has already claimed top domestic honours with her Karaka Million and Gr.1 Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes victories and the Gr.2 BRC Sires' Produce Stakes at Eagle Farm. Purchased for $57,500 by Te Akau principal David Ellis out of Haunui Farm's 2016 Premier Sale draft to Karak...

Laxon to return to New Zealand to train

Training great Laurie Laxon is heading home to continue his career. The New Zealand Racing Hall of Famer has dominated Singapore racing for the past 17 years, winning nine premierships and more than 1250 races at Kranji Racecourse, but has decided it's time to pull up stumps on the island nation. He will return to his Maungatautari farm in Waikato, where Stephen Ramsay and Julia Ritchie are currently training, and prepare a team of 30 to 40 horses solely for Sir Peter Vela. It will be the r...

NZTBA Councillor Vicki Pascoe breeds Group Two Stewards Cup winner in Singapore

Gutsy entire Alibi (Darci Brahma - Bound To Impress), toughed out a good win in the Singapore Group Two Stewards Cup recently, the first leg of the Singapore Four-Year-Old Challenge, Singapore's equivalent of the Triple Crown. Bred by NZTBA Councillor Vicki Pascoe, he was recording his eighth win when he took out the Stewards Cup over 1400 metres. He jumped well settled in the trail, and went to the lead with 300 to run, and doggedly fought off the challenge of four well fancied four-year-olds...

Highview signs Group One winner to roster

Brent Gillovic's persistence has been rewarded with a deal to bring a unique son of High Chaparral to stand at Highview Stud in 2017. He has long been an admirer of the Gr.1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Wrote and he recently completed a deal to stand him alongside current resident Bullbars. "He's the only Group One-winning two-year-old son of High Chaparral in the world," Gillovic said. "I was first alerted to the horse by an American agent and when I went to the US Masters Golf at...

Celebrations for Tattybogler

Impressive maiden winner Tattybogler was named after a bottle of wine according to her part-owner trainer Kylie Fawcett. At the presentation of the NZB Pearl Bonus that the Moshe(AUS) filly won at Counties recently, Fawcett recalled seeing the name on a bottle of Central Otago Pinot Noir and thinking it would be a good name for a horse. "It's a Scottish word for a scarecrow," she explained, "and trust me this filly can be a really scary crow at times, she can't be trusted, so I thought it s...

Let Her Rip wins at Rotorua for Australian breeders Sue and Alan Olive

West Australian breeders Sue and Alan Olive have reason to believe in "Murphy's Law" after Let Her Rip(Rip Van Winkle[IRE]- Keeper Special) won the Group Three ISCL Rotorua Stakes recently. "Isn't it always the way," said Sue Olive, "as soon as you sell a mare, she will leave a stakes winner! "We sold Keeper Special earlier this year, and now I'm kicking myself about it, but that's the name of the breeding game isn't it, and good luck to her new owner." Sue and Alan Olive own Gold Front Th...

Group One winner Fanatic to join Melbourne stable

New Zealand Oaks winner Fanatic will target the Melbourne spring carnival for new trainer David Hayes, Taranaki breeder-owner Sean Kiernan has revealed. Kiernan said the Shocking four-year-old mare, who has won three of her 21 starts for Te Awamutu trainers Graeme Sanders and Debbie Sweeney, would fly to Melbourne next week and join the stable of Hayes and training partners Tom Dabernig and Ben Hayes. "I spoke to Graeme about it and he agreed it was better to kick off her campaign over there ...

Group One winner Vanbrugh retires

The Chris Waller-trained Vanbrugh has been retired from racing after being scratched from his raceday finale in Saturday's Group One Doomben Cup due to the prevailing heavy track conditions. The Group One-winning son of Encosta De Lago, who has a strong preference for good ground, is scheduled to arrive at Windsor Park Stud later this week. "We're excited to have Vanbrugh joining our team of stallions", commented stud owner Rodney Schick. "He won on debut at two and trained on to win the Grou...

David Walsh to join NZTR Staff

Former champion jockey David Walsh is to take up a full time role with New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing. Walsh, who has ridden more winners in New Zealand than any other jockey, will next month begin working as the NZTR training and welfare officer for the South Island. Walsh will be based in Christchurch and will also have responsibility for health and safety and licensing. Part of his role will be to mentor and support apprentice jockeys and the promotion of careers in thoroughbred racing....

Puccini boosts Mapperley roster

Former champion New Zealand three-year-old Puccini brings another healthy dose of Group One quality to the Mapperley Stud stallion roster. The New Zealand Derby winner will stand his first season in 2017 at Simms Davison's Matamata nursery, already home to the top-flight performers Complacent, Contributer and He's Remarkable. Puccini was the star performer in New Zealand in his classic season when, under the guidance of Peter and Jacob McKay, he triumphed in the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby off th...

Winx’s New Zealand story

Aussies have been laying claim to Kiwi greats since day dot, if you need proof then just ask them who invented the pavlova? In the racing world the battle still rages over Phar Lap. What better time then, as the latest superstar of the Australian turf, Winx, is inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame, have a little dig about the part New Zealand played in her creation. And we aren't talking about the indisputable Kiwi origins of her trainer Chris Waller, no this is purely a breeding...

Lance Forbes 2nd Blog – Scotland and Back!

Welcome to my second blog from the 2017 Sunline Trust International Scholarship. Its fair to say in the last month I have been all over the UK, from Scotland to Liverpool, from Doncaster to Ascot you name it, I have been there or driven past it! It all started with getting picked up on a Friday by Tony Williams also better known as "Tubba" who is the Managing Director at Goffs UK. Tubba was nice enough to let me shadow with him for a couple weeks and also let me work for Goffs UK for the Aintre...

A Volatile Mix has Linda and Graham Huddy smiling

When you find a breeding cross that works then, traditional belief dictates it should be replicated - however you can. Queenslander Linda Huddy, who bred and, along with her husband Graham, races Saturday's New Zealand-bred Group One South Australian Derby winner Volatile Mix, is a strong advocate. The mating which resulted in Volatile Mix was born out of the magic which occurred when Linda paid $15,000 for a High Chaparral yearling out of a Pentire mare at the 2008 Magic Million sales. Five ...

The Board of New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing announce new CEO

The Board of New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing announced today, after a global search, the appointment of Bernard Saundry as the next NZTR Chief Executive. Dr Alan Jackson, Chairman of NZTR said "Bernard's vast knowledge and experience from the creation of Racing.com and negotiating media rights, will be advantageous to New Zealand racing. His proven career in racing administration, club funding, building relationships with the jockey association and trainers and his experience with Country Rac...

Mission accomplished for well bred filly

Awapuni trainer Tony Bambry achieved the proverbial "two birds with one stone" when royally bred filly Allure claimed the opening event at New Plymouth today. Bambry had designs on scoring both a two-year-old victory and capturing a lucrative NZB Insurance Pearl Series bonus from the event and his charge made it mission accomplished when she prevailed in a desperate finish to the contest. The benefit of raceday experience played in Allure's favour as she began well in the hands of apprentice...

Windsor Park confirm 2017 stallion roster

Three exciting new stallion prospects further strengthen Windsor Park's stallion roster for 2017. Triple Group One winner Turn Me Loose (Iffraaj), one of Australasia's foremost miler's will stand for $15,000 and will be joined by Australian Group One winning 3YO Vanbrugh (Encosta De Lago) and fellow Group One 2YO Rageese (Street Cry) with their service fees to be confirmed at the completion of their current racing campaigns. European triple Group One winning miler Charm Spirit, the highest e...

Inglewood Stud launches new breeding incentive

Inglewood Stud is offering a unique incentive for North Island breeders to send their mares to Inglewood's resident stallion Zacinto next season. The North Canterbury farm have negotiated with New Zealand Bloodstock Airfreight to fly mares down from Auckland for the stud season. "The deal we are offering is the breeder pays the first $1,000 of the airfare and we pay the rest, regardless of whether the mare gets in-foal or not," Inglewood Stud General Manager Gus Wigley said. "To be able to...

Finishing School's daughter Prom Queen notches another win for Windsor Park Stud

Flying two-year-old Prom Queen's racing career is still in its infancy but her breeders can't help but get excited about what the future might hold. A two-time listed winner, the daughter of Super Easy and the Royal Academy mare, Finishing School, Prom Queen has racked up five wins from her six starts to date. That one blip on what would be an otherwise perfect scorecard was a third placing which came at Wingatui where she was restrained to trail rather than leading. "She will be a very welc...

Group One bound duo confirmed for Windsor Park

Windsor Park Stud will add further Group One quality to their stallion line-up in 2017 with both Vanbrugh and Rageese to retire to the Cambridge farm later this year. They will join the outstanding sprinter-miler Turn Me Loose as newcomers to the roster. "The important thing with Vanbrugh, Rageese and Turn Me Loose is they all possessed huge talent from day one and they've all competed successfully at the highest level in Australia," stud principal Rodney Schick said. "They are outstanding...

Sweet Leader's owners and breeders have a dream

Sweet Leader's owners and breeders have a dream and the O'Reilly colt might just be the one to help them achieve it. Silas Yang, Alan Ho, Alvin Wong and Y T Cheung bred and race the winner of Saturday's Group Three Cambridge Breeders' Stakes and have their sights set firmly on international glory. The Hong Kong based quartet are all partners or former partners at PriceWaterhouseCoopers in Hong Kong and their goal is to breed and race an international topliner of their own. Sweet Leader, who...

NZ-owned colt chasing historic Guineas win

New Zealander Sir Peter Vela is great student of racing history so he well knows the significance of what his colt is on the cusp of achieving this weekend. Sir Peter races the Frankel colt Eminent, a $5 fourth favourite for the Gr.1 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on Sunday morning (NZ time). Trained by Martyn Meade, Eminent followed an easy 2 ¾-length debut win at Newmarket in maiden company with a 1 ¾-length win in the Gr.3 Craven Stakes at the same track last start over the 2000 Guineas dist...

Kiwi plays role with leading Kentucky Derby contender

New Zealander Steven Nicholson is about to live the dream of many a horseman - to watch a three-year-old he bred step out in this weekend's Gr.1 Kentucky Derby. Nicholson and his wife Brandi, who hails from the neighbouring state of Indiana, are the breeders of Classic Empire, last season's North American champion two-year-old male and who is likely to contest favoritism in the Derby. The Nicholsons operate Silver Fern Farm, near Versailles, in the heartland of the Kentucky breeding region. ...