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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...

Stud duties beckon for retired Savile Row

Valachi Downs stud manager Jonathan Scully took a phone call that no thoroughbred owner wants to receive this morning. Co-trainer Pam Gerard had the unenviable task of advising Scully that multiple Group One placegetter Savile Row had sustained a paddock injury overnight that would see him off the track for up to six months. Scully spoke with owner Kevin Hickman and after contemplating the required recuperation period the decision was made to retire the good-looking Makfi entire. “We were head...

Pure Champion debuts in Book 3

A 1400 kilometre trip has not deterred Willow Glen Stud owners Mike and Barbara Cooney who have travelled north from their Waimate farm to offer three colts by their resident stallion Pure Champion in New Zealand Bloodstock’s Book 3 catalogue. They are the first yearlings to be offered by the Group One winning son of Footstepsinthesand. “We are really excited to offer three nice colts up here at Karaka by Pure Champion,” Mike Cooney said. “They are all nice, correct colts. They have all...

Heart over head decision for South Island breeders

The last week in January 2018 is one that Southland breeders Karen and Willie Calder will remember forever. In the space of 24 hours they became the breeders of an international group one winner D B Pin (Darci Brahma –Pins’n’Needles) and the 2YO Karaka Million winner Avantage (Fastnet Rock[AUS]- Avasant). Two days later they bought back into the three-quarter sister to both Avantage and D B Pin at Karaka they co bred with Coolmore Stud for $550,000. It was a head over heart decision for K...

Breeder's relationship with Brighthill Farm and Dalghar reaps reward

Perth based Neven Botica was introduced to the Karaka thoroughbred sales by the legendary Bart Cummings, and has been a regular visitor ever since. However this year’s visit was by far the most exciting as he witnessed Scott Base a Dalghar(FR) gelding he bred win the first $1million race for three-year-old graduates of the New Zealand Bloodstock Sale, the Karaka Million 3YO Classic. “It was a fantastic night,” said Botica, “I was on course with the whole family and we were yelling and sc...

HAWTHORNE SECURES TOP PICK

The appeal of the stock of New Zealand’s leading sire Savabeel was never illustrated better than through the sale of Lot 487 at Karaka on Tuesday. From the powerful Waikato Stud draft, the filly out of No Excuse Needed mare Posy features an outstanding pedigree, littered with stakes performers including multiple Group One winner Daffodil.  A lengthy bidding war ensued with local bloodstock agent Dean Hawthorne outlasting a host of competition, including fellow agent and friend Michael Wal...

ELLIS HIGHLIGHTS EARLY DAY THREE ACTION

Te Akau Racing supremo David Ellis ignited the final stages of Day Two at the NZB National Yearling Sale and he was at it again early on Day Three. Ellis outlaid a combined $1.925 million for a pair of Savabeel yearlings on Monday evening, including the current sale-topper, Lot 301 the colt from class racemare Katie Lee colt that fetched $1.025 million. Lot 290, the filly out of Joys Choice went to Ellis for $900,000 and was confirmed as the first member of Te Akau’s new fillies syndicate oppo...

WINDSOR PARK STALLION TURNS ON THE CHARM

Buyers have sided with Windsor Park Stud’s freshman stallion Charm Spirit at Karaka. The demand for the first crop of the son of Invincible Spirit was expected to be keen and pre-sale hopes have been realised through the opening sessions of the Book 1 Sale. “He’s averaging around $130,000 and they’ve been a really strong line of horses,” studmaster Rodney Schick said. “We’re really happy with the way things have been going. We were pretty confident coming into the sale. “The othe...

More Than Ready colt equals Day One benchmark

A solid finish to the selling action on Day One of the annual Karaka Yearling Sale saw a More Than Ready colt match the day’s top price when he was knocked down to the $500,000 bid of local trainer, Allan Peard. The stunning bay colt was consigned through the Haunui Farm draft as Lot 84 and is out of Redoute’s Choice mare, Buckling. The mare is the dam of quality sprinter Ego, who numbered the Gr. 2 Concorde Handicap (1200m) amongst his six career victories. A visibly relieved Peard endured ...

Blueblood filly sets cracking pace at Karaka Day One.

Experienced bloodstock agent Dean Hawthorne played a superb game of brinkmanship to secure a royally-bred filly on the first evening on the annual NZB National Yearling Sale at Karaka. Hawthorne found himself on the backfoot during the closing stages of an intense bidding war for Lot 48, a Tavistock filly by outstanding broodmare Bagalollies. The upstanding bay filly is a full sister to 2015-16 Hong Kong Horse of the Year Werther as well as Gr. 3 New Zealand Cup (3200m) winner Gobstopper and Gr....

NZB Insurance Pearl Series Bonus race target for Indecision the right decision

There was definitely no indecision with the way Indecision won the NZB Insurance Pearl Series Bonus race at Avondale recently.The four-year-old daughter of Per Incanto(USA) streaked away to a four length win in the rating 65 1200 metre event, franking the form that had seen her run second in Pearl Series races at Matamata and Rotorua over the past month.According to part-owner Cherry Taylor, the decrease in distance made all the difference.“It’s fantastic to win a Pearl Bonus it’s a big bo...

New territory for Mana Park at Karaka 2018

Well known racing commentator George Simon admits that he and wife Maryanne have been thrown in at the deep end a little as they prepare to submit their first draft to the annual NZB National Yearling Sale at Karaka.The popular Cambridge couple have prepared eight yearlings under their Mana Park banner which is more commonly associated with excellence at the annual NZ Ready To Run Sale for two-year-olds. Mana Park presented their first Ready To Run draft in 2005 with triple Group One winner...

Young vendors set to make impact at Karaka

A snap decision taken just over 20 months ago could pay off in spades if exciting two-year-old filly She’s A Thief can land the major spoils in next Saturday’s Karaka Million (1200m) at Ellerslie.Young Cambridge-based couple, Adrian Stanley and Hannah Kettlety, have made a name for themselves through their pin-hooking endeavours in recent years after establishing their Woburn Farm brand in 2012. The pair have quietly built their reputation on a good eye for a young horse, having success...