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Gingernuts tops Free Handicaps

Dual Group One winner Gingernuts takes pride of place at the head of the New Zealand Free Handicaps for the staying three-year-olds of 2016-17. Released by the handicapping panel of New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing on behalf of the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association, the New Zealand Derby and Rosehill Guineas winner Gingernuts was allotted 61kg in the 1601m plus division. Australian Derby winner Jon Snow was given 60.5kg, while the ATC Oaks heroine Bonneval was rated on 58.5kg, with...

A Close Up with Shelley Hale

Cambridge horsewoman Shelley Hale is currently on cloud nine, revelling in the glory of the Group One win by Close Up (Shinko King[IRE]) the gelding she bred, trains and races with Robin Stent and the Noel and Alison Johnstone Family Trust. “It’s the ultimate prize to get a Group One, it’s a huge buzz, you get involved with horses and you battle along and then everything comes right all at once,” enthused Hale who was still fizzing days after winning the Group One Tarzino Trophy at Hasti...

Sophie’s Choice in tribute race to Sir Colin

Sophie’s Choice will run at Hastings on Saturday in a race fittingly dedicated to the late Sir Colin Meads, who recently lost his battle with pancreatic cancer. Part-owned by Sir Colin and his wife Lady Verna, the filly will race in the Cancer Society colours and will wear saddlecloth five, which was the All Black icon’s playing number, in the Listed El Roca Sir Colin Meads Trophy. Sir Colin and Lady Verna enjoyed success as racehorse owners, most notably as part-owners of Group One-winning ...

Tivaci shuttle deal a landmark agreement

An esteemed English breeding operation has come knocking on Waikato Stud’s door and the Matamata nursery has been honoured to answer the call with a positive response. News that the farm’s exciting new stallion Tivaci has been sought out for Northern Hemisphere shuttle duties at the iconic English National Stud is a feather in the cap of the New Zealand breeding industry. “It’s a great endorsement for Tivaci and demonstrates to breeders just how in demand these horses with Australian Gro...

Lance arrives in Kentucky

After a fantastic time in Ireland it was time to start my next leg on the 2017 Sunline Scholarship. After a 24 hour flight delay and a lost bag, I finally arrived in Kentucky America. The first thing that took me by surprise when I arrived was the heat, Kentucky was suffering from a massive heat wave, and let’s just say that coming from Ireland to a heat wave in America was going from one extreme to another. My last stop on the Scholarship is at Taylor Made Farm. The farm  is famous for t...

Pressure on to provide alternative winter footing

Pressure is mounting on the thoroughbred racing industry to solve the conundrum of raceday abandonments due to unsafe or unsuitable racing surfaces during periods of inclement weather that has once again reared its ugly head in recent months. Last season 34 race meetings were abandoned which has seen renewed calls for the Industry’s governing body, New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR), to find a solution to what has become a blight on the national racing scene. While debate has raged for a n...

NZTBA Waikato Branch - 2017 Stallion Parade Roundup

Approximately 250 breeding enthusiasts, many from out of the district, attended the annual NZTBA Waikato Branch stallion parade over the weekend. Sponsored by JLT Bloodstock Limited, the parade which ran over two days featured 40 stallions resident at 10 studs.According to the Waikato NZTBA Branch President Keith Lunn the numbers were way above the numbers that have attended in the past. “It was great to see such a large turnout I know the studs were happy, I think the number of new sires was ...

2017 Waikato Stallion Parades

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Steve Brem on Underthemoonlight

Sydney based ex pat bloodstock agent Steve Brem is looking forward to returning to New Zealand this summer, and with good reason. Brem owns Midnight Dip(O’Reilly – Midnight Assembly) the dam of the recent Group Two Lisa Chittick Foxbridge Plate winner Underthemoonlight, but he has never laid eyes on the mare! “I actually haven’t ever laid eyes on her, but hope to see her when I return to Karaka this summer, I’m looking forward to seeing her and  visiting the Karaka sales,” said ...

Auckland Branch Breeders Awards 2017

Bonneval, Humidor, Jon Snow, La Diosa and Melody Belle, all Group One winners from last season, were among the 14 Group race winners bred by members of the Auckland Branch of the NZTBA. Last Sunday around 80 guests attended a luncheon, hosted by the Auckland Branch, to celebrate the breeding achievements of those breeders at the NZ Bloodstock Centre at Karaka. Karaka based breeder Richard Moore of Soliloquy Lodge, scooped the major award being named the Jane Bunbury Auckland Branch Breeder of t...

NZTBA Auckland Stallion Parade & Awards Lunch

Sunday 20th August 2017Stallion ParadeHaunui Farm – 10.30am – Belardo (NEW) | Iffraaj | ShowcasingWestbury Stud – 11.00am – El Roca | Postponed | Redwood | Reliable Man | Swiss Ace | Tarzino (NEW) | Telperion (NEW)Awards LunchNew Zealand Bloodstock – 12.30pm arrivalJoin the Auckland Branch of the NZTBA to celebrate the outstanding results of the 2016/2017 season – 6 G1 winners, 8 G2 winners, 9 G3 winnersTickets: $70.  Please contact Shannon Taylor | P 09 292 7154 | M 0212 855 51...

South Island Foster Foal Service

After more than 10 years of running the South Island Foster Foal Service, Mike Perkins has decided to take a step back from the job. Mike has provided an immensely valuable service to breeders throughout the South Island over the years and the CMWO NZTBA Branch would like to thank him sincerely for his great work. The Branch would like to introduce to you the new co-ordinator of the service, Anna Miles who is based in South Canterbury. Anna was awarded the Gold Medal from the Irish National Stu...

Initiative hopes to attract youth

In a bid to attract young New Zealanders into a career in racing, New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing has launched a pilot programme called ‘Ride to Time’ to teach pony club riders how to judge the pace of their horse. “Essentially, it is about recruitment,” NZTR Industry Training and Education Consultant Chris Watson said. “We want to do more to recruit young people into the industry. There is probably no better place than the pony clubs to start that recruitment and get them experience o...

Group success boosts Eminent’s stallion credentials

Sir Peter Vela’s huge admiration for Frankel has been further repaid with the unbeaten champion’s son Eminent adding a Group Two victory in France to his record. The New Zealand Bloodstock and Pencarrow Stud principal is the owner of the three-year-old, who overnight was a front-running winner of the Prix Guillaume d’Ornano (2000m) in a slick 2.02.26 at Deauville. Previously successful in the Gr.3 Craven Stakes and fourth in the Gr.1 English Derby, Eminent’s performances have drawn serio...

NZTBA Auckland Branch Stallion Parade & Awards Luncheon this Sunday

On the back of the success by the stock of Redwood(GB) last weekend, Westbury Stud is looking forward to parading the son of High Chaparral(GB) at a Stallion Parade on Sunday 20th August organised by the Auckland Branch of the NZTBA. As well as Redwood, six other stallions will be on show at Westbury Stud, Reliable Man(GB), Swiss Ace(AUS), El Roca(AUS), Postponed(USA) and new comers Tarzino and Telperion(AUS). The parade commences at 10.30am at nearby Haunui Farm where their new stallion Belardo...

Dubai Cup trip on offer

A trip for two to the 2018 Dubai World Cup will be up for grabs at next month’s New Zealand Thoroughbred Horse of the Year Awards. All ticket purchases to the function to be held at the Langham Hotel in Auckland on September 10 will go into the draw for the prize, courtesy of Al Basti Equiworld. The winner will be drawn on the night. The Al Basti Equiworld VIP Experience for two includes return Emirates business class flights, airport pick up and transfer to the Meydan Hotel for six night...

Windsor Park Stallion Parade 2017

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Flemington success for Canterbury Breeders Hazel & David Voice

There is no better advertisement for a staying stallion than a Darren Weir trained horse winning over ground at Flemington, according to White Robe Lodge Stud manager Wayne Stewart. And when the stallion concerned Raise The Flag (GB) and Weir strike the quinella it’s an even bigger boost. This happened at Flemington recently when Yogi (ex Malozza) got up to beat Chequered Flag (ex Star of Mulwala) in the 2500m Oliver St Plate.  Both horses started their racing life in New Zealand and wer...

Equine Welfare - NZTR Presentation

Martin Burns (NZTR General Manager, Commerical and Strategy) delivered a presentation entitled “Thoroughbred Welfare Matters” at the July NZTBA Branch Representatives Meeting in Cambridge....

Breeders' Bulletin: Winter 2017

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2017 Breeder of the Year Finalists Announced

The finalists for the 2017 Breeder of the Year and Broodmare of the Year have been announced with the winners to be presented with their awards at the New Zealand Thoroughbred Awards in Auckland on September 10th. Following the dominance of our leading three-year-olds in Sydney over autumn it is understandable that the breeders of Jon Snow(Richard Moore), Bonneval (City Bloodstock Ltd) and Gingernuts(Goodwood Stud) are among the nominees, along with the breeders of Kawi (John and Christine Goodi...

Savabeel dominates sire awards - again

Savabeel has done it again - only this time with even more dominance. Waikato Stud's star Zabeel stallion has made a clean sweep of New Zealand's three stallion categories for the 2016-17 season. For the second straight year the stallion has won the Grosvenor Award for New Zealand stakes earnings, the Dewar Stallion Trophy for Australasian earnings and the Centaine Award for global earnings. Savabeel now emulates former barn mate O'Reilly as a two-time winner of all three titles, after O'Reilly'...

Baker-Forsman top trainers’ ladder for second time

The Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman training juggernaut steamrolled their way to a second National Trainers’ Premiership off the back of an outstanding season of feature race success. After finishing runner-up to the Te Akau Racing team of Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards last year, following their inaugural title in 2014-15, the Baker-Forsman combination ramped up their efforts this year as they claimed a remarkable 19 black-type succeses among their haul of 107 wins. Those 107 wins nette...

Cameron Ring - Final Blog from Ireland

People said it would be the best 6 months of my life, they weren't wrong. What an experience my time has been on the Irish National Stud Breeding Course. The people I have met, horses and places I have visited will be cherished for a long time to come. Let me recap the final month of June. It has been very quiet within the yards which has allowed Sally to be extremely busy from day to day, organising as many trips to various equine establishments as she can. We visited Ballylinch Stud in Tippera...

Good luck, Good luck and Goodbye to Ireland

It is fair to say that my experience in Ireland has been amazing and I can't believe it has already come to an end. I don't know what I am going to miss more, working with such fantastic horses, or all of the people I have met over here. My next stop on the Sunline Scholarship is at Taylor Made Farm in America. I really can’t thank all of the people at Coolmore enough for making my time there such a great experience. I was lucky enough to attend the 2017 Irish Derby and what a fantastic time i...