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Rich plan for Group winner’s dam

The emergence of Bourbon Empress (Proisir) has gone a long way toward confirming a future plan for Highline Thoroughbreds.The Stephen Marsh-trained daughter of Proisir was bred by Cam and Eva Heron’s Cambridge operation and her victory in the Gr.2 Rich Hill Mie (1600m) has all but decided the way forward for the mare’s dam Amiga Mia.“She’s got an Ardrossan colt at foot and we’ve left her empty this year and thought we’d wait and see what happens with Sulabella, who has won five,...

Hemlock Stone delivers Perth Cup boilover

New Zealand-bred gelding Hemlock Stone (Dalghar) defied $81 odds to score a stunning come-from-behind victory in the A$1 million Gr.2 Perth Cup (2400m) at Ascot on New Year’s Day.The Dalghar gelding is trained by Grant and Alana Williams for syndicator Belhus Racing, and he was bought for just A$11,000 from Book 2 of the 2021 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale. His 21-race career has now produced seven wins, four placings and A$765,990 in stakes.Hemlock Stone was a late starter, beginning...

Son of Sun shines in Queen Elizabeth

Progressive stayer Son of Sun (Tavistock) continued his golden run at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day when taking out the Gr.3 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2400m) in the hands of in-form hoop Matt Cartwright.The five-year-old son of Tavistock had won four of his six prior starts at the Auckland venue, including the Dunstan Horsefeeds Stayers Championship Qualifier (2100m) last month.His record on the track didn’t evade punters attention, who backed him into $5.50 favouritism for Wednesday’s st...

Bourbon Empress all class in Rich Hill Mile

Trainer Stephen Marsh believed he had two live chances going into the Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m) at Ellerslie on New Years Day, and that judgement proved spot on as his lightweight runner Bourbon Empress (Proisir) downed a talented line-up of milers to claim victory.The four-year-old daughter of Proisir had caught the eye when finishing a hard charging second in the Stella Artois 1500 Championship Final (1500m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day, notably a race that stablemate and race rival Prove...

Classy win by promising filly in Ellerslie feature

Promising filly Real Class (Vadamos) has put herself firmly into $1 million Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) calculations following her victory in the Gr.2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day.The daughter of Vadamos settled midfield for jockey Rory Hutchings, who elected to improve his filly three-wide from the 800m mark and hit the lead within 200m. Her rivals were looming on the turn, but Real Class was able to show her tenacity and repe...

Sweet start to New Year for Bergerson

Central Districts filly Too Sweet (Satono Aladdin) lived up to punters expectations when she downed a handy field in the Gr.2 SKYCITY Eclipse Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie on New Year's Day.Brought north by trainer Roydon Bergerson after winning on debut at Trentham back in October and then finishing second at that venue in early December, the daughter of Rich Hill Stud stallion Satono Aladdin closed as the $3 Fixed Odds favourite for the first stakes race of the New Year after some inspired late ...

Tavi Time snares Summer Cup

Talented five-year-old Tavi Time (Tavistock) edged out Osipenko in a thrilling finish to the Gr.3 Summer Cup (2000m) at Randwick on Boxing Day.The Kris Lees-trained son of Tavistock was ridden by Jay Ford and carried a somewhat luxury weight of 53kgs after lumping big weights in handicaps at his past two outings, having previously run well when fourth in the A$3 million Big Dance (1600m).Coming from midfield, Tavi Time had to wait to clear rivals heels and wore down fellow Kiwi bred Osipenk...

Hitabell provides Marsh with Boxing Day double

A brilliant front running ride by Courtney Barnes and a never say die attitude from her mount Hitabell (Embellish) provided trainer Stephen Marsh with a Boxing Day double as the trio combined to claim the Gr.2 Hallmark Stud Eight Carat Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie.Marsh, who had produced Provence to win the Westbury Stud Royal Descent Stakes (1400m), had given Hitabell a short freshen up after the filly produced a similar winning performance in the Listed O’Learys Fillies Stakes (1340m) at Wan...

Snazzytavi reigns in Zabeel Classic for Cambridge Stud

This year’s phenomenal rise of Snazzytavi (Tavistock) was fittingly capped off in the Gr.1 Cambridge Stud Zabeel Classic (2000m) on Boxing Day, but another star mare didn’t let her away with an easy victory in the Ellerslie feature.Snazzytavi, owned by race sponsors Brendan and Jo Lindsay, has been carefully handled by trainers Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall, having just her 15th start on Thursday. The mare’s eight victories to date included the Gr.3 Easter Handicap (1600m), Gr.1...

Yaldi comes out on top in blockbuster Auckland Guineas

In a blockbuster edition of the Gr.2 Shaw’s Wire Ropes Auckland Guineas (1400m), outsider Midnight Edition (Wrote) and favoured runner Yaldi (Ardrossan) went to the line as one, with the latter securing the Boxing Day feature in a protest.Yaldi had been an impressive juvenile, winning on debut before placing at stakes level in Australia. The imposing galloper had done little racing in his three-year-old season, making his first appearance since August when finishing a narrow second t...

About Time gets moment to shine in Dunstan Final

About Time (American Pharoah) was a rising star in the staying ranks as a three-year-old, and 12 months later, the Cambridge Stud mare collected another holiday feature with a powerful display in Dunstan Stayers Championship Final (2400m) on Boxing Day.The daughter of American Pharoah had burst on to the scene in December last year, placing in the Listed Trevor and Corallie Eagle Memorial (1500m) and winning the Gr.2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2000m) on New Year’s Day.She was spelled after...

Pivotal Ten takes Wingatui feature

Progressive filly Pivotal Ten (Ten Sovereigns) completed an impressive hattrick of victories when she proved too tough on a testing Heavy 10 Wingatui surface to capture the Listed NZB Insurance Stakes (1400m).Ridden by her trainer Samantha Wynne, the daughter of Ten Sovereigns had broken her maiden status on a Slow 7 surface at the venue back in October over 1200m before repeating the dose at Timaru a month later.Given time to get over that run. Wynne presented the filly in superb condition...

Vale Don Goodwin

Don Goodwin, the breeder of 11-time Group One winner Verry Elleegant, has passed away, aged 86.Goodwin was a proud student of thoroughbred pedigrees, and it was this passion that led him to acquiring Verry Elleegant’s dam, Opulence, to send to Grangewilliam Stud stallion Zed, for whom he was a shareholder.It was purchasing Opulence off trainer Nicholas Bishara that set the wheels in motion for the formation of a lucrative partnership and friendship between the pair, which took them on the ride...

Little Brose to Little Avondale

Group One winner Little Brose (Per Incanto) will stand at Little Avondale Stud next year, alongside his sire Per Incanto, after a deal was brokered with the Wairarapa farm recently.Out of Group Three performer Mohegan Sky, Little Brose was purchased out of Sledmere Stud’s 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale by Lindsay Park Racing for A$200,000.He made a quick return on the Victorian operation’s investment, going on to finish runner-up on debut in the Gr.3 Maribyrnong Plate (100...

Stakes success for Gold Bullion

Four-year-old gelding Gold Bullion (Savabeel) dug deep to stave off all challengers when leading throughout to land the Listed Seven Members Mile (1600m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday for trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott.The son of Savabeel was ridden to victory by Regan Bayliss and looks set to leave his mark on the Queensland Summer Carnival as he chases further stakes success.Now the winner of three of his 14 starts with a further five placings, Gold Bullion was second-up after finish...

Islington Lass all class in Manawatu Cup

The Allan Sharrock training polish was to the fore again at Trentham on Saturday when classy mare Islington Lass (Proisir) stepped up to a middle distance for the first time in her 16-start career to score a clear-cut victory in the Gr.3 Humphries Construction Manawatu Cup (2300m)The seven-year-old had hinted at her last start in the Gr.3 Great Northern Challenge Stakes (1600m) at Ellerslie that she was looking for more ground when finishing off strongly over the final stages of the contest...

Patterson and Grylls combine for dominant Eulogy Stakes win

The familiar combination of trainer Robbie Patterson and jockey Craig Grylls continued their outstanding success rate in stakes races when promising filly Leica Lucy (Derryn) took out the Gr.3 Lawnmaster Eulogy Stakes (1600m) at Trentham.The daughter of Grangewilliam Stud-based stallion Derryn had impressed when winning on debut at New Plymouth last month before being narrowly beaten over 1400m at Trentham a fortnight ago.Relishing the step up in distance to 1600m on Saturday, Leica Lucy se...

Marotiri Molly delivers career highlight for Dixon

Matt Dixon collected his biggest win as a solo trainer when his much-improved mare Marotiri Molly (Per Incanto) ran away with the Gr.2 Bramco Granite & Marble Manawatu Challenge Stakes (1400m) at Trentham on Saturday.Foxton-based Dixon trained five Group and Listed winners in partnership with David Haworth between 2009 and 2014, but had not scaled those heights since resuming his career on his own in 2019. Marotiri Molly has changed all that.Dixon has had to be patient with Marotiri Mol...

Intention scores Wakefield upset

Overlooked in the lead-up to Saturday’s Gr.2 Happy Hire Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m) at Trentham, Intention (Bivouac) burst out of the shadows of her higher-rated rivals and scored an impressive upset win.The $175,000 feature was only the second start for the Awapuni filly, who finished fourth on debut at Otaki on November 28 after jumping awkwardly from the starting gates and then bucking in the early part of the race.Carrying the blue and white colours of Tineke Balcombe’s In To...

Gritty Goldman wins Pakenham Cup

One-time Melbourne Cup favourite Goldman has bounced back to winning form for the first time in more than 18-months when leading throughout to score in the Listed Pakenham Cup (2500m) on Saturday.The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Goldman last saluted in the Listed Roy Higgins (2600m) in March of last year which rocketed him to 2023 Cup favouritism.While subsequent preparations haven’t gone to plan, Goldman relished being in his favoured on-speed ride under Beau Mertens and out-toughed...

Scholarship winner announced

The success of previous scholarship winners was one of the things that inspired Josh Herd the 2025 Sunline Trust International Management Scholarship winner to apply for the scholarship.“I have seen how successful some of the past recipients have been in the industry and thought it would be a pretty good pathway forward,” said Manawatu-based Herd.“I have worked with Te Akau Racing’s Sam Bergerson and know what the scholarship has done for him, and so many others.”“Just to be able to ...

Blue Sky At Night continues family legacy

Blue Sky At Night (Shamexpress) gave owner-breeder’s Isabel and Alistaire Barker a massive thrill last Saturday at Te Rapa when taking out the Gr.3 Waikato Cup (2400m), extending the couple’s great association with her family.“It was pretty amazing,” Isabel Barker said. “She is a very genuine mare, she gives 120 percent. It was very close (half head winning margin), but a win is a win.”With victory, Blue Sky At Night attained coveted black-type and assured her future broodmare c...

Kiwi Chronicles - Something for everyone

Since about the middle of November, black type, as it affects sires and pedigree pages, can not be included in New Zealand Bloodstock’s published hard copy of the catalogue for the Karaka Yearling Sale. The lag-time between the catalogue’s release and the sale itself becomes the domain of updates and this past Saturday, the update machine kicked into overdrive.Not that he needs the exposure, but Waikato Stud’s living legend Savabeel (Zabeel) sired his 146th individual stakes...

The Empire strikes back in Gold Rush

The Grant and Alana Williams-trained Western Empire (Iffraaj) has powered to victory in the A$1.5 million Gr.3 Gold Rush (1400m) at Ascot in Perth on Saturday.Ridden by Billy Egan, who was called off the bench when regular rider Willie Pike became unavailable earlier in the week, Western Empire travelled wide with cover throughout but unleashed a devastating turn of foot to defeat Magnificent Andy and favourite Super Smink.It was shades of Western Empire’s best as the now seven-year-old s...

Jedibeel explosive in Razor Sharp

Talented sprinter Jedibeel (Savabeel) took his career to a new peak when successful in the Listed Razor Sharp Handicap (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday after gaining a late split under Tyler Schiller to grab victory from the jaws of defeat.Schiller, who rides with a calmness rarely seen, was hell-bent on waiting for a gap after being cluttered in midfield and he took full opportunity when presented with a needle-eye to defeat Pereille and Eagle NestThe Brad Widdup-trained son of Savabeel has...