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Knighthood for leading breeder and owner

Peter Vela has received the ultimate acknowledgment for his services to the thoroughbred industry with a knighthood in the New Year honours list. "Extremely humbling was my first emotion and then very proud for myself, my family and friends and it's a wonderful recognition for the industry as a whole," Sir Peter said. "It's an amazing surprise, a shock and an enormous thrill." The New Zealand Bloodstock and Pencarrow Stud principal has been an active breeder, owner and administrator for more t...

Taranaki NZTBA members celebrate first stakeswinner

A bout of bronchitis kept Taranaki breeder Sue Cowley from seeing her classy two-year-old filly Steel Rose (Guillotine[NZ]-Aga Panther) win the listed Wentworth Grange Stakes at Te Rapa recently. Cowley and her husband Peter, members of the Taranaki/Wanganui branch of the NZTBA, bred the Guillotine filly and race her with a couple of family members and a group of diving and fishing mates from Taranaki, known as the Steel Rose syndicate. "I was a gutted I couldn't be there, but I was so crook I...

An era ends with Zabeel's retirement

The curtain has come down on Australasian breeding's most famous 'like father, like son' double act with the announcement of champion sire Zabeel's retirement. His extraordinary success and remarkable influence on the thoroughbred industry has continued the legacy of his iconic sire Sir Tristram. "It's the end of an era and what a ride it's been for Cambridge Stud," Sir Patrick Hogan (pictured above with Zabeel) said. "I could never have imagined what Sir Tristram was able to achieve and pre...

Carter Bloodstock's faith in Ekraar filly justified

Rising Romance - photo NZTM website Carter Bloodstock principal John Carter is still buzzing after the exciting win by his Ekraar (USA) filly Rising Romance in the Listed Trevor Eagle Memorial at Ellerslie recently. "To be honest I thought she would be thereabouts, but never in my wildest dreams did I think that she would win or win like that," said the Auckland-based lawyer after the filly had pounced on her rivals up the straight and went on to win by one and a half lengths. Trained at Ruakaka...

Summer 2013/2014

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NZTBA announces Sunline International Management Scholarship winner

Robert Dennis (22) from Southland has won the 2014 Sunline International Management Scholarship. Robert, one of the next generation of the renowned Dennis Brothers, was brought up with thoroughbreds, working on the family farm for his father Tony. Robert has completed a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Economics and Business Management from Lincoln University. He combined his studies with working for Riccarton trainers Kevin and Pam Hughes, Peter Rudkin, and Mosgiel trainer Steve Anderton. Robe...

Owner/breeders' day out at Counties

Breeding a black type winner is the ultimate aim of any breeder, and four members of the NZTBA achieved that goal at the recent Counties Racing Club meeting. On Counties' flagship race day – DHL Counties Cup Day – where the Auckland Branch of the NZTBA, in association with NRM, sponsor a group two fillies and mares race, it was fabulous to see those breeders Karen Parsons (Final Touch), Marie Leicester (Annie Higgins), Vicki and Wayne Pike (Waterford) and Helen Gaye and Graham Bax (Jackofal...

Eric Ropiha was a master horseman

New Zealand racing has lost a highly-respected, successful and decorated horseman with the recent passing of Eric Ropiha. He was 88. Ropiha trained 716 winners during his career from 1948 to his retirement in 2001 and won the National Trainers' Premiership in 1959-60 with 43 winners. He had a number of top-class gallopers through his hands, including the 1960 Caulfield Cup winner Ilumquh who was twice placed in the Melbourne Cup and Fans also finished third in the Flemington feature for him. ...

Lori and Gavin Jones breed their first stakes winner

"Absolutely thrilling to watch" is how Lori Jones described Second Time Lucky's (Any Suggestion[AUS]-Dance Parade[AUS]) win in the Listed Welcome Stakes at Riccaton over the New Zealand Cup Carnival. Lori and her husband Gavin are 'strictly for fun hobby breeders', based in Te Kowhai just north of Hamilton and the Any Suggestions two-year-old is their first stakes winner. Second Time Lucky was having only her second race day start. A Pearl Series-nominated filly, she debuted on the first day of...

A dream result for the Riders

Two stakes winners in the space of eight weeks is a dream result for the team at Milan Park Stud as they prepare to present their first draft of yearlings at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales Series next January. Winning Glory (One Cool Cat [USA]- Alpine Beauty) won the group three Newcastle Gold Cup in late September and Irish Fling (Darci Brahma – Irish Belle) the listed CJC Pegasus Stakes in early November. Both were bred by Milan Park Stud proprietor Tony Rider, and Irish...

Wellington Branch's WellBred Summer newsletter out now

The Wellington Branch has published the summer edition of WellBred. Click here to open - Wellington Branch...

Kirramosa flies the flag in Australia for Alamosa

The gamble to race Kirramosa (Alamosa-Freyja) in Australia this spring instead of targeting the three year-old fillies' races in New Zealand looks like it is paying off for both Manawatu's Wellfield Lodge and trans-Tasman trainer John Sargent after the classy filly triumphed in the group two Wakeful Stakes on the opening day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival. "It's pretty satisfying seeing her win in Melbourne. We sacrificed competing her at home to win races in Australia and give Alamosa a boost,"...

Exciting times for Savvy Sam Williams

Little Avondale Stud's proprietor Sam Williams is hoping that Savvy Nature (Savabeel[AUS]- Generous Nature) will be the next group one graduate from the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run sale. According to Williams who bred Savvy Nature in partnership with ABP Enterprises, Angus Taylor Family Trust and Storm Thoroughbreds, the Ready to Run sale is turning out to be a big sale for New Zealand Bloodstock. "It would be very timely if Savvy Nature were to win the VRC Derby. He would be their sev...

Hopes are high for the Dandos

Bradbury Park owners Casey and Michelle Dando are looking forward to November and with good reason. "It's going to be a big month. In the space of a week, we may have two live chances in group races at Riccarton and a cracking Keeper colt in the Ready to Run Sale. I know it's a pipedream but if we pull off the group double, I'll think I'm better than Sir Patrick Hogan," Casey Dando enthused. The reason for all this enthusiasm is threefold. Guns At Five (Duelled[AUS]-Accidentallyinlove) is head...

Holly's Blog - October 2013

Keeneland September Yearling Sale The Keeneland September Yearling Sale is the biggest yearling sale in the world, selling several thousand yearlings over a three week period. Being part of the Taylor Made team for the sale is definitely an experience with them consigning in excess of 300 horses throughout the duration of the big event. My role for the sale was to be a sales person, a position I volunteered for as a way to meet new people. This position involved organising horses to be shown ...

Innovation is the name of the game for The Oaks

The right track conditions are the key to Innovation (Keeper [AUS]- Miss Grovesnor) according to Rick Williams general manager of The Oaks Stud and Karreman Bloodstock. Innovation notched up her third listed win when she took out the Team Weallens Matamata Cup recently on a rain affected slow nine track. "She is very good under those conditions. If she gets rain on the day she doesn't let you down," said Williams. "She doesn't have the best front legs but is very consistent and if the rain st...

Auspicious start for NZB Insurance Pearl Series

The NZB Insurance Pearl Series got off to an auspicious start at Avondale today when the first race to be run under the new fillies' incentive scheme was won by Way In. The daughter of first season sire Thewayyouare was one of three Pearl Series enrolled runners in the seven-horse field for the NZB Insurance Pearl Series 2YO Bonus. Prepared by Shaune Ritchie and ridden by Sam Spratt, Way In took full advantage of her inside draw to share the early pace and then establish a break on her rivals w...

Dosh comes up with the cash for Davison

Mapperley Stud's Simms Davison knew he was making the right decision when he purchased Dosh (Danske – Heaps) out of the 2011 National Broodmare and Weanling Sale for $20,000, having already purchased her Thorn Park(AUS) weanling colt for $30,000 earlier in the sale. He knew the mare well as she was owned by a client of the stud, Victorian bloodstock company Harvey Digby Bloodstock Ltd. "I purchased her 2009 colt by Thorn Park as a weanling out of the paddock for $30,000 and sold him for $120...

No regrets for Scott Williams

No regrets. That was the philosophical comment from Cambridge breeder Scott Williams when discussing the win by Orovela (Saperavi –Kim's Coup) in the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes at Riccarton recently. "Everyone has done well out of this horse except me," he said with a laugh referring to the recent fortunes of the smart filly. Orovela was purchased by Ashburton trainer Danny Champion at the 2011 weanling sales at Karaka for $1200. She was raced by his partner Kezia Murphy when she won her...

Hawke's Bay NZTBA member thriving on Group success

Hawke's Bay NZTBA branch member Ken Browne started racing horses about thirty years ago with big expectations of success. He was finally rewarded when his home-bred mare Thrive (Colombia-Trove by Paris Opera) posted a stylish win in last Saturday's Group Three Merial Ancare Metric Mile. "She is finally putting it all together and living up to the form she had previously shown as a young filly, Jason Bridgman has done a wonderful job with her, as she has been a bit of an enigma. She's won on hea...

Lime Country Thoroughbreds starts the spring with a Bang!

In recent years Jo Griffin and her husband Greg have immersed themselves in the bloodstock industry under the banner of Lime Country Thoroughbreds, and now they are starting to see some results and achieve some success. In the beginning, with a limited budget and a need to generate turnover to stay afloat, they set out to buy older mares from proven families in foal to good stallions. One of their first purchases was Cheeky Veronica (AUS) before she left the group one winner Tell A Tale. But pe...

2012-13 NZ Free Handicaps re-issued

The 2012-13 New Zealand Free Handicaps prepared by NZ Thoroughbred Racing Chief Handicapper Brett Scelly have been re-issued, below, including a 2.0 kg fillies' allowance, to ensure consistency with previous Free Handicaps prepared by NZTR: 2YOs Weight kg 3YOs 1200m-1600m Weight kg 3YOs 1601m+ Weight kg RECITE 59.0 SACRED FALLS 61.0 DUNDEEL 62.0 RUUD AWAKENING (AUS) 59.0 DUNDEEL ...

Applictions open for 2014 Sunline Trust Scholarships

Applications for the 2014 Sunline Trust Scholarships are now open. Click here for full details. Applications close on 13 October 2013. - NZTBA...

Survived adds to Don Gordon's pedigree

Survived's (pictured above) win in the group one Makfi Hawke's Bay Challenge Stakes was a great thrill for his owner NZTBA Hawkes Bay branch committeeman Don Gordon. The octogenarian has a soft spot for the Hastings track as he served on the Hawke's Bay Racing Club committee for a number of years and was instrumental in having the Ormond Memorial moved from autumn to spring. "The idea was to give trainers an opportunity to get their horses ready and see if they were good enough to compete in A...

New Zealand Pattern Committee completes 2012-13 Review

The New Zealand Pattern Committee (NZPC) has undertaken its annual review of Group and Listed races run in New Zealand in the 2012-13 season. Click here to read the full report - NZTR...