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Deserved Riccarton reward for Kopua

Kopua (Shocking) attended to unfinished business in style on the middle day of the New Zealand Cup carnival at Riccarton when he produced an irresistible finish to claim top honours in the main event on the card.The son of Shocking had finished a luckless sixth in the Gr.3 Coupland’s Bakeries Mile (1600m) 12 months ago and successfully turned his fortunes around in Wednesday’s feature, now renamed the TAB Mile.Kopua further added to the long list of Riccarton successes of his trainer Ke...

First Australasian winner for Hello Youmzain

Cambridge Stud shuttle sire Hello Youmzain has made an outstanding start to his stallion career in the Northern Hemisphere, and he’s now opened his Australasian account.The former high-class sprinter was on the board following his two-year-old son Hello Romeo’s front-running victory over 1000m at Bendigo on WednesdayHello Youmzain won the Gr.1 Haydock Sprint Cup (1200m) before Cambridge Stud purchased the son of Kodiac with Haras d’Etreham, his northern base in France, and he subsequently ...

Fourth time lucky for Mr Brightside in Champions Mile

The Group One Champions Mile (1600m) at Flemington has been one of the few major miles to elude Mr Brightside (Bullbars), who finished fourth in the race in 2021, third in 2022 and second last year. But it was fourth time lucky on Saturday and the seven-year-old added the A$3 million feature to his glittering CV.Mr Brightside has now won 18 of his 40 starts and more than A$16 million in stakes, and he is showing no sign of slowing down. He has continued his customary consistency throughout this ...

Savaglee, Gerard and Spratt steal the Guineas spotlight

A dream spring for Savaglee (Savabeel), his trainer Pam Gerard and jockey Sam Spratt culminated in something very special in the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai 52nd New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton on Saturday.Savaglee began his three-year-old season somewhat below the radar, albeit with two wins to his name from seven starts last season including the Gr.3 Matamata Slipper (1200m). But the Savabeel colt has blossomed before our eyes this spring and become a standout of his gener...

Belclare dominates Hot Danish

Multiple New Zealand Group One winner Belclare (Per Incanto) has continued her strong form in Australia from her new quarters at Bjorn Baker’s stable.The seven-year-old daughter of Per Incanto won the A$2 million Gr.2 The Invitation (1400m) at Randwick a fortnight ago and it was a case of rinse and repeat when landing the A$500,000 Gr.2 Hot Danish Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on Saturday.On both occasions Belclare went forward under Tyler Schiller and had her rivals in trouble when showing a goo...

Smokin’ Romans back on song

Group One winner Smokin’ Romans (Ghibellines) broke a two-year win drought in style on Saturday with a black-type success at the scene of his biggest triumph.The Ghibellines gelding went into Saturday’s A$300,000 Gr.3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m) at Flemington as a nine-time winner from a career spanning 39 starts. However, he had not won since taking out the Gr.1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington in October of 2022.The eight-year-old turned back the clock in Saturday’s Queen El...

Mehzebeen produces front-running masterclass in Metropolitan

Misfortune has been a recurring theme in Mehzebeen’s (Almanzor) 18-race career, but she made her own luck at Riccarton on Saturday with an emphatic front-running victory in the Listed Nautical Boat Insurance Metropolitan Trophy (2600m).Runner-up behind Pennyweka in the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) as a three-year-old, Mehzebeen went into Saturday’s $100,000 feature with three career victories to her name and unlucky not to have more. She was badly blocked in the straight when sixth in ...

Illicit Dreams all the way in Pegasus

Riccarton is a home away from home for speedy Ruakaka mare Illicit Dreams (Vancouver), who added a blistering front-running win in Saturday’s Listed Donaldson Brown Pegasus Stakes (1000m) to her proud record at the Christchurch track.A daunting 1200km journey separates Riccarton from trainer Kenny Rae’s Northland base, but Illicit Dreams has repeatedly taken those big trips in her stride and produced some of the best performances of her career.The daughter of Vancouver is now a dual sta...

Dunell snaps breeding success on Melbourne Cup Day

Well-known racing photographer Trish Dunell had a day to remember on Tuesday, recording success as a breeder on racing’s biggest stage at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day.Following a busy day plying her trade at the Ellerslie races, Dunell was able to watch Fancify (Niagara) take out the Gr.3 The Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes (1400m) in the hands of Joe Bowditch for trainer Michael Hickmott.Dunell had raced the daughter of Niagara up until recently before selling to a client of Hickmott’s, and...

Opening Address makes Cup Day statement

The Listed TAB Trophy (1800m) on Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington has been a good race for emerging Kiwi-breds, and Opening Address(NZ) (So You Think) continued that trend in the A$175,000 feature on Tuesday.Last year’s edition of the three-year-old race was won by Warmonger, who was having just the third start of his career. That son of War Decree went on to win the Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m) by 10 lengths in June, and he was also runner-up in the Gr.1 South Australian Derby (2500m).Opening...

Kiwi Chronicles - To The Rescue

No stakes racing in New Zealand on Saturday meant that all the attention was focussed on Australia and in particular, Flemington, for Coolmore/Derby Day, and Rosehill for Golden Eagle Day. The Coolmore Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner hails from a US family while a British bred horse took out the Golden Eagle (1500m) so pickings looked slim for the New Zealand Stud Book. The Victoria Derby (Gr 1, 2500m) winner Goldrush Guru (American Pharaoh) does descend from a New Zealand-bred Le Filou (Vatellor) m...

El Vencedor back on top at Ellerslie

El Vencedor (Shocking) is making a habit of picking up major victories at Ellerslie, adding the Gr.3 Balmerino Stakes (2000m) to his burgeoning record at Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup Day meeting.El Vencedor had a breakthrough five-year-old season last term, winning the Gr.3 Eagle Technology Stakes (1600m) and denying star mare Legarto with a tearaway victory in the Gr.1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m) at the venue in March.Resuming over 1400m in early September, El Vencedor showed posit...

Aeliana dominates in Thousand Guineas audition

Emerging filly Aeliana(NZ) (Castelvecchio) has a Group One assignment in her sights after kicking off the Melbourne Cup Carnival with a dominant performance in the A$500,000 Gr.3 Channel 9 Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) at Flemington.The opening race on Saturday’s Derby Day card was the second consecutive black-type win for Aeliana, who headed to Melbourne as a last-start winner of the Gr.3 Reginald Allen Quality (1400m) at Randwick.The Carbine Club Stakes was a significant step up in class for t...

Atishu goes one better in Empire Rose

A year after flying home for second behind Pride Of Jenni in the Gr.1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m), Go Racing’s pin-up girl Atishu(NZ) (Savabeel) returned to Flemington on Saturday and went one better for the Kiwi syndicators.Last year’s edition of the A$1 million fillies and mares’ feature was a difficult one to watch for Atishu’s connections. The Savabeel mare found herself near the tail of a strung-out field and rounded the home turn in a near-hopeless position more than a dozen lengths...

Meet the Breeder - David Woodhouse

This week in Dunstan Horsefeeds Meet the Breeder, we catch up with Central Districts-based breeder David Woodhouse who bred dual Group One winner and recent Gr.2 The Invitation winner, Belclare.Tell us the story of Belclare? Belclare was the 14th Per Incanto that I bred. I had sold 2 Per Incanto geldings previously, who both went to Hong Kong. Belclare was out of Miss Rhythmic (an O’Reilly mare who I bought for $5000). She was just an ordinary filly who was broken in and turned back out in the...

Savaglee sensational in Sarten

The road to Riccarton Park has not been an easy one for Savaglee, (Savabeel) but the colt indicated he is right on track with a stunning performance in Wednesday’s transferred Gr.2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial (1400m) at Te Aroha.Savaglee, alongside a number of other runners in the race, has fallen victim to a pair of abandonments, firstly with the Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) which was rescheduled to Matamata, then the Sarten, which was set to be run on Monday at Te Rapa.The adaptabl...

Kiwi Chronicles - Unwanted

In one bold move, Belclare (Per Incanto) more than doubled her career earnings when she took out The Invitation (1400m), one of the races that has been granted Group 2 status by the NSW authorities but is yet to be ratified by the Asian Racing Conference. Nonetheless, the $1 million winner's share bumps Per Incanto (Street Cry) 17 spots up the current Australian sire listings from 28th to 11th. The mare's bold move was taking over the pace at the 1000-metre mark. In her two Group 1 successes, ba...

Belclare rewards owner’s faith

Belclare’s (Per Incanto) failure to reach her A$700,000 reserve at the Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare sale earlier this year has proven to be a blessing in disguise for owner-breeder David Woodhouse.Following a 11-win career in New Zealand in the care of trainer Lisa Latta, including two editions of the Gr.1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeder’s Stakes (1600m), Woodhouse had every faith that his mare could measure up in Australia and entrusted her to the care of Sydney traine...

Topweight Aljay reigns supreme in Spring Classic

Respected trainer Kevin Myers completed a winning treble at Riccarton on Saturday with a dominant performance by Aljay (Rock 'N' Pop) in the Listed Sothys Spring Classic (2000m).Myers sent six horses south from his Wanganui base for Saturday’s meeting, and he came away with victories by Just Charlie in the NZB Airfreight Road to Jericho (3000m), He’s Lucid in the Gr.3 War Decree Stakes (1600m), and Aljay in the Spring Classic. He also picked up placings with Kopua in the TAB Mile Trial ...

Smart 3YO delivers emotional Group victory

Emerging three-year-old He’s Lucid (Contributer) provided Mapperley Stud’s Simms Davison with a bittersweet result when he downed a competitive age group line-up at Riccarton.The Kevin Myers-trained representative’s timing was faultless to break his maiden in Saturday’s Gr.3 War Decree Stakes (1600m) and is now a $10 equal fourth favourite for the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m).Davison bred and sold He’s Lucid, a son of the late Contributer who trag...

Town Cryer tenacious in Thompson

It takes a talented galloper to run down Town Cryer (Tavistock), and her rivals were no match for the classy mare in Sunday’s Gr.3 Gee and Hickton Funeral Directors Thompson Handicap (1600m) at Trentham.The Tavistock mare had a career-best season last term, winning the Gr.3 Taranaki Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) and Listed Wairarapa Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m), alongside placings in the Gr.3 Anniversary Handicap (1600m) and Gr.1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m)...

Myers unleashes 2000 Guineas contender at Riccarton

Promising three-year-old He’s Lucid (Contributer) picked the ideal opportunity to break his maiden status and promote his chances for higher honours when he comfortably took out the Gr.3 War Decree Stakes (1600m) at Riccarton.The statuesque son of Contributer had been well backed in all four of his starts to date which have yielded placings on three occasions including finishing third in the Listed Castletown Stakes (1200m) at his two-year-old debut and also filling the same position two ...

Kiwi mare Belclare takes full advantage of Invitation

Connections of multiple Group One winner Belclare (Per Incanto) have savoured a bumper payday as the seven-year-old daughter of Per Incanto proved too strong in the A$2 million Gr.2 The Invitation (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday.Under a positive Tyler Schiller ride, Belclare had most of her rivals gasping a fair way from home and she sailed to a comfortable length and a quarter victory as the former Kiwi saluted at her third start for Sydney trainer Bjorn Baker.“I’m very lucky to get th...

Rebecca Donovan - Sunline Management Scholarship Final Blog

Rebecca Donovan shares her final blog from her 30 weeks abroad on the Sunline Management Scholarship. An extremely worthy recipient, Rebecca has given us great insight into her trip and has shared some remarkable experiences. Since arriving home, she has gone straight back into her role at Wentwood Grange, and we look forward to seeing what the future has instore for her. Over to you Rebecca...From the beginning, I was always most nervous about my stop in Hong Kong. I spent a few ...

Kiwi Chronicles - The Ghost of Tavistock

For the third Saturday in succession the late Tavistock (Montjeu) sired a Group 1 feature winner. The sequence, which began with the Epsom Handicap (Gr 1, 1600m) won by Ceolwulf, was continued with the Livamol Classic (Gr 1, 2040m) won by Snazzytavi then completed with Ceolwulf's devastating run to deny the warm fan favourite Pride of Jenni (Pride of Dubai) in last Saturday's King Charles III Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) at Randwick. Here we are, nearly five years after Tavistock's tragic loss and we ke...