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Matt's Blog - July 2011

I cannot believe it. I am finished my second leg of the Sunline Trust International Management Scholarship. The year has passed by very swiftly whilst I have been abroad, and what I have learnt in both England at Cheveley Park Stud, and Ireland at Coolmore Stud has been spectacular, and an experience I will never forget. My final three weeks at Coolmore Stud has been filled with pure excitement with events such as the Irish Derby weekend, stallion parades for breeders all over the world, includ...

New Zealand Equine Artist reaches the finals of the inaugural William Inglis Equine Art Prize

Top Waikato based equine artist Barbara E. Lewis is the sole New Zealand representative among the 30 finalists selected for the inaugural Inglis Equine Art Prize in Australia. Her work, a study of top stallion High Chaparral on parade day at Windsor Park Stud in Cambridge, is one of 34 artworks from artists in Australia, Canada, USA and Germany that will be competing for prizemoney of AU$15,000. The theme for 2011 is "Life at the Stud" and will be judged by Ross Harvey, Alan Bell and Arthur Ing...

First Stakes Winner for the New Generation "Chequers Stud"

Shenzhou Steeds (Ishiguru (USA)-Suncity) pictured above. (Picture by Trish Dunell) The win by Shenzhou Steeds (Ishiguru (USA)-Suncity) in the listed Sunshine Coast Guineas recently represented the first stakes winner for Chequers Stud since it was purchased by Mark Fraser Campin and his brother Chris Campin. The three-year-old gelding joins a whole host of stakes winners that were produced at Chequers Stud when it was owned by the boys father Jim Campin and mother Ngaire Fraser; horses of the c...

Bomac Lecture Series 2011 is 'All about Foals'

The Bomac Lecture Series will follow the same afternoon format as the last two years and will be held from 1pm to 5.30pm Sunday 24th July Christchurch Riccarton Racecourse Wednesday 27th July Palmerston North Awapuni Racecourse Friday 29th July Auckland NZB Karaka Sales Complex Sunday 31st July Matamata Matamata Club Inc, Rawhiti Avenue Jane will deal with the management of common conditions and diseases of the later pregnant mare, the newborn foal, the young foal and the older foal beyond ...

Matt's Blog - June (wk 4) 2011

Coolmore and Working the Stallion Yard 4 June 2011 – 24 June 2011 I am over the halfway point at my stay here in Ireland at Coolmore Stud, I am continuously learning from the staff and managers here. The weather is beautiful this time of the year, the countryside is magnificent, and the people are very friendly and helpful. I am in love with this country and how thoroughbreds are constantly on people's minds, talking either racing or breeding and who will be the next champion racehorse or si...

Matthew Scown's latest blogg from Coolmore

Coolmore and Working the Stallion Yard 4 June 2011 – 24 June 2011By Matthew Scown Coolmore Stud, I am over the halfway point at my stay here in Ireland at Coolmore Stud, I am continuously learning from the staff and managers here. The weather is beautiful this time of the year, the countryside is magnificent, and the people are very friendly and helpful. I am in love with this country and how thoroughbreds are constantly on people's minds, talking either racing or breeding and who will be the...

Hawke's Bay announce date for annual weanling walk

The Hawkes Bay/Poverty Bay T/Bred Breeders will be holding their annual foal parade on Sunday 3rd July commencing at 10am.This as usual is the day following the premier jumps meeting at Hastings.The start will be at Lime Country T/breds Okawa Stud.Weanlings will be shown at the old stallion stables up the main driveway.A good selection of stallions will be represented. As usual a luncheon will be held after the parade at "Off The Track" Restaurant, Havelock Road at a cost of $35. Reservations fo...

Matt's Blog - October 2011

Final Blog 29 August 2011 – 25 September 2011 I simply cannot believe how fast the past 30 weeks have gone by whilst being on the Sunline Scholarship. The friends, knowledge and experience I have gained in all three country's is something I will never forget and am excited to bring what I have learnt into play in New Zealand. On my days off I decided to visit some of the impressive stud farms around Kentucky, including Three Chimneys, Darley, Ashford Stud, Win Star and Lanes End. Each stud ...

Queensland Derby Duelled's first group one winner

The irony of Duelled leaving the group one Queensland Derby winner Shootoff (ex Athenri) was not lost on the partners in Duelled, Denise Howell and Graham Rogerson. Last week prior to the Derby, they had failed to find the right place to stand the son of Redoute's Choice either here or in Australia and decided to stand him once again at Dormello Stud, just out of Hamilton, and set his fee at $2500. "We couldn't get mares to the horse last season, and after the yearling sales we decided to hold...

Central Districts Branch announce date for 'Foal Walk'

SUNDAY 19th JUNE ITINERARY 10. 00 am Highden Park, Highden Road. Libby Bleakley (027 6129610)A selection of weanlings by High Chaparral, Alamosa, Don Eduardo, St Reims and Shinko King. 11.00 am Fairdale Stud, Number One Line. Duncan Fell (0274 604132)A selection of weanlings by Fully Fledged. 12.00 pm Mangatiti Bloodstock, 347 Oroua Rd. Tony Bambry (027 2215678)A selection of weanlings by Perfectly Ready, Iffraaj, Mettre En Jeu, Fully Fledged, and Mr Nancho. To be followed by lunch and a demonst...

Matt's Blog - June 2011

So You Think's a star for Matt Coolmore Stud and Irish 1000 Guineas 14 May 2011 – 3 June 2011 I am well settled in at Coolmore stud now, learning the different techniques and ways of going about life at such an amazing stud. Thanks to the very friendly and helpful managers and staff, I simply eased into the day to day routine in Guirys 1 yard where my Coolmore experience begins. I would like to start this blog with a special mention to the magnificent young colt by Coolmore sire Hig...

Tribute to Jane McClintock Bunbury 11 Aug 1943 - 1 June 2011

Jane McClintock Bunbury11 Aug 1943 - 1 June 2011 The NZTBA lost one of its stalwart members with the passing of Jane Bunbury in Auckland recently. After a short battle with cancer, fought with her indelible tenacity, Jane died peacefully surrounded by her husband Callum MacLeod and members of her extended family from Ireland. Jane was born in Ireland on August 11th 1943 into a family steeped in racing history. She was passionate about and had an unwavering enthusiasm and commitment for the thor...

Breeders' Bulletin - Winter 2011

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Dr Bill Luey's Family Comes Up Trumps

Breeding theories, nicks and crosses, male or female line dominance, they are all part of the fascinating elements that make thoroughbred breeding so intriguing. Believing in theories and putting them into practice is a brave move and not for the faint hearted, neither is it a passion for those that don't have the stamina to stay in the game to ensure the results and reap the rewards. This autumn's multiple stakes winning 3yo filly Scarlett Lady (Savabeel-On Call) is the result of 30 odd years o...

Royal Flight - a pedigree study

DESCENDANT ROYAL FLIGHT WINS FRANCOLIN STAKES The Riverton Racing Club's Francolin Stakes on Easter Saturday was a triumph for a descendant of Francolin. Royal Flight is by Danzighill - Capital Flight, by Noble Bijou - Flight Judge (Aus), by The Judge (Aus) - Jane Flight, by Mellay - Atlantic Flight, by Agricola - Antarctic Flight, by Neptune - Special Flight, by Salmagundi - Francolin. Royal Flight has started 25 times for 8 wins, 3 seconds, 5 thirds and 2 fourths for $113,263 in prize money....

Matt's Blog - May 2011

Made It To Coolmore Ireland 22 April 2011 – 13 May 2011 The second leg of my very own fantastic journey through three magnificent countries has begun. I am still as excited as when I left New Zealand in February. Over the past ten weeks at Cheveley Park I have learnt a lot off some of the best in the thoroughbred industry, and now the amazing Sunline Scholarship has taken me to the beautiful green grass of Ireland where the world wide known stud, Coolmore is hosting me for the next ten weeks....

NZTBA member Neil Mackie breeds the Group 3 Windsor Park Stud Breeders' Stakes Hammer Down

On September 27th 2007 Our Prized Rose foaled a striking O'Reilly colt at Windsor Park Stud. Ironically, some three and half years later, that colt named Hammer Down won the group three Windsor Park Stud Breeders' Stakes. "I thought it was rather fitting that Hammer Down should win that race especially after he was born there when his mother was visiting Volksraad" said Waikato branch member Neil Mackie who bred Hammer Down. "He was a cracking foal and I always thought he was going to be a goo...

Sworn To Secrecy's win great boost for her breeders

Sworn to Secrecy's win in Sydney in the group two Emancipation Stakes could not have come at a better time for Te Hoi couple Casey and Michelle Dando of Bradbury Park. "To breed our first major group winner in Australia on the eve of the New Zealand Bloodstock National Weanling and Broodmare Sale is pretty significant," enthused Casey Dando who bred the Keeper-Heartache filly along with his wife Michelle and his mother Glenice. "Richard Callendar gave us a big wrap on Trackside after Sworn to ...

Matt'e final blog from Cheveley Park Stud, England

Read Matthew Scown's latest blog from Cheveley Park Stud here - Matthew Scown...

Matt's Blog - April (wk 4) 2011

Matt's Final Blog from Cheveley Park One week to go here at Cheveley Park Stud. It feels like only a week ago I was leaving New Zealand full of excitement and ready to increase my knowledge into managing a successful stud farm, and over my time here Chris Richardson has made that happen. They say you learn something new every day. At Cheveley Park I have at least learnt ten things per day. The last few weeks have been very busy as all the flat racing is well and truly underway. I was countin...

Veyron Breeders' Still on Cloud 9

When the NZTBA caught up with Isabel Barker, the owner breeder of the group one Landmark Easter Handicap winner Veyron, a couple of days after the Thorn Park gelding had won that event, she was still struggling to believe he had won a Group One race. "It's so exciting it was a super win, it was great for everyone, great for Linda, and great for Rogan, it was through our association with Linda that we bought into this family. It's taking a little while to sink in that we have bred a Group One win...

Big Plans for Barinka this Spring

As a youngster at school in Wanganui in the 1970's Wellington Branch member Graeme Hunt developed a keen interest in thoroughbreds, and one family in particular had him awestruck – and that was the family of the mighty Eulogy. Forty something years on and Hunt's faith in that family was rewarded when a descendant of Eulogy, Barinka, bred by Hunt, won the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes, the only group one race for fillies and mares in New Zealand. "It was a very exciting win and ...

The Moore family of Soliloquy Lodge breed another stakes winner

If you think that changing a horse's name is bad luck, then Do You Think has put paid to that theory. The winner of the group three ATC Bailleu Stakes at Rosehill recently, Do You Think (Starcraft-Chickens) was originally named Ingham and won his first barrier trial under that moniker but subsequently his high profile owners Dato Tan Chin Nam and Tunku Ahmad Yahaya of So You Think fame changed it to Do You Think. The Bart Cummings-trained Starcraft juvenile has now won two from two and his gro...

Matt's Blog - April 2011

Cheveley Broodmares, the Gallops and History How time really does fly by, already over the half way point at this magnificent stud farm and historical town. I am having a brilliant and eventful time here at Cheveley Park Stud. Everyone from the vets, managers and the staff members have been more than happy to answer my never ending questions to learn more how the top studs in the Northern Hemisphere successfully breed their champion thoroughbreds. Since the year 1975 David and Patricia Thomps...

Trelawney puts the 'Icing on the Cake' for NZTBA member Judi Wanless

Expat New Zealander Judi Wanless may live in Queensland but she still thinks New Zealand is the best place to breed horses, and why wouldn't she, as Judi is the breeder of the group one South Australian Oaks winner Lights of Heaven (Zabeel-I'm In Heaven). Lights of Heaven is the 11th individual New Zealand bred group one winner in Australia this season and is the 41stgroup one winner for her stallion Zabeel.The Peter Moody trained filly strode to success in the South Australian Oaks at Morphetvi...