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Racing for Change

Considering casting a racing-friendly vote in this year's general election? While racing isn't deemed a major issue for any of the political parties, some have released racing policies. Each recognises how significant a contribution the racing industry makes to the national economy, both in terms of the $1.6 billion to the GDP and the 17,000 jobs supported through the industry. With the New Zealand General Election (September 20) just a week away, below is a brief overview on each of the majo...

Auckland Branch celebrates their members' success

It was a big weekend for the Auckland Branch of the NZTBA as they held their annual awards evening and stallion parade. On Saturday evening around 130 guests attended the New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance sponsored event at Villa Maria Winery to celebrate the breeding achievements of the Auckland branch members. Awards were given out for four group one winners, five group two winners and seven group three winners. Rising Romance the winner of Group One ATC Oaks, the Group Two ARC Royal Stakes, ...

2013-2014 Free Handicaps released

NZTR's chief handicapper, Brett Scelly, has released the 2013-2014 Free Handicaps today. Click here to view - NZTR...

Exciting win for Windsor Park Stud

There is a certain sense of excitement at Windsor Park Stud at the moment brought about by the impressive win of Stratocaster (Mastercraftsman[IRE]-Very Musical[IRE]) in the recent Hawke's Bay Guineas Prelude. The steely grey three-year-old was making only his second race day appearance when he took out the event by a length, previously he had finished an unlucky fifth in a two-year-old event at Ruakaka in June. "It is very exciting to have a three-year-old like him going forward to races like...

Robert's Blog – August 2014

Robert's latest blog from Kentucky Greetings everyone, I'm into the final leg of the Sunline International Management Scholarship currently at Taylor Made Farm in Kentucky, USA. I've been here for about 6 weeks so far and have been busy working on the farm preparing yearlings and at working at sales here in Kentucky and 800 miles away in Saratoga, NY. I arrived in Lexington, KY late on Friday 11th June and the first thing that hit me was the heat. Even though it was nearly midnight it was...

Sun shines on Waikato Branch annual stallion parade

The Waikato Branch of the NZTBA held their annual JLT Bloodstock Stallion parade last weekend, and were blessed with magnificent weather and a good crowd of enthusiastic breeders. According to Waikato Branch committeeman Keith Lunn who was the MC on both days, the stallions all looked fantastic and so did the farms, and the breeders that attended all enjoyed the beautiful weather and the camaraderie. The parade commenced on Saturday at Hallmark Stud in Te Kauwhata where Super Easy was paraded ...

NZTBA appoints new Office Manager

The New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders' Association has appointed Nicola Griffiths to the position of Office Manager, following the retirement of Sally Cassels-Brown after 28 years. Nicola brings to her new role a long-standing interest in equestrian sports and a strong professional background in the thoroughbred industry, administration, marketing and client liaison. Nicola has most recently worked as the Insurance Manager for Gow-Gates Insurance Brokers and before that filled a similar role f...

Kevin Hickman named 2014 New Zealand Breeder of the Year

Canterbury NZTBA branch members Kevin and Joanne Hickman headed back to Christchurch from Hamilton with quite a bit of excess baggage in the form of three Horse of the Year Award trophies. The Hickman's were voted Breeder of the Year, Owner of the Year and their exquisite mare Silent Achiever (O'Reilly – Winning Spree) Stayer of the Year. "It was a heavy night in the end, we were a bit lucky," said a delighted Hickman. And talking specifically about the Breeder of the Year award he said it ...

2014 Broodmare of the Year and the 2014 Breeder of the Year nominations announced

The nominations for 2014 Broodmare of the Year and the 2014 Breeder of the Year were announced recently with the winners to be presented at the New Zealand Thoroughbred Awards in Hamilton on August 14. After the phenomenal success of the New Zealand bred horses in Sydney over the autumn it is understandable that the dams of Dundeel - Stareel, Sacred Falls – Iguazu's Girl and Silent Achiever – Winning Spree, all group one winners in Sydney, have received nominations for the broodmare title, ...

Waikato Stud's O'Reilly top of the tree again

O'Reilly is again cleaning house. The Waikato Stud sire has for the second time in his celebrated career swept all three stallion categories for the New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Awards. In the 2012-13 season, O'Reilly claimed the Dewar Stallion Trophy for leading New Zealand sire based on Australasian earnings, the Grosvenor Award for New Zealand earnings and Centaine Award for global earnings - and he has repeated the dose for the second straight year. O'Reilly's progeny earned more than $...

NZTBA Life Member Norm Hawthorne remembered by Steve Brem

"The end of an era" is a cliché often trotted out when we mark the passing of someone with a long history of individualism and achievement. But there was nothing clichéd about Norman Victor Hawthorne who passed away aged 87 in July. He was an original. Rough-rider, shearer, pastoralist, horseman extraordinaire, hard taskmaster, animal lover, raconteur, romantic, mentor, big softie, squeeze-box player…these were just some of his better-known sides. As a friend for 35 years he was, above all ...

Whangarei Cup winner for Glennis Munro

Whangarei Cup winner Bechtolsheimer (Remind[USA]- Sophie Ro) has literally come a long way this year to achieve success in the open 2100 metre handicap event, scoring decisively by three-quarters of a length. That win completed a hat-trick for the four-year-old mare who is raced by her breeder Glennis Munro, a resident of Avondale in central Southland. She was previously trained in Riverton where she won two races, before Munro made the decision earlier this year to send her north to be trained...

Sally Cassels-Brown retires after 28 years with the NZTBA

The NZTBA's Administration Manager Sally Cassels-Brown was farwelled at the NZTBA's Annual General Meeting in Cambridge recently as she prepares for retirement after 28 years of service. Current NZTBA President John Fokerd presented Sally with a sterling silver horse, usually reserved for Dewar and Grosvenor stallion award winners and CEO Michael Martin gave a glowing citation of the wonderful contribution Sally has made to the organisation since she joined in 1986. Michael said that Sally was...

Tax officials to work with bloodstock breeding industry

Racing Minister Nathan Guy and Revenue Minister Todd McClay have confirmed that Inland Revenue officials will work with the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders' Association on a number of tax issues raised by the industry. The issues cover questions the NZTBA has over the application of tax rules for the industry and are expected to be dealt with as part of the normal consultative process between the private sector and tax officials. "We are confident that the majority of the issues can be worke...

Robert's Blog – July 2014

Robert checks out from Ireland Boy how time flies!! This is my forth update from the Sunline International Management Scholarship and I'm just finishing up the last few days of my 10 weeks at Coolmore Stud in Ireland, even though it only feels like I just arrived! It's fair to say I have enjoyed my time here and have definitely taken a lot in. In this blog I'll cover a few of the yards I've worked in at Coolmore including the hospital and stallions, visits to Coolmore's training center B...

Waikato NZTBA Branch Member John Bromley has an adrenelin rush with Kingdoms

Taupo based entrepreneur John Bromley, principal of Bromley Bloodstock, entered the thoroughbred game as an owner around 11 years ago. He didn't come from a racing background, he doesn't bet, but as an adrenalin junkie he was up for a new challenge. He is passionate by nature, and believes that words that best sum him up are; wow, passionate, intuitive, and synchronous and he believes in fate. His son Jamie suggested horse-racing as an interest for him as he is "a competitive bugger who loves ...

Spalato's Patron's Bowl win a high point for Trish

In August 2011 on a water-logged heavy track at Waipa, Divine Miss Em beat Roverto in a $5,000 mid-week maiden race, but the remarkable thing is that these two horses were brother and sister. Divine Miss Em is the 2007 filly by Traditionally (USA) out of Delph (Blue Razor [USA] –Miss Forty Niner [USA]), and Roverto is her 2006 colt. Both horses were bred and are raced by New Zealand's leading equine photographer Trish Dunell. At the time in a story on this website, Dunell was quoted as sayin...

NZTBA 2014 Annual Financial Report Report

The 2014 Annual Financial Report has now been mailed to all financial members of the NZTBA. Click here to read the Report - NZTBA...

2014 Stallion Register now available

The much anticipated NZTBA Register of Thoroughbred Stallions of New Zealand has been released for 2014. The glossy 164 page highly sort after annual book has just been published for the 41st time by the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders' Association as a guide to the stallions available for the 2014 breeding season. It is a must for any breeder whether they are a commercial breeder or own just one mare, and provides vital information to guide breeders in the important investment decisions the...

Hawke's Bay Branch has busy schedule for next two months

The NZTBA Hawkes Bay /Poverty Bay Branch has several events being held over the next two months. All are open to everyone with an interest in Breeding and Racing. Firstly, on Sunday 29th June we will be holding our annual Weanling parade which will take in four properties and at this stage some 27/30 weanlings. The Parade will commence at Guy Lowry's property in Kawera Road at 9.30am followed by those at Lime Country Thoroughbreds which is up the main entry to Okawa Stud around 10/10.15 am. Jo...

Dirk and Nicki have plenty to celebrate

Northland stud-master Dirk Oberholster, couldn't be more happy with the way things are shaping up for his stallion Buffalo Man (CAN) (El Prado [IRE]-Perfect Six[USA]). Buffalo Man commenced stud duties at Totara Park just outside Whangarei in 2010 and his oldest progeny, now two-year-olds, are starting to make their name on the track. When contacted by the NZTBA after the win of Buffalo Boy at Te Rapa recently, Oberholster was his usual exuberant self, enthusing about his young El Prado (Sadle...

Macau Derby winner Best Season big thrill for his breeder, Robert Thomas

Former Ashburton trainer Robert Thomas may no longer be fully immersed in the thoroughbred industry but he still admits to getting excited when one of his breed, like the recent Macau Derby winner Best Season (Bahhare [USA]-Whinny), hits the big time. Thomas gave up training and breeding racehorses about five years ago, selling up his 50 acre purpose built training operation in Ashburton and moving to Golden Bay. He also sold out of the family that he had successfully rejuvenated to produce the...

Sham Express arrives at Windsor Park Stud

Windsor Park Stud this week paraded their new stallion Sham Express just a week after he landed in Cambridge. The showy four-year-old son of O'Reilly out of Volkrose who is by their former champion sire Volksraad(IRE), retired from racing after finishing fourth in the group one AJC All Aged Stakes at the end of April. He had previously won three races including the time honoured group one VRC Newmarket Handicap as a three-year-old, and this season as a four-year-old had only five starts all in ...

Robert's Blog – June 2014

Robert reports from Coolmore Stud in Ireland Welcome to my third blog, I am currently in my forth week living and working at Coolmore Stud in Fethard, Ireland. It's been about six weeks since my last update; this blog will cover my final weeks at Cheveley Park Stud, attending the races and sales in Newmarket and what I have been doing at Coolmore Stud so far. Before you read on here is the link to my photo blog, I've put a few photos from the races and sales in Newmarket up as well as a bit of...

May's been a momentous month for Nearco Stud

May 2014 will be remembered by Nearco Bloodstock Limited as a very momentous month, as they took top honours at the weanling sale and bred their first stakes winner. Established only four years ago by Christchurch entrepreneur Greg Tomlinson, Nearco topped the weanling sale at Karaka with an O'Reilly colt out of Miraculous Miss (AUS) and later in the month she produced their first stakes-winner when Avisto (Tavistock – Miraculous Miss) won the Listed Graeme Thomson Jewellers Great Northern F...