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The Cause and Spread of Strangles (Epidemiology)

Strangles is caused by a bacterium with the scientific name of Streptococcus equi subspecies equi. But it is usually referred to as Strep. equi. Horses of all ages are susceptible to strangles but it occurs most commonly in young horses less than two years of age. Foals under three months are usually resistant due to the protection they get from drinking their dam's colostrum. Although outbreaks can occur any time, they are more common in spring. A horse infected by this organism does not show...

Celebrations spread all the way to Japan

When Matamata stud master John Thompson arrived in Hokkaido last Saturday evening he was greeted with the excellent news that Jungle Pocket – the Japanese-owned stallion he stood at Rich Hill Stud – had left his first New Zealand Stakes winner with Pocket Diary winning the Listed Oceanz Seafood Northland Breeders' Stakes that afternoon. And what made the news, delivered to him on arrival by Shadai's PR representative, even more exciting was that it was bred by his hosts in Japan, his Japan...

Vicki Pascoe - new Northern Region Councillor

Recently elected NZTBA Council member Vicki Pascoe admits to having only one brief six-month spell in her life when she was without a horse. "I got my first horse at 11," recalls the Northern region representative. New NZTBA Councillor Vicki Pascoe That six-month period occurred when her pony foal had died and her grandfather took her to Claudelands and bought her three broodmares. "You had to be 21 to own horses and I was 16 so they went in my mother's name," she says.One...

2008 MERCEDES AWARDS FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) today announced finalists for the 2008 Mercedes Thoroughbred Racing Awards to be held at Mystery Creek, Hamilton on the evening of Friday, 15 August 2008. The list of selected Finalists is posted on the NZTR website homepage: http://www.nzracing.co.nz/Documents/2351/15-7-08.Mercedes%20Finalists.web.pdf Further information and tickets for the evening are available from office@nzracing.co.nz or by telephoning 04 576 6240.Further information and tickets for...

John Fokerd - Central Region's new Councillor with a passion and a vision

Following the Annual General Meeting last week two new members were elected to the NZTBA Council – John Fokerd representing the Central Region and Vicki Pascoe the Northern Region. John Fokerd - recently elected Central Region Councillor Wellingtonian John Fokerd is a passionate racing and breeding enthusiast with a background in Chartered Accountancy. He didn't hesitate when approached by the Wellington Branch – he was their Honourary Auditor - to stand for council bel...

NZRB's Supply Chain Wastage Report presented to AGM

Around 50 members were in attendance at the Annual General Meeting of the NZTBA in Auckland recently specifically to hear the report delivered by the CEO of the New Zealand Racing Board Graeme Hansen, on the thoroughbred breeding figures and the domestic racing requirements for the future. Graeme Hansen, CEO, New Zealand Racing Board With all the talk of synthetic tracks and increased racing to satisfy the needs of the commingling agreement with Tabcorp in Austral...

Notice from NZTR Studbook Department

Cessation of Blood Typing for Parentage Verification As of 1st August 2008, the Equine Parentage and Animal Genetic Services Centre at Massey University will no longer be providing the service of blood typing of horses for parentage verification. Parentage verification of thoroughbred horses in New Zealand, essential for registration, has used the DNA based technology of DNA profiles since the 2002 foal crop. There should now be very few broodmares not on the DNA database, and so the impact ...

Living the dream through Ististar

A scheme to help a mate with a yearling draft a number of years ago was the catalyst that set Taupo NZTBA members and breeders Steve and Marlene Clark on the path to breeding Saturday's dual Platinum Homes NZ Tauranga Classic Listed winner Ististar(Istidaad- Marlanda Star by Star Way). "What Ististar has done is a wonderful thrill, breeding a stakes winner is what you dream will happen when you start out and when it does happen the feeling is out of this world. We have been to see a number of ...

Mr Baritone' Stradbroke win a fitting legacy for the late Graeme Stubbings

Mr. Baritone (Stravinsky x Tunisia by Sanglamore), the six-year-old winner of last week's Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap in Brisbane, was bred by Raffles Farms' Fred Lee and the recently deceased Graeme Stubbings. Mr. Baritone is a success of Graeme's making and just the beginning of his legacy. Graeme's daughter Leigh East, who worked closely alongside her father managing the administrative and accounting duties at Raffles, was touched by the Stradbroke outcome. "Dad watched Mr. Baritone's last ...

Bruce's Blog – June 2008

Second Blog from Coolmore Blog 6 20/5/2008-7/6/2008 Irish Guineas Weekend, Gilltown Stud, and Bawnbrack Farm. I have always loved the saying that goes along the lines of 'time when lost track of, is being made the most of'. When I went to type the date for this blog and couldn't for the life of me work it out, I realised that I had definitely lost track of time here at Coolmore, whilst having the time of my life. Whilst I may not have been able to comprehend the date, what I could have to...

Reigning Champion European Sprinter RED CLUBS Destined for Stoney Bridge

In what is sure to be perceived as a coup not just for Michael Tololi's Stoney Bridge stallion operation but for the New Zealand breeding industry in general, it has been announced that the 2007 Cartier Champion European Sprinter Red Clubs will shuttle to Stoney Bridge from his northern base at Tally-Ho Stud in Ireland for the 2008 breeding season. Red Clubs, a son of major international sire Red Ransom, is just the second Champion European Sprinter to stand in New Zealand with the first being...

Perseverence and Toss of a Coin Alter Mare's Image

When Altered Image (Strategic Image x Dented Ambition by Danasinga) won the Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Castletown Stakes on Saturday at Foxton, few people were happier than the colt's breeder Dean Hawthorne and his mother Yo Hawthorne. The colt is perhaps the biggest reward yet for the Hawthornes' perseverance through five thoroughbred generations. "My mother has had the family for five generations. It goes back to a family she has had right from the early days of when Paramount Stud started...

Long Time Friendship produces a dual Group 1 Winner

Sarrera (Quest for Fame x Zamsong by Zabeel), a dual Group 1 winner in Australia, is a tribute to the tenacity of a top Australasian family. More impressive than his recent form is the fact that he is a 7 year old that faced two major setbacks that could have ended his racing career, and would have ended a racing career for many lesser horses or connections. Sarrera's battles with a bowed tendon and major intestinal surgery are well-documented. Trainer Mike Moroney has hardly been secretive re...

Bruce's Blog – May 2008

Bruce makes it to Ireland Coolmore Stud, Ireland Ireland as I know it Part two of my very own three part series and I have arrived in Ireland, sun blazing(it has hardly rained since I have been here) and grass as green as reported and confirmed by the many Irish natives and visitors I have met over my 22 years of life. So the green of the emerald Isle was expected but the sheer lushness of this place is what really blew me away. Each grass blade, each leafy branch, and every blooming flower ...

Latest Update on Horses Returning to New Zealand

New Zealand Bloodstock advises that the first imports from Sydney arrived on May 14th 2008 and are due for release on 28th May 2008. ALL the required tests, including the PCR for EI have been completed and NZB is pleased to advise that all have returned negative tests. Unfortunately there is a large backlog of horses to return to NZ, and due to restrictions on numbers of horses in any given intake, New Zealand Bloodstock can only offer late August/early September as an arrival date into NZ s...

Read Bruce Slade's latest Blog

Click here to go to Bruce's No 5 Blog - Sally Cassels-Brown...

From small beginnings the Witters have bred another Group 1 winner

Foreign Copy has done it again. Another of her progeny has found Group success at the races, this time through her granddaughter Samantha Miss, winner of the Group 1 Champagne Stakes over 1600 metres at Royal Randwick in Sydney earlier this month where she beat the mighty 2 year old star Sebring. Samantha Miss, bred by Gary and Lyn Witters, wins the Group One Champagne Stakes at Royal Randwick, Sydney. Photo: Arrowfield website Sebring won the coveted Group 1 Golden ...

Belmont Cat's family has much to purr about

Belmont Cat (Felix the Cat x Morgan Glory by Justice Prevails) braved sheets of rain and a heavy track to take home the New Zealand Bloodstock Listed Warstep Stakes at Riccarton on Saturday, and thus the title 2007-2008 New Zealand Bloodstock Southern Filly of the Year. The win added seven points to her previous tally of six earned through placings in the Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Airfreight Stakes and the Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance Stakes at Wingatui. Belmont C...

New website for on-line trading

Gavelhouse is an exciting, new website for the racing industry. It offers an international service that supports buyers and sellers looking for a high quality, inexpensive and effective means of trading thoroughbreds online. Founding Director, Gary Moore, developed the much-needed service to fill an obvious void in the marketplace and to help bring the industry in line with the growing trend of onlinetrading. It is the culmination of 30 years' experience in the racing and breeding industries. ...

Bruce's Blog – April (wk 4) 2008

Last Blog from Cheveley Park Blog 4- 5/4/2008-25/4/2008 Cheveley Park Stud Wow, this is really nearly the end. One week to go, and so much is planned over the next seven days to round-off the management skills and knowledge I have acquired here, whilst rounding-up my time here in sunny England. So expect my next piece to introduce you to the emerald green grass of Ireland, but also to touch on my time spent in my last week here with the Cheveley Park yearling team lead by John Marsden, as ...

Katy Keen a Miracle and a Fantasy

Star mare Katy Keen (Zorro's Lad x Tangelo by Exploding Prospect) was named after comic book heroine Katy Keene of the 1950's, a fantasy of part-owner and breeder Kaye Durrant. The precocious four-year-old mare has endeared herself to Kaye, gifting her the glamour, femininity, and excitement she dreamt of as a child when she read the Katy Keene "the pin up queen" stories. Katy Keen is led back to scale by part-owner/breeder Kaye Durrant after her Group 2 victory at Te Rapa on S...

The Veep wins the Hawke's Bay Gold Cup (Gr 2) for the Symes

Havelock North local Tim Symes and his son Wilfred now have the honor of being breeders of a Group 2 winner. Their home-bred and trained The Veep is a product of their instinct and good judgement that has earned them a home-town trophy by stretching his neck out to win last weekend's Group 2 Hawke's Bay Gold Cup. The Veep's dam Love Proposal (by Spectacular Love) is a mare that they purchased as a yearling and raced after an unsuccessful attempt to sell her at Karaka. "We bought her from Rober...

A real Star says farewell

Star Way, Windsor Park Stud's champion sire died peacefully at age 31 last Friday afternoon at the stud where he had resided for the past 27 years. Star Way was the 1990-91 winner of the Dewar Stallion Trophy Star Way was purchased by Nelson Schick as a 4YO and commenced his stud career at Windsor Park in 1981 at the completion of a successful racing career. "Star Way was a very special character and his accomplishments at stud have been a life-changing event for those ...

Stradbroke tickets available from NZTR

NZTR are conducting an Ownership Survey and also have on offer free stand tickets to the Stradbroke. Click here to read the letter - NZTR ...

Small filly gives breeders, owners and trainers a big thrill

Twinkthaat in the hands of jockey, Lisa Cropp, winning the South Island Breeders' Stakes Photo: Annie Studholme The year that South Island Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes winner, Twinkthaat was born was a bad year for breeders, Sue and Geoff Broughton. Twinkthaat's dam, Jamia, became very ill with a respiratory infection and had to be put down, so early on the foal had to be hand reared. At the same time, another of their mares, Felicity Fair had her first foal by Haayill. ...