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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...

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...

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...

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...

Auret strikes gold with first breeding endeavour

Marton horseman Fraser Auret has a number of Group One victories to his name as a trainer, but in the coming months he is hoping to add a maiden Group One breeding success to his record through the deeds of Hong Kong sprinting sensation Ka Ying Rising.The exciting son of Shamexpress is on a path towards the HK$26 million Gr.1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) in December, and continued his dream run to the feature sprint with a dominant victory in the Gr.2 Premier Bowl Handicap (1200m) at Sha Ti...

Last bid reaping major breeding rewards

Rich Hill Stud’s John Thompson was running on empty when he had the final say on the well-related mare Temolie at the Gold Coast.Thompson was at the end of his budget with a closing bid of A$200,000 that secured the daughter of Star Witness at the 2021 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale where she was offered by Edinburgh Park.“She was definitely on the list I had made before the sale and when I Iooked at her when I was doing the rounds at the sale she was a big, strong mare,” Thompson ...

Top weekend despite Everest disappointment

Lady Luck wasn’t riding on the shoulder of James McDonald aboard Cambridge Stud’s high-class mare Joliestar at Randwick, but the farm still had ample reasons to celebrate at the weekend.The Chris Waller-trained four-year-old was heavily fancied in the A$20 million The Everest (1200m) and ran home strongly for seventh after having no favours in the running.“It was a shame that she got shuffled further back than anyone would have liked and obviously ran on really well, but the race had got a...

Ceolwulf masters another major mile at Randwick

Two weeks after his brilliant Group One breakthrough in the Epsom Handicap (1600m), the New Zealand-bred rising superstar Ceolwulf (NZ) (Tavistock) conquered an even stronger line-up over the same course and distance in Saturday’s A$5 million Gr.1 King Charles III Stakes (1600m) at Randwick.Ceolwulf began his four-year-old season without any stakes wins to his name, but he hinted at a bright future at that level with runner-up finishes in the Gr.1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) and Gr.1 Australian D...

Lekvarte flashes home in Angst Stakes

Kiwi-bred mare Lekvarte (NZ) (Reliable Man) collected the third Group Three win of her career with another barnstorming come-from-behind performance in Saturday’s A$250,000 James Squire Angst Stakes (1600m) at Randwick.Previously the winner of the Gr.3 Belle of the Turf Stakes (1600m) and Gr.3 Aspiration Quality (1600m), the Joe Pride-trained Lekvarte has now earned A$923,330 from a 31-start career that has produced nine wins and five placings.The six-year-old resumed with a strong-finishing f...

Former Kiwi provides Begg with stakes triumph

Talented mare Niance (Swiss Ace) landed some valuable black-type for connections when prevailing in the Listed Alinghi Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on Saturday.The former Kiwi has won four of her five starts since crossing the Tasman to join the stable of Cranbourne trainer Grahame Begg.Despite having not been seen on raceday since May, Niance was sent out a $3.20 favourite. Given a tactically brilliant ride by Jordan Childs, the jockey took his opportunity to pocket key rival Isthmus, who e...