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An evening with John Messara

John Messara, chairman of Australia's Arrowfield Stud The NZTBA Auckland branch is holding their Annual Awards evening, kindly sponsored by New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance, at the Ellerslie Function Centre on Sunday 1 October. Special guest this year is Arrowfield Stud chairman and Australian bloodstock visionary John Messara. John brought international supersire Danehill to Australia in 1990 and now manages the career of his champion sire son Redoute's Choice. He led ...

Xcellent wins second Horse of the Year title

The 16th New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Awards, sponsored for the sixth time by Mercedes, attracted around 450 guests to the Ellerslie Convention Centre, Auckland on Friday evening. 2006 Mercedes Horse of the Year XCELLENT (Pentire-Excelo), bred in Hawke's Bay by the Graeme Gimblett Family Trust PHOTO: NZ Thoroughbred Marketing It was an enjoyable, if not spectacular night, culminating in the announcement of Xcellent as Horse of the Year for the second consecutive time....

Seachange surges home at Hastings

Seachange is a wonderfully appropriate name for the first Group One winner of a new SEACHANGE wins the 2006 HBRI Hawke's Bay Challenge S. G1, sponsored by Mudgway PartsWorld on 2 September PHOTO: NZ Thoroughbred Marketing era in New Zealand racing, after the legislative reforms earlier this year, and the tide of fresh energy and professionalism surging through the industry. Dick Karreman's homebred four-year-old mare simply ran away from l...

Young sires feature on Ford Report, 9-15 September

The next edition of The Ford Report features first season sire Keeninsky along with Johar and One Cool Cat, serving their second books at Highview and Cambridge Studs respectively. Programme content for this edition... * New Stallion: KEENINSKY @ The Oaks Stud * Year Two Stallion: JOHAR @ Highview Stud * Year Two Stallion: ONE COOL CAT @ Cambridge Stud * Pedigree Subject: COURT COMMAND FIRST PLAY - Saturday, September 09 @ 7.30am (Digital) SECOND PLAY - Sunday, September 10 @ 11.00am (U...

First TBS trifecta of 2006-07 at Ashburton

The opening weeks of the new season have seen Thoroughbred Bonus Scheme prizemoney of $19,725 won at six meetings from Ruakaka to Ashburton. Results include the season's first TBS trifecta at Ashburton on Sunday, when Santa Rosa De Lima led home Makamak and Bolivar Belle. They claimed 100% of the $7500 B bonus, which more than doubled the base stake for this race. Last season's champion two-year-old & TBS star JOKERS WILD, winner...

Eleventh Dewar Trophy for Zabeel

Zabeel's record-setting eleventh consecutive Dewar Stallion Trophy is a welcome opportunity to reassess his remarkable stud career, as he enters his 16th season at Cambridge Stud. Champion sire ZABEEL (above) and two of his stars in 2005-06, VENGEANCE OF RAIN (top right) and BAZELLE (below right). PHOTOS: Courtesy of Cambridge Stud & NZ Thoroughbred Marketing The Dewar Trophy is awarded to each year's leading New Zealand-based sire by com...

Six outstanding finalists for 2006 Breeder of the Year title

The 2005-06 season produced another rich harvest of international success for New Zealand thoroughbred breeders whose achievements are well-represented by the six 2006 finalists for the NZTBA's highest honour, the Mercedes New Zealand Breeder of the Year award. Two are previous winners, while four are first time-finalists, from Canterbury, Hawke's Bay, Central Districts and Waikato. Collectively they have bred 23 winners of 34 Group & Listed races in New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, Sing...

NZTBA Auckland & Waikato put stallions on parade

Keen to cast your eye over some of the country's finest thoroughbred horse-flesh? Then sixty-nine stallions parading at 22 lovely Auckland and Waikato stud farms during the next two weekends should be enough to keep you happy! Organised by the Waikato and Auckland branches of the NZTBA, the self-drive tours offer broodmare owners an outstanding opportunity to check out new, up-and-coming and proven sires before finalising their 2006 bookings. Not to mention a welcome chance to socialise before t...

Photos from Canterbury Stud & Stallion tour, 6 August

A new generation of studs and stallion owners featured in this year's Canterbury Stud & Stallion Tour , held last Sunday. Slade Farm's Painted Black (left) and Summer Suspicion parade in the picturesque setting of Riccarton Park, 6 August PHOTO: Muriel Archer New - or newish - players on the Canterbury breeding scene Slade Farm, Emerald Lodge Stud, Longacres Stud and Goldengrove Stud Farm joined well-established Prebbleton Farm, Manorshire Stud and Selw...

Equine Infectious Anaemia in Ireland

Bruce Graham, chairman of the New Zealand Equine Health Association, today released the latest information from Biosecurity New Zealand (BNZ) about the outbreak of Equine Infectious Anaemia (EIA) in Ireland: Gillian Mylrea, BNZ Animal Imports Team Manager says, "We have been in contact with officials at the Irish and UK Ministries to get an update on the EIA outbreak. We have been assured by the Irish Ministry that the 10 horses due to be exported from Ireland to New Zealand meet New Zealand's ...

Darci Brahma tops 2006 NZ Three-Year-Old Free Handicap

Darci Brahma (Danehill-Grand Echezeaux) has been given 61 kg in the 1000-1600 metres category of the 2006 Three-Year-Old New Zealand Free Handicap, released by the NZTBA today. DARCI BRAHMA, winner of the NZ 2000 Guineas & Otaki-Maori WFA in 2005-06 PHOTO: NZ Thoroughbred Marketing Darci Brahma was bred by Peter & Philip Vela at Pencarrow Stud, and is trained by Mark Walker for the Te Akau Stud Breeding Syndicate managed by David Ellis. Top-weighted filli...

Jokers Wild heads 2006 NZ Two-Year-Old Free Handicap

Last season's outstanding juvenile Jokers Wild (Black Minnaloushe-Miss Rory by Rory's Jester) heads the 2006 New Zealand Two-Year-Old Free Handicap released today by the NZTBA. Jokers Wild won four of his eight starts last season, including the Ellerslie and Manawatu Sires' Produce S., both at Group One level. He was bred by Jo Wilding of Te Mania Thoroughbreds, Canterbury, in partnership with Messrs B.T. Hoong and C.W. Wong. He was trained by Michael and Paul Moroney, and Andrew Scott for Me...

NZTBA Waikato honours 2005-06 Group One breeders

Multiple Group One winner Starcraft, bred at Waikato Stud by Garry Chittick, was named the Cathay Pacific Waikato Horse Of The Year at the annual Group One dinner hosted by the Waikato branch of the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders' Association in Hamilton on Friday night. World Champion Older Miler STARCRAFT, proudly bred in New Zealand by Garry Chittick at Waikato Stud PHOTO: Courtesy of NZ Thoroughbred Marketing Purchased for $80,000 at the 2000 NZ Premier...

Check out the NZTBA's online horses for lease & sale

At last, New Zealand thoroughbred owners can look forward with confidence to better rewards. Legislative changes initiated by the Minister for Racing, Winston Peters earlier this year have reduced the totalisator duty from a headline rate of 20% to 4% of gambling profits. The means that from 1 August the industry will retain more of the money it earns and NZ Thoroughbred Racing is making sure that most of it is directed towards prizemoney. The winner's circle is a very fine pl...

NZTBA Branch Reps meeting covers full agenda

The NZTBA holds two branch representatives' meetings each year, in June-July and November-December, to maintain close links among council, staff and branches, and ensure that everyone has a clear understanding of the Association's policies and activities. NZTBA branch representatives chat during a break in last week's meeting, left to right: Bruce Perry (Central Districts), Aidan Schumacher (Taranaki-Wanganui), Mark Chitty (Auckland) & Duncan Fell (Central Districts) ...

Job vacancies at Waikato Stud

Waikato Stud, Matamata, the source of four international Group One winners this season, offers two positions (details below) for the coming season. Applicants for both positions are asked to contact the Stud, by 1 August 2006. Contact details are: Waikato Stud Ph: (07) 888 7717 Fax: (07) 888 6215 Email: info@waikatostud.co.nz Web: www.waikatostud.co.nz Assistant Foaling Manager The successful applicant must be experienced in: mare management before, during and afte...

2006 Bomac Lecture Series cancelled

The New Zealand Equine Research Foundation has had to cancel the 2006 Bomac Lecture Series after lead speaker Professor Chris Pollitt was seriously injured last week. Dr John O'Flaherty, co-ordinator of the Series, says, "Chris was kicked in the face by a horse and has suffered serious injuries that will put him out of action for at least a couple of months, so postponement of the Series is not an option. "The only person Chris felt could deputise for him is currently studying ...

Join the NZTBA Canterbury Stud Tour, Sunday 6 August

Canterbury is the traditional venue for the start of the new season, and the tradition continues in 2006 with three days' racing at Riccarton Park on Saturday 5, Wednesday 9 and Saturday 12 August and New Zealand Bloodstock's South Island Sale on Friday 11 August. The Canterbury/Marlborough/Westland branch of the NZTBA has organised its stud tour on Sunday 6 August to complement these events. The branch warmly invites all local and visiting NZTBA members and guests to join the Tour, and acknow...

NZTBA executive re-elected for 2006-07

Peter Francis, re-elected President of the NZTBA, 2006-07 At its meeting the day after the NZTBA's Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, the Association's Council re-elected Peter Francis, Auckland, for his second year as President. Mark Chitty, studmaster at Haunui Farm, Auckland, was re-elected as Vice-President; John Thompson, of Rich Hill Stud, Waikato, remains the Treasurer and Peter Hutt, Christchurch, is the fourth member of the Executive. Mr Hutt, a lawyer based in...

Fillies win TBS bonuses at Matamata & Awapuni

Two Thoroughbred Bonus Scheme "B" bonuses have been won in the past six days by qualified three-year-old fillies, One Above Par at Matamata last Wednesday and Platinum Elle at Awapuni on Saturday. TBS-qualified placegetters also collected part of the total available bonus prizemoney. Details are: Wednesday 5 July Matamata Race 7 - B Bonus 1st One Above Par (3f Mellifont – Plus One) $5475 Owners: A N Dickson, Mrs L M Donovan, Mrs K & K F Fursdon, T R Jones, Mrs M McFarlane, M Norman, R...

NZTBA Scholar wins Gold Medal in Ireland

NZTBA Scholarship winner Tracy Mourits has been awarded the Gold Medal for the 2006 Irish National Stud Diploma course at a graduation ceremony held at the Stud on Saturday. Gold Medal-Winning NZTBA Scholar Tracy Mourits working in Blandford Yard at the Irish National Stud earlier this year. Tracy reported the news in an email to Sally Cassels-Brown, who manages the Association's Scholarship Programme. Sally says, "We are absolutely delighted with Tracy's success and...

Otago-bred beats his own drum at Flemington

With a record of three wins and eighteen placings from 94 starts, Personal Drum (Personal Escort-Tympanum by Tawfiq; bred by NZTBA members Brian & Lorraine Anderton, White Robe Lodge) didn't seem a prime prospect in Saturday's $A250,000 VRC Grand National Steeplechase. Personal Drum returns to scale at Flemington last weekend PHOTO: NZ Thoroughbred Marketing Politely described as a "well-travelled fencer" by AAPRacing&Sports, the eight-year-old gelding neverth...

TBS pays out more than $600,000 in 2005-06

Group One winners Wahid, Seachange & Jokers Wild were among the 131 individual winners of $656,825 in Thoroughbred Bonus Scheme (TBS) prizemoney this season. So was three-year-old filly Irish Sting, who added $6825 TBS prizemoney to the standard stakes of $7275 she earned from a win, a second and a fifth placing in her five starts between November and February. And so was two-year-old gelding Keep The Message, winner of $12,650, plus $4050 TBS bonus prizemoney from his win and two seco...

Bill Colgan to speak at AGM

NEW ZEALAND THOROUGHBRED BREEDERS' ASSOCIATION 2006 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Kentucky Lounge Te Rapa Racecourse HAMILTON Wednesday 19 July 2006 4.30 pm All NZTBA members are warmly invited attend. GUEST SPEAKER Mr Bill Colgan General Manager, Industry Revitalisation New Zealand Racing Board Mr Colgan has been with the New Zealand Racing Board in Wellin...

Large crowd enjoys Hawke's Bay weanling walk

Well, we did suggest a couple of weeks ago that Hawke's Bay is the perfect location for a winter sojourn. It seems quite a few people took our advice and joined a most enjoyable NZTBA Hawke's Bay-Poverty Bay branch Weanling Walk, held in superb weather last Sunday. Hawke's Bay weanlings enjoy the attention of a large crowd, Sunday 2 July 2006 PHOTO: NZTBA Hawke's Bay-Poverty Bay branch Branch secretary Graham Roddick estimates an attendance of around 120 people...