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New Zealand Sires on the Rise: O'Reilly

Just how good is Waikato Stud's young sire O'Reilly? If we look simply at numbers of stakeswinners his performance is comparable to that of his fellow third-crop sires Woodborough and Pentire. Yet his 2002 fee of $15,000 is considerably higher than these horses command and he is one of the few stallions in New Zealand this season whose book has been advertised as full. Why? The answer lies partly in the quality and location of O'Reilly's stakeswinners. From his first crop he has left Final De...

New Zealand Sires on the Rise: Mellifont

By a champion sire son of the great US sire Mr Prospector from a three-quarter sister to the dominant stallion of Europe, Sadler's Wells, Mellifont is not short of northern hemisphere genetic power. His other relatives include champion sires Nureyev and Fairy King, plus Perugino who produced 36 winners from 50 starters out of his 1996 Australian crop but did not return to Australia until 1999. Those 36 winners include two Group One winners, champion Australian Sprinter Testa Rossa (TFE rating 12...

New Zealand Sires on the Rise: Pentire

With 164 foals from three crops now of racing age, Pentire (Be My Guest-Gull Nook by Mill Reef) is gathering enough momentum to give breeders some confidence that he will deliver on the promise of his classic pedigree and superlative racing career. By the sire of classic winners Assert (Irish & French Derbys), On The House (The 1000 Guineas) and Valentine Waltz (French 1000 Guineas) from a three-quarter sister to Irish & English Derby winner Shirley Heights, it's hardly surprising that ...

New Zealand Sires on the Rise: Woodborough

When Bank Note (ex Take Note by Lanfranco) won the Wanganui Guineas LR for owner John Wells on 31 August he provided Woodborough with his first three-year-old, and third overall stakeswinner, after Shinnecock and Ultra Vires, who won the WRC Wellesley S. LR in successive seasons. Woodborough's sire Woodman was Head of the Irish Two-Year-Old Free Handicap in 1985, and has twice been champion sire of two-year-olds in both the United States and France. His dam Performing Arts won twice at two and...

Sunline meets high expectations - again

New Zealand's champion Sunline (Desert Sun-Songline by Western Symphony) has carried the weight of public expectation for the best part of four years now. Her own competitiveness in the very best company has sharpened that expectation to an almost unreasonable degree. How many seven-year-old mares in Australasia - or the world - could meet an outstanding field including eight other Group One winners over 1400m, fresh, without even a trial, and be expected to win comfortably? Only one. And yet...

Four Breeding Awards made at Mercedes Dinner

Stallions, broodmares and breeders were honoured at the Mercedes New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Awards presented at the Ellerslie Function Centre, Auckland on 16 August: Dewar Stallion Trophy: Zabeel, Cambridge Stud, Cambridge The Dewar Stallion Trophy recognises the leading New Zealand-based sire by combined Australasian progeny earnings. Zabeel has now won the title seven times in consecutive years, and is closing on his sire Sir Tristram's record of nine Dewar Trophy wins. The Trophy was ...

FAMIS 2000 pool tops $200,000

With entries from South Island Sale fillies still to be finalised, the FAMIS 2000 pool stands at $204,380. A total of 458 two-year-old fillies are entered in the Fillies And Mares Incentive Scheme, established by the NZTBA in 1992. The Association's administration manager Sally Cassels-Brown says "We're delighted to see last year's entry level exceeded, and thank breeders and owners very much for their continued participation. The Scheme has built up a large group of loyal supporters, many of ...

Simply The Best wins her third FAMIS bonus

Three-year-old filly Simply The Best earned her third FAMIS bonus when she won the Lion Foundation Manawatu Hotel 3yo, 1200m at Foxton on Sunday 11 August. By Kingdom Bay from Chickero, Simply The Best is raced by her co-breeder John Borich in partnership with Pioneer Racing Ltd, and is prepared by Chris and Colleen Wood at Cambridge. She has now won three of her six starts and race stakemoney of $20,125, plus FAMIS prizemoney of $17,250. Simply The Best is only the third filly in the ten-yea...

Breeder of the Year finalists announced

Three previous winners of the Mercedes Breeder of the Year title are among the four finalists for this year's award, to be announced at the Mercedes Thoroughbred Racing Award dinner on Friday 16 August. Nominations are made by the NZTBA council and branches, and the 11 councillors' votes decide the finalists and the winner. This year's finalists are: Susan Archer & Michael Martin, Auckland Breeders of champion Sunline, three-time Australian & three-time New Zealand Horse of the Year, ...

Sunline makes history at Australian awards

New Zealand champion Sunline made history in Melbourne on Tuesday evening when she was admitted to the Australian Racing Hall of Fame and named Australia's Champion Racehorse for the third consecutive year. The six-year-old mare was one of twenty inductees to the Racing Hall of Fame, established by the Australian Racing Museum last year to honour the great horses and people of the Australian turf. Fittingly, Sunline was inducted alongside the greatest mare bred in Australia, Wakeful; two other...

NZTBA Waikato honours Group One breeders

The Cathay Pacific Group One Dinner is now a well-established highlight of the New Zealand thoroughbred industry's social calendar. The 2002 dinner, to be held in Hamilton tonight, will honour the breeders of fifteen New Zealand-bred Group One winners this season. These fifteen horses won a total of 20 Group One races in New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. It should be noted that the branch recognises only horses bred by NZTBA Waikato members. There are a number of other Group One winne...

McQuaid pays tribute to Ray Hewinson

Chris McQuaid, national secretary of the New Zealand Jumping Association yesterday paid a warm tribute on Race Cafe to jockey Ray Hewinson, who died after falling from Hilton Jewel in the Taieri Hurdle at Ashburton on Sunday: "I got a terrible shock when I first saw this news. I first met Hewi over 20 years ago, and we became pretty good friends during my commentating days. His cheery smile and that gap-toothed grin were enough to brighten even the most miserable Southern raceday - even better...

NZTBA President addresses NZTR AGM

The following is the full text of NZTBA President Peter Hutt's address to the Annual General Meeting of New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing, held in Wellington on Monday 15 July. It is notable that Mr Hutt and breeder Gerald Fell of Fairdale Stud were the only dissenting voices at a meeting characterised by unquestioning acceptance of the status quo in New Zealand racing. Thank you for the opportunity to introduce myself and make some comments on behalf of the Association. I have been breeding tho...

NZ Election Special: National Policy on Racing

Lindsay Tisch www.national.org.nz Executive Summary National recognises that racing, breeding and ownership are facets of a unique agribusiness that contribute to our overall economy. National supports a balance of all gaming activities that provides for employment, growth and economic development and is able to respond to technological and customer led development in the global market place. National's Approach Thoroughbred Racing and Standardbred Racing have been in relative decline for ...

New Zealand Election Special: Green Policy on Racing

Sue Bradford www.greens.org.nz Over the past several years, Sue Bradford, the Green MP responsible for Racing, has been working on the Racing Bill currently before Parliament. During that time she has done her best to liaise with representatives of different parts of the industry, and continues to welcome input and discussion with sector representatives. The Green Party is not issuing a formal Racing Policy prior to the July 27 election, but Sue would like to make the following comments. "As t...

NZ Election Special: ACT Policy on Racing

Penny Webster www.act.org.nz * ACT recognises that Racing is a major contributor to the New Zealand economy, both domestically, and as an exporter. * ACT believes that Racing is a business, and that the Government should get out of controlling it. * ACT believes that the Racing business should determine its own future, that small clubs should not be disadvantaged, and that small clubs that have a good business case should be able to have their futures decided on that ground. * Fundament...

NZ Election Special: NZ First Policy on Racing

Winston Peters www.nzfirst.org.nz "The New Zealand Racing Industry is not getting a fair go and is in desperate need of an internationally competitive policy," New Zealand First Leader and Tauranga MP Winston Peters said today [2 July]. "This is an industry that exports well in excess of $100 million each year, contributes hundreds of millions to the New Zealand economy, and employs tens of thousands of New Zealanders. However, by international comparison, this industry has fallen dramaticall...

NZTBA backs report's call for fundamental reform

Peter Hutt, President of the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders' Association says, "I am pleased that the PricewaterhouseCoopers report [on the New Zealand Racing and Bloodstock Industry] is so comprehensive and focussed despite the short time frame available for its completion." "The report sends a clear signal to the present industry administrators that retaining the status quo is simply not an option if the racing industry is to reverse its long-term decline and prosper in the future." "It ...

New President & Executive for the NZTBA

The NZTBA Council today elected Peter Hutt as the Association's 12th President. Mr Hutt, a private breeder and solicitor from Timaru, succeeds John Aubrey, Hamilton who served as President of the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders' Association since 2001. Peter Francis, Auckland is the Council's new Vice President and retains his previous role of Treasurer. Rick Williams, Cambridge is the third member of the Council's new Executive. Nelson Schick elected to stand down from the Executive, but re...

NZTBA Life Membership awarded to Arthur Ormond

Last night's Annual General Meeting of the NZTBA, held at Ellerslie Racecourse, Auckland, awarded Honorary Life Memberships to two past presidents, Arthur Ormond, Hastings and Sir Patrick Hogan, Cambridge. Arthur Ormond of Byerley Thoroughbreds, Hastings, was a foundation member of the NZTBA Wellington branch and then of the Hawke's Bay branch. He was elected to the NZTBA Council in 1991 and was its President from 1996 until 2001. Arthur was the NZTBA's nominee to the Board of New Zealand Thor...

NZTBA Life Membership for Sir Patrick Hogan

Last night's Annual General Meeting of the NZTBA, held at Ellerslie Racecourse, Auckland, awarded Honorary Life Memberships to two past presidents, Sir Patrick Hogan, Cambridge and Arthur Ormond, Hastings. For more than 25 years Sir Patrick Hogan and his wife Justine, Lady Hogan have owned and operated Cambridge Stud, home of Sir Tristram and now of Zabeel. Sir Patrick's work with the NZTBA spans 36 years, beginning in 1966 when he became the first secretary of the Waikato branch. He was elec...

Wendy Pye's Address to the NZTBA AGM

Locally based, internationally successful, Wendy Pye is one of New Zealand's leading business people. She founded Sunshine Books in 1986 and is a major publisher and exporter of books and educational materials. Her several government appointments include membership of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). Wendy and her husband Don are enthusiastic thoroughbred breeders and owners and have enjoyed notable success this season with Wellington Cup G1 winner Cyclades. The following is the text ...

Why Traditionally isn't in the new Stallion Register

Trelawney studmaster Brent Taylor has explained on Race Cafe why Traditionally doesn't appear in the new Stallion Register, despite being listed in the indices: "Trelawney along with some partners tried to secure Traditionally for stud duties this season and took the risk of entering him into the Stallion Register but had to pull it at the last minute as negotiations broke down." The NZTBA's printers were able to withdraw the full pedigree and photo pages for Traditionally, but it was too late ...

New Era Dawns in Victoria

The following article is reproduced from the June/July 2002 edition of Racebreed Australia with the kind permission of publisher Statewide Racing Promotions, Western Australia. It's an interview with the Chief Executive of Victorian Racing's new Independent Board of Governance, and offers a fresh and exciting vision of racing's future that deserves serious attention in New Zealand. THERE has been a changing of the guard in Victoria and the new sentinels of racing are beginning to flex their m...

Crafty Dancer thrills his Te Aroha breeders

"A lovely result all round" was how Te Aroha breeder Gray Swney described Crafty Dancer's Australian Steeple win on Saturday. Gray, who bred the horse with his wife Merle, added "It's nice to see people getting a lot of enjoyment out of him." The Swneys are long-time clients of Windsor Park Stud and were original shareholders in Silver Dream and Star Way, both of whom figure in Crafty Dancer's pedigree. Gray and Merle raced his dam Craft who was "no great shakes as a racemare but she's also le...