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Almanzor secures permanent residency at Cambridge Stud

Former shuttle stallion Almanzor’s flying days are now behind him, with Cambridge Stud announcing their Group One-producing sire will remain a permanent resident of New Zealand.A deal has been brokered with their northern hemisphere partners Haras d'Etreham to secure the full breeding rights of the son of Wootton Bassett, with the French stud farm agreeing his future best lay in the southern hemisphere."After six seasons of shuttling it is logical for us to accept the offer from Cambridge Stud...

Wentwood Grange graduate flying the Kiwi flag

Cambridge thoroughbred nursery Wentwood Grange were thrilled to watch farm graduate Quintessa add to her burgeoning record when victorious first-up in the Gr.3 Cockram Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on Saturday.Bred by Peachester Lodge principals Graham and Linda Huddy, Quintessa was born and raised at Wentwood Grange, who offered her through their 2022 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft where she was purchased by Te Akau principal David Ellis for $170,000.She won her sole start as a...

Wrote a firm favourite with breeders and buyers

Wrote continues to find favour with breeders and the tried horse market also remains strong for the progeny of High Chaparral’s Group One-winning son.The Highview resident’s flagbearer has been his daughter and Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) winner Pulchritudinous while his son Read About It gives every indication he will be a major player at the elite level this season.Trainer Robbie Patterson has his sights set on the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) with Read About It who claimed the Listed ...

Legacy to continue for Monovale mare

Monovale Farm have found plenty of excitement watching homebred gelding Rise At Dawn succeed across the Tasman, particularly with the next of his dam’s progeny about to hit the track in the farm’s colours.Bred by Monovale principals Joe and Max Smithies, Rise At Dawn was sold to Lindsay Park Bloodstock for $90,000 at the 2022 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale in Melbourne, and has continued to flourish in the care of trainers Ben, Will and JD Hayes.After winning on debut, Rise At Dawn has establi...

Dawn rises to Heatherlie challenge

In-form galloper Rise At Dawn (Almanzor) got off the canvas to score an unlikely victory in the Listed Heatherlie Stakes (1700m) at Caulfield on Saturday as he made it three wins in succession. The son of Almanzor is prepared by Ben, Will and JD Hayes and has raced well through the winter months and may yet snare some spring riches after his tenacious win on Saturday.Ridden in his customary positive manner by Michael Dee, Rise At Dawn looked to be under siege deep into the home straigh...

Class prevails as Quintessa lands Cockram

Group One winner Quintessa (Shamus Award) returned with a bang when running out a resounding winner of the Gr.3 Cockram Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on Saturday.The Mark Walker-trained mare lumped 60kg topweight under Daniel Stackhouse and looks set to contest races over sprint-mile distances this campaign after getting out to 2400m when fourth in the Gr.1 Australian Oaks last autumn.Coming from midfield, Quintessa forged away from her rivals to record a three-quarter length victory from Ext...

Read About It makes headlines at Wanganui

Exciting three-year-old prospect Read About It (Wrote) made all the headlines in the feature event at Wanganui, the Listed HS Dyke Wanganui Guineas (1200m).The Robbie Patterson-prepared galloper was having just his third start on Saturday but had created plenty of buzz around his chances and future prospects after closing off his two-year-old campaign with a scintillating victory in the Listed Ryder Stakes (1200m) at Otaki.Patterson was keen on his chances prior to the contest and despite s...

Grangewiliam’s Hilal proving a big hit with breeders

Hilal has received a warm welcome from breeders with Grangewilliam Stud close to putting up the no vacancy sign on their newcomer.The regally bred son of Fastnet Rock will stand his first season at Mark and Jane Corcoran’s operation at Waitotara following a decorated racing career across the Tasman.“We have been very happy with the response, we have had really good support and he’s got over 100 mares booked to him already,” Mark Corcoran said.“I think I will limit him to 120, so he’s...

"I wish they were all like her"

Such an understatement from rider Craig Grylls upon dismounting from Bonny Lass (Super Easy) following her strong win in Saturday's Foxbridge Plate (Gr 2, 1200m). Grylls can take much of the credit for the win as he saved ground (and not in the best of the Heavy 9 track conditions) until the 600 metres then moved the mare away from the rail before they straightened. A huge gap appeared for her once they reached the 400-metre mark and Grylls kept pushing forward as well as wider for better footin...

Loyalty paying off for Moore

Loyalty is a core value for Sandy Moore, and he is now reaping the rewards from that virtue with his Group One-winning mare Bonny Lass.Growing up with Trentham Racecourse on his back doorstep, racing has always been a passion for Moore, which he took with him when he moved to Auckland and got involved in racing administration.“I was on the board of the Auckland Racing Club for 15-odd years and that kept the interest going very strongly,” he said.During this time, Moore had a few horses in tr...

Bonny Lass makes brilliant return in Foxbridge

Previously a stakes winner at the ages of two, three, four and five, Bonny Lass (Super Easy) kicked off her six-year-old season on a perfect note when she defeated a star-studded field in Saturday’s Gr.2 Waikato Stud Foxbridge Plate (1200m) at Te Rapa.The high-class daughter of Super Easy has taken her connections on a special ride over the last few seasons, beginning with a victory in the Gr.2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) as a two-year-old in February of 2021.Bonny Lass added the ...

Industry mourns Kevin Hickman

The New Zealand thoroughbred industry has lost one of its most influential figures of the last two decades with the passing of Kevin Hickman after a long illness.Tributes to the Valachi Downs principal have flowed from around New Zealand and Australia, including from Gareth Downey, who was Valachi’s general manager from 2020 to its closure in 2022. He now has a management role with leading Australian stable Lindsay Park Racing.“It really is a huge loss, and it’s the end of what’s been a ...

Stable quinella in Ruakaka feature

The Bruce Wallace and Grant Cooksley training partnership had plenty to celebrate on Saturday when they produced a superb quinella in the feature event at Ruakaka, the Gr.3 Cambridge Stud Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m), with stable runners So Naive (U S Navy Flag) and Toruk Makto (Eminent).So Naive, a stunning son of The Oaks Stud resident stallion U S Navy Flag, had won twice from four starts during his two-year-old campaign and was fitted for his new season resumption with a co...

Waikato stallion parade a spring highlight

An opportunity to witness first-hand some fabulous spring racing as well as viewing some exciting stallions presents itself with the Gavelhouse.com Waikato Stallion Parade weekend on August 24 and 25.As local President Scotty Buchanan, points out, the Waikato Branch of the NZTBA have scheduled their annual stallion parade event to coincide with the racing at Te Rapa."We're thrilled to present this year's Gavelhouse.com Stallion Parade with an adjusted schedule that allows our attendees to experi...

Cambridge Stud unveils star son of Frankel

The new stud season came closer to reality at Cambridge Stud last week as the red carpet was rolled out for the exciting newcomer Chaldean and returning shuttle duo Almanzor and Hello Youmzain.As a dual Group One-winning son of Frankel, Chaldean is a massive coup to represent the racehorse recognised as the best of his generation and now making huge waves as a sire across the bloodstock breeding world.Just days ago, Frankel was credited with his 100th Group winner when Lake Victoria won the Gr. ...

Meet the Breeder - Pam Brindley

This fortnight in Dunstan Horsefeeds Meet the Breeder, we catch up with passionate breeder and racing enthusiast Pam Brindley. Pam has been breeding horses for many years now and achieved her greatest thrill with Heart Of Gold winning the $100,000 2000m polytrack race at Cambridge recently.Tell us the story of Heart Of Gold.When ‘Benji’ was born, there was something special about him but, looking at him I knew he was going to take time. After he was broken in, he went to Keith Hawtin and at ...

Red letter Riccarton day for Wilson family

Bevan and Robyn Wilson celebrated an almost perfect day at Riccarton with a family that has served them so well for decades.The Ashburton owner-trainers won races on Saturday with homebred half-brothers Victor Rouge and Victorian Charm while their half-sibling Lord Darci finished runner-up.“We were very pleased with the way they all went, they had been racing well apart from Lord Darci who had a bit of a hiccup in the Winter Cup (Gr.3, 1600m),” Bevan Wilson said.“It was nice to see him bou...

West Coast leaving legacy for underrated sire

West Coast (Mettre En Jeu) may not have any black-type against his name, but he is proving to be one of best performers for his ill-fated sire Mettre En Jeu.On Saturday, West Coast etched his name into the history books when recording his third consecutive Grand National Steeplechase (5600m) victory at Riccarton Park for trainer Mark Oulaghan.It was the nine-year-old gelding’s 11th career victory, all over fences, and brought his earnings to just shy of $500,000.Breeders Nigel and Adaire Auret...

Stud’s racing team reigns supreme

Brendan and Jo Lindsay celebrated a string of major results in the 2023/24 season from both the proven and promising members of their racing team. Such was the extent of the Cambridge Stud principals on-track successes, the couple claimed the New Zealand Ownership Premiership with 27 winners of 40 races from 38 runners. The winner is determined over the season, with points awarded according to the quality of the race and the individual shareholding. Most importantly for the iconic...

Double Riccarton family strike for Pencarrow

A well-performed Pencarrow Stud family came up trumps with a memorable winning double at Riccarton and looks set to continue to add to its roll of honour into the future.The Adrian Bull-trained and raced Jay Bee Gee triumphed in Saturday’s Gr.3 Winter Cup (1600m) in a thrilling finish and stablemate and half-sister Harmonious, owned by farm principal Sir Peter Vela, claimed the closing event on the card.They are out of the Pins mare Huluava, who was a three-time winner from 10 appearances befo...

Jay Bee Gee takes out sensational Winter Cup

The opening stakes race for the season delivered an incredible finish between a trio of talented gallopers, but after a tense wait, the Gr.3 Winning Edge Presentations Winter Cup (1600m) went the way of Adrian Bull’s Jay Bee Gee (Complacent).Jay Bee Gee had run in just one race since finishing back in the field in the Gr.3 New Zealand Cup (3200m) last November, with Bull returning to Riccarton to win the Amberley Cup (1600m) in June before preparing him for Saturday’s contest, concluding wit...

Rebecca Donovan - Sunline Management Scholarship Blog 5

I feel like a Kiwi farmer starting yet another blog post talking all about the weather... but here I am! We had about a week of summer, during which I caught up on my tan before the rain returned. However, a heatwave is on its way, just in time for me to start a placement with Roger Varian, where they train around 200 horses at their yard on the edge of Newmarket. My last few weeks have been spending some time with some of the most incredible people involved in the Thoroughbred industry. I start...

Meet The Breeder - Alex Leander

This week in Dunstan Horsefeeds Meet The Breeder, we catch up with Alex Lander BVSc MPhil, who in partnership with Diane Andersen under their Platinum Bloodstock banner bred Read About It (Wrote x Diggilou {Iffraaj}) to win the Listed Ryder Stakes on Saturday. Tell us the story of Read About ItRead about it was born a strong, correct and very bullish looking colt. He's the second foal from our Iffraaj mare Diggilou. I acquired the mare from Sharon and Joe Waldron when she was a 3yo and hadn't sh...

Mr Brightside shines as NZTBA Horse of the Year

The Seton Otway Horse of the Year went the way of star galloper Mr Brightside at Saturday’s New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Property Brokers National Breeding Awards at Karapiro. The popular son of Bullbars added a further four Group One victories this season to a record that features six elite level victories to date, 16 wins and A$13,477,752 in prizemoney for the stable of Ben, Will & JD Hayes. Mr Brightside was bred by Bay of Plenty real estate agent Ray Johns...

Trelawney Stud crowned Breeders of the Year

Famed Cambridge nursery Trelawney Stud were announced the Sir Patrick and Justine, Lady Hogan Breeders of the Year at Saturday’s New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Property Brokers National Breeding Awards. From a band of under 40 broodmares, the historic Trelawney Stud, run by Brent and Cherry Taylor, have produced outstanding results this season, headlined by star front-running mare Pride Of Jenni. The daughter of Pride Of Dubai is out of the O’Reilly mare Sancerre ...