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Group Three win bolsters Maracana’s value

Five-year-old mare Maracana recorded a timely victory in the Gr.3 Drinkwise Mile (1600m) at Doomben on Saturday, with the daughter of Shamexpress set to go under the hammer at this week’s Gold Coast broodmare sale.Prepared by Danny O’Brien, Maracana bounced out of a Benchmark 70 victory at Cranbourne to claim Saturday’s contest with a hard-fought victory over Osmose. The smart mare was a multiple stakes performer earlier in her career, including a third placing in the Gr.2 Fillies Classic ...

Here To Shock stakes Stradbroke claim

Here To Shock has claimed a berth in the Gr.1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) by the barest of margins when nosing out Freedom Rally to land the Gr.3 BRC Sprint (1350m) at Doomben on Saturday.Prepared by Ben, Will and JD Hayes, the ever-improving six-year-old continued his strong recent form which included a win in the Gr.3 Victoria Handicap (1400m) last month, prior to a close second to Dashing over a mile at Caulfield.Winning jockey Michael Dee had Here To Shock on a clear path for victory only fo...

Scarlet Oak prevails in Roses

Recent Kiwi acquisition Scarlet Oak is repaying her new connections in spades with a hard-fought victory in the Gr.2 The Roses (2000m) at Doomben coming at just her fourth raceday start.Scarlet Oak was an impressive Matamata winner for Ken and Bev Kelso in March before prominent Australian owner Ozzie Kheir won the bidding war to secure the prized filly privately.The daughter of Kermedec subsequently joined champion trainer Chris Waller and made an immediate impression, finishing runner-up to st...

U S Navy Flag heads Oaks Stud roster

The Oaks Stud in Cambridge have announced their service fees for the forthcoming breeding season with the roster to be headed by leading second season sire U S Navy Flag at $15,000 + GST.The son of War Front was represented by Gr.2 Auckland Guineas (1600m) winner Pendragon, who also finished runner-up in the Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m). Other highlight progeny include multiple stakes winner Chantilly Lace, Gr.2 Edward Manifold Stakes runner-up Aprilia and multiple Group One performer To C...

Sharrock eyes spring after Rangitikei Cup success

Islington Lass (Proisir) could have Group One goals on her radar after capping her breakthrough campaign with victory in Saturday’s Listed James Bull Rangitikei Cup (1600m) at Trentham.The $80,000 feature was the sixth win from only a 10-start career for the Proisir mare, who has now earned more than $146,000.The five-year-old began the season with a rating of 70, but wasted no time in climbing through the ranks with impressive victories at New Plymouth on November 24, Trentham on Decembe...

Fall For Cindy secures valuable black-type win

In-form mare Fall For Cindy (Sacred Falls) carried the Waikato Stud colours to a valuable first black-type victory in Saturday’s A$250,000 Gr.3 Coolmore Dark Jewel Classic (1400m) at Scone.Bred and raced by Garry Chittick, whose milestone 80th birthday was celebrated with a race named in his honour at Trentham on Saturday, Fall For Cindy went into Saturday’s fillies and mares’ feature with an admirably consistent form line this season.Her seven starts as a four-year-old had produced t...

Gringotts secures first stakes success

New Zealand-bred gelding Gringotts (Per Incanto) took his promising career to new heights in Brisbane on Saturday with a first black-type success in the A$160,000 Listed Sky Racing Members’ Handicap (1600m) at Doomben.It was the seventh win from just a 13-race career for the four-year-old, who has earned A$590,050 for a syndicate of owners headed by Ozzie Kheir and John O’Neill.Gringotts collected a win and three placings from four starts in the spring, but has found a rich vein of form...

Lloyd Jackson - Kiwi Chronicles - 14th May 2024

One that won't get awayThe future broodmare roster at Cambridge Stud received another boost after Bella Waters (Sacred Falls) scored the Rotorua Cup (Gr 3, 2200m) during the past weekend. Brendan and Jo Lindsay's gold and black colours are on a roll. Fillies and mares representing the stud are winning at blacktype level and their Almanzor (Wootton Bassett) delivered, yet again, when Positivity claimed her second Group 3 win this season, in the South Australian Fillies Classic (Gr 3, 2500m). Plea...

Tuthill taking on new training challenge

Former New Zealand eventer Annabel Tuthill has added another string to her equine bow by taking out her thoroughbred trainer’s license.Tuthill competed at the highest level in eventing, competing at the Badminton and Burghley horse trials in the United Kingdom, and was named as reserve for New Zealand’s three-day eventing team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, with fellow team member Mark Todd also now carving out a career in thoroughbred racing.“I was eventing here (New Zealand) and had some ...

Dennis continues family dynasty

The Dennis family name is synonymous with Southland thoroughbred racing, and on Friday Christopher Dennis added to his family’s racing legacy when notching his first official training win at Riverton.While Dennis has had a lifelong involvement in racing, he didn’t take out his training license until four years ago, and had just 15 prior starts before The Kings Girl broke through for his first win in the Waiau Valley Shearing/Aparima Electrical Maiden (1400m).Dennis was pleased to get the res...

His Majesty King Charles III the new NZ Thoroughbred Breeders Association Patron

The New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association is delighted to announce that His Majesty King Charles III is their new patron.The patronages of their Royal Highnesses the King and Queen were announced by Buckingham Palace last week to coincide with the first anniversary of Their Majesties Coronation.The NZTBA received official notification from Buckingham Palace this week.“It was a tremendous privilege to have received the letter through the post this week stating that His Majesty The Ki...

Partnership strikes another stakes winning blow

A long-standing association that provided Cambridge Stud principals Brendan and Jo Lindsay with their breakthrough Group One success has again come up trumps at stakes level.The Lindsays bred and raced the 2015 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) winner Marky Mark, who was prepared by Moira Murdoch.Now operating in partnership with daughter Kieran, Murdoch also trains Cambridge Stud’s progressive mare Bella Waters, who claimed the Listed Rotorua Cup (2200m) at just her ninth appearance.�...

Williams celebrates domestic success during Kentucky tour

Little Avondale Stud’s Sam Williams cheered home a significant black-type result for the Masterton nursery from afar.He is currently in the United States and was trackside at Churchill Downs to see Mystik Dan win the Gr.1 Kentucky Derby (2000m) during a tour to become better acquainted with American pedigrees.“I came over here to get more of an understanding of the genetics,” Williams said.“I used to follow the American pedigrees a lot more closely and we all know the Northern Dancer sto...

NZB’s Weanling Sale Catalogue Now Online

The countdown to next month’s 2024 National Weanling Sale is underway, with a quality catalogue of 150 youngsters now available to view online.Set to be held on Thursday 20 June at Karaka, the Sale offers an enticing opportunity for both pinhookers and end users to secure quality stock, with the session a proven source of racetrack and investment success.Group One winners Pignan (NZ) (Staphanos), Callsign Mav (NZ) (Atlante) and Jennifer Eccles (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle) were all purchased as weanli...

Alice Wilkinson - Irish National Stud Blog 4

During the first and last week of April, I spent my time in Blandford yard, which is home to unvaccinated mares and foals. The first week of April we had lots of mares entering the yard, both newborns coming from the foaling unit and mares with older foals coming to stay until they are covered here at the INS.  This made for a very busy week with lots of vet work, treatments, farrier work and turning all mares and foals out and bringing them back...

Feature double for Hashizume at Rotorua

Red-hot rider Masa Hashizume added further plaudits to an already outstanding season when he piloted Karman Line to a deserved victory in the Gr.3 Rotorua ITM Stakes (1400m) on Saturday.Hashizume has already smashed his previous season’s best winning tally of 33 victories set in the 2021/2022 racing year with a current total of 53 wins at the close of play on Saturday, including seven stakes victories which includes the win by Karman Line as well as that of Bella Waters who had earlier taken o...

Valuable Rotorua Cup win for Cambridge Stud homebred

Well-related Cambridge Stud mare Bella Waters was thrown in at the deep end for Saturday’s Listed Campbell Infrastructure Rotorua Cup (2200m), but she proved that she belonged at black-type level with a highly valuable win.Bred and raced by Brendan and Jo Lindsay, Bella Waters is by Sacred Falls out of the Irish-bred mare But Beautiful. That makes her a half-sister to Immediacy, a classy Melbourne three-year-old who won this season’s Gr.2 Autumn Classic (1800m) at Caulfield.Bella Waters made...

Hezashocka lands Gosford Gold Cup

The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained Hezashocka relished the heavy track at Newcastle to break a 22-month hiatus from the winner's stall in the Listed Gosford Gold Cup (2200m).Stable representative Ben Elam said he was delighted to see rain lashing Newcastle, knowing it would play to the strength of the six-year-old son of Shocking."He's a horse that, the more rain the better, so when we were sitting in the pub last night having a beer and talking about the races and the Newcastle trots g...

Positivity all class in SA Fillies Classic

The Andrew Forsman-trained Positivity proved a grade above her rivals when cruising to a near two-length victory in the SA Fillies Classic (2500m) at Morphettville on Saturday.The daughter of Almanzor was sent out a $2.30 favourite after producing good closing sectionals in the Gr.1 Australasian Oaks (2000m) when ninth, and relished the rise in distance on Saturday.Ridden by Damian Lane, Positivity settled just worse of midfield on the rails and travelled like the winner a long way from home, wi...

Further stakes success for Highline

Highline Thoroughbreds’ profile as a source of quality youngsters continues to grow with Discretion Rules their latest black-type success story.The Cambridge-based operation of Cam and Eva Heron offers a full range of services from yearling preparations, spelling, agistment and foaling down, with success to the highest level as vendors.Their flagship graduates to date have been star performer and multiple top-flight winner Legarto and Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) winner Dark Destroyer.The Gr.3 ...

Denby Road on the comeback trail

Last season’s Gr.3 Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) winner Denby Road has returned to work with an eye towards the spring.The giant son of Shamexpress was a consistent performer in his three-year-old term, with two wins and two placings from his seven starts for trainer Shelley Hale, culminating in his Breeders’ Stakes victory.“That (Cambridge Breeders’) was an awesome result,” Hale said. “He was coming back from a staying preparation and to come back and win a nice 1200m three-y...

Sharp filly taking on the mares in Rotorua Stakes

Talented three-year-old Impendabelle will step out of age group company for the first time in her season’s grand final on Saturday at Arawa Park.The daughter of Impending has been a model of consistency this term, with success in the Gr.2 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) headlining a campaign that included a pair of Group One placings in the Levin Classic (1600m) and New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m).Tony Pike, who prepares Impendabelle out of Cambridge, gave the filly a brief spell through the early a...

War Decree to stand at $7,000 in 2024

Inglewood Stud’s young stallion War Decree will stand at a slightly increased fee of $7,000 +GST in 2024, up from $5,500 in 2023. The announcement comes off the back of a strong season for the son of War Front. With his oldest just four-year-olds.  He produced five stakes performers led by the exciting three-year-old Warmonger, a stakes winner at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day and a fast finishing second in Saturday’s Gr.1 South Australian Derby (2500m). “It was a magnifice...

Unbeaten Super Photon shines in Te Rapa feature

Super Photon’s growing reputation was put to the test in Saturday’s Listed Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre 2YO Stakes (1400m) at Te Rapa, and the exciting colt rose to the challenge in style.The black-type feature was the second win in an unblemished two-start career for the Super Seth colt, who had kicked off with a commanding three-length victory at Rotorua last month.That debut win came over 1150m against just five opponents, who had a total of six previous starts between them. The runne...

Antino makes brilliant return in Victory Stakes

New Zealand-bred star Antino put a frustrating spring campaign behind him with a superb first-up performance in Saturday’s A$300,000 Gr.2 U&U Recruitment Victory Stakes (1200m) at Eagle Farm.The son of Redwood appeared to have the world at his feet at around this time last year, winning eight of his first nine races including the Listed Wayne Wilson (1600m) at Eagle Farm in June.But Antino’s raids on Melbourne and Sydney in the spring were plagued by bad luck. He won the Gr.3 Sandown Sta...