Back to Blog

Queiroz and Francee combine for stunning Trentham stakes victory

Visiting Brazilian hoop Bruno Queiroz is making every post a winner in his local riding stint by adding a maiden New Zealand stakes success to his bag of tricks as he guided gallant mare Francee (Iffraaj) to a thrilling victory in the Listed James Bull Rangitikei Cup (1600m) at Trentham.Queiroz, who had ridden for kiwi trainer Stephen Gray during a successful Singapore excursion after leaving his native Brazil, joined Gray in New Zealand earlier this month and immediately made an impact by ...

Little Brose Steps Out at LA

Gr.1 Blue Diamond (1200m) winner Little Brose (Per Incanto) has been officially welcomed to the Little Avondale stallion ranks to join his champion sire, Per Incanto.Little Brose was presented in outstanding order and is really letting down into a magnificent animal.   Little Brose is very much in the mould of his father, Per Incanto and it is very exciting for breeders to have access to the 1st Australian 1200m Gr.1 winning 2YO to ever debut at stud in New Zealand.Little Brose was bre...

Widden Stud secures Bonny Lass

Group One-winning mare Bonny Lass (NZ) (Super Easy) will head across the Tasman after being bought by Widden Stud for $480,000 on Gavelhouse Plus on Thursday.Bonny Lass was a Group winner as a two, three, four, five and six-year-old for owner-breeder Sandy Moore, co-owners Brent and Wendy Cooper and the Social Racing Starting Gates Syndicate.From the stable of Matamata trainers Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall, her 26-race career produced eight wins, eight placings and $774,950 in stakes.Widd...

The Oaks Stud Confirms 2025 Stallion Roster

The Oaks Stud has announced its 2025 stallion line-up, headlined by U S Navy Flag, who will stand for $12,500 + GST.A son of War Front out of Misty For Me, U S Navy Flag is a proven performer on the track and at stud, with 141 winners globally, including five stakes winners, headed by Group Two winner The Pendragon and Group Three winner So Naïve.Joining him is The Chosen One, standing at $4,000 + GST. A son of Savabeel, The Chosen One earned $2.7 million in prize money, highlighted by victorie...

Blueblood hen continues to leave her mark

Romanee Conti has been a pillar of Pencarrow’s broodmare band for decades, and her lineage continues to go from strength-to-strength, with her descendant Tomodachi adding to that legacy over the weekend.The daughter of Tarzino carried owner-breeder Sir Peter Vela’s familiar silks to victory in the Gr.3 Rotorua ITM Stakes (1400m), her first victory at stakes level following five previous wins, and a last start placing in the Listed City Of Napier Sprint (1200m).Pencarrow Stud Manager Leon Cas...

Rising star delivers milestone for Scott

Matamata trainer Andrew Scott brought up his 1000th win in New Zealand when exciting talent Tomodachi (Tarzino) took out the Gr.3 Rotorua ITM Stakes (1400m) at Arawa Park on Saturday.Heading into this weekend, New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing statistics credited Scott with 998 winners in New Zealand. He and training partner Lance O’Sullivan picked up a win with Tristar at Trentham in the early part of the afternoon, then reached the milestone in the $100,000 fillies and mares’ feature at...

Nigella Lane takes Rotorua Cup

Rugged mare Nigella Lane (Niagara) got the big race win she has deserved all season when she ground down gallant pacemaker Dark Destroyer to take out the Listed Campbell Infrastructure Rotorua Cup (2200m) on Saturday.The Ralph Manning-prepared daughter of Niagara has been a model of consistency without tasting victory in her last five starts with placings in the Listed Wairarapa Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m), Listed Kaimai Stakes (2000m) and an unlucky runner-up finish in the Mana...

Stirring Hollindale victory for Antino

Jockey Blake Shinn produced another masterful ride on Antino (Redwood) as the dashing son of Redwood assumed command of the Gr.2 Hollindale Stakes (1800m) rounding the home bend and careered away for a three-and-a-half length victory over Fawkner Park and Kovalica.The Tony Gollan-trained Group One winner was back in the winner’s circle after a fresh-up 11th in the Gr.1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) on the back of a trip to Hong Kong where he was unplaced in the Gr.1 Hong Kong Mile after strikin...

Mapperley Stud announce 2025 service fees

It’s quality over quantity for Mapperley Stud’s stallion roster this coming breeding season, with the Matamata farm offering two stallions to breeders.Resident stallion Armory will be standing his fourth season at stud in 2025, and he has been heavily supported by New Zealand breeders since his arrival, covering 350 mares across his first three seasons.“Breeders were attracted to his elite Group One form as a two-year-old, where he won the Gr.2 Futurity Stakes (1400m) and Gr.3 Tyros Stakes...

White Robe Lodge announce service fees

Iconic Southern nursery White Robe Lodge has kept things simple for breeders this season with their stallion roster of three – Alflaila, Ancient Spirit and Ghibellines – all to stand at $7,000+GST.New addition Alflaila has been positively-received with the well-related multiple Group Two winner providing breeders with access to the highly sought-after Dark Angel sire-line.“It’s great timing with Dark Angel being the Champion Sire of Britain and Ireland last year and with his sire-son Har...

Group One winner Bonny Lass selling soon on Gavelhouse Plus

Classy, tenacious and mega-durable mare Bonny Lass (NZ) (Super Easy) is set to be offered in a special sale launching this week on Gavelhouse Plus.The daughter of Super Easy was raced by her breeder Sandy Moore in partnership with Brent and Wendy Cooper and their Social Racing Starting Gates Syndicate. She was trained by Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall through a 26-race career that produced eight wins, eight placings and $774,950 in stakes.Bonny Lass was a five-time Group winner, headed by t...

Champagne result at Riccarton for Cambridge Stud

Lucy In The Sky (Hello Youmzain) delivered a memorable result on multiple fronts with her historic success at Riccarton.The Cambridge Stud-bred and raced filly executed her southern plan to perfection on Saturday when the Tony Pike-trained juvenile was untroubled to triumph in the Listed Champagne Stakes (1200m).Her victory stroll credited the farm’s young shuttle stallion Hello Youmzain with his first Southern Hemisphere stakes victory.It was also the first running of a black-type event ...

Circus Maximus 2YO rounds of fun time for stud

Promising youngster Towering Vision (Circus Maximus) crowned a successful couple of days for Windsor Park Stud when he credited resident sire Circus Maximus with his first Southern Hemisphere black-type winner.The farm graduate claimed top honours in Saturday’s Listed Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre Stakes (1400m) at Te Rapa a day after the farm hosted another top edition of their annual Rugby, Racing and Beer Sale at Riccarton.Trained by Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson, Towering Vision is...

Towering Vision claims stakes victory in desperate finish

Handsome two-year-old Towering Vision (Circus Maximus) broke his maiden status in the best possible fashion when he took out the Listed Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre Stakes (1400m) in a torrid finish at Te Rapa.The win also provided his sire Circus Maximus, the European triple Group One winner who stands at Windsor Park Stud in Cambridge, with his first Southern Hemisphere stakes winner from his first crop on the track in Australasia.Having just his third start and second run since a sum...

Cambridge Stud savours Champagne success

Lucy In The Sky (Hello Youmzain) made history on Saturday as the winner of the first stakes race run on a synthetic track in New Zealand, but Cambridge Stud had other reasons to savour the talented filly’s victory in the Listed Berkley Stud Champagne Stakes (1200m).Bred and raced by Cambridge Stud owners Brendan and Jo Lindsay, Lucy In The Sky is a first-crop daughter of the stud’s exciting shuttle stallion Hello Youmzain. On Saturday she became his first stakes winner in the southern h...

New Industry Advisory Service Launched by Bruce Perry

Long-standing industry figure Bruce Perry has announced the establishment of a new advisory service aimed at providing independent support to those involved in the thoroughbred breeding and racing sectors.Operating under the name Bruce Perry Consultancy, the service is separate from his existing bloodstock business and is designed to offer impartial advice to breeders, owners, farms, and prospective investors.“It will be totally separate from my bloodstock business and will strive to help and ...

Waikato Stud announce 2025 service fees

Waikato Stud have announced the 2025 service fees for their six-strong stallion roster, which is once again headlined by Champion Sire and New Zealand Hall of Fame inductee-in-waiting Savabeel.He will stand alongside Super Seth, Ardrossan, Ocean Park, Noverre, and Banquo.“It’s a lineup we are continually proud of, and it continues to fit with tradition which has, and does, lead to success,” Waikato Stud principal Mark Chittick said.“They are stallions that we have put the time and t...

BetaVet Under The Radar - Leigh Phelan

This month’s BetaVet Under The Radar features Leigh Phelan, Marketing Coordinator at NZTR and a lifelong contributor to the racing industry.Explain your role and who you work forI work at New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing as the Marketing Coordinator, with a primary focus on managing our social media channels and content strategies. Before stepping into this role, I spent five years as a content creator for LOVERACING.NZ.What is a typical day for you? I’m still relatively new to this role, hav...

Josh Herd - Sunline Trust International Management Scholarship - Blog One

I touched down in Ireland at around 6am on Saturday, the 22nd of February, and it didn’t take long to jump straight into the thick of things.On the Sunday, I was off to my first point-to-point at Lisronagh — and let’s just say it brought back vivid memories of many racecourses back home in the middle of July. It was well beyond a Heavy 10! Mud everywhere, soaked jackets, and determined horses and riders braving the elements — a true Irish welcome that felt both chaotic and fascinating.&n...

Town Cryer retired

Group One performer Town Cryer (Tavistock) has been retired from racing following her fourth placed effort behind Val Di Zoldo in the Gr.2 Travis Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa last Saturday, and she already has a date with champion New Zealand sire Proisir.“Joe (Doyle, jockey) said she trotted back a bit lame the other day after the race, so we decided to pull pin,” trainer Roydon Bergerson said.“She was probably a length off being a Group One winner, but she has been a really good mare t...

Kiwi Chronicles - Cup runneth over

Riccarton’s Canterbury Gold Cup (Gr 3, 2000m) winner Riviera Rebel (Pure Champion) is proving to be something of a cups specialist. Two starts back, also at Riccarton, he secured the Hororata Gold Cup (1800m) while on New Year’s Day he bagged the Tapanui Cup (1200m). In 23 starts, the chestnut with the pronounced white blaze has six career wins to his name and Saturday’s black-type breakthrough took his earnings to $219,255.His latest win was due to a masterful ride by Kylie Williams ...

Meet the Breeder - Philip Jeffreys

This week in Dunstan Horse Feeds Meet the Breeder, we catch up with Philip Jefferys who bred Gr.3 Canterbury Gold Cup (2000m) winner Riviera Rebel. A breeder of over 51 years, Philip is proud to have bred the winner of both WFA stakes races in the South Island this season - Riviera Rebel and Our Echo.Tell us the story of Riviera Rebel?It goes back a way, and I do matings for people and one was for Terry Archer. It asked me who he should the mare ‘Glam Girl’ too, and I suggested that Jimmy Ch...

Mother and daughter doing Elsdon proud

Talented filly Ardalio (Ardrossan) has already done more than enough to take her place alongside her dam in Elsdon Park’s broodmare band, but there are expectations she can further boost her value next season.Bred and raced by farm principal Lib Petagna, the three-year-old produced a stirring performance to win Saturday’s Gr.3 Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m).Ardalio’s Te Rapa success, the third of her six-start career, followed a luckless midfield finish in the $3.5 million NZB K...

Ka Ying Rising sensational in Chairman’s Sprint Prize

Superstar New Zealand-bred sprinter Ka Ying Rising (Shamexpress) completed a record-equalling season with scintillating victory in the HK$22 million Gr.1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m) at Sha Tin on Sunday.Taking his unbeaten record to 12 consecutive races in defeating a world-class field of 12 rivals in a winning time of 1m 07.88s, Ka Ying Rising completed a clean sweep of the Hong Kong Speed Series and collected a HK$5 million bonus, emulating the feats of Mr Vitality (1995/96), Grand ...

Tenzing secures first stakes success

New Zealand-bred gelding Tenzing (Contributer) took his career to new heights with a first black-type win in Saturday’s A$300,000 Listed Jones & Co IGA Brisbane Mile (1600m) at Eagle Farm.The Tony Gollan-trained six-year-old has now won seven of his 29 starts, along with three seconds and nine thirds. He has earned A$443,221 for an Australian Bloodstock syndicate.Tenzing got into Saturday’s Brisbane Mile on the minimum weight of 53kg and jumped from gate one. He was given a perfect ...