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Brown continues love affair with Proisir

Proisir already held a very special place in Philip Brown’s heart, and results in the Karaka sale ring on Monday have only added to his affection for the exceptional Rich Hill Stud stallion.Brown has seen his colours carried to a total of six Group One victories by Proisir’s daughters Levante and Legarto, who between them have earned more than $2.5 million in stakes.On Monday, three Proisir yearlings bred by the Ancroft Stud owner were offered at Karaka by Kilgravin Lodge. They sold for a to...

Quality filly adds to big week for Elsdon Park

As well as making an outstanding start to the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale as a vendor, Elsdon Park principal Lib Petagna added an exciting young prospect to his racing team with a high-priced Savabeel filly late on Monday afternoon.Elsdon Park is in only its second year as a yearling vendor at Karaka, having sold 13 yearlings last year for a total of $2.3 million and an average price of $176,923.The Waikato nursery will far surpass those figures in 2024, already selling 10 hors...

Vale Jimmy Choux

One of the cult heroes of New Zealand racing has passed away with news coming through that former Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) winner and successful stallion Jimmy Choux was humanely euthanised earlier in the week.The multiple Group One winner was the standout story of racing in New Zealand during the 2011 calendar year where he captured four Group One titles and went within a length of a fifth when finishing runner-up to Pinker Pinker in the Gr.1 Cox Plate (2040m) of that year.His accomplishm...

Richards to the fore on Day One at Karaka

Ex-pat Kiwi Jamie Richards made his presence felt early in the piece on Day One at Karaka as he and Bloodstock Agent Andrew Williams went to $725,000 to purchase Lot 55, a Zoustar colt from the I Am Invincible mare Evalina consigned from the Elsdon Park draft.Richards, who is back in New Zealand for the 2024 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale with fiancé Danielle and new baby Spencer, and Williams had already outlaid $275,000 for a Fastnet Rock colt (Lot 9) offered by Woburn Farm and...

Prowess sibling sets Karaka ring alight

Studmaster Mark Baker looked more than a little stunned in the aftermath of a lifetime dream being achieved early on the first day of Book 1 of New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale at Karaka on Sunday.Baker has just seen the full sister by Proisir to outstanding racemare Prowess knocked down to a $1.6 million bid by leading Victorian trainer Peter Moody to set a new record for the female sex at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale, eclipsing the $1.45 million set by the...

Spotlight on Satono Aladdin

A day of milestones for the progeny of Rich Hill Stud based stallions Proisir and Satono Aladdin was one of the major highlights on the first day of the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale at Karaka.Lot 21, the full sister to dual Group One winner Prowess, a daughter of Proisir, fetched the highest price ever paid for the fairer sex at Karaka when knocked down to the $1.6million bid of Victorian trainer Peter Moody from breeder Hallmark Stud’s Book 1 draft.Later it was the turn of th...

Super sale for Waikato Stud stallion

Waikato Stud resident stallion Super Seth was amongst the major highlight results on Day One of the National Yearling Sales series at Karaka when Patella Bloodstock’s Mike Kneebone outlaid $700,000 for a colt consigned as Lot 146 from the Pencarrow Stud draft.Out of the stakes placed Danroad mare Irion, the colt is a half-brother to the stakes winning mares Zourion and Pearl of Alsace.Irion is the daughter of Group Two winner Dopff with outstanding gallopers Octapussy, Pussy Willow, Valpolicel...

Kingman colt is Hong Kong bound

A colt by exciting European stallion Kingman attracted plenty of attention during his time in the sale ring at Karaka on Sunday, where he fetched a winning bid of $650,000 from Boomer Bloodstock principal Craig Rounsefell on behalf of the Hong Kong Jockey Club.Consigned from the Pencarrow Stud draft as Lot 210, the son of the European Group One winner is out of the Irish mare Marsden Cross who comes from a family that includes outstanding cross-continent Group One performer, Mother Earth.Kingman...

Kingsclere go back-to-back in Karaka Millions 3YO

Roger James and James McDonald teamed up to win the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie in 2012 with Silent Achiever, and the pair reunited at the Auckland venue 12 years later to take out New Zealand’s richest race, the $1.5 million TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) on Saturday evening.Fresh off taking out the TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) with the Stephen Marsh-trained Velocious, McDonald was favoured to secure a Karaka Millions double when he jumped aboard Orchestral (Savabeel) in t...

Radiant result for Dennis Brothers

Well known southern breeding and racing identities the Dennis brothers were back in the limelight at Riccarton on Saturday as their royally bred mare The Radiant One (Darci Brahma) took out the Listed Speight’s Timaru Stakes (1400m).Bred, owned and trained by brothers Tony, Ray, Joe and Martin Dennis, the daughter of former The Oaks Stud resident stallion and multiple Group One winner Darci Brahma hadn’t been at her best in her last two runs following a brave performance to finish fourt...

Belclare back on top of her game

Group One mare Belclare (Per Incanto) returned to the peak of her powers on New Zealand racing’s biggest stage on Saturday, scoring a dominant victory in the $500,000 Gr.2 Westbury Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie.The Per Incanto mare was a triple black-type winner last season, capturing the Gr.3 Canterbury Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) and Listed Wairarapa Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) before landing a Group One triumph with a three-length victory over subsequent elite performer Skew Wiff in the N...

Crocetti kicks off Karaka Million night in style

Undefeated three-year-old Crocetti (Zacinto) was billed as one of the headline acts of Saturday’s Karaka Millions mega meeting at Ellerslie, and he got the evening off to a perfect start in the opening race on the card.The Zacinto gelding was a $1.40 favourite for the Gr.3 Cambridge Stud Almanzor Trophy (1200m), bringing in a perfect six-from-six record including the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m), Gr.2 Sarten Memorial (1400m) and Gr.3 Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m).Attemptin...

J-Mac makes instant impact in Karaka Millions

Ellerslie racegoers got to witness expat Kiwi jockey James McDonald have his first ride back on home soil in several years at the TAB Karaka Millions meeting at Ellerslie on Saturday, and he made an instant impact in front of the sold-out crowd.Sydney-based McDonald had returned across the Tasman to partner the Stephen Marsh-trained filly Velocious in the TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) and he showed why he is revered as one of the world's best.After jumping away well out of the barriers, McDona...

Bold Soul (NZ) Brilliant in Launceston Guineas

On the eve of the blockbuster Karaka Millions twilight race meeting and the Karaka 2024 National Yearling Sales, an exciting three-year-old sourced from the New Zealand Bloodstock sale ring made a bold black-type statement on the other side of the Tasman.Friday night’s $125,000 Listed Kevin Sharkie Launceston Guineas (2100m) was the scene of a breathtaking last-to-first performance by Bold Soul (NZ) (Embellish), who was bought for just $20,000 from Book 2 of Karaka 2022. He has now h...

Caulfield specialist Ayrton strikes again in John Dillon

Ayrton (Iffraaj) added even more shine to his outstanding record at Caulfield with a thrilling win in a photo finish to Friday’s A$175,000 Listed Evergreen Turf John Dillon Stakes (1400m).The highly talented New Zealand-bred has now had seven starts at Caulfield for six wins, including black-type successes in the Gr.3 Victoria Handicap (1400m), the Listed Weekend Hussler (1400m) and Friday’s John Dillon Stakes.Overall, the six-year-old Iffraaj gelding has had 21 starts for eight wins, t...

Sentimental sale for Wentwood Grange

It will be a sentimental sale for Wentwood Grange at Karaka this year, with brothers Sean, Leigh, and Dean offering the final foal out of the mare that kicked everything off for the trio.Leigh Valley was the first horse the brothers raced together, and she gave them a great introduction to the sport, winning five of her 18 starts, including the Gr.3 Cuddle Stakes (1600m).They retained the daughter of Bianconi and bred some nice horses out of the mare, including Valley Girl, who won the Gr.1 Herb...

Successful partnership celebrates another big win

For Cathy Franich, winning the Gr. 3 New Zealand Bloodstock Desert Gold Stakes with Sudbina at Trentham last Saturday was somewhat surreal.“It was exciting, and a little bit unbelievable,” said Franich who races the Roger James/Robert Wellwood-trained filly under her Frantic Bloodstock banner with fellow breeders Haunui Farm in a partnership that commenced some 20 years ago.“I was lucky enough to be there with Liv Chitty, a fourth-generation member of the Chitty family getting involved, so...

Obituary - David Benjamin

With the passing of David Benjamin, the Thoroughbred world lost one of its champions and the NZTBA lost one of its greatest supporters.Benji, as he was known to most, was a stalwart of the association, joining as a member of the Waikato branch when he returned from overseas in the 1970’s to take up the position of manager at Sir Jack Butland’s Blandford Lodge.He progressed to serve on the Waikato branch committee and in the mid 1980’s was instrumental in starting their Group One Awards din...

Windsor Park in high spirits ahead of Karaka

Excitement is mounting at Windsor Park Stud, not only for the imminent fall of the hammer to open New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale at Karaka, but also for the future of the breeding and racing industries.Major developments including increases in stakes money have been warmly welcomed by all participants and most recently the announcement from the TAB, Entain and New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing of The NZB Kiwi (1500m).The New Zealand Bloodstock-sponsored three-year-old feature wi...

Early signs encouraging for Little Avondale

A warm early welcome for Little Avondale Stud’s draft at Karaka has further fuelled its New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale expectations.The Masterton farm has the utmost faith in the quality of its Book 1 consignment and private opinions have been vindicated since the travelling team arrived on site.“The horses arrived late Sunday morning and they all settled in really well,” farm principal Sam Williams said.“We were parading on Monday and we had 16 in total, which for a Monda...

Unheralded

Proving the point that no one knows from where the next good horse will emerge, two unheralded sires, The Bold One (Fastnet Rock) and Vespa (Elusive Quality), took centre stage at Trentham on Saturday.One clue as to who might bag the Wellington Cup (Gr 3, 3200m) was available as the runners were loading. A long way away up the 1200–metre shute you would need a powerful pair of binoculars to notice the name ‘The Bold One’, sire of the eventual winner Mary Louise. His name is featured among ...

Timely win in Desert Gold Stakes for Sudbina

It was a timely win by Sudbina in the Gr.3 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) at Trentham last Saturday, with co-breeder and part-owner Haunui Farm gearing up for a busy week ahead of New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sales at Karaka, which kick-off on Sunday.The win also broke more than a half century drought in the race for the Chitty family, bringing even more satisfaction to Haunui Farm Managing Director Mark Chitty.“Winning a time-honoured race like the Desert Gold is fantastic. My gra...

Downey’s mare the gift that keeps on giving

An $8,000 purchase in 2003 has continued to pay dividends for Gareth Downey over two decades later, when the filly’s son won the inaugural $350,000 The Oaks Stud Remutaka Classic (2100m) at Trentham last Saturday.Downey, a former General Manager of Valachi Downs Stud, relocated to take up the same role at Lindsay Park Racing in 2022, and was near speechless after watching The Odyssey charge to the post from his Australian base.“The only trouble we’re having is coming back down to earth aft...

Lynskeys toasting Puntura’s Group One success

Taranaki couple Carole and John Lynskey are enjoying some time down in Queenstown this week toasting the success of their Group One winner Puntura following his victory in the Thorndon Mile at Trentham last Saturday.It was the 11th win of his career, and continued a purple patch of form this preparation, with his Group One triumph following successive wins in the Gr.3 Coupland’s Bakeries Mile (1600m) at Riccarton in November and Gr.2 Manawatu Challenge Stakes (1400m) at Trentham last month.The...

Racetrack performance the key for Cunningham

Curraghmore principal Gordon Cunningham is quick to share what drives him as he prepares to present another quality draft at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale when it kicks off at Karaka at 10am this coming Sunday.The name Curraghmore is synonymous with some of the best Australasian racetrack performers of the past three decades with horses such as Efficient, Unforgotten, Mighty Boss, Tofane, First Seal, Ruthless Dame, No Compromise, Kovalica and Kahma Lass just some of the many ...