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Rider reunites with Aromatic

Milan Park’s Tony Rider went full-circle on gavelhouse.com on Monday night, buying back the multiple Group-winning mare Aromatic (NZ) (Sacred Falls) for $257,500.Rider bred Aromatic and offered her in Milan Park’s yearling draft in Book 1 of Karaka 2018, where she was bought by Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis for $160,000.Aromatic carried the tangerine colours of Te Akau to six wins and 14 placings from a 32-start racing career, earning more than $419,000 for her owners in the Te Akau S...

Champion mare Ethereal still making her mark

Memories of the mighty mare Ethereal continue to be rekindled and most recently by the emergence of her gifted grandson Pericles.Bred and raced by Sir Peter Vela and his late brother Philip, Ethereal was the toast of the 2001 Melbourne spring carnival when she completed the famed Group One double of the Caulfield Cup (2400m) and Melbourne Cup (3200m).Trainer Sheila Laxon had previously prepared the daughter of Rhythm to win the Gr.1 Queensland Oaks (2400m) and the curtain came down on her racing...

Vale Verry Elleegant

The Australasian racing industry are in mourning following the news of the passing of 11-time Group One winner Verry Elleegant (Zed) when foaling in Ireland.By Grangewilliam Stud stallion Zed, Verry Elleegant was bred by Don Goodwin out of his Danroad mare Opulence, who he purchased as a broodmare prospect for $14,000 off South Auckland horseman Nicholas Bishara at Karaka. It came full circle for Bishara, and he was pleased to take on her progeny, including Verry Elleegant, to educate and s...

Aberlour completes Guineas double in style

Emerging talent Aberlour (Mongolian Falcon) extended her winning sequence to three and completed a southern Guineas double with a tour de force in Saturday’s Listed ILT Ascot Park Hotel Southland Guineas (1600m) at Ascot Park.The Riverton filly had begun her career with a fourth and two thirds, including a third placing during the New Zealand Cup Carnival at Riccarton in November. She broke through with a six-length maiden win on her home track on New Year’s Day, then stepped up to stak...

Grinzinger Belle adds to Lightning Day legacy for Shamexpress

A decade after saddling New Zealand-bred sprinter Shamexpress for a second placing in the Gr.1 Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington, Danny O’Brien returned to the same meeting on Saturday and landed a black-type prize with a daughter of the Windsor Park Stud stallion.Grinzinger Belle (Shamexpress) overcame a wide gate and double-figure odds to score a bold victory in the A$200,000 Gr.3 The Vanity (1400m), bringing back some fond memories for her locally based trainer.“We trained Shame...

Pericles too strong in Uncle Remus Stakes

The Pam Gerard and Mike Moroney stable have been enjoying considerable success of late including with class three-year-old Pendragon (U S Navy Flag), however, it was his stablemate of the same age in Pericles (Rubick) who stole the limelight on Saturday with an eye-catching victory in the Listed SKYCITY Horizon Uncle Remus Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie.Fresh off a victory over 1400m at Pukekohe last month, the strapping son of Rubick was overlooked by punters who allowed him to start at odds ...

Orchestral a class above in Avondale Guineas

Three weeks after announcing her arrival among the season’s elite three-year-olds in breathtaking style on Karaka Millions night, Orchestral (Savabeel) treated Ellerslie to an encore in Saturday’s Gr.2 Eagle Technology Avondale Guineas (2100m).The exciting Savabeel filly had blown her rivals away by three and a half lengths in last month’s $1.5 million TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m), and the step up to 2100m on Saturday produced something every bit as impressive.Orchestral was sent out as...

Former Derby winner back to winning form in Avondale Cup

Talented stayer Asterix (Tavistock) returned to the scene of his greatest triumph when he stormed home to take out the Gr.2 Eagle Technology Avondale Cup (2400m) at Ellerslie.The injury-plagued son of Tavistock took out the 2022 edition of the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) but a string issues had hampered his progress since then.Trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott and his ownership group, that includes former New Zealand cricketer Mark Greatbatch, have shown infinite patience with...

Rich Hill roll continues into summer

It’s been an exciting mid-summer period for the team at Rich Hill Stud, initially with the reception afforded their stallions at the Karaka sales and topped off by further stunning results on the racetrack last weekend.At Te Rapa last Saturday the stud’s part-owner and general manager John Thompson was on course to witness Proisir mare Legarto take out the Gr. 1 Herbie Dyke Stakes, and Molly Bloom, the daughter of Ace High, dominate in the Gr. 2 David and Karyn Ellis Fillies Classic.On the s...

Crocetti heads for a spell

A line has been ruled through an Australian autumn campaign for Crocetti, with the son of Zacinto heading to the spelling paddock after a standout three-year-old term.Trainers Danny Walker and Arron Tata were contemplating heading to Melbourne next month with the Group One winner but have elected to call time on his season following his runner-up effort behind Bonny Lass in last Saturday’s Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa.“We did look at the Australian Guineas (Gr.1, 1600m) and then ...

Brooks looking to extend golden run in NZ Polo Open

Polo and thoroughbreds have been the two biggest passions in Kit Brooks’ life, and this week he will combine the two when he competes in the NZ Polo Open in Clevedon, Auckland.Brooks is kept busy operating KB Bloodstock, his thoroughbred breaking-in, pre-training and ready- to-run business, but he always finds time to continue competing in the sport he loves.The Cambridge horseman has been involved with horses all his life and spent his formative years learning to play polo, a sport that has s...

Ears Back preparing for further stakes targets

John Blackadder is intent on gaining some black-type for his mare Ears Back and will trek down to Ascot Park this weekend to ready her for her next stakes assignment.The five-year-old mare was fourth in the Gr.3 White Robe Lodge WFA (1600m) at Wingatui earlier this month, giving Blackadder the confidence to press on towards next month’s Gr.3 Valachi Downs South Island Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) at Riccarton.With that race in-mind, Blackadder has aimed Ears Back toward Saturday’s...

Well-performed Savabeel mare retired

Time has been called on the racing career of Savabeel’s Group-winning daughter Mazzolino.The Waikato Stud-bred and owned mare was prepared at Cambridge by Stephen Marsh and was successful on three occasions, including the Gr.3 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) and placed a further five times at stakes level.In foal to Super Seth, Mazzolino also ran fourth in this season’s Gr.1 Zabeel Classic (2000m) and signed off with a midfield finish in the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) last weekend.The four-y...

Meet The Breeder - Bruce Wallbank

This week in Dunstan Horsefeeds Meet The Breeder, we catch up with Bruce Wallbank, a Pukekohe-based small breeder who bred Snow Patrol to win a stirring edition of the Gr.2 Hyland Race Colours Autumn Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.Tell us the story of Snow Patrol?There's quite a story behind this horse, Snow Patrol.We purchased the mare from Raffles Farm privately, and she was pregnant with this foal.My son Mark was fond of the O'Reilly’s and their bloodlines, so we decided to ge...

Molly back in full Bloom for breeder

Scott Eagleton might not have had the best seat in the house to watch Molly Bloom’s (Ace High) latest success, but it didn’t detract from the satisfaction derived from the star filly’s return to winning ways.The Seaton Park principal bred and sold the high-class daughter of Ace High whose victory in Saturday’s Gr.2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic (2000m) at Te Rapa may have been her final appearance in New Zealand.“It was another huge result for the farm, even though we...

Group Three win for brave Proisir mare

Quality mare Yonce (NZ) (Proisir) scored a richly-deserved Group Three victory when landing the Carlyon Cup (1600m) at Caulfield on Saturday for trainer Ciaron Maher.The highly-talented daughter of Proisir rewarded her connections faith with her first stakes victory at her third start this campaign, having been off the scene for 20 months due to a tendon strain.The now six-year-old mare won six of her first seven starts, with her only defeat in her maiden campaign a brave fourth in the Gr.1 Quee...

Legarto too good in Herbie Dyke Stakes

Matamata trainers Ken and Bev Kelso have long believed Legarto (NZ) (Proisir) had the potential to excel over 2000m, and their stable star proved them right on Saturday with a sparkling performance in the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa.Legarto was a Group One superstar on both sides of the Tasman as a three-year-old last season. She blew her rivals off the Riccarton track in a five-length New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) romp in the spring, then ventured to Melbourne in March and lau...

Snow Patrol prevails in thrilling Autumn Stakes

New Zealand-bred gelding Snow Patrol (NZ) (Contributer) dug deep as he defeated classy rival Southport Tycoon (Written Tycoon) in a stirring edition of the Gr.2 Hyland Race Colours Autumn Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained son of Contributer was fresh-up but had trialled well leading into Saturday’s assignment.Winning jockey Mark Zahra made sure he never let chief rival Southport Tycoon and Damian Lane out of his sight, with that duo pulling awa...

Molly Bloom bows out a winner

If Saturday’s Gr.2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic (2000m) at Te Rapa was the final New Zealand appearance for Molly Bloom (NZ) (Ace High), the Group One-winning filly farewelled her homeland on a high.The daughter of Ace High established herself as one of the standouts of her generation in the late spring, scoring scintillating victories in the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) and the Gr.2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m).Molly Bloom’s winning sequence was interrupted in last mon...

Luckless Lass gets her deserved Group One

One of the unluckiest horses in the top echelon of New Zealand racing in recent times, Bonny Lass (NZ) (Super Easy) turned things around with a supreme front-running performance in Saturday’s Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1200m) at Te Rapa.The $400,000 weight-for-age feature was the first Group One victory for the Super Easy mare, whose long run of misfortune dates back to a raceday scratching from the Gr.1 Sistema Railway (1200m) on New Year’s Day last year.She returned for another shot at that ra...

Fifth Group One for remarkable Mr Brightside

Cult horse Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) commenced his autumn campaign in the Gr.1 C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday and after looking beaten for much of the contest called on all his fighting qualities to mow down bold front runner Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) and Buffalo River (Noble Mission) in the shadows of the post.The Ben, Will and JD Hayes-trained gelding has a never say die quality that has endeared him to racing fans and has been scarcely out of the money since crossi...

Bold Soul lands Tasmanian Derby

Trainer Patrick Payne has claimed his third successive Listed Graham Family Funerals Tasmanian Derby (2200m) when Bold Soul (NZ) (Embellish) dug deep to prevail from fellow Kiwi bred Gold Wolf (NZ) (Tivaci).The son of Embellish was sent out a $1.45 favourite on the back of a stunning last-to-first victory in the Listed Launceston Guineas (2100m) and defeated a similar field in Friday’s Derby, with the exception of the runner-up.Ridden by Jake Noonan, Bold Soul raced fifth on the fence for...

Meet the Breeder - Adrianne Gemmell

This week in Dunstan Horsefeeds Meet The Breeder, we catch up with Adrianne Gemmell. A Kaitaia-based small breeder who is passionate about her horses and has had recent success with her bonny mare, Contribute.Tell us the story of Contribute?She is out of the O’Reilly mare Contrada which we bred to Contributer. She is from a good family as it is the family of Baltaine (Lord Ballina) and Betcha Wood (Woodbury Lad) who I raced as well with my parents.She was born at Mapperley Stud, then she went ...

Oaks candidate Khanshe certainly can

The old adage that good horses can come from anywhere certainly applies to last Saturday’s Listed Grangewilliam Stud Oaks Prelude winner Khanshe according to her owner breeder Rick Orr.Orr was thrilled to bits to have bred his first stakes winner, but he didn’t think it would come from the Mongolian Khan filly that he was discouraged from putting through the ring and ended up being trained by Fraser Auret by default.“I was told that the Mongolian Khans were not much bloody good, and she wa...

Town Cryer too tough in Tauherenikau feature

A stunning display of resilience and courage in the heat of battle was on display at Tauherenikau on Tuesday as progressive mare Town Cryer (Tavistock) claimed the Listed Clubs NZ @ The Races Wairarapa Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) in a torrid three-way tussle.The Roydon Bergerson-prepared six-year-old was one of the main fancies in the contest after finishing third in the Gr.3 Anniversary Handicap (1600m) at Trentham last month.Rider Craig Grylls was content to sit outside surpri...