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Sagunto defends Manawatu Cup title in style

After leading all the way to claim his first black-type win in last year’s Gr.3 Humphries Construction Manawatu Cup (2300m), Sagunto returned to defend that crown with an even more spectacular front-running performance at Trentham on Saturday.Sagunto defied $20 odds for his narrow victory over Subtle Point and Soprano Supreme in the 2022 edition of the Cup, and the Peter and Shaun McKay-trained runner started as a distant $10 second favourite on Saturday behind dominant market leader Manifique...

Puntura dominates at Trentham

Puntura showed he will be a force to be reckoned with over the coming months as he scored in dominant fashion in Saturday’s Gr.2 Bramco Granite & Marble Manawatu Challenge Stakes (1400m) at Trentham.Having his first start since a memorable victory in the Gr.3 Coupland’s Bakeries Mile (1600m) at Riccarton during New Zealand Cup Week, the Robbie Patterson-trained six-year-old was fitted for his first up run with a comfortable win over 1000m at the Foxton trials during the week.Unlike his R...

Meet the Breeder - Russell Rogers

Off the back of Zecora's tough win in the Gr.3 J Swap Sprint, we caught up with Russell Rogers who, in conjunction with wife Robyn, literally built Kendayla Park from the ground up; and has some fantastic success to go with it.How did you get into thoroughbred breeding?Russell: My grandfather was a dairy farmer who always bred a couple of mares each year in Gisborne to race the progeny back in the 60’s and 70’s. He bred and raced a very good horse called Master Morgan who won 18 races. He ac...

Guise bang on with racing and breeding decisions

Te Kuiti owner-breeder Paul Guise is hoping to be “bang on” when New Year’s Day rolls around and his pride and joy Still Bangon tackles the Gr. 2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes at Pukekohe Park.The Satono Aladdin filly produced a gutsy run to come from near last on the turn and take out the Gr. 3 Lawnmaster Eulogy Stakes last Saturday at Trentham, and her trainer Stephen Autridge has confirmed the Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes as her next assignment.Guise, a retired King Country farmer, has been laid...

Pottinger pining for Paris with Kiwi thoroughbred

As one door closes, another opens, and that is the case for leading New Zealand eventer Amanda Pottinger.The Kiwi horsewoman recently called time on the eventing career of her star thoroughbred Just Kidding, who took Pottinger to the lofty heights of competing at some of the most iconic competitions in the world, including the Badminton Horse Trials and the 2022 World Championships in Pratoni, Italy.By Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus, Just Kidding was initially destined for a career on th...

Zecora dials up the smiles for her connections

Promising mare Zecora (NZ) (Power) made a welcome return to the winners’ enclosure at Te Rapa when she stormed home out wide to secure a thrilling victory in the Gr.3 J Swap Sprint (1400m).The six-year-old mare looked to have any amount of ability when winning three of her first nine starts before a fractured cannon bone intervened and saw her spend over a year away from the track for trainers and part-owners Russell and Robyn Rogers.A quiet run for second in a 1000m trial at Taupo last m...

Still Bangon wins Eulogy thriller

Under-rated filly Still Bangon (NZ) (Satono Aladdin) stepped up to stakes class and prevailed in a nail-biting finish to the Gr.3 LawnMaster Eulogy Stakes (1600m) at Trentham on Saturday.Trained by Stephen Autridge for owner-breeders Paul and Maureen Guise, the daughter of Satono Aladdin came into Saturday’s black-type debut with a win, three placings and a fourth to her name from her seven previous career starts. That included a relegation to second after being first past the post in a m...

Campionessa dominates Cal Isuzu Stakes

A commanding victory in Saturday’s Gr.2 Cal Isuzu Stakes (1600m) at Te Rapa completed a rare fillies and mares’ feature double for Campionessa (NZ) (Contributer).The Te Akau Racing mare became only the fourth horse to win the Gr.2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) and the Cal Isuzu in the same season, joining Just Apollo (1995), Calveen (2004) and Ruud Van Slaats (2008).Campionessa was bought by David Ellis for A$60,000 on the Gold Coast as a yearling in 2019, and her 26-...

Dionysus lifts stable spirits with Waikato Cup victory

Consistent stayer Dionysus (NZ) (Ocean Park x La Quinta) provided Roger James and Robert Wellwood with a positive end to a tough week when scoring a fighting victory in the Gr.3 SkyCity Hamilton Waikato Cup (2400m) on Saturday at Te Rapa.The Cambridge training partners announced the retirement of superstar mare Prowess earlier in the week, but were back at the fore on Friday at Tauranga with Hastobeawinner victorious over 1400m, and headed to Te Rapa with the Cup favourite on Saturday.With ...

Meet the Breeder - Luigi Muollo

Off the back of Lucky Sweynesse's win in the Gr.1 Hong Kong Sprint, we caught up with his breeder and Novara Park Stud principal, Luigi Muollo.Tell us the history of Novara Park Stud and Explosive Breeding Ltd.Explosive Breeding Limited was formed when my foundation mare Explosive by Exploding Prospect went to stud in 2004. She was a three win stakes placed mare and a full sister to The Red Express who won eighteen races.Explosive foaled six fillies in a row and I retained them all. I now have a...

Beau Dazzler rewarding Ardrossan's support crew

Waikato Stud’s young sire Ardrossan(AUS) was represented by his first Australian stakes winner when Beau Dazzler (NZ) (Ardrossan) won the Listed Phelan Ready Stakes at Eagle Farm last Saturday.He is the fourth stakes winner for the promising young Redoute’s Choice sire after he produced three two-year-old New Zealand stakes winners as a freshman sire last season. They were Codigo (Listed Wellesley Stakes), Saltcoats (Listed Futurity Stakes) and Loch Katrine(Listed Champagne Stakes).A gr...

Prowess retired

The stellar racing career of dual Group One winner Prowess (NZ) (Proisir) is over.The daughter of Proisir developed a foot issue and has undergone treatment at a rehabilitation centre, however, a veterinary examination spelled the end to her racing career, with a focus now turning towards a breeding career for New Zealand’s reigning Champion Middle Distance horse.“The mare has developed a foot issue following her return from Australia,” vet Greg Quin said in a statement.“Initially t...

Lucky Sweynesse claims Hong Kong Sprint

Any questions about Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) (Sweynesse) loosening his grip on the world’s best sprinter mantle were swept aside when Manfred Man’s speedster surged to victory in the HK$26 million Gr.1 Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) at Sha Tin on Sunday.It was a redemptive triumph for Lucky Sweynesse, who had no luck in last year’s sprint finishing sixth behind Wellington after a tiring horse took him back through the field.Lucky Sweynesse was sent off as the raging favorite last year and ...

Lupo Solitario takes Bonecrusher Stakes in thrilling finish

A desperate finish to the Gr.3 Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m) saw exciting three-year-old Lupo Solitario (NZ) (Satono Aladdin) extend his career record to three wins from just four starts as he defeated talented filly Orchestral by the barest of margins in a thrilling conclusion to the age-group feature.While it wasn’t plain sailing in the concluding stages of the contest as Orchestral put in a valiant challenge, it was a meritorious performance from the $1.40 race favourite who had been in s...

Desert Lightning triumphs in take two of TAB Classic

In a race thrown into disarray by a false start, quality four-year-old Desert Lightning (NZ) (Pride Of Dubai) stood tall and claimed his first Group One victory in Saturday’s TAB Classic (1600m) at Trentham.The enduring story out of the $400,000 weight-for-age feature will be the auxiliary gates failing to open and the horses with the three widest draws – Faraglioni, Desert Lightning and Aegon – being left behind. Fortunately the remainder of the field all pulled up before the end of ...

Beau Dazzler strikes in Phelan Ready

New Zealand-bred juvenile Beau Dazzler (NZ) (Ardrossan) was thrown in at the deep end for Saturday’s A$200,000 Listed Eureka Stud Phelan Ready Stakes (1000m) at Eagle Farm, and he rose to the occasion with a bold black-type win.The Ardrossan colt was making only the second start of his career on Saturday, having debuted with a second placing in a 1000m race at Toowoomba on November 25.After settling at the back among a field of only four, Beau Dazzler and jockey Robbie Dolan came across h...

Captain Envious goes to a new level in Ballarat Cup

Emerging stayer Captain Envious (NZ) (Savabeel) took his career to a new level with a runaway victory in the Listed Ballarat Cup (2000m), leading home a Kiwi-bred quinella in Saturday’s A$500,000 feature.With a highly impressive win over Young Werther, Captain Envious collected the first black-type success of a 16-start career that has now produced five wins, six placings and A$523,350 in stakes.The five-year-old son of Savabeel had been something of a perennial placegetter through this s...

Meet the Breeder - Eddie Bourke

After taking out the Gr.3 Counties Cup with One Bold Cat, we caught up with breeder Eddie Bourke to learn a little more about his background in the industry.How did you get into thoroughbred breeding?My first introduction to thoroughbred racing/breeding was my mother Daisy taking myself and my brothers to the races in Taranaki.  While we did this my Dad stayed home to milk the cows and feed to pigs.  Armed with a cricket bat, a rugby ball and a huge homemade picnic hamper with all the ...

Jumping future beckons Jericho Cup winner

A return to compete in front of Warrnambool’s boisterous crowd could be on the cards for Nassak Diamond (NZ) (Roc De Cambers) following her dominant win in Sunday’s Jericho Cup (4600m).Bred by The Oaks Stud, the five-year-old mare is by their resident stallion Roc De Cambes, and she showed her supreme staying prowess when running out a seven-length victor, with jockey Campbell Rawiller struggling to pull her up following the marathon trip.The Oaks Stud General Manager Rick Williams was ...

Stockman storms home in Christmas Cup

Veteran stayer Stockman (NZ) (Tavistock) produced a remarkable come-from-behind performance to land his fourth black-type win in Saturday’s A$200,000 Listed Christmas Cup (2400m) at Rosehill.The seven-year-old son of Tavistock has been a grand performer for syndicators Proven Thoroughbreds and trainer Joe Pride, winning nine of his 49 starts and more than A$1.7 million in stakes. He had previously won the Gr.3 Sky High Stakes (2000m), the Listed WJ McKell Cup (2000m) and the Listed Caloundra C...

Patience the key for Just As Sharp

A patient ride by Bailey Rogerson paid off in spades as she guided Just As Sharp (NZ) (Swiss Ace) to a convincing victory in the Listed Trevor & Corallie Eagle Memorial 3YO (1500m) at Te Rapa.Co-trainer Graeme Rogerson, who prepares the three-year-old in partnership with wife Debbie, was on hand to cheer on his granddaughter, who didn’t panic when the son of Swiss Ace slipped at the start and she found herself last of the seven runners.With hot favourite Grail Seeker (Iffraaj) ($1.80) stal...

El Vencedor caps off good stakes form with a much-deserved victory

Enigmatic galloper El Vencedor (NZ) (Shocking) capped off some consistent form and provided trainer Stephen Marsh with a winning black-type double when he bolted clear to win the Gr.3 Eagle Technology Stakes (1600m) at Te Rapa.Marsh had produced promising three-year-old filly Glamour Tycoon (AUS) (Written Tycoon) twenty minutes earlier to career away with the Listed The O’Learys Fillies Stakes (1340m) at Wanganui before her stablemate followed suit as he left his rivals to fight out the minor ...

Kelly Coe delivers the perfect result in Wanganui Cup

New Zealand’s oldest racing club celebrated its 175th anniversary with the running of Saturday’s Steelform Roofing Group Wanganui Cup (2040m), and the Listed feature could have had no more fitting and popular winner than Kelly Coe (NZ) (Proisir).The Proisir mare races in the colours of owner-breeders Humphrey and Fiona O’Leary – a surname that has been synonymous with racing in the region for decades.The other black-type feature on Saturday’s card was the Listed O’Learys Fillies’ S...

Meet the Breeder - Simms Davison

This week in Dunstan Horsefeeds Meet the Breeder, we catch up with Mapperley Stud principal Simms Davison who bred Gr.2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes winner, Campionessa.How did you get into thoroughbred breeding?My grandfather started Mapperley Stud, this amazing property has been in the family for 3 generations, so its naturally been in my blood. After finishing my rugby career, I was excited to get home and add to it's great legacy. How many mares do you breed from?When I was fi...

Zabmanzor vindicates trainers’ top rating

Trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood were far from surprised that Zabmanzor (NZ) (Almanzor) bridged the significant gap from maiden company to black type success with such aplomb at Otaki.They have held Almanzor’s son in high regard for some time and the three-year-old showed exactly why with an effortless victory in Thursday’s Gr.3 Elsdon Park Wellington Stakes (1600m).At his previous appearance, Zabmanzor had delivered a breakthrough win at Tauranga earlier this month at his third...