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Atishu blows them away in Champions Stakes

High-class mare Atishu (Savabeel) claimed her second Group One victory when running out a comfortable winner of the Gr.1 Champions Stakes (2000m) at Flemington under a well-executed James McDonald ride.A dominant winner of the Gr.1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) in autumn, the daughter of Savabeel had run a mighty race when chasing home Pride Of Jenni into second in last week’s Gr.1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m).The six-year-old mare again came from back in the field to defeat Duais by a l...

Not Guilty sheds bridesmaid tag in Pegasus

A three-time stakes placegetter over the last eight months, Not Guilty (NZ) (Not A Single Doubt) took the next step with a brilliant black-type breakthrough in Saturday’s Listed Donaldson Brown Pegasus Stakes (1000m) at Riccarton.The Tony Pike-trained mare had made her stakes debut in the Listed Lightning Handicap (1200m) at Trentham in March, where she ran third and only half a length behind Maria Farina and Shamus. Not Guilty added a close second placing in the Listed Power Turf Sprint ...

Cup favourite impresses in Metropolitan Trophy

Emerging staying star Nest Egg (NZ) (Reliable Man) tightened his hold on favouritism for next weekend’s Gr.3 New Zealand Cup (3200m) with a perfect dress rehearsal on the opening day of the carnival at Riccarton on Saturday.The Stephen Marsh-trained gelding arrived in the South Island as a $6 favourite for the New Zealand Cup next Saturday, and his impressive final lead-up in the Listed Nautical Boat Insurance Metropolitan Trophy (2600m) has slashed that quote to $3.50.Nest Egg was a blac...

Roots dominant in Hot Danish Stakes win

The addition of blinkers on the Chris Waller-trained Roots (Press Statement) in the Gr.2 Hot Danish Stakes (1400m) has proven to be a winning move.After finishing second last in the $2 million The Invitation (1400m) at Randwick last start, a decision was later made to apply blinkers to the well-performed five-year-old mare for Saturday's fillies and mares' feature at Rosehill.With Tommy Berry in the saddle, Roots settled off the pace in the field of seven before leaving her rivals in her wake in...

Oz Recognition for Darci Brahma

Historically, the stock of Darci Brahma (Danehill) was mostly overlooked by Australian buyers for the simple reason that sons of Danehill (Danzig) were a dime-a-dozen in Australia.Nevertheless, the stallion has been ultra consistent as a sire of stakes winners (57). In Australia, his two best performers are dual Group 1 winner Sierra Sue and Australian Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) winner, Gust Of Wind.Through his daughters his influence may be felt for some considerable time and such influence materialise...

Flemington triumph for progressive 3YO Warmonger

Talented three-year-old Warmonger (War Decree x Princess Sapphire) scored a game victory in the Listed TAB Trophy (1800m) at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day for trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr.The Kiwi import is a son of War Decree and sports the colours of OTI Racing who purchased the youngster after a dominant 800m trial victory at Ashburton in April for original trainers Shane Kennedy and Anna Furlong.The progressive gelding has now won two of his three starts for his new connections...

Strong stakes victory for Forgot You

Patience has been rewarded for the connections of the Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained Forgot You (Savabeel x Simply You).The five-year-old entire by Savabeel came with a well-timed run under Blake Shinn to score a comfortable victory in the Listed Furphy Plate (1800m) at Flemington on Tuesday, returning to the winner’s circle for the first time since landing the Gr.2 Moonee Valley Vase (2040m) just over two years ago.Off the scene for the best part of 18 months with a tendon inju...

Stud’s racing stable dominates at Pukekohe

Cambridge Stud and their private trainer Lance Noble celebrated a memorable afternoon at Pukekohe on Tuesday with a clean sweep of the feature events and a winning undercard double.Gifted staying mare Aquacade (Dundeel x Forest Of Seas) claimed the Gr.3 Balmerino Stakes (2050m) before Habana followed her winning lead to triumph in the Listed Fulton Family Stakes (1500m).Their stablemate About Time had started the ball rolling when she landed the NZB Ready to Run Sale Series Maiden (1200m) w...

Mild-mannered Skew Wiff wins Flemington Group Three

Kiwi four-year-old Skew Wiff (Savabeel x Starvoia) displayed her true quality when landing the Gr.3 Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on Tuesday under a tactically perfect Opie Bosson ride.The Mark Walker-trained mare defeated a quality line-up in the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) in her homeland back in September and plans were quickly made to enhance her CV across the Tasman.But her late-scratching in the Gr.2 Rose Of Kingston Stakes (1400m) at Flemington in early October a...

Highview proud to have another Cup contender

Highview will continue its proud history with the Gr.1 Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) when proven distance performer Daqiansweet Junior makes his second appearance in the Flemington feature on Tuesday.While delighted to have another farm graduate in the line-up, the Waikato nursery’s expectations of further success in the time-honoured event are being kept in check.Trained by Phillip Stokes, Daqiansweet Junior is currently an $80 chance and will be partnered by expatriate New Zealand jockey Danie...

Trelawney Stud-bred Pride Of Jenni lands Empire Rose

Bold front-running mare Pride Of Jenni broke her rivals hearts under a daring Declan Bates ride to score a thrilling victory in the Gr.1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday for trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace.Bates admitted to some nerves and indeed some loneliness as he kept the mare rolling along in front by as many as eight lengths before the home turn, comfortably staving off the late challenge of Kiwi bred mares Atishu and Life Lessons, who filled the minor placings...

IFHA and ITBF to work together on breeding matters

The International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) and the International Thoroughbred Breeders’ Federation (ITBF) have announced a new collaboration with an eye toward improving the Thoroughbred industry.Under a recently signed Memorandum of Agreement between the IFHA and the ITBF, the global leaders for Thoroughbred racing and breeding will work together on matters of mutual interest which impact the breeding industry. Through a dedicated working party of senior officials tha...

Meet The Breeder - Rick Williams

Off the back of Burn To Shine's win in the Gr.3 War Decree Stakes at Riccarton Park on Saturday, we catch up with General Manager of The Oaks Stud, Rick Williams in this week's edition of Dunstan Horse Feeds Meet The Breeder.Tell us the history of The Oaks StudIt was West Australian businessman Roy Connell, who purchased the highest performing dairy farm in the Waikato and developed it in the mid-eighties. He might have only just finished building it when the share market crashed, but anyway he ...

Stud celebrates jackpot result with star mare’s family

Recent events at Hallmark Stud have ensured the inclusion of a highly valuable daughter of Proisir in the farm’s draft to New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale in January.The Te Kauwhata operation bred and sold multiple Group One winner Prowess and in the lead-up to her latest victory in the Gr.2 Crystal Mile (1600m) at The Valley last Saturday, they welcomed a sister to the Roger James and Robert Wellwood-trained star.“She will be going to Book One at Karaka next year and she’...

New direction reaps rewards

Around four years ago, the Smithies brothers, Joe and Max, made the decision to alter the business plan for Monovale Holdings in order to be successful in the current thoroughbred market.Part of the plan was downsizing their broodmare band and improving its quality. Enter into the band Applegate(AUS) a stakes winning Exceed and Excel(AUS) mare the dam of the Gr.2 Jamieson Park Soliloquy Stakes winner Impendabelle.Trained by Tony Pike and ridden by Kozzi Asano, Impendabelle was recording her thir...

Alice is off on the trip of a lifetime

Twenty-one-year-old Alice Wilkinson will be winging her way to Ireland in January to attend the internationally acclaimed Irish National Stud Diploma Course.She is the lucky recipient of the 2024 Keith and Faith Taylor Equine Scholarship to the Irish National Stud promoted by the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association (NZTBA).“I am so excited and grateful for this opportunity. I can’t wait to get involved and have a life-changing experience,” Wilkinson enthused.“It’s an amazi...

Burn To Shine displays Guineas credentials with feature victory

Cambridge visitor Burn To Shine (So You Think x Smoulder) threw his name into the mix of serious contenders for the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) next month with a determined effort to take out the Gr.3 War Decree Stakes (1600m) at Riccarton.The Stephen Marsh-trained three-year-old had finished third behind Saturday’s race-rival Lantern Way in the Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) at his last start and turned the tables after enjoying a perfect run in tra...

War Decree lands three winning blows

War Decree ensured Inglewood Stud received plenty of bang for their buck as backers at Riccarton of one of the key lead-ups to the Classics on the track next month.The War Front stallion is resident at Gus and Bianca Wigley’s farm, sponsors of Saturday’s Gr.3 War Decree Stakes (1400m), and made his presence felt with a trio of winners on the undercard.“It was a really good day and the stallion had been threatening to do something like that for a while, so to put it all together on his day ...

Matscot takes Spring Classic at Riccarton

A barnstorming finish carried progressive galloper Matscot (Haradasun x Bewarned) to his biggest career victory when he took out the Listed Sothys Spring Classic (2000m) at Riccarton on Saturday.The six-year-old son of Haradasun has a real penchant for performing on his home track with Saturday’s victory being his fourth at the venue and the most important for trainer Sharon Robertson, who co-bred him and also shares in his ownership.Rider Courtney Barnes gave her charge the perfect trip ...

Prowess makes her mark in Melbourne

High-class New Zealand mare Prowess (Proisir x Donna Marie) put a frustrating early spring behind her in style with a bold Melbourne debut in Saturday’s Gr.2 McCafe Crystal Mile (1600m) at Moonee Valley.The daughter of Proisir was a Group One winner on both sides of the Tasman last season, culminating in a three-length demolition of her rivals in the Gr.1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) in Sydney in late March.That performance prompted her connections to set their spring sights on Saturday’s...

Impendabelle wins dramatic Soliloquy

Classy filly Impendabelle (Impending x Applegate) is now a Group Two winner at the ages of both two and three, surviving a protest to take out a chaotic running of the Jamieson Park Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) at Pukekohe on Saturday.The $175,000 fillies’ feature brought together the majority of the leading contenders for next month’s Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton and was expected to clear up the classic picture. Instead, the race created more questions than it answere...

Wrote To Arataki achieves breeder’s dream result

After raising a family of six boys, Noelene Bishop decided to buy a weanling filly to rear and race as a kind of substitute daughter.That was 15 years ago, and now Bishop is as proud as any grandmother, with the granddaughter of that filly being Wrote To Arataki.Last Saturday the talented five-year-old mare scored her fifth win in the Gr. 2 Tristarc Stakes at Caulfield, off the back of a third placing in the Gr. 2 Rose of Kingston Stakes at Flemington fortnight earlier. In her first appearance f...

Meet The Breeder - Christopher Grace

In this week's Dunstan Horsefeeds Meet The Breeder, we catch up with Christopher Grace who bred Gr.3 Sweynesse Stakes winner Johny Johny and has had a tremendous amount of success over the years.How did you get into thoroughbred breeding?Well, I was a young person at the ripe old age of 16, my father financed me into a mare called Beginner from the Alton Lodge clearing sale by the Fletcher family. I had her for a while and sold one or two horses.Then, at the age of 21 (1962) I bought the top-pri...

Japanese St Leger winner for NZ Oaks heroine

Antipodean mares have again proved their worth in Japan, and the latest high-level success came at Kyoto on Sunday when Durezza, a son of Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) heroine More Than Sacred, powered to a three and a half-length triumph in Sunday’s Gr.1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger).Ridden by Christophe Lemaire for Tomohito Ozeki, the son of Duramente, was in a race of his own over the final 100m.The Satono Crown colt Tastiera, winner of the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby), was second, with ...

Johny Johny weathers the storm in Sweynesse

A wide draw and an energy-sapping fast pace were not enough to stop Johny Johny (Charm Spirit x Galway) in Saturday’s Gr.3 Sweynesse Stakes (1200m) at Te Rapa.The speedy son of Charm Spirit had some factors in his favour leading into the $100,000 weight-for-age feature – including the race’s postponement and relocation from last Sunday at Rotorua, where he had never previously raced in his career. Te Rapa has been a happy hunting ground for Johny Johny in recent weeks, and he has now ...