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Travis Stakes redemption for Val Di Zoldo

Val Di Zoldo’s (War Decree) victory in the Gr.2 Travis Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa on Saturday showed what a difference a year can make.The $150,000 fillies and mares’ feature capped an autumn black-type double for the War Decree mare, who was a last-start winner of the Gr.3 Manawatu Breeders’ Stakes (2050m) at Wanganui on April 5.It could hardly be a more different story to what happened in those same two races 12 months ago. Val Di Zoldo ran fourth in the 2024 edition of the Manawatu Breed...

Gold Cup hero delivers another milestone for Kincaid

Riviera Rebel (Pure Champion) has been a special horse for rookie trainer Brooke Kincaid, who had her first taste of black-type success in Saturday’s Gr.3 Coca-Cola Canterbury Gold Cup (2000m) at Riccarton.Kincaid went into partnership with Riverton trainer Graham Eade at the beginning of this season. Riviera Rebel quickly became her first winner with a Rating 75 victory at Riccarton on August 10, and on Saturday the talented gelding was in the spotlight again as he provided her sixth and...

Loose Sally too strong in Warstep Stakes

Statuesque three-year-old filly Loose Sally (Turn Me Loose) once again showed her liking for tracks with plenty of give in them as she monstered her rivals in the home straight to claim victory in Saturday’s Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Warstep Stakes (2000m) at Riccarton.Trainer Shankar Muniandy brought her north from his Wingatui base for her second crack at a Riccarton three-year-old fillies feature after she finished an unlucky fifth in the Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes (1600m) a fort...

Ardalio completes winning treble for Marsh at Te Rapa

While trainer Stephen Marsh may be away in Hong Kong putting the finishing touches on El Vencedor (Shocking) in his bid to win the Gr.1 QE II Cup (2000m) on Sunday, he enjoyed a red-letter day at Te Rapa on Saturday as promising filly Ardalio (Ardrossan) claimed the Gr.3 Windsor Park Stud Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) to bring up a winning treble for the stable.The three-year-old daughter of Waikato Stud stallion Ardrossan had demonstrated her class when winning the Gr.3 Almanzo...

Royal welcome for record-breaker Auguste Rodin

Multiple Group One winner Auguste Rodin made history during his racing career and Australasian breeders haven’t wasted any time in flocking to the Windsor Park Stud newcomer.His haul of top-flight victories included the English Derby (2400m) and the Irish Derby (2400m) and beat the older horses in the Irish Champion Stakes (2000m) and the Breeders’ Cup Turf (2400m).The Aidan O’Brien-trained son of Deep Impact became the only three-year-old to secure these four championship races in his Cla...

2025 Service Fees announced for Rich Hill’s Four Group One sires

Rich Hill Stud’s Group One stallion roster has enjoyed another stellar year and the farm’s 2025 service fees will reflect that success while also being mindful of the uncertain economic times.Champion sire Proisir will stand at $70,000 + GST, Satono Aladdin at $45,000 + GST, Ace High will be offered at $15,000 + GST and Shocking at $10,000 + GST.“Breeders who have supported Rich Hill stallions over recent seasons have reaped substantial rewards,” Rich Hill Managing Director John Thompson...

Bankers Choice stars with Mornington Cup victory

Versatile Kiwi-bred galloper Bankers Choice (Mongolian Khan) has provided himself with a shot at one of the biggest prizes on the Victorian spring racing calendar with victory in Saturday’s Listed Mornington Cup (2400m).The seven-year-old son of Mongolian Khan provided trainer Glen Thompson with his first solo victory since the shock passing of his co-trainer Mike Moroney when he won his last start at Caulfield.Bankers Choice has often looked a capable stayer and Saturday’s victory was ...

Jimmysstar brilliant in All Aged triumph

Former Kiwi galloper Jimmysstar (Per Incanto) has stamped himself as one of the most exciting sprinters in Australia with a brilliant victory in the Gr.1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday.The Ciaron Maher-trained five-year-old was given a masterful ride by Ethan Brown, tracking Broadsiding midfield on the fence throughout before patiently waiting for the gaps to appear.When the son of Per Incanto found clear air, the acceleration was instant as he ran out a ready winner from J...

Doctor Askar adds Easter to stunning sequence

Saturday’s Gr.3 Manco Easter Handicap (1600m) at Ellerslie capped a rapid and popular rise to stardom for Waverley visitor Doctor Askar (Derryn).The time-honoured $150,000 feature was the fifth win in a row for the Derryn gelding, who has now earned $271,145 from a 15-start, six-win career. Doctor Askar is trained by his owner-breeder Joanne Moss, who named him after a Waikato Hospital doctor who she credits with saving her son’s life.The equine Doctor Askar took nine starts to win his first...

Marsh reaches milestone in Championship Stakes thriller

Kiwi Skyhawk’s (Contributer) last-gasp thriller in the Gr.3 Trelawney Stud Championship Stakes (2100m) at Ellerslie on Saturday delivered a milestone result for his trainer Stephen Marsh.Having also won the Listed Skycity Star Way Stakes (1200m) with unbeaten two-year-old Little Black Dress earlier on the Ellerslie card, New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing statistics now credit Marsh with 97 wins at Group or Listed level in New Zealand.He has also won three in Australia – the Gr.1 Australia...

LA announces fees for newcomer and stud stalwart

Little Avondale Stud created a slice of New Zealand racing history when they successfully brokered a deal to stand Little Brose at their Wairarapa farm.Principals Sam and Catriona Wiliams pulled off a breeding coup with the high-class colt, the first ever Australian Group One-winning two-year-old over 1200m to debut at stud in this country.He will stand his first season in 2025 at $15,000 + GST alongside his sire and stud stalwart Per Incanto, who off the back of a stellar season will serve a li...

Mature Mehzebeen adds to stakes collection

Time was always going to benefit Mehzebeen (Almanzor) and the Almanzor mare continues to emphasise that in her five-year-old season.She was bred and sold by Pencarrow Stud and at Trentham furthered her black-type record with victory in the Listed Hawke’s Bay Cup (2200m) for trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson.Mehzebeen had also completed the Listed Metropolitan Trophy (2600m) and Gr.3 New Zealand Cup (3200m) double in the spring to realise the earlier staying potential she showed when runne...

Mehzebeen takes Hawke’s Bay Cup

A brilliant rails hugging ride by apprentice Lily Sutherland combined with the never-say-die attitude of progressive stayer Mehzebeen (Almanzor) proved the key to the finish of a thrilling running of the Listed Valley D’Vine Restaurant Hawke’s Bay Cup (2200m) at Trentham.The Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson-prepared five-year-old mare certainly enjoys the scenery at Trentham having placed at her only two appearances there prior to Saturday including finishing second to Pennyweka in the 202...

Sergeant Major strikes winning blow at Randwick

Former Kiwi Sergeant Major (Proisir) recorded a strong victory in the Listed South Pacific Classic (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday as the three-year-old son of Proisir made a deserved Australian breakthrough.Racing for a syndicate headed by Ozzie Kheir, the Ciaron Maher trained galloper raced prominently throughout and defeated ownership-mate Nostringsattached by just under a half-length.Ridden by Ethan Brown, Sergeant Major sat to the inside of the leader a half-length adrift throughout in...

LA Stud colt delivers spectacular anniversary present

The stars in Sydney were all in alignment for Little Avondale Stud to celebrate a record auction result during the second session of the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.Sam and Catriona Williams’ Masterton nursery had high hopes on Monday for their son of Zoustar and Belluci Babe, a daughter of resident sire Per Incanto, and he surpassed all expectations.The dam is a three-quarter sister to Little Avondale graduate Evaporate whose timely emergence further boosted the profile of her firs...

Trelawney trio shine at Inglis Easter

Trelawney Stud were quietly confident they had taken the right trio of yearlings across to the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale in Sydney this week and that was reflected with some outstanding results. The Cambridge nursery were in the spotlight early in the first session, with Lot 20, their regally-bred colt by Per Incanto, reaching $650,000 to the bid of Yulong Investments. The result was the highest-priced yearling by Little Avondale Stud’s star sire, with the pedigree of the col...

Kiwi Chronicles - Eyes on Australia

As recently as March 25 this column discussed the results from the only two studs in the lower half of New Zealand’s North Island, Grangewilliam Stud in Waitotara and Little Avondale Stud in Masterton and the same two studs provided two of the stakes winners on day one of The Championships at Randwick .Evaporate (Per Incanto) improved on his top rate second in the NZB Kiwi (Listed, 1500m) a month ago in a one-race raid. Back in Australia for the Carbine Club Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m) he was far too...

Rich Hill in awe of sensational Derby winner

Rich Hill Stud principal John Thompson is no stranger to success on Australia’s biggest stage, but even he watched in awe as the filly he co-bred in Aeliana (Castelvecchio) stormed away with Saturday’s $2 million Gr.1 Australian Derby (2400m).A bridesmaid in each of the Gr.1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) and Gr.1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m), Aeliana had proven she was right up with the boys and they were no match as she stepped over a mile and a half for the first time, capitalising off a perfe...

Aeliana blitzes the boys in Australian Derby

New Zealand-bred filly Aeliana (Castelvecchio) secured a special place in the 164-year history of the Gr.1 Australian Derby (2400m) with a stunning five-length blitz in the A$2 million classic at Randwick on Saturday.Aeliana became only the 10th filly to win the Australian Derby, and one of just two in the last 35 years. The other filly to win the race during that period was fellow New Zealand-bred Shamrocker in 2011.The Chris Waller-trained Aeliana burst on the scene in the spring with bac...

New Zealand-breds deliver back-to-back Easter Cups for Preusker

For the second year in a row, Horsham trainer Paul Preusker has won the A$200,000 Gr.3 Tobin Brothers Celebrating Lives Easter Cup (2000m) at Caulfield with a New Zealand-bred.Preusker won the race with Savabeel gelding Captain Envious last year, and on Saturday he secured a repeat result with Tarzino five-year-old Torranzino.The Easter Cup was Torranzino’s third start in his current preparation, having run a bold first-up fourth behind Deny Knowledge in the Listed Victoria Gold Cup (2000m) in...

Val Di Zoldo takes Breeders’ Stakes in desperate finish

Cambridge mare Val Di Zoldo (War Decree) bounced backed to winning form after a lengthy hiatus away from the top step of the podium as she took out the Gr.3 Intowin.co.nz Manawatu Breeders’ Stakes (2050m) in a desperate finish at Wanganui.The Tony Pike-prepared daughter of War Decree had looked a filly of real quality during her two and three-year-old campaigns that saw her take out the Gr.2 Lowland Stakes (2100m) amongst a number of fine performances.However, it had been over two years s...

Belle Detelle a chance to follow in Verry Elleegant’s footsteps

A determined win in Saturday’s A$250,000 Group Three TAB Adrian Knox Stakes (2000m) at Randwick may have earned Belle Detelle (Zed) an opportunity to follow in the footsteps of a close relative.Belle Detelle is a three-quarter-sister to the great Verry Elleegant, who won the Gr.1 Australian Oaks (2400m) at Randwick in 2019. That was the second of 11 wins at Group One level for the Kiwi-bred star, who was trained for most of her Australian career by Chris Waller.Waller is also the trainer ...

NZB Kiwi runner-up strikes at The Championships

The form out of New Zealand’s newest and richest race stood tall on one of Australia’s biggest stages when Evaporate (Per Incanto) won the Gr.3 HKJC World Pool Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) on the opening day of The Championships at Randwick on Saturday.Evaporate’s last start was in the inaugural $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) at Ellerslie on March 8, where he was a gallant runner-up behind Te Akau Racing filly Damask Rose.The Ben, Will and JD Hayes-trained Evaporate had previously been a top...

Six-time Group One winner to stand at Windsor Park

Six-time Group One winner Auguste Rodin will shuttle to Windsor Park Stud in Cambridge this spring in a coup for the New Zealand breeding industry.One of the world’s finest racehorses, Auguste Rodin enjoyed elite-level success at two, three and four.An impeccably-bred son of Deep Impact out of Galileo’s triple Group One winning daughter Rhododendron, Auguste Rodin boasts one of the most sought-after pedigrees in the world.Trained by Aidan O’Brien, Auguste Rodin made an immediate impact on ...

Lekvarte salutes in Emancipation

Quality six-year-old mare Lekvarte (Reliable Man) recorded a hard-fought Group Two victory when landing the Emancipation Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill on Tuesday.The Joe Pride-trained mare was previously a three-time winner at Group Three level and narrowly prevailed from favourite Lazzura who was held up before making late-ground to finish second.  A ten time winner, Lekvarte’s best form had been on firmer ground than the heavy8 presented on Tuesday, and she had previously been unplace...