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Kovalica all class in Queensland Guineas triumph

The Chris Waller-trained Kovalica further enhanced his Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m) claims with an arrogant performance to win the Gr.2 Queensland Guineas (1600m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.The son of Ocean Park was posted three-deep throughout but clicked into gear late under Nash Rawiller to get the better of Perfect Thought and The Vowels.Raced by proud Queenslander Neville Morgan and David Devine, the Derby in the Sunshine State has long been on the cards for the high-class three-year-old.Th...

Courageous Affaire A Suivre wins Australasian Oaks

Game filly Affaire A Suivre has overcome a horror draw to take out the Gr.1 Australasian Oaks (2000m) at Morphettville on Saturday for trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace.After drawing the widest barrier in a final field of 16,  the New Zealand-bred daughter of Astern was made to earn it the hard way but was still too strong on the line for Western Australian visitor She's Fit ($8) with stablemate to the winner Jennilala ($8.50) a further length back in third place.Maher has had an opin...

Denby Road delivers in Breeders’ Stakes

Commentator George Simon will be the first to admit he didn’t cover himself in glory in the final stages of his call on the Gr.3 Inglis Sales Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m), but he had good reason as Denby Road, the horse that he and wife Maryanne bred and race, saluted in the Group Three feature.The giant three-year-old son of Shamexpress, who stands over 17 hands high, was having his first start since finishing midfield in the Gr.2 Waikato Guineas (2000m) back in February and paraded i...

Gallant Dunwoody lands St Leger

Three-year-old gelding Dunwoody called upon all his staying reserves as he lead from barrier to box under in-form rider Jordan Childs to land the Listed VRC St Leger (3000m) at Sandown on Saturday as the $61 outsider of the field.Trainer Matt Cumani agreed the win in the $300,000 race came as something of a shock, but said he went into the race with a plan to be in front shortly after the start with the son of Preferment and hopefully still be there at the finish.“It was of course a bit of sur...

Whelan to continue his flying thoroughbred start

Mitchell Whelan can’t wait to pack his bags and head offshore this winter to add further overseas experience to his resume.The 23-year-old is still coming down to earth after being named in the latest intake of trainees for the prestigious two-year Godolphin Flying Start Thoroughbred Industry Management and Leadership Program.“I’m just rapt, it’s pretty awesome and I’m still letting it sink in a wee bit to be honest,” he said.The Flying Start class of 2023/25 also features trainees f...

Hall of Fame to benefit from high-quality stallion nominations

Three stallion service nominations, including one to headlining shuttle sire Satono Aladdin, have been donated for auction at the 2023 New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame Inductee Dinner in Hamilton on Sunday, May 7.Since the inaugural NZRHOF dinner in 2006, 37 horses from racehorses to stallions and broodmares, and 47 people – including trainers, jockeys, owners, breeders and administrators – have been inducted to the elite list that honours New Zealand’s highest achievers in the thoroughbred...

Changing of guard at The Oaks Stud

As one door has closed at The Oaks Stud with the retirement from commercial duty of farm stalwart Darci Brahma another has remained wide open with U S Navy Flag to return to the Cambridge nursery.Danehill’s son Darci Brahma has successfully led the lineup at the Dick Karreman-owned operation with a stallion career to compliment his glittering record on the track, which featured Group One victories as a two, three and four-year-old.At the other end of the scale, former crack European short cour...

Breeder's faith in filly justified

Waikato equestrian Colette Hosking may not be breeding horses any longer, but she has achieved something every breeder aspires to and that is breed a stakes winner.Born in England Hosking moved to New Zealand with family when she was 14, and although she had learnt to ride as a youngster it was here that she got her first pony. From there she progressed from pony club, to show jumping, eventing and dressage.She has worked with a variety of breeds of horses and also spent time at Curraghmore Stud...

White Robe’s Ghibellines heads unchanged fee roster

White Robe Lodge resident stallion Ghibellines has made his mark on the biggest stage in Australia this season and, combined with excellent domestic results, the well-bred stallion continues to do the Mosgiel operation proud.Ghibellines’ son Smokin’ Romans has been his leading performer following his Gr.1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) victory during the Melbourne spring carnival while at home Live Drama claimed the Gr.3 South Island Breeders’ Stakes (1600m).He has also been represented by Group ...

NZTR announce Welfare and Finance leadership appointments

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) has announced the appointment of two integral business unit positions, Head of Thoroughbred Welfare and Sustainability and Head of Finance.Current New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association chief executive Justine Sclater will take up the position of Head of Thoroughbred Welfare and Sustainability, while Rowan Cramond will take on the Head of Finance role.Sclater brings extensive industry knowledge to the role and her pre-existing relationships in bot...

Highview’s 2023 Stallion Fees Set

Highview have set their fees for the 2023 breeding season. New recruit Divine Prophet, a Group One-winning full brother to dominant New Zealand sire Proisir, takes top billing at $13,500 +GST. Divine Prophet was a high class two-year-old, placing third in the G1 ATC Champagne Stakes. He then came back the following spring to win the G3 ATC Up and Coming Stakes first up, in Chautauqua like style, and then the race every three-year-old is aimed for, the G1 MRC Caulfield Guineas...

Waikato Stud announces 2023 stallion roster

Leading New Zealand thoroughbred nursery Waikato Stud are looking forward to the 2023 breeding season where their stallion roster will once again be headed by eight-time New Zealand Champion Sire Savabeel.Prudent selection and long-term investment in both mares and stallions has led Waikato Stud to the position it enjoys today, including a golden run over the Sydney Autumn Carnival.Waikato Stud-bred and owned I Wish I Win scorch up the Randwick straight to bring home the Gr.1 TJ Smith Stakes (12...

Contributer headlines Mapperley Stud’s 2023 stallion roster

Mapperley Stud has announced their service fees for the 2023 season with their Dual Group One-winning son of High Chaparral, Contributer, headlining their roster at a fee of $18,000+GST.A proven Group One producing sire, Contributer has had a marvellous season on the racetrack emphasised by his exceptional stakes winners and stakes performers to runners strike rate.From only 38 runners to the track this season, he has produced five individual stakes winners and nine stakes horses. A stallio...

Team Tyler take Warstep Stakes with She’s A Con

Last start winner She’s A Con proved her maiden victory at Riverton was no fluke when she stepped up her game to claim the Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Warstep Stakes (2000m) at Riccarton in a thrilling finish with northern raider Luella Cristina.The Contributer filly had relished the 1600m journey at Riverton and the extra 400m of Saturday’s black-type contest also played in her favour as she found plenty in the final stages to down a gallant Luella Cristina after the pair went to war for ...

McNab dominates at Pukekohe

Defending New Zealand Champion Jockey titleholder Michael McNab, who currently sits atop the National premiership ladder with 124 victories for the season, showed all his undoubted class when he dominated the three feature events at Pukekohe on Saturday.After earlier taking out the Listed Staphanos At Novara Park Champagne Stakes (1600m) aboard Loch Katrine followed by the Gr.3 Trelawney Stud Championship Stakes (2100m) on Cheval D’Or, McNab made it three from three in the black type races on ...

Champagne all around for Loch Katrine

Lightly raced filly Loch Katrine lived up to her breeding when she scampered through the heavy conditions at Pukekohe to break her maiden status in the Lised Staphanos at Novara Park Champagne Stakes (1600m).Having been placed at her first two starts the Daniel Miller-trained daughter of Ardrossan went into the race as one of the well fancied candidates and when the rain came overnight, which saw a resulting Heavy10 surface for the day, the deeds of her well-performed dam Cong’er helped sway p...

Cheval D’Or takes out three-year-old feature at Pukekohe

In a race affected by the late scratching of pre-post favourite Desert Lightning due to the downgrade of the track to a Heavy 10 earlier in the day, it was consistent filly Cheval D’Or who mastered the testing conditions to take out the Gr.3 Trelawney Stud Championship Stakes (2100m) at Pukekohe.The half-sister to multiple Group One winning sprinter Bostonian, who had finished in the first four in all of her previous five starts without notching up a win, came in for some inspired late support...

MacGregor and Times Ticking at it again at Riccarton

The combination of trainer Alby MacGregor, jockey Jacob Lowry and warhorse Times Ticking proved once again that Riccarton is their happy hunting ground when they combined to win the feature race of the day, the Gr.3 Coca Cola Canterbury Gold Cup (2000m).The trio had taken out the main lead-up event to the weight-for-age contest seven days earlier when successful in the Listed Avon City Ford Easter Cup (1600m), although MacGregor wasn’t on course to cheer his champ home, preferring to do that f...

Sir Patrick Hogan Unreserved Dispersal live

The unreserved dispersal of the late Sir Patrick Hogan’s bloodstock is now live on Gavelhouse Plus with weanlings, yearlings, racing propositions and broodmares making up the 31 Lot catalogue.The stock on offer represents carefully curated matings that span across multiple generations of Sir Patrick’s legacy with opportunities aplenty for both pinhookers and end users looking to strengthen their broodmare bands.They have been meticulously raised and cared for by the Monarch Farm team with pa...

Proisir filly tops NZB National Online Sale

Buyer demand for local proven and freshman sires was evident throughout New Zealand Bloodstock’s 2023 National Online Yearling Sale on Gavelhouse Plus, which closed on Wednesday night.Rich Hill Stud stallion Proisir’s star continued to shine, topping the sale when lot 39, a filly by the sire out of Khaseeb, was secured by trainer Johno Benner for $110,000 on behalf of Gary Harding.“She is a quality filly, Proisir can do no wrong and we wanted her, and that was that,” said Benner, who tra...

Port Adelaide Guineas winner for Ainsley Downs

A text message from Bloodstock Agent Paul Willetts was the first inkling that Ainsley Downs Stud owners Courtney and Mandy Howells that Affaire A Suivre (Astern [AUS] – Laurelling [USA]), a filly they had bred, had won the Listed Port Adelaide Guineas (1800m) at Morphettville.“I have to admit that I hadn’t picked up that she was racing until I got a text from Paul Willetts congratulating us,” said a delighted Courtney Howells. “I had to go and have a look at the race, it was quite emph...

Meet the Breeder - Joan Egan

This week in Dunstan Meet The Breeder we talk to Joan Egan. As well as being a Group One breeder, Joan is a big supporter of the New Zealand breeding and racing industry.How did you get into thoroughbred breeding?It was quite by accident. We will living at Clevedon at the time and Brian and Sandra Townsend lived down the road from us and I had a riding horse, I was still doing dressage at that stage but having awful trouble with artificial hips and things like that which are not good for riding ...

Rich Hill releases 2023 service fees

Two of Australasia’s most anticipated stallion service fees have been announced with 2023 prices locked in for Champion Sire in waiting Proisir and his high-profile barn mate Satono Aladdin along with associate sires Ace High, Shocking and Vadamos.It has been an outstanding 2022/23 for the Rich Hill roster as Proisir, Satono Aladdin, Shocking and Vadamos have between them sired 10 individual Group One winners of 14 elite level races on the major racetracks of Australasia.Headline act Proisir c...

Miss Layla upsets favourites in Airfreight Stakes

Lightly raced filly Miss Layla (Burgundy x La Etoile) produced a dogged performance to upstage the pre-post favourites when she claimed the Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes (1600m) at Riccarton at just her third lifetime start.The three-year-old daughter of Burgundy and former top racemare La Etoile had looked good winning in maiden company at Ashburton over 1400m earlier in the month but wasn’t expected to trouble some of the more fancied fillies in her first start in stakes company.Nobody told M...

MacGregor off the couch cheering his pride and joy at Riccarton.

While he may not have been on-course to cheer home his pride and joy Times Ticking (Tavistock x Laoghaire) at Riccarton, trainer Alby MacGregor still made plenty of noise in his lounge at home in Opaki.MacGregor sent versatile galloper Times Ticking south with son Dean and the pair covered themselves in glory as the seven-year-old gelding produced a timely finish to take out the Listed Avon City Ford Easter Cup (1600m) at Riccarton.Times Ticking enjoyed a comfortable trip in transit for rider Ja...