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Back-to-back Group Ones for mighty Militarize

Two weeks after his explosive arrival on the Group One stage, Militarize (NZ) returned to Randwick on Saturday and went back-to-back – this time with a very different kind of performance in the Gr.1 Moet & Chandon Champagne Stakes (1600m).Unplaced after striking severe interference in last month’s Gr.1 Golden Slipper (1200m), the New Zealand-bred colt stepped up to the big time with a powerhouse three-length win in the Gr.1 Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) on the opening day of Randwickâ€...

Osipenko picks up Frank Packer Plate consolation

An easy win in Saturday’s Gr.3 Toyota Forklifts Frank Packer Plate (2000m) at Randwick has gone some way towards turning the autumn around for Osipenko (Pierro x Raskova), whose connections are still wondering what might have been in last month’s Gr.1 Randwick Guineas (1600m).The classy son of Pierro placed in the Gr.1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) in the spring, and a superb win in the Gr.2 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) in February hinted at even bigger and better things to come over the following...

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...

Potent combination lands another winning blow with Aromatic

Ideal placement by Mark Walker and a perfect ride from Opie Bosson at Awapuni on Friday paved the way for Aromatic (Sacred Falls x Vickezzchardonnay) to comfortably add further stakes success to her record.The Matamata trainer sent the six-year-old south for the Gr.3 Martin Collins NZ Manawatu Breeders’ Stakes (2000m) and in the skilled hands of Bosson the mare proved a class above her rivals.It completed another successful day for the Te Akau stable, who had earlier triumphed with Accidental ...

Taimate, diversification at its finest

Since 1905, the Hickman family have farmed a 168-ha parcel of land known as Taimate on State Highway 1 just outside of Blenheim.Renowned for producing high quality Angus cattle stud stock and premium Sauvignon Blanc grapes, a chance meeting with well-known thoroughbred enthusiast, and driving force behind the establishment of the NZ Racing Hall of Fame, the late-Chris Luoni, saw brothers John, Paul, and David and the ‘Taimate’ brand expand into thoroughbred breeding. Thoroughbred racing is n...

Sir Patrick Hogan Unreserved Dispersal Sale launches next week

Sir Patrick Hogan Unreserved Dispersal Sale launches next weekBuyers will have the opportunity to continue the legacy of iconic breeder Sir Patrick Hogan with the unreserved dispersal of the Cambridge Stud founder’s stock on Gavelhouse Plus.Weanlings, yearlings, some racing propositions and broodmares comprise the 31 strong catalogue that will launch at the conclusion of the NZB National Online Yearling Sale, which closes from 6pm (NZT) on Wednesday 19 April.Among the young stock are opportuni...

Belclare gives breeder first Group One win

Right now in Opaki a small settlement just north of Masterton, there are two recent Group One winners enjoying some fresh autumn grass.The dual Oaks winner Pennyweka (Satono Aladdin x Threepence) arrived home to Ardsley Stud on Monday and on Tuesday Belclare (Per Incanto x Miss Rhythmic), the winner of the Gr.1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes, returned to the property of her breeder and part-owner David Woodhouse.Opaki is a relatively small area of around 33 square kilometres which f...

Divine Prophet to stand at Highview Stud

Highview Stud has welcomed a further addition to their stallion ranks, with Divine Prophet set to stand at the Waikato farm this coming breeding season.The Group One-winning son of Choisir is a full-brother to in vogue sire Proisir and Highview Stud principal Brent Gillovic believes he will prove popular with New Zealand breeders.Divine Prophet won three of his 10 starts for trainers Michael, Wayne and John Hawkes, including the Gr.1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) and Gr.3 Up & Coming Stakes (130...

Santos to stand at Highview Stud

Exciting Group producing first season sire, Santos, will relocate from Aquis Farm in Queensland to Highview Stud in New Zealand.A son of Champion Sire I Am Invincible, Santos is already the sire of high-class New Zealand two-year-old filly Ulanova. A brilliant winner on debut before dominating the Gr.3 Taranaki 2YO Classic (1200m) – by a massive 7 lengths. The Stephen Marsh-trained filly then rounded out her preparation finishing runner-up in the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) last month, and is ...

Memorable winning double for Devcich

Patience is a virtue Tony Devcich has in spades and the Cambridge-based horseman’s approach was handsomely rewarded at Pukekohe Park.He only has two horses in work and his lightly raced six-year-olds Singing Sun and Pow Wow came up trumps on Saturday with their respective victories in the Barfoot & Thompson Handicap (1200m) and the Mount Shop Handicap (1600m).A former international polo player who rubbed shoulders with the rich and famous, Devcich also had the added satisfaction of breedin...

Asathought goes one better in Riverton Cup

Last year’s runner-up Asathought (So You Think x Asavant) avenged her narrow defeat in the Listed Carriers Arms Hotel Riverton Cup (2147m) when she produced a dogged finish to claim the 2023 version of the traditional Riverton Easter weekend feature.Unsighted since finishing amongst the back markers in the Gr.3 Wellington Cup (3200m) in January, the Lisa Vaughan-trained six-year-old thrived on the Heavy8 rated surface in the hands of regular pilot Corey Campbell.Campbell bided his time in midf...

Belclare signs off summer campaign with stunning Group One win

Underrated mare Belclare (Per Incanto x Miss Rhythmic) will head to the paddock with the title of Group One winner now firmly attached to her career record after blitzing her rivals in the Gr.1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) at Pukekohe.The Lisa Latta-trained runner had finished well back in the Gr.3 Cuddle Stakes (1600m) at Trentham last start, but Latta put that down to the tricky Slow 7 track that day.Back on a Good 4 surface for the last Group One event of the New Zealan...

Jack explodes in Sydney Cup

Five-year-old gelding Explosive Jack (Jakkalberry x Extra Explosive) lived up to his name as the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained stayer unleashed a devastating turn of foot to land the Gr.1 Sydney Cup (3200m) at Randwick on Saturday.The son of Jakkalberry won a trio of Derbys in his three-year-old season, with victory in the Listed Tasmanian Derby (2200m) a pre-cursor to triumphs in the Gr.1 Australian Derby (2400m) and Gr.1 South Australian Derby (2500m).The smart stayer had gone nine ra...

Atishu proves she’s Queen of the Turf

Bonny mare Atishu (Savabeel x Posy) ran out a dominant winner of the Gr.1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) under a perfect Nash Rawiller ride, to land a richly-deserved first Group One victory. The five-year-old daughter of Savabeel had been luckless when second in the Gr.2 Emancipation Stakes (1500m) first-up and peaked on Saturday as she embellished an already strong record. The winner of eight of her 30-starts, Atishu, who sports the colours of syndicator Go Racing for trainer Chris Waller, d...

Pennyweka dominant in Australian Oaks

The Jim Wallace-trained Pennyweka (Satono Aladdin x Threepence) stamped herself as a superior stayer when she scored a comfortable 1¾ length victory in the Gr.1 Australian Oaks (2400m) at Randwick on Saturday. The daughter of Satono Aladdin won the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) last month in emphatic fashion and despite sitting three-wide throughout, powered away from her rivals to win the Australian Oaks under Damian Lane. New Zealand bred horses have been the dominant force at The Championshi...

A weekend to celebrate

By Andrew Birch, NZTMNew Zealand-bred horses dominated the first day of The Championships at Randwick in Sydney, winning all four Group One races, giving rise to an outpouring of pride from the New Zealand breeding fraternity. Kiwi-bred two-year-old Militarize (NZ) was first to strike a blow, winning the Gr.1 Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) in a canter under Joao Moreira.Bred by Jonathan Munz’ GSA Bloodstock, the Dundeel colt out of imported mare Amerindia was born and raised at the Chitt...

Curtain set to come down on Levante’s star-studded career

On the eve of her final raceday appearance, it has been announced that four-time Group One winner Levante (Proisir) will go up for auction at next month’s Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.The Ken and Bev Kelso-trained mare gets her last chance to add an Australian Group One win to her record in Saturday’s Gr.1 Queen of the Turf Stakes (1600m) at Randwick.Her 12 wins from 22 starts include back-to-back wins in the Gr.1 Telegraph (1200m) as well as the Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m) and t...

Sunline Management Scholarship - Dorian Kos blog

Hello from Coolmore in Ireland!I have now been here for just over a month and it is time for me to update you on my travels and what I have been up to.The first thing I noticed when landing at Dublin Airport was how cold it was. I left 25-degree weather in Auckland and landed in 2-degree weather in Ireland, but at least it was dry. We had some good sunny weather for the first couple of weeks, but then the next few weeks have just been constant rain and even some snow, which was pretty crazy to s...

Filly of firsts rewards Rotorua breeders

Group One winning filly Pignan (Staphanos [JPN] - Hirondelle) came about as a result of a speculative buy on gavelhouse.com and a service nomination donated as part of a race sponsorship.The impressive upset winner of the Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes was bred by Rotorua couple Andrew Burton and his wife Linda Hunt.The couple had made the decision to upgrade their broodmares when they purchased a Sepoy (AUS) mare bred by Pencarrow Stud off gavelhouse.com.  The mare was unraced but f...

Press Statement to Novara Park

Group One-winning stallion Press Statement will stand at Novara Park, near Cambridge, this coming breeding season.Trained by Chris Waller, Press Statement was undefeated as a two-year-old, winning all three of his juvenile starts, including the Gr.1 J.J. Atkins Stakes (1600m).Press Statement returned after a brief break in the spring to win the Gr.2 Stan Fox Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill before stamping his authority over Australia’s best three year-olds in the Gr.1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m).His ...

Haunui celebrate juvenile Group One success

Plenty of New Zealand’s thoroughbred nurseries were celebrating the elite-level success of their graduates at Randwick on Saturday and Haunui Farm were firmly in the mix.The South Auckland farm has enjoyed a long association with Jonathan Munz of GSA Bloodstock, with Saturday’s Gr.1 Inglis Sires’ (1400m) winner Militarize being a product of the partnership.“We have got a good relationship with Dean Hawthorne, Johnathan Munz’s bloodstock manager, so we have been fortunate to be the home...

New Group winner for Proisir

Lightly raced stayer Arby (Proisir x Reiveke) continued a purple patch of form for the father and daughter training combination of Darryn and Briar Weatherley when he stormed to victory in the Gr.3 Higgins Concrete Manawatu Classic (2000m).The son of Rich Hill Stud stallion Proisir, Arby had won his maiden over 1600m at Pukekohe two starts back before finishing off strongly for sixth in the Gr.1 Levin Classic (1600m) at Trentham a fortnight ago.Settled near the rear of the field on Saturday by r...

Tavattack provides double for Sharrock and Grylls

A no panic ride from Craig Grylls paved the way for promising galloper Tavattack (Tavistock x Miss Aurora) to claim his first win at stakes level when he took out the Listed Bramco Granite & Marble Flying Handicap (1400m) at Awapuni.The lightly raced six-year-old son of Tavistock has proven a model of consistency with five wins from just 20 starts and made it victory number six in fine style as he dashed through one off the fence in the home straight for Grylls after settling near the rear i...

Explosive Sires’ win for Militarize

Lightly raced New Zealand-bred colt Militarize (Dundeel x Amerindia) stepped up to the big time in spectacular style at Randwick on Saturday with a runaway victory in the A$1 million Gr.1 Inglis Sires’ (1400m).The son of Dundeel had begun his career with a debut win at Canterbury on February 1, which he followed up with a third in the Gr.2 Todman Stakes (1200m) and an unplaced finish after striking severe interference in the Gr.1 Golden Slipper (1200m).Militarize went to a whole new level in h...