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Racing unites to mourn death of legendary owner-breeder Hamdan Al Maktoum

Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, one of the most prominent and influential figures in international horseracing for more than four decades, has died at the age of 75. The older brother of Sheikh Mohammed, Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum helped to change the face of the sport in Britain and across the world through his investment in sponsorship, equine property and bloodstock, racing thousands of horses in his blue and white silks, including the likes of champions Nashwan, Salsabil, Dayjur and ...

Verry Elleegant Draws First Blood in Ranvet

Star New Zealand-bred mare Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed) drew first blood against imported galloper Addeybb, with the top-class duo renewing their rivalry of 12 months ago in a stirring finish to the Gr.1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill. In landing her eighth Group One, Verry Elleegant had a length to spare on Addeybb with game pacemaker Angel Of Truth back in third. Prepared by Chris Waller, Verry Elleegant had come up second best in last year’s Ranvet Stakes behind the William Haggas-trained ...

Belle Fascino Headlines Riccarton Double for Marsh

Cambridge conditioner Stephen Marsh enjoyed a successful day at Riccarton on Saturday when honest mare Belle Fascino provided him with the second leg of a race to race double in the feature event on the card, the Gr.3 Valachi Downs South Island Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m). The Marsh-trained Atishu had registered a phenomenal performance thirty minutes earlier when she overcame a rocky start to storm to victory over her age group rivals over 1400m, but it was the seven-year-old Belle ...

Innes Produces Front-Running Gem to Lift Japan Trophy

Leading northern rider Leith Innes produced a front-running masterclass at Tauranga on Saturday as he guided gritty galloper Packing Rockstar to his first stakes victory in the Gr.2 Ultimate Mazda Japan Trophy (1600m). The Fastnet Rock five-year-old has proven a model of consistency since returning to New Zealand following one unsuccessful start in Hong Kong. Now in the care of Lauren Brennan, Packing Rockstar had produced an eye-catching performance to score over 1400m at Ellerslie at his last ...

Fletcher to be inducted into Hall Of Fame

By Dennis RyanOne of the true gentlemen of the thoroughbred world is to be honoured with induction to the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame. Sir James Fletcher, industrialist, philanthropist, thoroughbred breeder, owner and administrator, has been acknowledged for the foresight that transcended his business career into the world of the horse. As the son of a Scottish immigrant father of the same name who founded one of New Zealand’s iconic commercial entities in the first decade of the 20th Cent...

Pearl Series early bird entries nearing close

The early bird entries for the NZB Insurance Pearl Series are set to close on March 31. The lucrative series, administrated by the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders' Association, awards bonuses to nominated fillies and mares who win registered races during their two, three, and four-year-old seasons. Bonuses of almost $2.6 million and prizemoney of nearly $2.8 million are spread across 215 individual races throughout the country. NZB Insurance representative Jim Bruford said the scheme was devel...

Oaks Heroine a New Star for Waikato Stud’s Jacqwin Line

Amarelinha’s superb victory in Saturday’s Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham has breathed new life into a quality family that Waikato Stud bought into almost two decades ago. By all-conquering Waikato Stud stallion Savabeel out of the young O’Reilly mare Hopscotch, Amarelinha was bred by Waikato Stud and went through their Book 1 draft at Karaka 2019, where she was bought by Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis for $300,000. Two years on, Amarelinha has been a standout of her generation i...

Need I Say More Secures Sixth Stakes Success in Guineas

No three-year-old in New Zealand this season has enjoyed as much black-type success as the prolific winner Need I Say More, who added Saturday’s Gr.2 Fusion Electrical Wellington Guineas (1400m) at Trentham to his near-faultless formline. The winner of the Gr.3 Waikato Stud Slipper (1200m) as a juvenile, the classy chestnut has added this season’s Gr.3 Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m), Gr.2 Sarten Memorial (1400m), Gr.3 Almanzor Trophy (1200m), Listed Mufhasa Stakes (1300m) and now Satur...

Stable Pet Makes Amends in Lightning

Less than an hour after lamenting bad luck in one Trentham feature on Saturday afternoon, Johno Benner and Hollie Wynyard struck gold in the next one with stable favourite Grand Mayson. A perennial placegetter with 13 seconds and thirds through his 26-start career, the six-year-old son of Power produced a scintillating late burst to win the Listed Hardy Trade Supply Lightning Handicap (1200m). Just 40 minutes earlier, Benner and Wynyard’s last-start Gr.1 Levin Classic (1600m) winner Bonham ov...

Amarelinha Brilliant in New Zealand Oaks Victory

Talented three-year-old Amarelinha gave her rivals a galloping lesson as she claimed a brilliant victory in the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham. The Jamie Richards-trained Savabeel filly had been expected to dominate proceedings after winning four of her last five starts, but even the best laid plans can come unstuck and that was nearly the case on Saturday. Backers of the $1.60 favourite had their hearts in their mouths as the gates opened with Amarelinha appe...

Coventina Bay Takes Cuddle Stakes Victory After Tough Battle

Progressive galloper Coventina Bay delighted her army of fans when taking out the Gr.3 Wentwood Grange Cuddle Stakes (1600m) on Saturday, but it was a close-run thing in the Trentham feature for the fillies and mares. Sent out a $1.70 favourite for the contest, the Robbie Patterson-trained mare was shooting for back-to-back victories after scoring impressively over 1400m at Matamata last month. Punters were well on terms with themselves throughout the running as regular pilot Sam Collett had Cov...

Waisake Collects Another Trentham Feature

Class prevailed at Trentham on Saturday when last-start Gr.3 Wellington Cup (3200m) winner Waisake collected another feature race at the venue with a gritty victory in the Listed Fasttrack Insurance 5K New Zealand St. Leger (2600m). Unsighted since taking out the Cup in late January with a booming late run, the Allan-Sharrock-trained six-year-old had his normal race tactics turned upside down when apprentice rider Hazel Schofer found herself trapped wide throughout the early stages of the race. ...

Pearl Series Offers Big Thrill

Levante may be a Group One placed Group Two winner but for her owners, winning a NZ Bloodstock Insurance Pearl Series Bonus was a big thrill. The Proisir (AUS) mare won the Royal Descent Stakes at Ellerslie on Auckland Cup day, which also carried a $20,000 Pearl Series Bonus. “It’s a big thrill and that extra $20,000 added to the stake makes a big difference, it’s just lovely to see her back in winning form,” said her part-owner Phillip Brown referring to her missing the start and flying...

Lion Roars the loudest at Randwick

Leading into the Gr.1 Rosehill Guineas this weekend Mount Maunganui based breeder Peter Gillespie is facing a few sleepless nights. He will be wondering how Lion’s Roar – the Contributor colt he bred - will fare given his impressive win recently in the Gr.1 Randwick Guineas (1600m). “It’s the first (Group One winner) I have bred,” Gillespie said. “It was a huge thrill, I couldn’t sleep that night I was so filled with expectation of where we were going next, can he win the Rosehill...

Valachi Downs’ Unreserved Reduction Live on Gavelhouse Plus

In a move to consolidate numbers, prime Waikato-based nursery Valachi Downs is represented by 52 Lots in a stand-alone unreserved reduction auction launched today on Gavelhouse Plus. Buyers must pre-register to bid in this auction with the sale running through until the final countdown from 7pm (NZ) on Friday 26 March. “Kevin and Jo Hickman are refocusing Valachi Downs as a more private and smaller nursery and racing stable with the same goal of producing, selling and racing elite racehorses,�...

McCullum to Headline SEN Launch in NZ

Sports Entertainment Network (SEN) is set to expand into New Zealand announcing plans to acquire 29 TAB NZ AM/FM radio licences and signing former New Zealand Test captain Brendon McCullum as headline talent. SENZ – as it will be known, will become New Zealand’s new Home of Sport and Racing – and aims to be the destination for New Zealand sports fans, with soon-to-be-announced live sports rights to be supported by marquee local programming. McCullum will front and co-host the all-important...

Proisir nomination up for grabs

A service nomination to Proisir is on offer to all New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association members attending the NZTBA Breeders’ Stakes meeting at Te Aroha on Saturday, April 10. Any NZTBA member at Te Aroha will be eligible to enter the prize draw for the nomination and the winner will be the person who draws the first horse past the post in the day’s feature race, the Gr.1 Fibre Fresh - NZ Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m). It is through the generosity of the Proisir Syndica...

#CompleteTheFleet

The New Zealand Horse Ambulance Trust was established in 2016 for the purpose of funding, procuring and operating a national fleet of horse ambulances. The Horse Ambulance Trust is one away from a goal they set back in 2016 to fund and procure ten horse ambulances. The custom made ambulances have a full hydraulic suspension system and are designed to give injured horses the best support for a positive outcome. With the public's help they are fundraising for a final horse ambu...

Battling Billy Causes Minor Upset in Auckland Cup

Rotorua galloper Ocean Billy gave trainer Bill Pomare his biggest thrill on a racecourse when he proved too tough in the concluding stages when taking out Saturday’s Gr.1 Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup (3200m) at Ellerslie. The rugged Ocean Park five-year-old won the Gr.3 Waikato Cup (2400m) back in December to frank his credentials for Saturday’s two-mile classic but had been strangely absent from most of the pre-race discussions before the race. Settled well beyond mid-field by Johnathan ...

Pomare Thinking Ahead with Ocean Billy

While he is still coming to terms with winning the first Group One of his training career, Rotorua’s Bill Pomare knows he could have some big decisions to make with his stable star Ocean Billy. Pomare was enjoying a few quiet moments on Sunday afternoon as he reflected on an amazing journey with the Ocean Park five-year-old that saw him take out the Gr.1 Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup (3200m) at Ellerslie on Saturday. For Pomare, the victory represents the pinnacle of more than twenty-five ye...

Melody Belle Sets Group One Record at Ellerslie

Champion mare Melody Belle created a piece of New Zealand racing history at Ellerslie on Saturday when she strode to victory in the Gr.1 Bonecrusher NZ Stakes (2000m), her fourteenth win at the elite level, to surpass the mighty Sunline for the most Group One wins in the modern era for a New Zealand-trained galloper. The six-year-old daughter of Commands had attracted her share of doubters as to whether she could produce another Group One victory after being beaten at Te Rapa over the same dista...

Bosson Puts Rivals to the Sword in Sistema Stakes

Quality two-year-old Sword Of State and rider Opie Bosson made it a one-horse affair at Ellerslie on Saturday when they blitzed their rivals in the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m). Sent out a dominant $1.60 favourite off the back of a six-length win in the Gr.3 Waikato Stud Slipper (1200m) on his home track at Matamata last time out, the Snitzel colt never gave his rivals a look in, courtesy of a copybook effort from Bosson. Bosson made full use of an inside barrier as he bounced Sword Of State stra...

Business Model Change for Valachi Downs

Matamata thoroughbred nursery Valachi Downs is set to return to a boutique breeding and racing operation following a number of years of growth and business diversification. “Kevin and Jo Hickman are refocusing Valachi Downs as a more private and smaller nursery and racing stable with the same goal of producing, selling and racing elite racehorses,” Valachi Downs’ General Manager Gareth Downey said. The move will see the broodmare band reduced to around 70 with a reduction sale to be offere...

Entriviere Demolition A Consolation for Gray

Kevin Gray didn’t train the winner of the Gr.3 King’s Plate (1200m) at Ellerslie on Sunday, but he still took some comfort from the result, having bred race victor Entriviere. For the second time in the space of a couple of months, the Gray-trained Rock ‘N’ Affair has ventured to the Auckland track and clashed with Entriviere, coming off on the worse side of the ledger on both occasions. Having finished fourth to the lightly-tried daughter of Tavistock in the Gr.3 Concorde Handicap (120...

Rocket Spade Wins Thrilling New Zealand Derby

In a desperate three-way finish to the blue riband Gr.1 Vodafone New Zealand Derby (2400m), it was race favourite Rocket Spade who came out on top at the conclusion of a thrilling contest. The Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott-trained colt had gone into the race off a strong performance to win the Gr.2 Avondale Guineas (2100m) in his final lead-up to Sunday’s feature event at Ellerslie. That run had hinted the son of Fastnet Rock would thrive on the 2400m of the Derby and so it proved as rid...