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Waikato breeder Strykes stakes success

She may have been a gangly weak foal that was unwanted as a yearling, but now Danger Strykes (Astern[AUS]-She Is Stryking[AUS]) is a stakes winning two-year-old following her win in the Listed Castletown Stakes (1200m). “We couldn’t sell her as a yearling, no one wanted her,” Di McDonald, who bred the filly in partnership with Guy Mulcaster, said. “So I am pleased for the syndicate that bought her and am delighted to have bred a stakes winner.” By Darley sire Astern (Medaglia d’Oro[U...

Full book for Contributer

Mapperley Stud has announced their exciting young stallion Contributer is fully booked for the 2021 breeding season. Following a satisfying year on the track and success in the sales ring, his service fee was increased from $10,000+GST to $22,000+GST this year.  His progeny’s success was headlined by Lion’s Roar, who won the Gr.1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) and placed in the Gr.1 Australian Derby (2400m) over the Sydney Autumn Carnival. Llanacord was another exciting talent to emerge from ...

Weanling Walk Tour

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Ancient Spirit to stand at White Robe Lodge

Brian and Lorraine Anderton’s White Robe Lodge will welcome the addition of Ancient Spirit to their stallion roster this coming breeding season. A multiple Group Two winning son of Invincible Spirit, Ancient Spirit was the champion three-year-old miler in both Italy and Germany in 2018. The handsome bay will arrive at the North Taieri property in the coming weeks. By champion sire Invincible Spirit, from the two-time winning Galileo mare Assisi, Ancient Spirit was bred by famed German breeder...

Vale Twink Allen

New Zealand-born equine reproduction expert Professor William 'Twink' Allen has passed away aged 80 after a short illness. Allen had been a well-known figure in England’s thoroughbred hub, Newmarket, for many years and is the father of Catherine Dettori, wife of jockey Frankie. A graduate of veterinary medicine from the University of Sydney, he was a director of the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association Equine Fertility Unit, a professor at the University of Cambridge and held numerous other rese...

Novara Park announce service fees

Off the back of a strong season on the track in Australasia, Novara Park stallion Sweynesse’s service fee will rise to $9,000+GST for the forthcoming breeding season. Sweynesse was New Zealand’s leading first season sire on stakes-winners, winners, and earnings for the 2019-2020 season, and his progeny have continued to excel at the top level. In New Zealand, Brix provided Sweynesse with another two-year-old stakes-winner when taking out the Listed Fasttrack Insurance St...

Racing Integrity Board members announced

The new Racing Integrity Board will be up and running from July 1 to ensure high standards of animal welfare, integrity and professionalism in the racing industry. Racing Minister Grant Robertson today announced the appointments to the new Board: ·         Sir Bruce Robertson KNZM – Chair ·         Kristy McDonald ONZM QC ·         Penelope Mudford ONZM ·&n...

NZTBA represents breeders in Climate Action Partnership

The NZTBA have been active working with He Waka Eke Noa (Primary Sector Climate Action Partnership) to discuss how the thoroughbred industry will be affected by the five-year programme to reduce emissions and build resilience to climate change. Difficulty arises as there is currently no emission reporting system in place specific to equines, and as a non-food producing animal little research has been undertaken to date. New Zealand currently uses a tier 1 methodology to estimate greenhouse gas e...

Sky is the limit for hobby breeders

In 2019 Wellington branch members David Price and Mark Freeman happily retired their 18-year-old O’Reilly mare Strictly Maternal from broodmare duties. Aptly named Strictly Maternal, as she couldn’t race due to injury, she had done the pair proud at that stage leaving the dual stakes winner and Group One performer Chocante and three other winners, all of whom they had raced. Chocante had increased the mare’s commercial appeal so the self-declared hobby breeders had achieved a good result i...

First Winner for Tarzino

Westbury Stud stallion Tarzino recorded his first win as a sire at Sandown on Wednesday and fittingly it was his former trainer who saddled the victor. Caulfield conditioner Mick Price trained Tarzino to wins in the Gr.1 VRC Derby (2500m) and Gr.1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) on his way to being crowned Champion Three-Year-Old colt in Australia, prior to heading to stud in New Zealand. Price, who now trains in partnership with Michael Kent Jnr, was delighted to train Tarzino’s first winner when Ju...

Piroplasmosis Update

Export of horses to and via Australia is set to return to normal with New Zealand in the final stages of having Australia accept its country freedom from Theileria equi status. Travel was halted last year after a single, isolated case of the tick-borne protozoal disease, piroplasmosis was found in New Zealand. Following the detection of the single case, New Zealand Bloodstock Airfreight, IRT, the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders' Association and the New Zealand Equine Health Association have wo...

Waikato Branch Weanling showcase

If you are keen to see the foals of the first season sires of 2019, then mark down June 20th in your diary. The Waikato branch is hosting a parade of first season sire weanlings, featuring foals by stallions who stood their first season at stud in 2019 and produced their first foals in 2020. It’s an initiative the Waikato branch trialled successfully two years ago but were not able to host in 2020 due to the Covid lockdown. “With a good group of young stallions, and the positive response we ...

King Accepted for Godolphin Flying Start

21-year-old New Zealander Charlie King has gained a place on the prestigious Godolphin Flying Start, a two-year Thoroughbred Industry Management and Leadership Programme, which commences in Ireland in August. The son of Nick and Anne-Marie King grew up on Brighthill Farm and is a recent graduate of a Bachelor of Commerce at Victoria University, and is currently working for Te Akau Racing. The class of 2021 – 2023 comprises of eight men and four women from Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Germ...

Nathan Trumper May Blog

Plenty has been happening in May. It's scary to think, five months have already whizzed by. Before we know it, our 2021 class will be graduating and on our way to achieving greatness across the globe. There have been many amazing experiences within the course and I have learnt many lessons to bring back to utilise in the New Zealand breeding season.  We've been chipping away into the backend of the breeding season, although it's like two seasons merge into one. As the National Hunt mares c...

Derby Dreams Fulfilled For Popular Vet

It was a case of pure elation for Dr Chris Phillips at Eagle Farm on Saturday as the respected equine veterinarian watched on as three-year-old Kukeracha, a horse he bred, triumphed in the Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m). The Englishman, who is the veterinarian at Waikato Stud, was ecstatic as the Chris Waller-trained son of Night Of Thunder nosed out stablemate Senor Toba in a epic finish. Phillips purchased Kukeracha’s dam Portrait Of A Lady in foal to Night Of Thunder and sold him at Karaka ...

Agey Babe picks up Pearl Series bonus

Agey Babe broke maiden ranks at Pukekohe on Thursday when winning the NZB Insurance Pearl Series Race (1200m). She settled back early for jockey Masa Hashizume, who waited patiently on the mare before steering her five-wide turning for home where she was able to reel in the leaders and run away to a three-quarter of a length victory over Caminata. The daughter of Sacred Falls had finished runner-up in her previous two starts and trainer Danny Walker duly took plenty of confidence into the race. ...

Zabeel influence found in Japanese Oaks win

A recent Japanese Grade One winner has a kiwi connection. Uberleben (Gold Ship x Meine Theresia) won the Grade 1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks), the second leg of the Japanese Fillies’ Triple Crown at Tokyo Racecourse over the weekend. Uberleben, which means “survival” or “to survive” in German, races in the colours of K Thoroughbred Club Ruffian, is one of five winners, from as many runners, out of the winning mare Meine Theresia (Roses In May x Meine Nouvelle). The win was the second i...

First NZ winner for Wrote

Highview Stud stallion Wrote recorded his first New Zealand win as a sire when And We Danced (NZ) was victorious in the Yara Fertiliser 1100 at Hastings on Wednesday.The Bill Thurlow-trained two-year-old got back early after only being fair away for jockey Sarah Macnab. Turning for home they were met by a wall of horses, but a pocket opened with 250m to go and she was able to let down and get up by a short head over Express Desire.Highview Stud principal Brent Gillovic was pleased with...

Courier Wonder Delivers at Sha Tin

New Zealand-bred gelding Courier Wonder extended his unbeaten record at Sha Tin on Sunday when winning the Gr.3 Sha Tin Vase (1200m). Stepping up in grade as the least experienced runner in the race, the three-year-old capped his perfect debut season with a classy victory against a collection of the circuit’s best sprinters. Under championship-leading jockey Joao Moreira, the Sacred Falls gelding broke away cleanly from gate six to settle in the box seat, before taking over at the 200m mark fo...

Per Incanto Fully Booked For 2021

Little Avondale have closed Per Incanto’s book ahead of the forthcoming breeding season, with the proven son of Street Cry now fully booked. “Per Incanto’s had an exceptional season, particularly in Australia and Hong Kong,” Little Avondale Stud Master Sam Williams said. “His runner to winner ratio in Australia is 70 percent this season and he is getting those runners from his better credentialed mares. “As an example, Group One winner Bonham is from a Redoute’s Choice mare while...

Mesmerize Too Strong In Feature Steeplechase

The familiar colours of the Connors family were to the fore in a major jumping race in New Zealand once again on Saturday when consistent fencer Mesmerize produced a comprehensive performance to take out the Signature Homes Waikato Steeplechase (3900m) at Te Rapa. The rising twelve-year-old has proved a revelation of late, winning his last four races over the steeplechase fences after being somewhat of a bridesmaid earlier in his career where he had finished runner-up in ten of his previous 27 j...

The Cossack Marches Home At Te Rapa

A fleeting visit back home from Melbourne paid dividends for top jumps jockey Aaron Kuru as he guided last year’s Great Northern Hurdle (4190m) winner The Cossack to victory in the first of the prestigious jumping events this winter, the Fairview Motors Waikato Hurdle (3200m). Kuru, who now operates out of the Plumpton stables of trainer Patrick Payne, flew home to ride The Cossack for trainers Paul Nelson and Corinna McDougal and didn’t put a foot wrong as he had the Mastercraftsman seven-y...

Belle Plaisir Upsets In Rangitikei Gold Cup

Underrated galloper Belle Plaisir sprang a minor upset when she picked up her first victory at stakes level when taking out the Listed James Bull Rangitikei Gold Cup (1600m) on her home track at Awapuni. The Lucy Tanner-trained and part-owned four-year-old had won her previous start over a similar distance (1550m) at the venue but was ignored by punters for Saturday’s feature, being sent out at odds of better that $23. Given an economical trip in behind the speed by rider Kate Hercock, the dau...

Equine Breeding Students Achieve Education Milestone

Earlier this week, thirty-one students graduated from the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association promoted Primary ITO’s level three and four Equine breeding courses. “On behalf of the NZTBA we congratulate all of the students that have gained an industry qualification,: NZTBA CEO Justine Sclater said. “Their graduation is a testimony of their dedication and hard work. The NZTBA places a lot of emphasis on promoting training within our industry as it can only enhance our future. W...

New Group winner for 'accidental' breeder

Lucky, loquacious, loyal and in love with racing horses best describes Tommy Heptinstall. The affable self-made millionaire, who now resides in the swanky Melbourne suburb of Toorak, is the first to admit that he is lucky when it comes to racing horses with horses like Tavistock and Sangster testament to that fact. As a breeder he has been successful with Hong Kong Horse of the Year and multiple Group One winner Werther, while Werther’s dam Bagalollies was crowned Broodmare of the Year in 201...