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Family Affair as Rock On Wood Claims Group One

Quality galloper Rock On Wood shed the tag of a Group One winner in waiting in emphatic fashion when he dashed home to take out the Gr.1 Rydges Wellington Captain Cook Stakes (1600m) at Trentham. The Leanne Elliot-trained six-year-old had promised plenty at the highest level without being able to convert that into a Group One victory having finished third and fourth, twice, in four prior attempts. The patiently-handled son of Redwood has made good improvement in his last two campaigns and finall...

Opalescence Upsets in Ellerslie Feature

Underrated filly Opalescence dented several reputations when she swept to victory in Saturday’s Gr.3 Mitchell Family Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie. The Jenna Mahoney-trained three-year-old started at odds of nearly $13 despite being a last-start winner as punters set their sights on Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) placegetter Moana and two-race winner Jason Belltree as their preferred candidates for the Group Three feature. Ridden by Jasmine Fawcett, Opalescence took a sit behind ...

Almanzor Set to Make Impact in Karaka Debut

As one of the highest-profile new recruits among New Zealand’s stallion ranks, Cambridge Stud shuttler Almanzor is set to make waves with his first yearlings at Karaka next month. The French, Irish and English Group One winner served 140 mares in his debut season at Cambridge in 2018. The catalogue for Book 1 of Karaka 2021 features 48 of those first progeny, with another two in Book 2. Almanzor’s first yearlings have sold strongly in the northern hemisphere this year, reaching the equivalen...

Smith adds another name to honour board

In 2018 Australian historian and philanthropist Bill Gibbins approached the Warrnambool Racing Club about hosting a race to commemorate and honour the heroic servicemen and their horses who fought in the Middle East during 1915-1919. Thus, the modern day Jericho Cup (4600m), restricted to horses bred in Australia and New Zealand to keep with the ANZAC spirit, was born. The original Jericho Cup was held towards the end of the World War I. As the Australian Light Horse were planning a major offen...

Taddy takes home Judge’s Choice Award

Megan Liefting’s comeback to competitive riding can be chalked up as a success after the accomplished horsewoman and her homebred gelding Just Got Home (Storming Home – Justa Tad) were awarded the NZTBA Judge’s Choice Award at the Beyond the Barriers Ex Factor competition held at Equifest on the weekend. Run by Gina Schick and Nicky Wallace, the competition showcases the versatility of thoroughbreds over a variety of events and is open to horses new to their sport horse career, having emba...

Karaka 2021 Yearling Inspection Tours

New Zealand Bloodstock have organised a couple of parade schedules, to be conducted pre-Christmas for the Central Districts and South Island areas, inspecting yearlings destined for Karaka 2021.Below are the schedules. For anyone wishing to attend, please contact Regan Donnison on 021 512 466 or email Regan.Donnison@nzb.co.nz...

Chittick Savouring Further Racetrack Success from Graduates

Amidst the hustle and bustle of another busy morning at Waikato Stud, principal Mark Chittick was pleased to be able to sit down and catch his breath as he reflected on another stellar 48 hours for the iconic Matamata nursery. Three-year-old filly Zee Falls (Sacred Falls- Zelitist) started the ball rolling when she became the third individual stakes winner for ill-fated stallion Sacred Falls when taking out the Gr.3 Wellington Stakes (1600m) at Otaki on Thursday while leading sire Ocean Park (Th...

Hardy Kiwi Bred Wins Prestigious Jericho

Grangewilliam Stud stallion Zed (Zabeel- Emerald Dream) is having a spring to remember and as we venture into summer the juggernaut continued as his six-year-old son Count Zero (Zed- My Duchess)  raced away with the A$300,000 Haymes Paint Jericho Cup (4600m) at Warrnambool for local trainer Symon Wilde. The unheralded stallion is the sire of six-time Group One winner Verry Elleegant, in addition to Ballarat Cup hero Irish Flame, while the stallion’s versatility extends to champion jumpers...

Entries Open for New National Online Yearling Sale

Off the back of a successful Ready to Run Sale with the addition of a new online bidding facility, New Zealand Bloodstock is pleased to announce their further expansion into the realm of online thoroughbred auctions.  NZB is adding a new addition to their sale calendar, which will be known as the National Online Yearling Sale set to take place on 3 February 2021.  The newcomer to NZB’s National Yearling Sale Series will take up a fully digital format, set to be conducted on...

Life Long Dream for Irish Flame's Breeder Realised

She may have lived on the Central Coast of New South Wales for 40 years, but Margaret Reid the part-owner and breeder of the Listed Ballarat Cup winner Irish Flame (Zed- Fleur De L’Orient) is still very much a Taranaki girl. So much so that the green and brown colours that Irish Flame races in feature a stylised logo of Mount Taranaki and the nearby Waiwhakaiho river. Those colours she shares with her husband Bill and fellow breeder and part-owner Inglewood farmer Gary Kemp. For good measure ...

Syndicate Taking Success in their Stride with Levante

Ancroft Stud owner Philip Brown is keeping his feet on the ground as excitement mounts all around him over the potential of four-year-old galloper Levante (Proisir (AUS)-Island Doy (GB) by Doyoun).  Brown and his wife Catherine share in the ownership of the Proisir mare with long-time friend Tony Enting and his wife Mary, former touring golf professional Mark Tapper and several other mates under their Sandringham Investments Ltd banner. Beaten only once in five starts as a three-year-old, L...

Kiwis claim Ballarat Cup with Irish Flame

Former Kiwi galloper Irish Flame (Zed (NZ)- Fleur De L'orient (NZ) by Thunder Gulch) overcame a torrid run and a frantic finish to score a narrow victory in Saturday's Listed A$500,000 Ballarat Cup (2000m) under jockey Michael Walker.   Prepared by Mornington trainer Brett Scott, Irish Flame has been in rich form, and defied a tough run from barrier 16 to win in a close finish from favourite Affair To Remember and Game Keeper. The son of Zed transferred from Scott’s old boss John Wh...

Media Sensation Dominates On-Speed in Group Two Feature

Talented mare Media Sensation (I Am Invincible (AUS)- Different To (NZ) by High Chaparral) backed up an eye-catching performance at the Ellerslie trials earlier this month with a comprehensive front-running effort to take out the feature event for the fillies and mares at Pukekohe on Saturday, the Gr.2 Dunstan Feeds Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m). Successful at the elite level as a three-year-old when winning the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m), the now five-yea...

Reliable Man Mare Dominant in Railway

Five-year-old mare Inspirational Girl (by Reliable Man (GB)- Inspired (AUS) by Zabeel) produced a devastating turn of foot under popular jockey William Pike to race away with the Gr.1 Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot in Perth on Saturday. The Group One winning mare advanced her record to nine wins and two placings from eleven starts and stamped herself as one of the most exciting horses in Western Australia when putting away Too Close The Sun and Uni Time.       Pre...

Savabeel colt tops Ready To Run Sale

As the curtain came down on a successful New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale, a colt by Savabeel out of the O’Reilly mare Miss Opulence, a half-sister to multiple Group One winners Sir Slick and Puccini, stole the limelight late in the piece, topping the sale at $700,000. Presented by Sam and Hana Beatson’s Riversley Park, who finished as leading vendor for the fourth year in succession, the athletic bay attracted the interest of multiple parties before eventually going the way of Te Ak...

Records Smashed During Outstanding Ready to Run Sale

With a brilliant closure to what has been an outstanding two days of trading, New Zealand Bloodstock’s Ready to Run Sale broke their own record in the final moments of Day Two. Sam and Hana Beatson’s Riversley Park offered the NZB record-breaking two-year-old, Lot 298 purchased for $700,000 in a bidding dual between Te Akau Racing’s Jamie Richards and Kingsclere Stables’ Roger James.The prolific cross between Savabeel and the O’Reilly mare Miss Opulence caught the a...

Wally O’Hearn – one of the truly good guys

By Dennis RyanRacing bid farewell to one of its true-blue good guys when Wally O’Hearn lost his brave fight with cancer early Saturday morning. Hours later, jockeys riding in the second race at Riccarton wore black armbands as a mark of respect on what was one of Wally’s favourite racedays. The name W R O’Hearn appeared in the racebook as a part-owner of Letsbringiton, who rallied for fifth but like Race 9 runner Where’s Wally, wasn’t quite able to carry the day. Wally O’Hearn learn...

Little Avondale celebrate success with Avonallo

Sam Williams isn’t the first to sell a broodmare only to have her progeny come out and perform with distinction a short time later, but he isn’t losing sleep over it, in fact he couldn’t be happier with the result. Williams bred and shares in the ownership of recent Listed Welcome Stakes (1000m) winner Avonallo (Belardo) though he had sold his dam Real Angel (O’Reilly – Centrefold Angel) through online auction house gavelhouse.com in April. “Heading into COVID-19 I decided I was goin...

Curraghmore graduates shine at Cup Week

Kahma Lass (Darci Brahma – Distinctive Lass) capped off a great Cup Week at Riccarton for Te Awamutu farm Curraghmore when winning the Gr.1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) on Saturday. Wearing the colours of her owners Brendan and Jo Lindsay of Cambridge Stud, and ridden superbly by Opie Bosson Kahma Lass defeated a quality field by an official margin of 0.8 lengths. “I’m so pleased for her breeder Greg Tomlinson of Nearco Stud,” said Curraghmore’s Gordon Cunningham. ...

Concert Hall caps superb week for Cambridge pair

The Roger James and Robert Wellwood stable capped off a superb week when classy mare Concert Hall (Savabeel (AUS) Classic Legacy (NZ) by CARNEGIE) captured the Gr.2 Gartshore Tauranga Stakes (1600m) at Tauranga on Saturday. The Cambridge stable picked up the Gr.2 Coupland’s Bakeries Mile (1600m) at Riccarton on Wednesday with Hypnos and made it a Group Two double in the space of 72 hours courtesy of the Joan Egan-bred and raced Concert Hall. James has made no secret of the high ...

Bosson and Richards combine for 1000 Guineas triumph

The potent combination of trainer Jamie Richards and rider Opie Bosson were back doing what they do best on Saturday — winning Group One races — as they combined to guide Kahma Lass (Darci Brahma (NZ)- Distinctive Lass (AUS) by Orientate) to victory in the Gr.1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton. Wearing the colours of Cambridge Stud proprietors Brendan and Jo Lindsay, Bosson produced a masterclass to weave the Darci Brahma filly between runn...

Avonallo turns tables in Welcome Stakes

In a battle that most pundits expected, speedy two-year-old Avonallo (Belardo (IRE)- Real Angel (NZ) by O’Reilly) turned the tables on rival Follow Your Dreams to take out Saturday’s Listed Frantic Bloodstock Welcome Stakes (1000m) at Riccarton. The pair had met on two occasions previously over 800m where Follow Your Dreams had the edge on Avonallo, however a rise in distance to 1000m and the addition of top rider Opie Bosson aboard the Jamie-Richards-trained Belardo colt...

Stakes winners keep coming for Belardo

Haunui Farm shuttle stallion Belardo, is among Europe’s leading first season sires and increased his tally of stakes winners to four overnight when his unbeaten son Belloccio took out the Grand Criterium du Languedoc over a mile at Toulouse.Travelling close to the speed throughout, Belloccio quickly responded when asked the question by Olivier Peslier and ran out to a length-and-a-quarter margin at the line.BELARDO’s three other stakes winners are the Group winning fillies Isabella Giles (G2...

Aegon: a quintessential Waikato Stud product

The win of Aegon, a son of the late Sacred Falls, in last Saturday’s Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) provided cause for triumphant reflection from powerhouse breeders Waikato Stud. Bred and sold by the Matamata nursery who were recently named as the 2019/2020 New Zealand Breeders of the Year, Aegon has come a long way in a short time for trainers Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman, with the latter joined in the ownership by the Zame family. The unbeaten three-year-old defeated Bourbonaire ...

NZTBA sponsor new Ex-Factor award

The NZTBA will sponsor a new award at the Beyond the Barriers Dunstan Ex-Factor competition at Equifest at Taupo on November 27-29. The inaugural Equifest competition, which replaces Equidays, will feature the popular competition for off the track thoroughbreds and for the first time, the NZTBA Judge's Choice award. "This competition is the cornerstone event for Beyond the Barriers and allows us to showcase the versatility and suitability of Thoroughbreds as sporthorses," organiser Nicky Wallace...