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NZTR director appointments

The Members’ Council of New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) yesterday announced three new appointments to the NZTR Board. The new appointees - Darryll Park, Andrew Fairgray and Mike Clarke (from 1 January 2021) – will take up their positions following the NZTR AGM on Tuesday 17 November. At that time chairman Dr Alan Jackson and board members Victoria Carter and Rick Williams will depart.  During their time at the Board table the industry has been faced with many challenges throughou...

NZB online bidding registration open

After months of preparation and extensive testing, New Zealand Bloodstock is pleased to announce that registrations for their online bidding platform are now open, with the platform due to debut at the Ready to Run Sale on November 18 and 19.   With COVID-19 preventing NZB’s international clientele from physically attending their sales, the decision was made early in the year to create a robust online bidding platform. The upgrade to ultra-fast fibre at Karaka has enabled NZB to off...

Scholarship winner announced

Nathan Trumper has headed a strong group of applicants to win the 2021 Keith and Faith Taylor Trust Equine Scholarship. Administered by the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association, the scholarship will support Trumper to travel to Ireland early next year to attend the world renowned Irish National Stud and complete the breeding diploma. Like many, Trumper’s early introduction to the thoroughbred industry came through family ties when helping out at his grandparent’s stud and trainin...

Weigh In- 02.11.2020

Emily Bosson and Michael Guerin review the weekend of racing and preview the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m)....

Pearler Saturday for Nakhle

A lot can happen in 10 minutes. That was the case for prominent breeder/owner Daniel Nakhle who was on track at Pukekohe on Saturday to watch his promising mare Arrivederci win the NZB Insurance Pearl Series Race (1200m). Nakhle barely had time to watch the replay before Crosshaven, a horse Nakhle co-bred and retained a share in, battled it out to prevail in the finish of the Gr.3 Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) at Flemington. “It was probably the best 10 minutes I have experienced in racing,” N...

Melbourne Cup owner on the ride of his life

There won’t be many people hoping for a dead-heat in this year’s Melbourne Cup, but Tony Rider will be one. The principal of Cambridge thoroughbred nursery Milan Park has a connection with two horses in the great race – Oceanex and The Chosen One. Rider bred the former and co-owns the latter and he said it’s a surreal moment to have two chances in the race that stops a nation. “It’s a dream come true to have a horse in the Melbourne Cup,” he said. “We were fortunate to have one i...

Second Cup win for breeder would be nice surprise

Rich Hill Stud’s John Thompson knows what it takes to breed a Melbourne Cup winner. In 2015, the Walton nursery, near Matamata, was represented by outsider Prince Of Penzance, who famously combined with Michelle Payne to triumph in the great race. On Tuesday, the stud will be represented by another feel-good Cup runner in Surprise Baby. A son of resident sire Shocking, himself a Melbourne Cup winner, Surprise Baby was sold by Thompson for just $5,500 as an untried three-year-old via gavelhou...

Another Stakes win for Belardo filly Lullaby Moon

Belardo  filly Lullaby Moon added a second stakes victory to her record on Saturday when she won the Gr.3 Prix Miesque Stakes (1400m) at Chantilly, four weeks after winning the Listed Two Year Old Trophy (1200m) at Redcar. Ridden by Richard Kingscote the Belardo filly tracked the leader before taking the lead 400 meters out. She was challenged 200m from home before asserting her dominance and winning by two lengths. Lullaby Moon is the best performer from the winning Indesatchel mare Bold B...

Robertson new Racing Minister

For the second term in succession, the Deputy Prime Minister will also be the Minister for Racing in New Zealand.  Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has revealed the ministerial positions for the new Government, with Grant Robertson being promoted to Deputy Prime Minister. In addition to Deputy PM duties, Robertson will continue to serve as Finance Minister and also focus on infrastructure, sport and recreation and racing. Robertson replaces Winston Peters, who played a key role in ensuring the...

Johnny lives up to Perry's staying expectations

By Bren O'Brien for TDN AUS NZAs the field turned for home in Saturday's G1 Victoria Derby and Johnny Get Angry (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) loomed to tackle the leaders, there was no-one more confident than his breeder Greg Perry that the big gelding would outstay his rivals and complete a Flemington fairytale. As Johnny Get Angry's rookie trainer Denis Pagan, the two-time AFL premiership winning coach who had only had his licence for six months, and young jockey Lachie King, the son of dual Victoria ...

Pagan kicks Derby goal with Kiwi bred

In an amazing result, former AFL coach Denis Pagan has won the Gr.1 Victoria Derby (2500m) with New Zealand-bred Johnny Get Angry (NZ) (Tavistock) just four months after saddling up his first runner as a trainer. The 73-year-old, who coached North Melbourne to win AFL premierships in 1996 and 1999, has had only 12 runners under his owner-trainers' licence which he took out six months ago. Pagan was in tears, as was 22 year-old apprentice jockey Lachlan King who also rode his first Group One winn...

Telperion posts first winner

Westbury Stud-based sire Telperion made the best start possible to his stallion career when his first runner to the track was successful at Awapuni on Saturday. Stormy, a showy chestnut from the Tony Pike stable, showed plenty of grit and determination to win first-up over 1000m after waging a home straight war with fellow debutant Wakari. The two-year-old colt sat three-wide on the speed for most of the race before joining issue with Wakari at the 300m mark. The pair went at it tooth and nail w...

Rich Hill graduates chasing feature prizes

A trio of Rich Hill Stud graduates will be vying for top honours in Group One features in Australia this coming week. Riodini and Albarado will be in action at Rosehill and Flemington respectively on Saturday while Surprise Baby will have a second crack at the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on Tuesday. Riodini takes his place in the A$7.5 million Golden Eagle (1500m) off the back of a runner-up finish in the Gr.2 Shannon Stakes (1500m) and a third-placing in the Gr.1 Epsom Handicap (16...

Breeder on track for repeat G1 1000 Guineas

This time last year I caught up with Coll MacRury as Travelling Light the filly he and his father bred, and race had just won the Gr.2 Barneswood Stud Soliloquy Stakes and was on a path to the Gr.1 1000 Guineas. Be it groundhog day or déjà vu or just an incredible co-incidence but this week I called him to talk about Vitesse Bo (Proisir[AUS]-Cissey Bowen) a half-sister to Travelling Light, who is also on a path to the Gr1 1000 Guineas, after she won the Gr.3 War Decree Stakes at Riccarton. For...

First trial winner for Turn Me Loose

Windsor Park Stud stallion Turn Me Loose recorded his first trial victory as a sire when his two-year-old colt out of Group Three performer Angel del Dinero won his 800m heat at Taupo on Tuesday. Trainers David and Emma-Lee Browne were pleased with his first hit-out on the track and said he will take a lot of benefit from the day out. “We were really happy with him,” Emma-Lee Browne said. “He has always shown a bit at home, but it was his first time away from the farm so you never know how...

Weigh In: October 26

Emily Bosson and Michael Guerin review the weekend’s racing on both sides of the Tasman....

Hong Kong heroes become Welfare Ambassadors

Dual Hong Kong Horse of the Year Werther and Hong Kong Derby (2000m) winner Ping Hai Star will add another feather to their cap this season. The pair, who are living out their retirement at Highden Park near Palmerston North, have become New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Welfare Ambassadors and will start to visit New Zealand race tracks from next Sunday to promote horse welfare post-racing. “It is a new concept through NZTR,” said Libby Bleakley, who owns Highden Park with husband Sam. “Wel...

VIDEO: Weigh In

Emily Bosson and Michael Guerin review last weekend’s racing....

2020 National Breeding Awards

Click the link to below to find a written summary of the 2020 Ebbett VW National Breeding Awards....

2020 Te Aroha Stallion Service Scheme

View the Te Aroha Jockey Club's 2020 Stallion Service Scheme by clicking on the link below....

Zed’s Verry Elleegant a testament to breeder’s faith

The performance of dainty New Zealand-bred mare Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed) fending off Epsom Derby-winning blueblood Anthony Van Dyck (Galileo) in Saturday’s Gr.1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) is a triumph for all who dare to dream in the sport of thoroughbred racing and breeding. From humble beginnings, the daughter of unheralded Grangewilliam Stud sire Zed has amassed the best part of A$7 million in prizemoney and will provide her owners with the thrill of a lifetime when she competes in t...

NZB Ready To Run breeze-ups online

More than 250 two-year-olds galloped down the home straight at Te Rapa Racecourse earlier this week for New Zealand Bloodstock’s annual Ready to Run Sale Breeze-ups. With significant importance placed on Breeze Up footage for buyers this year due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, NZB made the decision to lengthen their traditional Breeze Up clip format and offer vision of the mounting yard prior to horses breezing. The 2020 Breeze Up clips were extended to include additional footage near the 60...

VIDEO: Cambridge Stud

Bred to Win's Caroline Searcy catches up with the team at Cambridge Stud to discuss the recent success on the racetrack as well as profiling the current foal crop including the first of Embellish's progeny....

Weigh In returns

New Zealand’s only television show dedicated to news and reviews of the thoroughbred industry returns on Monday.  Weigh In will screen live at 8pm on Monday nights after a new 30-programme series was commissioned by some of the biggest names in New Zealand racing. TAB NZ no longer makes racing magazine shows as their mandate has changed to primarily driving turnover to maximise profits to return to the industry.  But the thoroughbred racing industry will now have weekly review shows ...

Spanish Whisper sets online record

A delighted Daniel Nakhle and Darren Brady are reaching for the stallion register tonight before popping corks, having managed to ward off strong international competition to buy out shareholders in Spanish Whisper (Lope De Vega) for an online record-setting AU$1,202,500.“We’ve bred and raced her, fallen in love with her and I have a big grin on my face from having been able to secure her tonight,” Nakhle said.“We looked around the international market for mares with similar cr...