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Mare delivers Kind Return

As the dust settles on the Book 1 action at Karaka the Drought family are reflecting on a sale that completes a plan instigated by their mother two years ago. Lot 134, a Tavistock colt out of the Group One placed Zabeel mare Kind Return was consigned by Woburn Farm on behalf of Nigel Drought and his sisters Casey and Sarah. Their mother Gail Drought, who was an important part of the racing fraternity in Taranaki for many years, passed away in 2016 after a long battle with cancer. “Kind Return ...

Haunui Farm initiative reaps reward for staff

There were shrieks of delight, gasps of disbelief and tears of joy from some of the staff at Haunui Farm as Lot 854 a colt by Showcasing (GB) from Party Lights went through the ring late on the first session of Book Two at the NZB sale at Karaka. The reason being that eleven full time staff members who have been employees of the stud for the last 18 months or so were the shareholders in the well sought after colt, who was knocked down to Liam Birchley for $160,000. The staff members ranging from...

NZTBA Breeders Bulletin Summer Edition

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Gorbachev Wellington Cup win a great thrill for breeder and part-owner

Days after the Gr.3 Wellington Cup win by Gorbachev (Gorky Park – Gimmeawink[AUS]) the enormity of it all is starting to sink in for his breeder and part-owner Kevin O’Donnell. “It was a great thrill, it wasn’t until I thought about it when I got home, that it started to sink in,” O’Donnell a member of the Central Districts branch of the NZTBA said. “Everything happens so quickly at the time, I was worried about having to make a speech, and I didn’t want to make a fool of myself....

Will 2019 be a watershed year for our industry?

This time last year industry stakeholders were looking forward to the Minister for Racing Winston Peters opening the Karaka Sales Series and delivering a good news speech. It didn’t happen in January, but in late April he announced that John Messara would conduct a review of the industry and in September we were presented with his findings and recommendations. The review certainly ruffled feathers and the fallout resulted in some 1600 submissions being presented to the Department of Internal A...

Garry Chittick bred Madison County takes second Group One

Tough-as-teak three-year-old Madison County became a dual Group One winner when he overcame some home-straight difficulties to take out the Gr.1 Fusion Electrical Levin Classic (1600m) at Trentham. The Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman-trained Pins gelding had been unsighted on a race-track since his barn-storming finish to claim the Gr.1 New Zealand Two Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton back in November. Carrying the familiar colours of owner, the China Horse Club, Madison County was sent out...

Probabeel wins Pearl Bonus and races to Karaka Million Favoritism

The intrigue around the upcoming Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) took another twist at Ellerslie on Sunday where exciting filly Probabeel laid claim to the favourite’s tag for the rich two-year-old dash on January 26. The Brendan and Jo Lindsay-owned Savabeel youngster launched a devastating late sprint to take out the NZB Insurance Pearl Series sponsored 1200m contest, in the process downing stablemate Yourdeel, also a Karaka Million candidate. Trained by Jamie Richards from his Matamata base, Pro...

Vale John Costello

A true gentleman of the turf, is how New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame’s chairman Chris Luoni described eminent racing journalist John Costello who passed away this week. That is a sentiment shared by probably everyone who crossed the path of John Bernard Costello, who for the past 60 years has written about his passion the thoroughbred, and with such tremendous passion. Perhaps never more so than the last column he penned for The Informant the week he died, signing off with his career highlight...

Auckland Branch NZTBA Maija Vance Fundraiser

Earlier in the week injured jockey Maija Vance and her faithful dog Toro visited Haunui Farm, where the Auckland branch of the NZTBA presented her with a cheque for just over $7800. It was wonderful to see a determined Maija who suffered a broken back in a fall at Rotorua in September managing on a walker not in a wheel chair when she arrived at for her presentation. She has had two rods and a number of plates inserted in her back to support the five vertebrae she damaged in her spine and preven...

Yearling Parades Auckland and Waikato

Stuart Hale's annual Auckland/Waikato Yearling Inspection Tour will take place from Sunday 6th January to Friday 11th January. The tour enables prospective purchasers to inspect yearlings catalogued for the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales Series, which commences on Sunday 27th January. All are welcome for this free tour, with a bus departing from the Cambridge BP (98 Victoria Street, Cambridge) on a daily basis. To confirm your attendance and for further enquiries contact Stuart H...

Beauty Generation - the best miler in the world

Beauty Generation is being hailed as the best miler in the world, following his outstanding victory in the Gr.1 HKJC Longines Hong Kong Mile recently. In Twittersphere he is being touted as the best miler to come out of New Zealand since the mighty Sunline! The six-year-old Road To Rock (AUS) gelding has now won 13 races, eight of which have been over 1600 metres, three of which have been at group one level, and two at group two. He has also won twice over 1400 metres at group three level. He wa...

The Oaks great family produces another talented filly

The recent winner of the Listed Trevor Eagle Memorial 3YO, Espresso Martini (High Chaparral[IRE]- Keepa Cruisin) is the latest smart filly to emerge from The Oaks Stud. By the Champion sire High Chaparral(IRE) she is out of the group one winning mare Keepa Cruisin, a half-sister to the Champion mare Seachange. According to Rick Williams she was an athletic sharp filly at the sales, typical of the fillies in that family that have been a great advertisement for Dick Karreman and The Oaks Stud. �...

The Eulogy legacy continues in Buzzwinkle

It seems that without exception nearly every season a stakes winner pops up who descends from the mighty mare Eulogy (GB). This season another stakes winner, has come to light and that is the Gr.3 New Zealand Cup winner Bizzwinkle (Rip Van Winkle[IRE]-Bizz). And for good measure the family associated with breeding Bizzwinkle have a history in the industry about as long as Eulogy’s. Eulogy (GB) (Cicero[GB] – Kelibia[GB]) was imported to New Zealand by George Currie in 1915 as a consort for hi...

Bavella provides big thrill for the Lindsay's

It was a big weekend for Cambridge Stud proprietors Jo and Brendan Lindsay MNZM, as they watched their smart two-year-old filly Bavella (Snitzel[AUS]-Zonza), score valuable black type. At her second appearance on a racetrack the attractive bay filly trounced her rivals in the Listed Splice Construction 2YO Stakes at Pukekohe Park. She sat three wide from the jump in the 1100 metre event, and cruised to the lead in the straight running away to win by nearly fourth lengths. Proving her easy victor...

Sunline Trust Scholarship 2019 awarded to Sam Bergerson

The NZTBA is pleased to announce that the Sunline Trust International Management Scholarship for 2019 has been awarded to Sam Bergerson. Bergerson, from Palmerston North will spend approximately six months overseas, learning the ropes at Taylor Made in Kentucky, Coolmore Stud in Ireland, and Shadwell Stud in England, before returning to New Zealand to work in the industry. He was awarded the scholarship ahead of a list of very capable applicants, according to NZTBA Business and Operations Develo...

Per Incanto on fire

“Boom boom. Two stakes winners in 10 minutes, for Per Incanto.” That was the tweet from Sam Williams @Little Avondale that popped up last Saturday. Casaquinman (Per Incanto[USA] –Puan Silk) (took out the Listed Pegasus Stakes at Riccarton and shortly thereafter Indecision (Per Incanto[USA]-Yeah Nah) the Listed Legacy Lodge Stakes at Te Rapa. Now that may not be very significant if you are a Darley or a Coolmore Stud, but for a stud on the outskirts of Masterton with only three stallions ...

New rules on GST

In a recent judgment made in the High Court of NZ, it has been determined that clubs are entitled to claim the GST input tax deductions for all stakes payments paid to GST registered trainers and riders for races conducted by that club.  Previously the Inland Revenue had only allowed these GST input tax deductions to be claimed if the owner of the stakes was GST registered.  The decision has confirmed that trainers and riders provide services to clubs on race days in consideration...

New horse ambulance ready for Riccarton

The New Zealand Horse Ambulance Trust has announced that the first horse ambulance will be completed and ready to commence operations during the New Zealand Cup and Show Week at Riccarton, starting with Saturday’s Al Basti Equiworld New Zealand 2000 Guineas meeting. The New Zealand Horse Ambulance Trust was formed in collaboration between New Zealand Equine Veterinary Association, the Racing Integrity Unit, NZ Thoroughbred Racing, and Harness Racing New Zealand and will have five ambulances in...

Blue hen broodmare Bohemian Blues continues to deliver

A recent mid-week meeting at Counties produced two smart three-year-old maiden winners, Musical Blues and Vernanme. They look certain to go on to bigger and better things, much to the delight of their breeders Auckland NZTBA branch members Vern and Margaret Trillo, who were on course to celebrate both victories. Making his third race day appearance Vernanme (O’Reilly- Bohemian Blues) improved on his last start third to easily win over 1600 going to the line an impressive one and three-quarter ...

Vance keen to be home for Christmas

Maija Vance hopes to be leaving the Otara Spinal Unit before Christmas. The Cambridge jockey has been there since late September after spending 10 days in Middlemore Hospital, where she was treated for the extensive injuries she suffered after her mount Zedsational crashed at the second-last fence at Rotorua on September 16. Two of her vertebrae in her spine were fractured with another three out of line and she underwent a four-hour operation to have rods and a metal plate inserted. She also su...

Eight Carat legacy continues

Around April this year Don Goodwin, a retired businessman with a passion for horses, decided he and his wife Christine would go on another Melbourne Cup tour this year. They have been before with popular broadcaster Des Coppins and enjoyed the tour and opted to go on his tour again this year. As a throwaway line he said to Nick Bishara who he had a couple of horses in work with, that he had better get his act together and get one ready for Melbourne this November as he was going to be there. �...

Our Spring Bulletin is now available to read here

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Scholarship Blog: David Morris from Taylor Made Kentucky

After an amazing 9 months on the Sunline Scholarship, it’s time to head home. Looking back on my time I can’t believe how quickly it has gone but I’m also looking forward to implementing the lessons I’ve learnt back home. The whole trip has been an absolute blast and the final 6 weeks has not been any different. The weeks leading up to the Keeneland September sale were extremely busy with parades most days. It was clear to me that the management that goes behind the massive amount of hor...

Ryan Stacey is awarded Irish National Stud Scholarship

The NZTBA is pleased to announce that Ryan Stacey has been awarded the Keith and Faith Taylor Family scholarship to study at the Irish National Stud in 2019. Stacey will leave New Zealand in January to undertake the world renowned Thoroughbred Breeding Course at the famous nursery. “We had a number of very strong applicants this year, the calibre of the applicants was excellent and anyone of them could have represented us in Ireland,” said Justine Sclater NZTBA Business Development and ...

Moss'n'Dale delights Larsen with Craven Plate Win

In the shadow of The Everest at Randwick last week was a group three race worth around A$500,000 the weight-for-age Craven Plate over 2000 metres. It was a supporting race on the day, but on any other race day could well have been the feature event. It attracted a field of 14 runners, four of whom were Group One winners with another five placed at Group One level, every horse in the race had black type form including the winner Moss’N’Dale (Castledale[IRE]-Hot’N’Moss). A six-year-old ge...