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Taranaki breeders celebrate Megapins' Wellington Cup win

A breeding and racing partnership that started over 30 years ago was rewarded with its best result last weekend when Megapins (Pins- Instant Divorce) triumphed in the Group Two Century City Developments Wellington Cup. Taranaki-based Kerrin and Teresa Brophy along with Kevin Landrigan are the breeders of Megapins and they had plenty to celebrate when the gutsy Pins mare scored her Group Two success. "It was a great thrill, we were all very excited, it was as good as winning it ourselves but ...

Mufhasa's win timely for Rich Hill Stud

Mufhasa's win in the $1million Group One Telegraph Handicap could not have come at a better time for Rich Hill Stud, according to stud proprietor John Thompson. Premier Sale Lot 225, the handsome Pentire-Sheila Cheval colt, a full brother to Mufhasa "It's a timely boost and great publicity for Rich Hill and Pentire, right on the eve of the yearling sales, and we have a full brother to Mufhasa in the Premier Sale," said the obviously delighted Treasurer of the New Zealand T...

New Import Health Standards

The new Import Health Standard (HIS) for horses from Australia to New Zealand was implemented on 6th January 2009, approximately 16 months after Equine Influenza arrived in Australia. The New Zealand borders were closed for Australian horses after the Equine Influenza outbreak on 25 August 2007 and it was not until May 2008 that our borders re-opened. From May to December 2008 all horses returning to New Zealand had to complete a 5-week quarantine period as well as a course of vaccinations, ma...

New Zealand Champions Racing Museum project not proceeding

It's been announced today that the project to build the New Zealand Champions Racing Museum at Ellerslie Racecourse, Auckland will not proceed. The Museum trustees have resolved that the $5 million project has not received sufficient support to continue. Wendy Pye, who initiated the project in 2005, says, "We're very sad that the New Zealand thoroughbred industry will not have a permanent home for the display and celebration of its extraordinary heritage, or a dynamic gateway to the sport f...

Group One Reward for Passionate All Rounder

As Waikato breeder/owner/trainer Kristine Stead, ponders whether to start her Group One performer Jacowils (Diamond Express-Patch My Eye) in the $1,000,000 Telegraph Handicap at Wellington, she reflects on the magic that was winning the Group One Waiwera Railway Handicap at Ellerslie on New Year's Day. A jubilant Kristine Stead leads Jacowils back to scale after winning the Group 1Waiwera Railway Handicap at Ellerslie on New Year's Day Photo: Trish Dunell "It was mag...

Breeders back their judgement

It's a situation familiar to all breeders - the lovely strong, well put together, young foal that is born in spring, which does well as a weanling and then grows too fast for their own good and come yearling sale selection time, and you guessed it, the legs now look like they belong to some other species altogether. Picturesque Trelawney Stud, the home of Ruud Van Slaats Photo: www.trelawneystud.co.nz However, sometimes Mother Nature is not as cruel as she seems, and ...

Bittar flags an industry decline in tough economic times

NZTR's CEO Paul Bittar The decrease in wagering and its impact, tough economic times and governance, were among the issues discussed when NZTR CEO Paul Bittar addressed the NZTBA Council and Branch representatives in Auckland last week. NZTR is forecasting a very difficult two to three years ahead, with short term reductions in returns to owners, a continuing decline in mares served and foal crops and in real terms around a 15 -20% reduction in the size...

Old Friends Share in Group Two Honours

It all started with a couple of mates in Paengaroa, a farming district just out of Te Puke on the way to Rotorua, who had a bit of syndicate going and an interest in racing. One was Brian Shannon a dairy farmer, and the other a kiwifruit orchardist Warner Bowyer and last week the pair bathed in group two glory when their gutsy Pins gelding Pinsoir won the Group Two Aussie Butcher Concorde Handicap at Avondale. According to Warner Bowyer the breeder of Pinsoir, he was lucky enough to fluke r...

Patience and perseverance finally pay off

A family that the Hawthorne family have persevered with for thirty years finally hit the big time last week when Altered Image easily won the Group One Levin Classic. Dean Hawthorne better known for his achievements as a horse breaker and preparer of Ready to Run horses officially bred Altered Image from Dented Image a mare he shares with his mother Yo. A mare that descends from a mare that Yo bought as a weanling at the Te Rapa Stud dispersal sale around 30 years ago. According to Yo she like...

Bold Moves Required for Racing and Breeding 27 November 2008

The financial rerating of world assets, and likely very low growth rates, if at all depending on individual countries, over the coming two to three years will have a significant impact on breeding and the number of horses available for racing. In the second article about the impact of the world financial rerating – click here for the first "Time to reassess to move with the market" - the focus turns to the impact of lower yearling returns on future foal crops and consequently horses availabl...

John O'Brien's Group Win

NZTBA Councillor John O'Brien could be excused for revelling in the glory of breeding the Group Two DHL Counties Cup winner Gallions Reach as he is in the Stud Book as the official breeder but in actual fact he can't take the credit for the mating. "I actually purchased the mare Dorinka in foal to Victory Dance at the Grangewilliam dispersal sale – so the credit for the mating should go to John Corcoran," according to the Central Region Councillor, Veterinarian and Proprietor of Newmarket Lo...

Time to reassess to move with the market

Click on this link to read the full article written by Rob Burnett from NZ Thoroughbred News - Rob Burnet ...

Kiwi's Dig Deep for Catwalk Trust

The world's finances may be in crisis, but in Christchurch this week Kiwis dug deep to raise $214,250, funding ground-breaking research towards a cure for spinal cord injuries. Thursday 13 November's auction celebrated the conclusion of the CatWalk Conquest Tour, a two-week tour of New Zealand by the Conquest motorcycle, the world's first motorcycle designed for wheelchair users. "Kiwis really are a generous lot - even in the midst of a financial crisis and global credit crunch it seems that...

Stellar Weekend for Waikato Stud

There was plenty to celebrate at Waikato Stud in Matamata last Saturday night, after all its not every weekend a breeder produces two group one winners in two different countries in one day. Mark and Lisa Chittick at Waikato Stud, Matamata Photo: Trish Dunell That's what happened when Daffodil (No Excuse Needed- Spring) took out the Group One New Zealand Bloodstock One Thousand Guineas at Riccarton followed shortly after by Swick (O'Reilly-Crème Anglaise) triumphin...

New Zealand breeders salute Bart Cummings

Legendary trainer Bart Cummings What an achievement! What a feat! What a legend! Bart Cummings- the New Zealand breeding industry salutes you. It would take a thesaurus of adjectives to describe what legendary trainer Bart Cummings achieved in the 2008 Emirates Melbourne Cup when he trained his 12th winner Viewed, but it would still not be enough to describe the achievement. In fact Barack Obama's election to the US Presidency the following day is perhaps all that h...

Australian Group Two success for hobby breeders

Rotorua breeders Jenny and Murray McKechnie describe themselves as hobby breeders with one mare. Therefore breeding Gallopin, the winner of the Group Two Moonee Valley Cup, is quite an achievement. "We keep pinching ourselves, and keep thinking how lucky we are that our one mare has done so well for us," a delighted Murray McKechnie enthused. Their mare is Carla Rossi, a daughter of Spectacular Love and Live In Peace by War Hawk II from Peerless Peg, a Taipan II mare who left the Group winne...

Bruce's Blog – October 2008

The Last Blog - Taylor Made Farm 13/08/08 – 21/09/08 Unbelievably, in terms of how fast time fly's, I am home, my Sunline International Management scholarship is all over. Three, ten week blocks, at three of the world's premier thoroughbred stud farms and I cannot begin to put into words how amazing my time has been. So many great thrills, such wonderful thoroughbreds situated in, on and around such magical property and all taken care of by intelligent, warm hearted and ambitious individu...

The Last Blog - Taylor Made Farm

Bruce Slade submits his last blog which concludes his 6-month International Management Scholarship during which he has spent approximately 10 weeks each at Cheveley Park Stud in England, Coolmore Stud in Ireland and finally Taylor Made Farm in Kentucky, USA. Click here to read his last, signing-off blog. - NZTBA...

Wanganui celebrates a big win for the locals

"Mate, it was a hell of a weekend, one in a million, let me tell you," that was the very explicit description from a jubilant but somewhat hoarse Wayne Keenan, owner-breeder of O'Ceirin's Angel, winner of the Group Three Postponed @ Stoney Bridge Stakes, when spoken to on Monday. "My hand is sore from everyone shaking it on Saturday and again on Sunday, and my voice is hoarse from yelling and screaming. I started screaming when she (O'Ceirin's Angel) came down the straight well before she hit ...

That Golden feeling of Group One Glory

"Breeding a Group One winner is just about as good as winning a gold medal, especially when it's a Group One winner at Flemington!" Group 1 glory for Orange County at Flemington Photo: Turf Monthly That was the delighted reaction of Southland breeder Onawe Miller when discussing the win of Orange County (Volksraad-Saffie) in the Group One Sir Rupert Stakes at Flemington last Saturday. And on Monday to add to the excitement, right on cue, Saffie produced a full brother to O...

Age or distance doesn't stop the thrill of winning!

With Gaze being trained in the North Island and her 87 year old owner/breeder Melba Murfitt living in Christchurch she doesn't get to see her quality mare race very often. Last Sunday when the mare won the Listed Jim and John Evans Limited Classic at Counties was no exception – Melba had to be content to watch the race on Trackside television. That didn't lessen the thrill of seeing her blitz a field which featured eight other group race winners. "It was a lovely win and I was so thrilled ...

New Scholarship Announced "Waikato Stud Young Achiever Award"

NEW SCHOLARSHIP ANNOUNCED – 'WAIKATO STUD YOUNG ACHIEVER AWARD' Dr John O'Flaherty, Chairman of the New Zealand Equine Research Foundation (NZERF), announced today the inauguration of a new scholarship for the equine industry. Waikato Stud and the Chittick Family are to support 'The Waikato Stud Young Achiever Award.' Dr O'Flaherty stated: "The Chittick Family, Owner of Waikato Stud, is very keen to support people either entering the equine industry or establishing themselves in a specific...

A distinguished honour for a worthy recipient

The highlight of the recent Auckland Branch Awards dinner was the announcement of this year's recipient of the New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Industry. Ron Chitty (left) with long-time friend Peter Walker at the Auckland Branch Annual Awards dinner last week. Photo courtesy of Trish Dunell This year the Auckland Branch gave the award to another worthy recipient who has a lifelong and very full involvement in the industry –...

NZTBA Auckland Branch honours the region's achievers

The Auckland Branch of the Thoroughbred Breeders held their annual awards dinner in Auckland last Friday night. The event, sponsored by New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance, recognises the achievements of Auckland-based breeders and stallions over the past season, and each year pays tribute to a member who has made an outstanding contribution to the industry in this region. This year the honour was bestowed upon Haunui Farm proprietor Ron Chitty. Auckland branch members last season bred 14 grou...

"World class benchmark for spring campaigns"

The release this week of the New Zealand Free Handicaps and the latest Timeform Global Rankings will give Australasian racing a class benchmark for racing over the spring. The New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders Association commissions New Zealand's chief handicapper, Dean Nowell, to frame the Free Handicaps for two-year-olds and three-year-olds, at the end of each season, and Nowell found that Alamosa (NZ) was 'the most outstanding racehorse of the (New Zealand) season.' Nowell assigned the O...