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Racing Finally Gets a Fair Deal - Peters

The Minister for Racing, Rt Hon Winston Peters The 2006 Budget will contain a long awaited fair deal for the racing industry with a reduction in gaming duty for racing and an accelerated write-down regime for bloodstock, says Racing Minister Winston Peters. Mr Peters made the announcement at the conclusion of Auckland's Racing Carnival Week. "2006 will be a watershed year for the New Zealand racing industry, and will mark the end of years of unfair treatment. "These changes meet the c...

Fraher brothers celebrate high-Pentane victory

"I read somewhere that if you haven't got a hangover the morning after you've won a Group One race you don't deserve to win it. So I've made sure I deserved it!" That was NZTBA member Peter Fraher the day after Pentane (Pentire-Tuff One by Prince Raider) won the $600,000 ARC Skycity Auckland Cup G1. Peter bred and owns Pentane in partnership with his Christchurch-based brother Michael Fraher. Joined by Peter's son Nathan – who named Pentane after the most volatile member of the hydrocarbon f...

Owner-breeders enjoying black type success

An interesting feature of the 2005-06 New Zealand Group & Listed Stakes race programme is the striking success being achieved by owner-breeders. Of the 106 black type races held this season to 8 March, 49 (46.2%) have been won by 37 horses that are wholly or partly owned by their breeders. The list comprises: 8 Group One winners: Baldessarini, Bazelle, Darci Brahma, Gee I Jane, Kristov, Miss Potential, Pentane and Seachange 7 Group Two winners: Kerry O'Reilly, Naturo, Pulcinella, Sc...

Trelawney Stud celebrates Derby winner

The Trelawney Stud roll of honour is one of the most illustrious in Australasia, featuring champion sires Foxbridge and Alcimedes, seven Melbourne Cup winners, and two Australian Racing Hall of Famers, Tulloch and Galilee. In the more recent ownership of the Taylor family, since 1992, the Stud has continued that tradition of success, and added ten Group One winners to the list. On Saturday Trelawney claimed its second Derby victory of the 21st century when the formidably athletic Wahid (Almuta...

Marju Snip boosts (NZ) record in Australia

Marju Snip (Marju-Aulide by Snippets) became the seventh New Zealand-bred Group One winner in Australia this season when she claimed Saturday's $A250,000 SAJC Australasian Oaks G1. The filly was bred by Garry & Mark Chittick's company, Waikato Stud 2001 Ltd and has strengthened Garry's claim as New Zealand's leading breeder of Australian stakeswinners in 2005-06. He is also the breeder of brilliant sprinter Glamour Puss (VRC Victoria Racing Club S. G1, Linlithgow S. G2), and Breezy (VRC Fr...

Wairarapa breeder aligned with success

The success of New Zealand first crop sires has so far been a Postponed, sire of Group 2 winner Naturo highlight of the domestic 2005-06 season. It continued yesterday at Matamata where they produced the quinella in both of the day's feature races, the $100,000 Matamata Breeders' S. 1200m G2 for fillies, and the $35,000 Matamata Slipper 1200m LR for colts and geldings. The Breeders' Stakes was won by Naturo (Postponed), from Chant (Traditionally), who is already a Gro...

Group One winners share heartland origins

New Zealand's two latest Group One winners, at Te Rapa on Saturday, have a couple of features in common. Firstly, they were bred by small-scale private breeders in what used to be called "the provinces", but is now more fashionably known as "heartland New Zealand". And secondly, although both were entered for yearling sales, neither made the Premier Sale catalogue. Danske, sire of Te Rapa Group One winner Snazzy The immensely popular winner of the Waikato RC Waikato Spri...

Karaka 2006 vendor feedback

We asked several vendors who sold yearlings at the 2006 New Zealand National Yearling Sales series for their comments on the state of the market, and their own results. These comments were gathered on the second day of the Select Sale: Philip & Catherine Brown, Ancroft Stud, Matamata Premier Sale: Offered 3, Sold 3, Average $141,666 Top price Danasinga-Echostatic filly, $320,000 Select Sale: Withdrew 1, Offered 2, Sold 1, Pins-Kahntinata colt, $65,000 "We're very happy with the sale â...

Wairarapa breeder aligned with success

Highview Stud's Align, sire of G3 Out of Align & G1-placed Everswindell Two stakes performers in four months is more than most breeders dare to hope for, but that's exactly what Wairarapa NZTBA member Andrew Campbell has achieved this season. He's the breeder of two talented three-year-old fillies by Highview Stud's young sire Align, the strapping Everswindell (ex Hilarion Lady by St Hilarion), and Out of Align (ex Limerick Lea by McGinty). Everswindell was an e...

Optimism for New Zealand Yearling Sale Series

The NZTBA's hospitality tent at Karaka Mr Peter Francis, President of the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders' Association, today expressed his optimism in wishing both vendors and buyers well for the 80th New Zealand National Yearling Sales Series. The 2006 Sales begin at New Zealand Bloodstock's Karaka complex on Monday. Mr Francis said that the New Zealand-bred thoroughbred is experiencing a wonderful year internationally with five Group One winners in Australia and a vintage season in Hon...

Gee I Jane spotlights Hallmark Stud draft

Young Hallmark Stud sire Spectatorial whose second crop sells at Karaka 2006 Weekend racing generated major excitement around the small town of Te Kauwhata, which lies off the main highway between Auckland and Hamilton. At Ainsley Downs Stud, Courtney and Mandy Howells' delight at Russian Pearl's sterling victory in the rich HKJC Stewards' Cup HK-1 on Sunday evening matched that of theBaker family at Hallmark Stud a day earlier. As Gee I Jane (Jahafil-Miss Distinction by Bletchencore) romp...

Russian Pearl heads (NZ) quinella in Hong Kong feature

Kiwi-breds Russian Pearl and Best Gift provided much more than a thrilling spectacle in yesterday's $HK8 million Hong Kong Stewards' Cup 1600m HK-1 at Sha Tin. A week out from the National Yearling Sales at Karaka, the result was also a timely piece of advertising in a market where New Zealand-bred horses have been enjoying notable success. By Soviet Star from the Veloso mare Velinda, Russian Pearl was bred by NZTBA members Courtney & Miranda Howells, and Peter Setchell, and offered by J...

Haunui Farm presents Karaka 2006 yearlings

The 2006 yearling parade season continued today in glorious weather at Haunui Farm, Auckland. Established by Geoff and Peg Chitty in 1955, Haunui Farm is now managed by their grandson Mark Chitty, with the support of his wife Sara, and parents Ron and Carolyn.The Stud is justly proud of the longstanding friendships it has nurtured with several leading private breeders, and the 33 stakes performers it has bred, reared and/or sold in the past three years. That list is headed by three 2005 Gr...

Parade showcases Rich Hill yearlings

A yearling parade at a handsomely appointed thoroughbred stud has to be one of life's better assignments on a hot Waikato summer afternoon. On Monday John and Colleen Thompson hosted clients, guests and media at Rich Hill Stud near Matamata and presented their 40 yearlings for Karaka 2006. As the home of New Zealand's current leading sire Pentire, last year's leading freshman sire in Europe Bertolini and exciting new sire Jungle Pocket Rich Hill has every right to feel confident going into t...

Master Hunter's win timely for Longlands Stud

Remember the 1988 Australian Cup, billed as a match race between Vo Rogue and Bonecrusher, and Dandy Andy beat them both? It happens often enough in racing to be a cliche and it happened again, on a humble scale, at Ellerslie on Saturday. The fillies Blue Skies (Spectatorial) and Ifionlyhadtime (Postponed) started favourites in the Cathy Campbell 2yo event over 1100 metres, but first starter Master Starter (O'Reilly-She Wishes by Kenfair) bolted in with his ears pricked. He won by almost two ...

Desert Flight adds to Coxon family's success

When Alec Coxon bought the broodmare River Flight for $1,600 at the Dalgety Mixed Sale in April 1982 his sons Richard and Wayne weren't exactly thrilled. As hard-working Waikato dairy farmers they were concerned about the amount of feed a broodmare would consume, but their father took the longer view. He said, "She'll be a goldmine and you'll have a lot of fun with her." Alec died eleven years ago but his sons, wife Norma and daughter-in-law Anna have had the pleasure of seeing his faith in t...

Green Perfume's first Group One winner

One of the quirky patterns observed in thoroughbred racing and breeding is that a few stallions achieve their best results only after they die or leave the country. Most turn out to be no great loss to the New Zealand industry, but it's human nature to remember the exceptions and make a rule of it: "You know he'll leave a good horse now he's gone." Green Perfume (Naevus-Pretty Is by Doonesbury) is a perfect example. His sale by Chequers Stud to Australia last year was noted with little regret a...

Chant keeps singing for The Oaks

"Nothing gives us a bigger thrill than owning a stallion and seeing him get his first Group winner," said The Oaks general manager Rick Williams after Chant (Traditionally-Chantenay by Warning) won the $50,000 ARC Eclipse S. 1200m G3 at Ellerslie yesterday. That was only one of several thrills for The Oaks, because the stud's owner, Dick Karreman, also bred and races the elegant, athletic two-year-old filly from the stable of Robert Priscott. Her victory was hardly a surprise because she had b...

Local families bring global success for Waikato Stud

For about a decade now, New Zealand breeders have been exhorted to upgrade their bloodstock with mares imported from Europe and North America. Yet the stream of good, and better than good horses produced by local female families has defied fashion and kept flowing. One breeder who has resolutely backed not only locally bred mares, but also Australasian-bred stallions, is 2005 New Zealand Breeder of the Year Garry Chittick of Waikato Stud. All four of the stud's resident sires were bred in New...

Shikoba triumphs again for owner-breeder

It was hardly surprising that the first four placegetters in yesterday ARC Royal S. 2000m G2 at Ellerslie are raced by their breeders. That's because, of the 14 starters, only five aren't raced by the people who bred them. The winner, Shikoba (Chief Bearhart-Summary by Tierce) is owned by The Micaela Murray Trust, which bred the petite chestnut filly in partnership with Micaela's parents Stuart and Suzanne Murray. Shikoba, named for the Native American Choctaw tribe's word for feather, also to...

Sculptor takes Guineas for His Royal Highness

Strathcarron Stud's admirable 16-year-old sire His Royal Highness is rarely without a good horse and on Boxing Day got his latest Group winner when Sculptor (ex Betelgeuse by Full Out; bred by Galaxy Exports Ltd; owned and trained by Peter McKenzie) won the ARC Great Northern Guineas 2000m G2 at Ellerslie. Sculptor is his sire's 11th stakeswinner from 260 foals of racing age (excluding his current two-year-olds, none of which has yet raced), giving him 4.2% SW/foals. It's a figure that's especi...

First NZ stakeswinner for Danske

Four-year-old mare Sapphire Belle gave her sire Danske his first New Zealand stakeswinner when she took out the Timaru Cup 1600m LR today. It was a stylish performance, in the quick time of 1:33.83, and defeating a strong field that included two Group One winners, The Jewel (fourth) and Maroofity (eighth). Trained by Jan Hay at Ashburton, Sapphire Belle was bred by the Mapperley Stud Partnership and sold for $22,000 at the 2003 NZ Select Fillies Sale to Kevin Hickman who races her with Graeme R...

Bazelle gets second Group One win at Ellerslie

At her first start in New Zealand since winning the Auckland Cup G1 in January this year, six-year-old mare Bazelle (Zabeel-Show Games by Showdown) led home an all-female finish in the ARC Galaxy S. 2000m G1 on the first day of the Auckland Racing Club's New Zealand Herald Summer Carnival. Five-year-old Kind Return, also by Zabeel, was second, and last-start Group 2 winner Focal Point (by Kashani) was third. The Zabeel quinella was highly appropriate, because Cambridge Stud sponsors the race wh...

Black type Boxing Day for Chief Bearhart

Former Glenmorgan Farm sire and Breeders' Cup Turf winner Chief Bearhart today added black type wins from both ends of the country to his rapidly progressing record. At Ellerslie three-year-old filly Shikoba (ex Summary by Tierce; bred by Stuart & Suzanne Murray and The Micaela Murray Trust) won the ARC Ladies Mile 1600m G2, with Avondale Guineas winner Pulcinella (Stravinsky) and Gaze (Cape Cross) completing a trifecta for shuttle stallions. It was Shikoba's third win from six starts and ...

Consistent Kristov wins Manawatu Challenge Stakes

If every racehorse owner could be guaranteed a horse like Kristov some time in their lives, campaigns to promote ownership would be unnecessary. Alas, such good fortune is rarely distributed evenly or fairly in racing. So Kristov's owners Charlie Beckett, Greg Meads and Phillip Stevens can consider themselves blessed to collect their 37th and biggest cheque from his 39-start career, when he won yesterday's $60,000 MRC Manawatu Challenge S. 1400m G3 at Awapuni. Bred by Willow Park Ltd, the six...