The foaling season is only weeks away and the breeding season kicks off merely four weeks after that, beginning September 1st. Consequently, stallion advertising in New Zealand has suddenly ramped up and metropolitan results from Melbourne and Sydney in particular this past weekend will have buoyed some studs and stud masters.
Four winners on Saturday’s Caulfield card were bred and foaled in New Zealand. In Sydney there were three more while in Adelaide there was one. As is often the case, wins by Prince Eric (Time Test), First Chorus (Ghibellines) and Prickly Poppy (Belardo) are sidenotes since both Time Test (Dubawi) and Belardo (Lope De Vega) have been banished whereas Ghibellines (Shamardal) has been lost to the ranks due to his recent passing.
That meant Rich Hill Stud’s Proisir (Choisir), Cambridge Stud’s Hello Youmzain (Kodiac) as well as Westbury Stud’s Tarzino (Tavistock) and El Roca (Fastnet Rock) flew the flag for the Kiwis. Proisir also had a notable impressive debut winner at Ruakaka, discussed later in the column.
Caulfield’s Jockey Watch Handicap (1400m) winner Cruiserweight (Hello Youmzain) looks something out of the ordinary, maybe a future star, based not only on his unbeaten record, but also the way he has dealt to his opponents. Hello Youmzain’s Drops Of God was given a big rap by this column after her Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) back in April, suggesting she might be the one to set the Hello Youmzain story alight.
Cruiserweight is another with the potential to push Hello Youmzain to the fore among New Zealand stallions, assisted by post-win comments from his co-trainer JD Hayes: “He’s raw and has plenty of upside. This was only a three-year-old race in July, but the way he did it, and with so much improvement still to come, hopefully he can end up where we think he can.”
Taranaki trainer Allan Sharrock found him at Karaka in Book 2 of NZB’s 2024 Karaka Yearling Sale, securing him for $40,000 but waited until late May the following year to see what he had. Named Opetaia, the youngster led his 800m Foxton trial from barrier rise and was doing it comfortably at the line, his only test at two.
A second trial, at three, last October over 1000m at Awapuni, he sat back, circled the field to lead at the top of the straight and was held together to the line for another comfortable win.
Two trials, two wins. What would raceday reveal? Raceday revealed that the gelding was ready. He sat second at the 600m, took over at the top of the straight then powered away to win by almost six lengths, doing it easily at the post.
Goodbye Opetaia, hello Cruiserweight
In no surprise, head-hunting agents with deep-pocketed Australian clients could not resist and the renamed Cruiserweight was transported to Victoria where he made his Australian debut at the May 22nd Flemington trials (second) followed by a trial win at the same course a week later. At Swan Hill over 1200m on June 7th he picked up his race record where he left off, taking over at the 200m and under hands and heels went to the line a clear winner.
A step up in class for Saturday’s win didn’t go smoothly when rider Craig Williams tracked a tiring runner at a crucial stage of the race, forcing him to go back then wide around the last corner. Sharing last into line he produced a strong run to lead at the 100m before coming away. “Once I got him into his rhythm, he won quite easily. He’s still very raw but has really good ability, and it’s going to be exciting to see what path they take with him,” said Williams.
Cruiserweight’s sire Hello Youmzain has three crops racing in the northern hemisphere with his oldest south of the equator rising four-year-olds. To date he has sired 133 individual winners, among them 13 stakes winners (five at Group level) and further 17 stakes-placed performers.
Cruiserweight is the first foal from Medal O’Rose (Medaglia D’Oro), a placed half-sister to Riccarton Listed 2YO stakes winner Al Hasa (Exceed And Excel). Their dam, Oasis Rose (Oasis Dream) possessed sufficient class to run second in the New Zealand 2,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m), behind Sacred Falls (O’Reilly). Far and away the best runner in the family is international three-times Group 1 winner Doctor Dino (Muhtathir) whose half-sister is Cruiserweight’s great grandam. Oasis Rose had just three foals and Medal O’Rose is her only filly.
Proisir’s double double
The 2025-26 Grosvenor Award (Leading New Zealand Sire) winner looks to be Proisir (Choisir) whose first title took place two seasons ago. The season almost ended, his lead of some $330,000 appears to be sufficiently large enough to hold off the late Savabeel (Zabeel).
Saturday was a very good day for Rich Hill Stud’s star attraction. In Melbourne his Coeur Volante continued on her winning way, forging win seven from 20 starts including her last three in succession, banking more than $840,000.
The $90,000 NZB 2022 Karaka Yearling sale graduate and subsequent three-times Group winner was sold last year as a breeding prospect. She returned to the track in May to record a Listed third placing in the Bel Esprit Stakes (1100m) prior to her current treble of Sandown and Caulfield open class wins. Purchased for $500,000 on-line, her new owners have recouped more than $260,000. The mare is rising six and who is to say she can’t add to her record this coming season? Her current form suggests it would be a most worthwhile opportunity.
In Sydney Leovanni (Proisir) took her record to two wins and eight placings from 13 starts, her win on Saturday at Randwick on the back of her breakthrough maiden success at Tamworth at the beginning of this month. It has taken the four-year-old mare a while to figure out this racing business as she arrived at Tamworth with five runner-up finishes and three third placings.
The TAB Highweight Plate (1600m) was clearly a different class from a Tamworth maiden but she didn’t know that and ran down the hot favourite to score nicely. Her consistency is to be admired and judging from this effort there is more in store.
Not unlike Coeur Volante, she has been through three auctions. She made $22,000 as a yearling on Gavelhouse and the following year went through the 2023 NZB Ready To Run Sale, fetching $210,000. Placed in four of her six races at three she was again sold (on-line) for $40,000. Saturday’s win has brought her career earnings to $114,850. Her new owners have banked $92,350.
Proisir’s third winner for the day was at Ruakaka where Latoya made a big impression when taking out the ITM/GIB 2YO (1200m). The two-year-old’s debut was much anticipated as a trial winner but more importantly, she is a sister to $3 million earner and five-times Group 1 champion Legarto (Proisir), sold recently at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale for $2.8 million.
From barrier ten (of ten), Latoya was forced to sit three wide throughout, made her run before they straightened and formed a line of three at the 300m. Rider Jasmine Fawcett sat quietly until the 50m before asking the filly to let down, which she did, drawing out by a length at the line. “She relaxed beautifully there and she had the ability to get the job done,” said Fawcett.
Latoya has big shoes to fill but this effort showed she has plenty of potential to live up to big sis’s stellar reputation. Geordie Girl (Towkay), their dam, has been retired from the breeding barn and Latoya is the last of her five live foals.
Proisir’s fourth winner, Prioress, scored the open handicap over 1200m at Hawera, the 7YO mare’s sixth career win for earnings in excess of $230,000.
Another little sis
Similar to Latoya, another younger sister, this time to the top-class Gypsy Goddess (Tarzino), also won at her first attempt, in Saturday’s Elite Sand and Soil Handicap (1400m) for two-year-olds.
Proxima Dea (Tarzino) was first into stride and did all the donkey work to the 300m where she was hotly challenged. At the 100m she was finally headed but she wasn’t about to give in and fought back to be level before thrusting her head out at the post. This was one gutsy effort and she fully deserved the win.
Older sister Gypsy Goddess was a fabulous performer who raced just ten times for six wins and four placings, winning her first five starts including the Grand Prix Stakes (Gr 3, 2100m). In the autumn of her 3YO season she returned to finish third in Vinery Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 1850m) at Newcastle, then second in the Australian Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) and was too strong when landing the Queensland Oaks (Gr 1, 2200m).
Her sole run at four was a cracker, a rousing third from an awkward rails position to I Wish I Win (Savabeel) and Fangirl (Sebring) in the 2022 running of The Golden Eagle (1500m) which drew a superb field. Just ten races, close to $2 million in earnings and it was all over. Gypsy Goddess was sold to Japanese interests and has since foaled a filly by Japanese Champion Kitasan Black (Black Tide). Proxima Dea was the sole lot by Tarzino at the 2025 Wm Inglis Easter Yearling Sale and was secured by Ciaron Maher Bloodstock for $300,000.
Nicely related
Yet another nicely related filly scored her maiden win this past Saturday. Ebony Bassett (Wootton Bassett) won at her second attempt, impressively bagging the Betavet NZ Maiden (1200m) at Hawera for her breeder and owner, Novara Park’s Luigi Muollo.
Sitting second, just back and outside the leader, the 3YO filly ranged up and took over soon after straightening. The closer she got to the line the further she went in front and was full of running at the post by three and a half lengths. She is one for your Black Book.
Her dam is Signora Nera (Sweynesse), not only a Sydney winner who ran third in the Queensland Oaks (Gr 1, 2200m), but also a sister to Hong Kong star sprinter Lucky Sweynesse (Sweynesse). Muollo bred them both under his Explosive Breeding banner. Ebony Bassett is Signora Nera’s first foal.
Muollo is busy promoting his stallions Sweynesse (Lonhro), Staphanos (Deep Impact). King Of Comedy (Kingman) and his latest acquisition, The Foxes (Churchill) in advance of the upcoming breeding season.
The NZTBA has just released the 2026 New Zealand Stallion Register. Each stallion is assigned a double page spread and each is treated identically from a promotion point of view. In The Foxes case, the register has its limitations, especially regarding a stallion’s female line. For his television and on-line advertising, Muollo has done a super job of outlining the incredible family that The Foxes represents. Look out for it when next viewing New Zealand Trackside.
