Credit: Race Images
As a breeding establishment, Trelawney Stud’s job is to breed winners, especially stakes winners. The stud typically operates at the higher end of the market but occasionally they retain the odd filly. It’s a nice way to join breeding to racing.
Not so long ago they bred Two Illicit (Jimmy Choux). By sale time, buyers had lost interest in her sire but Trelawney’s Brent Taylor liked her style and decided she was worth a punt. A career of eight wins including the Group 1 Captain Cook Stakes (1600m), four further Group wins and a second in the New Zealand Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) followed. Taylor’s judgement was proved and Two Illicit is now part of the Trelawney breeding empire.
Saturday’s Matamata Kaimai Stakes (Listed, 1600m) winner Astoria Brooke (American Pharoah) will ultimately join Two Illicit having played her part in gaining a precious black type victory. Effectively, her job is done but also not yet finished.
The job just completed did not look at all promising once the field entered the home straight. Astoria Brooke shared last behind a wall of opponents. Rider Michael McNab moved out and tracked Top Shelf (Savabeel) between runners from the 200m then moved out another lane to challenge. Inside the 100m she co led but showed real determination to stretch her neck just short of the wire to round off a winning open class treble, her last three starts.
Trainer Tony Pike was delighted with her run: “The way she took the tight gap in the home straight was good to see and I think it was her best win to date,” adding: “She has got that vital black type on her record now and I don’t think it will be her last.”
The mare’s winning strike rate stands at eight from 21 and the $46,000 winner’s prize brought her career earnings to $220,395. She races well when there is some moisture about and is very capable when the tracks are deep. This latest win was on a Soft 5 surface producing a winning time of 1:35.51 so she likes to get her toe into the turf. Spring tracks can vary so this preparation could see further runs. Next autumn is still available before an obvious stud career is undertaken.
The 5YO mare was not offered for sale and is one of three winners from Ellerslie Listed winner Astor (Iffraaj) who did go through the sales ring, from Haunui Farm’s 2015 draft at the NZB Karaka Yearling Sale.
Astor’s dam Hukba (Shamardal) and grandam Doduo (Danehill) were both Melbourne two-year-old winners, the latter a three-quarter sister to the highly successful sire Kodiac (Danehill), himself a half-brother to internationally influential sire Invincible Spirit (Green Desert). Another three-quarter sister is Al Anood (Danehill), the dam prominent sire Pride Of Dubai (Street Cry). This is a family of great depth.
Astoria Brooke’s close family have been active recently as Contessa Vanessa (Bullbars), Shuffle Dancer (I Am Invincible) and McGaw (I Am Immortal) have all achieved Group wins. It looks like the doubling Invincible Spirit works to good effect with this line.
Too classy
Mares took centre stage at Hawera for the Taranaki Breeders’ Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m) but Qali Al Farrasha (Almanzor) gave her opposition little hope with a clear display of class. As a Group 2 winner and four times Group 1 placed, none of her opponents could boast such a record yet she started as the third favourite, perhaps due to her winning percentage.
Another factor may have been that all three previous wins were on a Good 4 surface yet she has placed on soft tracks and Hawera, although rated as a Heavy 8, saw the maidens run 1200m in 1:12.06 earlier on the card. Steady rain meant slower times afterwards. Pre-race, rider Wiremu Pinn believed that the race was an “easy kill” for the mare and upon dismounting stated: “She was just the best horse in the race.”
A packed field rounded into the straight, all seeking better going wide out. Qali Al Farrasha was among the widest but it didn’t take much for her to share the lead. Over the last 100m she pulled away, her class evident.
Her fourth career win along with a number of quality placings has resulted in a serious bank account of $718,175 and when retired she will be an attractive addition to any broodmare roster.
She was bred by Te Akau Stud in conjunction with Westernlea Bloodstock so it is likely she will be domiciled at Te Akau when her racing days are over. Now a six-year-old, this might be her last season but the current season has barely begun. Don’t be surprised if she adds to her already good record.
Her brother is the Listed 2YO winner Nucleozor (Almanzor) and her dam’s half-sister won at Group 2 level in Melbourne. Their dam Mexican Rose (Volksraad) was a champion two-and-three-year-old in Singapore.
Waikato’s almost treble
Waikatos Stud’s white, blue and green colours were everywhere at Matamata, and that’s not just due to the club’s raceday saddlecloths. The stud enjoyed a far better than average day when two of their homebreds, Pilates (Savabeel) and Magise (Savabeel), racing in their colours, saluted in back-to-back races.
In particular, Pilates made quite an impression with a sustained finish from well back turning for home. Once balanced, she accelerated nicely and collared the leaders comfortably although late to score with some authority. This won’t be the last we see of this mare, now a four-year-old who has been very patiently handled after a set back or two. Saturday’s win was her second start.
As is the Waikato Stud breeding doctrine, she has been retained by the stud for the future and has a most attractive pedigree, being one of five winners from her dam, all of which are by Savabeel (Zabeel), including Ellerslie Listed winner Synchronise (Savabeel). They are from the unraced Splits, an O’Reilly (Last Tycoon) daughter of dual Group 1 winner Legs (Pins). The latter was successful in the New Zealand Oaks (Gr, 2400m) as well as the Kelt Capital Stakes (Gr 1, 2040m).
There are two further Group 1 winners with which her lines are closely matched as her dam Splits ranks as a sister-in-blood to dual Group 1 winner Tiptronic who is also by O’Reilly, from the Pins (Snippets) mare Tiptoes. Western Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Guyno (O’Reilly) is a three-quarter brother to Splits.
Across the Tasman in Sydney and Melbourne, three Group 1s were highly anticipated and one result for the stud, as they provided Ardrossan (Redoute’s Choice) the sire, would have been gladly accepted even if it was only a second placing.
In a small but quality field, the Flight Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) looked like it was between three runners, all accomplished fillies. De Armas, one of our better two-year-olds from last season, who was expected to be even better at three, ran out of her skin in a super run.
Scooting along the rail into the straight, she co-led at the 200m and narrowly led at the 100m before a brave fight to the end. She never gave up and is a serious filly who will not have to improve much to land a major win this campaign.
Should she continue in this form she could be something of a flag bearer on behalf of her sire, Ardrossan, and perfect timing to promote his qualities to the Australian buying bench at next January’s Karaka Yearling Sales.
Her residual value was established with a win in the Counties Challenge Stakes (Listed, 1100m) last December, her second win from two starts. After that she was a solid fourth in the Karaka Millions 2YO (RL, 1200m) and subsequently sold to Australian interests.
Central Districts trainer Johnno Benner found the filly on NZB’s on-line Gavelhouse National Yearling Sale for $16,000 and Saturday’s $141,000 placing from just her fifth start would have made a small dent in the next sales transaction to OTI racing. Her female family is one found primarily among offerings from Blandford Lodge Stud who established and maintain the line.
Windsor win
Similar to Waikato Stud’s day, Windsor Park Stud also had a result to celebrate courtesy of Miss Waititi (Circus Maximus) in the Super Impose Stakes (Listed, 1800m).
Regarded as a leading chance for next month’s VRC Oaks (Gr 1, 2500m), Miss Waititi is by their up and coming Circus Maximus (Galileo) who has already sired a classic winner, Road To Paris, winner of the 2026 New Zealand Derby (Gr 1, 2400m). Her Flemington performance sets her on a path to an early staying test such as the Oaks, underlined by her winning effort.
Craig Williams gave the filly a perfect run to sit midfield (rails) at the 800m but at the top of the long straight waited patiently for the field to fan and pushed her through without covering an inch of extra ground. Full of running, she co led at the 300m, took over clearly at the 200m and was simply much too strong at the line and was eased late yet still prevailed by two and half lengths. There appeared to be plenty left in the tank, hence her brightened chances of getting the Oaks distance.
Williams must have liked what he felt when asked to partner Miss Waititi in a fast finish for third in a 1600m Seymour maiden last month. The filly certainly learned a lot and at Felmington won somewhat professionally to break her maiden at Listed level at just her third start.
The training partnership of Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr were offered the filly after she ran second in an Avondale trial last December. The original New Zealand owners remain in the syndicate. As a yearling, Miss Waititi was passed in with a reserve of $80,000 at the 2025 NZB Karaka Yearling Sale (Book 1), as part of Windsor Park’s draft.
She is the first foal from an unraced Fastnet Rock (Danehill) half-sister to Srumdiddlyuprtious (Roman Ruler) who scored three Listed wins in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The best of Miss Waititi’s close relatives are American Group 1 winners Vicar (Wild Again) and Itsmyluckyday (Lawyer Ron) plus Poule d’Essai des Poulains (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Astronomer Royal (Danzig).
It was quite a day for Fastnet Rock whose daughters supplied four stakes winners on Saturday, the other three at Randwick, namely Flight Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Global Goal (Pinatubo) plus the winners of Sydney’s first stakes for the two-year-olds, Flying Houdidni (Trapeze Artist) and Shraddha (Ole Kirk).
