Following the parade of stallions at Westbury Stud and Haunui Farm last Sunday around 80 people attended an awards luncheon hosted by the Auckland Branch of the NZTBA .
Held at the Karaka Sales Centre, the lunch was to honour the achievements of its members’ in the last season and to announce the winner of the New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance Award for Outstanding Contribution.
That award was given to the ex NZTBA CEO and Auckland branch member Michael Martin for his contribution to the branch as a breeder and administrator. Unfortunately Michael had family commitments in the South Island so responded via video link, and DI Bowbyes accepted the award and added her comments about Michael to the citation delivered by Auckland branch president Mark Chitty.
The breeders of the group one winners Bonneval (City Bloodstock Limited) and Humidor (Jomara Bloodstock Limited) took out the major honours while the breeders of 12 other stakes winners were recognised with an award.
Bonneval’s deeds in the Group One Underwood Stakes, and the Group Two Dato Chin Nam Stakes, saw her breeders Peter Newsom, Mac Whiteman and Tony Wales of City Bloodstock Limited fame receive the Jane Bunbury Breeder of the Year Award, the Faltaat Award for Best International Performance and a Group One Award. Imposingly the dam of Bonneval also left the stakes placed Imposing Lass in the season under review.
Humidor was triumphant in winning the Group One Makybe Diva Stakes, ran third in the Group One Turnbull Stakes, fifth in the Group One Caulfield Cup before setting up the pace for Winx in the Group One W.S Cox Plate. Later in the season he won Group Two Blamey Stakes and ran fourth twice at Group One level in the Futurity Stakes and the Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
His dam Zalika (Zabeel-Desert Darling[GB]) was crowned the Sybil Hayward Broodmare of the Year, and John Carter of Jomara Bloodstock Limited also collected a Group One Award for Humidor on behalf of himself, his brother Mark and sister Rachael.
Dr John and Di Bowbyes were acknowledged as the breeders of the Group Two Manco Easter Handicap winner Megablast (Shinko King(IRE)-Thirst), along with Trish Dunell who bred the Group Two Waikato Guineas winner Xbox (Niagara(AUS)-Boxapins). Haunui Farm manager Mark Chitty accepted the award on Trish’s behalf, and also collected one for Xpression (Showcasing[GB]- Xpress) who won the Group Two Wakefield Challenge Stakes. Xpression was bred by Haunui Farm and Whanakino Limited.
Showcasing was represented by two Group Three winners, Carnival (ex Sinalot) the winner of the Stewards Handicap and bred by Dame Wendy and Don Pye, and Bit Lippy (ex Ceramic) who was bred by the late Mick Evans, and was accepted by his daughter Danielle who races the smart filly.
Haunui Farm’s Iffraaj was also represented by two Group Three winners Jon Snow (ex Orinda) bred by Richard Moore, he won the Group Three JRA Cup at Moonee Valley, and Melt (ex Ticklish). Melt won the Group Three Eclipse Stakes for her breeder Andrew Fowler, who accepted her award, and generously paid $4800 for an agistment package at Haunui Farm in the live auction.
All together the Auckland based stallions sired seven individual stakes winners with Westbury Stud’s former stallion Makfi siring Bonneval and Swiss Ace leaving Julius, who was bred by Gerry Harvey and won the Group Three Darley Plate.
Other group three winners included the two sons of the Danehill(USA) mare J’Dane – Sherrif (by High Chaparral[IRE]) the winner of the Manawatu Classic and Von Tunzelman(by Zabeel) winner of the Trentham Stakes, they were bred and are raced by Jo and Brendan Lindsay MNZM.
David Archer of NZTBA sponsor Fasttrack Insurance fame collected the award for breeding Bostonian (Jimmy Choux-Keepa Cheval) who won the Sunshine Coast Guineas while the final Group Three winner was Melody Belle (Commands[AUS]- Melika Belle) winner of the Group Three Mongolian Khan Trophy. Her breeder Marie Leicester commented on how much joy she was having watching the latest descendant from parents famous Belle family race, and felt that her recent win in the Group Two Foxbridge Plate was particularly pertinent as the original mare that started it all for the family Belle Star was by Foxbridge. - Michelle Saba
