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Snazzytavi reigns in Zabeel Classic for Cambridge Stud

This year’s phenomenal rise of Snazzytavi (Tavistock) was fittingly capped off in the Gr.1 Cambridge Stud Zabeel Classic (2000m) on Boxing Day, but another star mare didn’t let her away with an easy victory in the Ellerslie feature.Snazzytavi, owned by race sponsors Brendan and Jo Lindsay, has been carefully handled by trainers Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall, having just her 15th start on Thursday. The mare’s eight victories to date included the Gr.3 Easter Handicap (1600m), Gr.1...

Yaldi comes out on top in blockbuster Auckland Guineas

In a blockbuster edition of the Gr.2 Shaw’s Wire Ropes Auckland Guineas (1400m), outsider Midnight Edition (Wrote) and favoured runner Yaldi (Ardrossan) went to the line as one, with the latter securing the Boxing Day feature in a protest.Yaldi had been an impressive juvenile, winning on debut before placing at stakes level in Australia. The imposing galloper had done little racing in his three-year-old season, making his first appearance since August when finishing a narrow second t...

About Time gets moment to shine in Dunstan Final

About Time (American Pharoah) was a rising star in the staying ranks as a three-year-old, and 12 months later, the Cambridge Stud mare collected another holiday feature with a powerful display in Dunstan Stayers Championship Final (2400m) on Boxing Day.The daughter of American Pharoah had burst on to the scene in December last year, placing in the Listed Trevor and Corallie Eagle Memorial (1500m) and winning the Gr.2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2000m) on New Year’s Day.She was spelled after...

Pivotal Ten takes Wingatui feature

Progressive filly Pivotal Ten (Ten Sovereigns) completed an impressive hattrick of victories when she proved too tough on a testing Heavy 10 Wingatui surface to capture the Listed NZB Insurance Stakes (1400m).Ridden by her trainer Samantha Wynne, the daughter of Ten Sovereigns had broken her maiden status on a Slow 7 surface at the venue back in October over 1200m before repeating the dose at Timaru a month later.Given time to get over that run. Wynne presented the filly in superb condition...

Vale Don Goodwin

Don Goodwin, the breeder of 11-time Group One winner Verry Elleegant, has passed away, aged 86.Goodwin was a proud student of thoroughbred pedigrees, and it was this passion that led him to acquiring Verry Elleegant’s dam, Opulence, to send to Grangewilliam Stud stallion Zed, for whom he was a shareholder.It was purchasing Opulence off trainer Nicholas Bishara that set the wheels in motion for the formation of a lucrative partnership and friendship between the pair, which took them on the ride...

Little Brose to Little Avondale

Group One winner Little Brose (Per Incanto) will stand at Little Avondale Stud next year, alongside his sire Per Incanto, after a deal was brokered with the Wairarapa farm recently.Out of Group Three performer Mohegan Sky, Little Brose was purchased out of Sledmere Stud’s 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale by Lindsay Park Racing for A$200,000.He made a quick return on the Victorian operation’s investment, going on to finish runner-up on debut in the Gr.3 Maribyrnong Plate (100...

Marotiri Molly delivers career highlight for Dixon

Matt Dixon collected his biggest win as a solo trainer when his much-improved mare Marotiri Molly (Per Incanto) ran away with the Gr.2 Bramco Granite & Marble Manawatu Challenge Stakes (1400m) at Trentham on Saturday.Foxton-based Dixon trained five Group and Listed winners in partnership with David Haworth between 2009 and 2014, but had not scaled those heights since resuming his career on his own in 2019. Marotiri Molly has changed all that.Dixon has had to be patient with Marotiri Mol...

Stakes success for Gold Bullion

Four-year-old gelding Gold Bullion (Savabeel) dug deep to stave off all challengers when leading throughout to land the Listed Seven Members Mile (1600m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday for trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott.The son of Savabeel was ridden to victory by Regan Bayliss and looks set to leave his mark on the Queensland Summer Carnival as he chases further stakes success.Now the winner of three of his 14 starts with a further five placings, Gold Bullion was second-up after finish...

Patterson and Grylls combine for dominant Eulogy Stakes win

The familiar combination of trainer Robbie Patterson and jockey Craig Grylls continued their outstanding success rate in stakes races when promising filly Leica Lucy (Derryn) took out the Gr.3 Lawnmaster Eulogy Stakes (1600m) at Trentham.The daughter of Grangewilliam Stud-based stallion Derryn had impressed when winning on debut at New Plymouth last month before being narrowly beaten over 1400m at Trentham a fortnight ago.Relishing the step up in distance to 1600m on Saturday, Leica Lucy se...

Islington Lass all class in Manawatu Cup

The Allan Sharrock training polish was to the fore again at Trentham on Saturday when classy mare Islington Lass (Proisir) stepped up to a middle distance for the first time in her 16-start career to score a clear-cut victory in the Gr.3 Humphries Construction Manawatu Cup (2300m)The seven-year-old had hinted at her last start in the Gr.3 Great Northern Challenge Stakes (1600m) at Ellerslie that she was looking for more ground when finishing off strongly over the final stages of the contest...

Gritty Goldman wins Pakenham Cup

One-time Melbourne Cup favourite Goldman has bounced back to winning form for the first time in more than 18-months when leading throughout to score in the Listed Pakenham Cup (2500m) on Saturday.The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Goldman last saluted in the Listed Roy Higgins (2600m) in March of last year which rocketed him to 2023 Cup favouritism.While subsequent preparations haven’t gone to plan, Goldman relished being in his favoured on-speed ride under Beau Mertens and out-toughed...

Intention scores Wakefield upset

Overlooked in the lead-up to Saturday’s Gr.2 Happy Hire Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m) at Trentham, Intention (Bivouac) burst out of the shadows of her higher-rated rivals and scored an impressive upset win.The $175,000 feature was only the second start for the Awapuni filly, who finished fourth on debut at Otaki on November 28 after jumping awkwardly from the starting gates and then bucking in the early part of the race.Carrying the blue and white colours of Tineke Balcombe’s In To...

Scholarship winner announced

The success of previous scholarship winners was one of the things that inspired Josh Herd the 2025 Sunline Trust International Management Scholarship winner to apply for the scholarship.“I have seen how successful some of the past recipients have been in the industry and thought it would be a pretty good pathway forward,” said Manawatu-based Herd.“I have worked with Te Akau Racing’s Sam Bergerson and know what the scholarship has done for him, and so many others.”“Just to be able to ...

Blue Sky At Night continues family legacy

Blue Sky At Night (Shamexpress) gave owner-breeder’s Isabel and Alistaire Barker a massive thrill last Saturday at Te Rapa when taking out the Gr.3 Waikato Cup (2400m), extending the couple’s great association with her family.“It was pretty amazing,” Isabel Barker said. “She is a very genuine mare, she gives 120 percent. It was very close (half head winning margin), but a win is a win.”With victory, Blue Sky At Night attained coveted black-type and assured her future broodmare c...

Kiwi Chronicles - Something for everyone

Since about the middle of November, black type, as it affects sires and pedigree pages, can not be included in New Zealand Bloodstock’s published hard copy of the catalogue for the Karaka Yearling Sale. The lag-time between the catalogue’s release and the sale itself becomes the domain of updates and this past Saturday, the update machine kicked into overdrive.Not that he needs the exposure, but Waikato Stud’s living legend Savabeel (Zabeel) sired his 146th individual stakes...

The Empire strikes back in Gold Rush

The Grant and Alana Williams-trained Western Empire (Iffraaj) has powered to victory in the A$1.5 million Gr.3 Gold Rush (1400m) at Ascot in Perth on Saturday.Ridden by Billy Egan, who was called off the bench when regular rider Willie Pike became unavailable earlier in the week, Western Empire travelled wide with cover throughout but unleashed a devastating turn of foot to defeat Magnificent Andy and favourite Super Smink.It was shades of Western Empire’s best as the now seven-year-old s...

Jedibeel explosive in Razor Sharp

Talented sprinter Jedibeel (Savabeel) took his career to a new peak when successful in the Listed Razor Sharp Handicap (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday after gaining a late split under Tyler Schiller to grab victory from the jaws of defeat.Schiller, who rides with a calmness rarely seen, was hell-bent on waiting for a gap after being cluttered in midfield and he took full opportunity when presented with a needle-eye to defeat Pereille and Eagle NestThe Brad Widdup-trained son of Savabeel has...

Beau Dazzler stamps Derby credentials with Grand Prix romp

Kiwi-bred three-year-old Beau Dazzler (Ardrossan) has flagged his staying ability with a strong victory in the Gr.3 Grand Prix Stakes (1800m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday for trainers Tony & Maddysen Sears.The son of Ardrossan was the winner of the Listed Phelan Ready Stakes (1000m) as a juvenile and performed with credit when crossing the Tasman to finish seventh in the Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) when closing well.The gelding again ran meritoriously and without luck when fourth in the Lis...

Snazzytavi storms to victory in Te Rapa feature

Raging hot favourite Snazzytavi (Tavistock) more than justified the torrent of support she received in the final minutes of betting prior to Saturday’s Gr.2 Cal Isuzu Stakes (1600m), the feature event for the fillies and mares at Te Rapa.The Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall-prepared five-year-old was making her first appearance since taking out the Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) at the venue in October with a barn-storming late run and she repeated the pattern of that victory on Saturday...

Blue Sky dreams come true at Te Rapa

It may have only been a nose at the finish but it might as well have been a mile for trainer Shelley Hale after Blue Sky At Night (Shamexpress) took out Saturday’s Gr.3 SKYCITY Hamilton Waikato Cup (2400m).Hale, who has battled ill-health in recent years, is one of the most popular figures at the Cambridge training establishment and has rejuvenated the career of the seven-year-old Shamexpress mare who has struck a rich vein of form, winning three of her seven starts since May, before tack...

Well-bred stayer bags Christmas Cup

Progressive stayer Kadavar (Tarzino) maintained his perfect record over 2400m when recording a strong win in the Listed Christmas Cup (2400m) at Randwick on Saturday.The Chris Waller-trained four-year-old is in a rich vein of form, notching a hattrick of victories  including bouncing between assignments in Sydney and Melbourne and has now won all four of his 2400m starts.Ridden by Kerrin McEvoy, Kadavar took up a more forward position after initially settling midfield and tracked eventual r...

Kelly Coe springs J Swap Sprint surprise

Former Manawatu mare Kelly Coe (Proisir) continued a golden run for her connections with a $28 upset victory in Saturday’s Gr.3 J Swap Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa.Kelly Coe is trained by Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott, who racked up a career-best 66 winners last season and are setting a red-hot pace so far in 2024-25. Their 31 wins put them in second on the national premiership, and they have tasted black-type success with Grail Seeker in the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m), Checkmate in t...

Kiwi Chronicles - Cashing In

Continuing the theme of sire and pedigree page enhancements leading into next month’s NZB Karaka Yearling Sales series is the clear-cut win by Sethito (Super Seth) in Saturday’s Bonecrusher Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m).In an open race, Sethito revealed her class when having to be used early to find a good spot. She levelled up just prior to straightening, then after taking over, Sam Spratt pushed her out, gave her a reminder approaching the 200 metres to break clear, an...

Good times flowing for Grangewilliam

Grangewilliam Stud is continuing to set a merry pace with strong results on and off the track.Mark and Jane Corcoran’s farm bred and sold high-class performer Ladies Man (Zed), who won Saturday’s Gr.1 Mufhasa Classic (1600m) at Trentham where recent purchase Utopian Wine was also successful.On the auction front, resident Grangewilliam sire Derryn enjoyed a strong Ready to Run Sale at Karaka last month with his top lot realising $420,000 while his homebred daughter Kiwiesque was recently a sm...

Sethito delivers on all levels for Chittick family

Quality filly Sethito (Super Seth) produced a timely and satisfying victory for Waikato Stud when she impressively bridged the gap to black type company at Ellerslie.Bred and raced by Garry Chittick, the three-year-old daughter of resident sire Super Seth added significant performance to her illustrious pedigree when she romped home in Saturday’s Gr.3 Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m).The addition of blinkers by trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott had the desired result outcome at her p...