Back to Blog

Connors’ Melbourne Cup dream alive and well

Raymond Connors has collected every major two-mile prize in New Zealand, and now he is dreaming of a possible tilt at Australasia’s most coveted staying scalp, the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m).The Bulls horseman has long held aspirations of winning the race that stops a continent, and his breeding and racing endeavours have reflected that, with Connors having a plethora of success in New Zealand staying and jumping features.Trav’s (Almanzor) victory in the Gr.2 Auckland Cup (3200m) at Ell...

Sister acts deliver stunning breeding double

A stunning family double for Tony Rider on Champion’s Day elevated the Milan Park principal into rare territory.Rider was still coming to terms on Monday with the enormity of events at Ellerslie where his homebred Savabeel sisters Provence and Damask Rose landed massive feature event blows.The former won the Gr.1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) and three races later Damask Rose also produced a dashing performance to claim the inaugural running of the $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (...

Francee fabulous in Pearl Series Final

Te Akau Racing commenced Ellerslie’s inaugural Champions Day in the best possible fashion, with progressive mare Francee (Iffraaj) winning the Entain/NZB Insurance Pearl Series Final (1400m).Carrying the silks of Haunui Farm, Francee had been out of the winner’s circle since Boxing Day in 2023, but had been knocking on the door in recent runs and was among the chances in an even market for the $120,000 contest.Jumping from an outside gate, jockey Craig Grylls eased Francee near the tail...

Francee (NZ) a Fitting Winner in Entain/NZB Insurance Pearl Series Final

The inaugural Champions Day kicked off at Ellerslie on Saturday with the $120,000 Entain/NZB Insurance Pearl Series Final (1400m), and there could have been no more appropriate winner than Francee (NZ) (Iffraaj).Francee is raced by her co-breeders Haunui Farm, whose managing director Mark Chitty also serves as deputy chair of Auckland Thoroughbred Racing. Chitty had more than one reason to have a spring in his step on Saturday, with the $8.2m Ellerslie extravaganza capturing the attent...

Linebacker completes Group One double for Super Seth

Waikato Stud’s rising star stallion Super Seth has sired his first two Group One winners within the space of seven days, with Linebacker (Super Seth) capturing Saturday’s A$1 million Gr.1 The Agency Randwick Guineas (1600m) a week after Feroce’s heroics in the Gr.1 Australian Guineas (1600m).Both Linebacker and Feroce come from the first crop by Super Seth, who was New Zealand’s leading first-season sire in 2023-24 and heads the second-season standings in 2024-25. His 28 winners inc...

Fresh Jedibeel sparkles in Challenge Stakes

Lining up for his first start in 84 days, Jedibeel (Savabeel) collected the eighth and most important win of his promising career in Saturday’s A$500,000 Gr.2 Schweppes Challenge Stakes (1000m) at Randwick.The five-year-old Savabeel gelding scored his first black-type win in the Listed Razor Sharp Handicap (1200m) in December, and then trainer Brad Widdup elected to freshen him ahead of autumn targets. Saturday’s Challenge Stakes was his first start since, and he announced his return to...

Dominant Derby redemption for Willydoit

Memories of a confidence-denting defeat in last month’s Gr.2 Avondale Guineas (2100m) were blown away on Saturday as Willydoit (Tarzino) powered to a dominant victory in the Gr.1 Trackside New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie.Willydoit strung together three increasingly impressive wins at the Auckland track during the summer and spent most of the last three months at the head of fixed-odds betting for the $1.25 million classic.However, the Tarzino gelding dropped out to a distant third-...

Damask Rose scoops biggest prize in New Zealand Racing

Te Akau Racing, Blake Shinn and fantastic filly Damask Rose (Savabeel) created a piece of New Zealand racing history when they took out the inaugural running of the richest race in the land, the newly minted $3.5 million Listed The NZB Kiwi (1500m) at Ellerslie.The slot race is the centrepiece of the newly created Barfoot and Thompson Champions Day, a day featuring eight black-type contests including four at Group One level.Open to New Zealand bred three-year-olds, the 14 slots for the race...

Connors lands another Ellerslie staying feature

Raymond Connors’ green and red colours will forever be known for six victories in the Great Northern Steeplechase (6400m) at Ellerslie between 1998 and 2019, but the respected Manawatu horseman returned to Auckland on Saturday and took the spoils in another major test of stamina.Connors won the Great Northern as an owner and jockey on Our Jonty (1998) before adding owner-trainer successes with Hypnotize (2007, 2008, 2009) and Wise Men Say (2017, 2019). Now those trophies sit alongside a major ...

Thrilling finish to Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes

Pin up boy El Vencedor (Shocking) signed off his latest local campaign with the final leg of a winning Group One treble when he downed gallant mare La Crique in a thrilling finish to the Gr.1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie.El Vencedor or EV as he is now affectionately known had added the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) and the Gr.1 Otaki-Maori WFA Classic (1600m) to his career record at his previous two starts and was shooting for a final local accolade before heading t...

Provence a dual Group One winner after Breeders’ Stakes upset

Eight weeks after celebrating what they thought was a career pinnacle in the Gr.1 Thorndon Mile (1600m) at Trentham, the connections of blue-blooded mare Provence (Savabeel) were treated to something even more special in Saturday’s Gr.1 HKJC World Pool New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) at Ellerslie.The fillies and mares’ feature carried a stake of $600,000 and was one of four Group Ones on a star-studded Champions Day card. Provence earned her time in the spotlight wit...

Dee makes winning return to New Zealand

Ex-pat Kiwi rider Michael (Mick) Dee gained early success on his latest race day return to his homeland when he guided favourite Island Life (Vadamos) to victory in the Gr. 3 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Sunline Vase (2100m) at Ellerslie.Dee, who plies in his trade in Melbourne these days after spending his formative years in New Zealand, had been engaged to partner race favourite Willydoit in the Gr.1 Trackside New Zealand Derby (2400m) later on the card and got his day off to a great start wi...

Belclare shoots for Breeders’ Stakes treble

Belclare (Per Incanto) will attempt to carve out a piece of New Zealand racing history with an unprecedented third victory in the Gr.1 HKJC World Pool New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) at Ellerslie on Saturday.The daughter of Per Incanto won the fillies and mares’ feature at Pukekohe in 2023, then defended her crown at Ellerslie last March. She became only the sixth back-to-back winner of the Breeders’ Stakes, joining Tudor Light (1976-77), Orchidra (1978-79), Waikiki ...

Pearl Series Hits Pinnacle With Ellerslie Final

The Entain/NZB Insurance Pearl Series provides lucrative returns to owners, breeders and trainers throughout the New Zealand racing calendar, but its undisputed pinnacle comes with the running of the $120,000 Entain/NZB Insurance Pearl Series Final (1400m) at Ellerslie on Saturday.On top of its $120,000 stake, the annual final also carries a bonus payment of $100,000. The owner of the winning horse receives $70,000 of that amount, with $20,000 for second and $10,000 for third.Saturday marks the ...

It's in the blood - Feroce

Given his rapid accomplishments as a sire it was about time Super Seth (Dundeel) had a Group 1 winner.And that’s exactly what Australian Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) hero Feroce (Super Seth) is: he’s all about time.Time in the pedigree, to let a couple of duplications “mature” – one way of saying they’ll be pushed far enough back to have their impact optimised, with potential drawbacks diluted.And time in the hills, those famous rolling, limestone-rich hills of New Zealand they talk about i...

Kiwi Chronicles - Super Seth is our future

Late last Saturday afternoon, New Zealand time, interested New Zealanders turned their attention to Flemington. The big question: Could Savaglee (Savabeel), our leading three-year-old, be as good as we thought? The answer was yes, despite being beaten by Feroce (Super Seth) in the Australian Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m).Imagine being Waikato Stud’s Mark Chittick when the race narrowed to two runners at the 200-metre mark. Another Group 1 for Savabeel (Zabeel) or a first Group 1 for Super Seth (Dundee...

Kiwi studs celebrate Feroce’s Guineas crown

Feroce’s (Super Seth) stunning Gr.1 Australian Guineas (1600m) victory was celebrated in several of New Zealand’s most prominent stud farms over the weekend.Bred by Pencarrow Stud, Feroce was narrowly beaten by Private Life in the Gr.1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) back in October, but there was no denying the gelding at Flemington on Saturday, outmuscling fellow Kiwi-bred colt Savaglee to take the three-year-old feature by three-quarters of a length.Leon Casey, stud manager at Pencarrow, w...

Goodwood back in Group limelight

Goodwood Stud has downsized its thoroughbred operation in more recent times, but the Manawatu farm remains a breeding force to be reckoned with.Its latest high-profile graduate is the Per Incanto mare Marble Arch, a hollow last-start winner of Gr.2 Blamey Stakes (1600m) at Flemington.The Ben, Will and JD Hayes-trained five-year-old’s victory also earned her a golden ticket into this weekend’s Gr.1 All-Star Mile (1600m), should Lindsay Park take the option of backing her up.“It’s exc...

Leica Lucy phenomenal in Lowland

Leica Lucy (Derryn) displayed exactly why she is the overwhelming favourite for the upcoming $1 million Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld New Zealand Oaks (2400m) with a fourth-straight Group victory in Sunday’s Gr.2 Jennian Homes Lowland Stakes (2100m).An unstoppable force out of the Central Districts, Leica Lucy was a winner on debut and Robbie Patterson, who trains her out of New Plymouth, stamped her as an Oaks filly from that moment forward. After a narrow second to Wingman at the following st...

Feroce goes one better in Australian Guineas

Waikato Stud stallion Super Seth and trainer Dominic Sutton stood in the Group One spotlight for the first time when Feroce (Super Seth) headed a New Zealand-bred quinella in Saturday’s A$1 million Gr.1 Howden Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington.It was a case of second time lucky for Feroce, who finished second and was beaten by an agonising short head by Private Life in the Gr.1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) in October.Rookie trainer Dominic Sutton soon set his sights on Australian Guin...

First black-type success for Marble Arch

Previously a runner-up in two black-type races, Marble Arch (Per Incanto) went one better on Saturday with a valuable victory in the A$300,000 Gr.2 TAB Blamey Stakes (1600m) at Flemington.The New Zealand-bred five-year-old had been narrowly beaten in two recent attempts in stakes company, going down by a half-length when second in the Listed Lord Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on Boxing Day and by neck when second in the Gr.3 JRA Plate (1600m) at Caulfield on February 8.But this time Marble Ar...

Our Echo takes Wingatui feature in thrilling finish

Veteran galloper Our Echo showed all his fighting qualities when he clung on gamely to hold out a determined challenge from Perfect Scenario to capture the feature event at Wingatui, the Gr.3 White Robe Lodge Weight For Age (1600m)Allowed to start at the luxurious price of $31 in the Fixed Odds market for the race, the Danny Frye-prepared eight-year-old had his chances discarded by punters, despite winning two of his previous three starts, due to his finishing last of seven runners on an unsuita...

Loftys Gift lands Dunedin Gold Cup upset

Four weeks on from a brave second in the Gore Cup (2000m), lion-hearted stayer Loftys Gift (Ghibellines) delivered again for her connections at Wingatui on Saturday and went one better in the Listed Positive Signs + Print Dunedin Gold Cup (2400m).The gritty daughter of Ghibellines was a winner over 1400m at Ascot Park in late January, then stepped up to 2000m for the Gore Cup and was beaten by only half a length despite being caught three wide without cover for the second half of the race.The st...

Loose Sally storms to victory in Dunedin Guineas

Local filly Loose Sally (Turn Me Loose) put aside the disappointment of missing a start in the Listed Southland Guineas (1400m) a fortnight ago when refusing to load into the starting gates, by coming from the tail of the field to upset the favoured runners in Saturday’s Listed Property Brokers – Ray Kean Dunedin Guineas (1600m)The Shankar Muniandy-prepared daughter of Turn Me Loose had demonstrated she has a lethal finishing burst when winning on debut over 1200m on a heavy surface at ...

Meet the Breeder - Pete and Chrissie Algie

This week in Dunstan Horse Feeds Meet the Breeder we catch up with Pete and Chrissie Algie who co-bred group one winner Jimmysstar (along with many other stakes winners) in partnership with Little Avondale Stud.Tell us the story of Jimmysstar?Star Guest was the first mare we owned and all her foals to race have been winners. Anniesstar is the first foal out of Star Guest and Jimmy is Annie’s third foal, full brother to Charms Star and In’Kantosstar. We have enjoyed a wonderful partnership wi...