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Emotions high as Belclare brings down the curtain with repeat Breeders’ Stakes

Emotions were running high at Ellerslie last Saturday as the classy racemare Belclare brought the curtain down on her domestic career with a second consecutive victory in the Gr. 1 NZEA New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes.Immediately after the Lisa Latta-trained six-year-old had repeated her 2023 win in our only Group One race for fillies and mares, it was announced she will be sold at the Magic Millions Broodmare Sale on the Gold Coast next month.According to the Per Incanto mare’s ma...

Meet The Breeder - Gail Temperton

In this week's edition of Dunstan HorseFeeds Meet the Breeder, we chat with Gail Temperton, who along with partner Stan Alexander under the banner of Taikorea Thoughbreds bred Mark Twain the recent winner of the Listed VRC Lexus Roy Higgins Handicap.Tell us the story of Mark Twain?Taikorea Thoroughbreds is a small breeding farm owned by myself and partner Stan Alexander.Although I am hands on operator Stan supports me and enjoys all results of our efforts.We purchased his dam Pinders Prize ...

Belclare off to the Gold Coast

Last start Group One winner Belclare looks to have run her last race, with the Lisa Latta-trained mare entered for next month’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Broodmare sale.The daughter of Per Incanto was bred by David Woodhouse, who races the mare in partnership with John Clark and the Rusties Syndicate, for whom she has won 11 of her 36 starts and nearly $1 million in prizemoney.Belclare had a fitting send-off at Ellerslie last Saturday when defending her crown in the Gr.1 New Zealand Thoroughbr...

Belclare goes back-to-back in Breeders’ Stakes

Perennially under-rated mare Belclare had a richly deserved day in the Ellerslie sun on Saturday, bringing her high-class New Zealand racing career to a close with a successful defence of her title in the Gr.1 NZEA New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m).The Lisa Latta-trained mare has spent most of her career under the radar and has defied double-digit odds for many of her previous successes – including a $22 upset in last year’s Breeders’ Stakes at Pukekohe and a $21 boilover...

Mark Twain rockets home in Roy Higgins

Emerging stayer Mark Twain capped a dream day for Cambridge trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood when he won Saturday’s Listed Lexus Roy Higgins (2600m) at Flemington and secured himself a ballot-free entry into the Melbourne Cup (Gr.1, 3200m).Mark Twain’s heroics in the A$500,000 staying feature came less than an hour after his superstar stablemate Orchestral won the Gr.1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) in Sydney. That Savabeel filly will deservedly dominate headlines for her blockbuster per...

Wymark stakes Derby claim in Tulloch

Wymark’s connections are likely to pay a late nomination fee for next week’s Gr.1 Australian Derby (2400m) after the rapidly improving three-year-old collected his fourth win in a row in Saturday’s Gr.2 Toyota Forklifts Tulloch Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill.The Randwick classic was not originally on the radar for the Savabeel gelding, who began his career with six consecutive top-four finishes over distances ranging from 1200m to 1500m.But the step up over ground has lifted the talented New Z...

Orchestral outstanding in Australian debut

A year after winning the Gr.1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) with Prowess, Cambridge trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood returned to Rosehill on Saturday and achieved a repeat result with another special filly.Orchestral headed across the Tasman as one of the most-hyped New Zealand three-year-olds in recent memory. She had won all of her four previous starts in succession, including the Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m), the Gr.2 Avondale Guineas (2100m) and a runaway victory in the Gr.1 New Zealand ...

Super Seth colt stars in Baillieu

Linebacker became the first stakes winner for freshman Waikato Stud stallion Super Seth with a classy and tenacious victory in Saturday’s Gr.3 Hyland Race Colours Baillieu (1400m) at Rosehill – a performance that also earned him a shot at next month’s Gr.1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Randwick.Held in high regard by trainer John O’Shea, Linebacker made a perfect start to his career with a four-length win on debut at Hawkesbury in late February. The Bailleu was a big step up for his second...

Group One performer Hilal to Grangewilliam Stud

Australian Group Two winner and multiple Group One performer Hilal will commence stud duties at Mark and Jane Corcoran’s Grangewilliam Stud at Waitotora this spring.The impeccably bred son of Fastnet Rock was prepared predominantly by Team Hawkes in a career that spanned three seasons.Bred and raced by Emirates Park, Hilal boasts victories in the Gr.2 Stan Fox Stakes (1500m) and A$1 million Bondi Stakes (1600m) at three, but his elite talent was noticeable from the outset.Hilal debuted with a ...

Meet the Breeder - Brian Anderton

This week in Dunstan Horsefeeds Meet the Breeder, we have a quick chat with Brian Anderton, a name synonymous with breeding in the South Island and most recently had success in the Gr.3 South Island Breeders' Stakes with home-bred mare, Burgie.Tell us the history of White Robe Lodge.I was a jockey at 13, first winner at age 14, horse called White Robe therefore the business name! So I started as a jockey, then stud master then trainer – I combined all three passions.The business started i...

Te Akau to extend golden run with gavelhouse.com

The last few days have delivered a series of unforgettable moments for Te Akau Racing, and there could be more to come for the syndication powerhouse with Star Of Justice (Justify) and Grace ‘N’ Grey (NZ) (Spirit of Boom) now available for sale on the latest 56 Lot fortnightly auction on gavelhouse.com.Te Akau’s bumper weekend kicked off on Thursday night on Gavelhouse Plus. Group One-winning mare Maven Belle (NZ) (Burgundy) was sold for a whopping NZ$902,500, while the stakes-performed Sn...

Burgie back to her best in Breeders’ Stakes

Talented mare Burgie (Ghibellines) turned a frustrating campaign around with a powerful finish to win Saturday’s Gr.3 Valachi Downs South Island Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) at Riccarton.White Robe Lodge’s homebred daughter of Ghibellines is making a habit of spending time in the black-type spotlight in Christchurch at this time of the year. She won the Listed Warstep Stakes (2000m) in the autumn of her three-year-old season in 2022, then returned 12 months later for a second...

Eternal Flame deals to family’s unfinished business

Saturday’s A$300,000 Gr.2 BMD Group Sunline Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley provided a special reward for a part-owner who has spent the last few years wondering what might have been.The fillies and mares’ feature was won in impressive style by the New Zealand-bred Eternal Flame (Sacred Falls). The talented four-year-old is co-owned by Trevor Eastwood, who had previously raced the mare’s injury-plagued close relative Kinane.Out of a half-sister to the dam of Eternal Flame, Kinane won twice...

Antrim Coast heads Kiwi-bred quinella in Alister Clark

New Zealand’s Group One three-year-old form was to the fore at Moonee Valley on Saturday, where Antrim Coast (Roc De Cambes) edged out Quintessa in a thrilling finish to the A$500,000 Gr.2 DCE Alister Clark Stakes (2040m).Te Akau Racing’s Quintessa went into the race as a $4 favourite. She had previously shown her star quality on home soil, winning the Gr.1 Levin Classic (1600m) at Trentham in January, then finished an eye-catching fourth in this month’s Gr.1 Australian Guineas (1600m...

Dramatic victory in Tauranga feature

Underrated mare Diss Is Dramatic (Dissident) found her winning groove again when she stormed home to claim the feature event at Tauranga, the Gr.2 Ultimate Mazda Japan Trophy (1600m).Steady rain during the day saw the track downgraded to a Heavy8 and played into the hands of those horses who could find a path to the better going out wide in the home straight.Rider Matt Cameron executed that plan to perfection as he allowed the Lisa Latta-prepared four-year-old to settle mid-pack in the earl...

European superstar to stand at Windsor Park

One of the world’s best racehorses last year has been secured to stand at Windsor Park Stud in 2024.Ballydoyle superstar Paddington, a four-time Group One Classic and Royal Ascot-winning son of leading commercial sire Siyouni will shuttle to Windsor Park following the completion of his first stud season this year at Coolmore, Ireland.Paddington is the only horse in history to win the Group One quartet of the Irish 2000 Guineas, St James’s Palace Stakes, Eclipse Stakes & Sussex Stakes.&nb...

Bumper Oaks result for Rider’s Milan Park

Tony Rider celebrated a classic dose of double delight in the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham on Saturday.In a near perfect result for the Milan Park principal, he had the honour of breeding the winner Pulchritudinous and also owns the dam of the runner-up Positivity.Rider enjoys a close association with Pulchritudinous’ trainer and part-owner Chad Ormsby and purchased the mother of the second filly from her late co-breeder Sir Patrick Hogan.“Chad and I have had horses together and...

Stud’s top staying mare Aquacade retired

Multiple Group-winning mare Aquacade will begin the next phase of her career later this year.Time has been called on the racing days of Dundeel’s daughter with the five-year-old to become a valuable addition to Cambridge Stud’s broodmare band.Trained at Karaka by Lance Noble for breeder-owners Brendan and Jo Lindsay, Aquacade performed up to the highest level with seven victories and six placings and only twice missed a top five finish from 19 appearances.“She has been fantastic and thatâ€...

Oaks heroine gives Ormsby a different kind of Group One

Almost two decades after riding Creil to victory in the Gr.1 Avondale Cup (2200m) as an apprentice jockey, multi-talented horseman Chad Ormsby climbed the same mountain in a different way when Pulchritudinous (Wrote) won the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham on Saturday.Ormsby now trains a small team at Cambridge, saddling eight winners so far this season including Pulchritudinous in the Oaks and Gr.2 Lowland Stakes (2000m), along with Master Fay in the Gr.3...

Cuddle Stakes delivers milestones for connections

Saturday’s Gr.3 Wentwood Grange Cuddle Stakes (1600m) at Trentham delivered multiple milestones for the connections of Taranaki mare Hi Yo Sass Bomb (Complacent).The underrated five-year-old became the first stakes winner for her New Plymouth trainer Kim Reid, who also co-bred and part-owns the daughter of Complacent. Hi Yo Sass Bomb was ridden to her Cuddle Stakes success by Irish jockey Joe Doyle, who notched up his 100th win in New Zealand.It was also a well-deserved turn at the top of...

Group Three triumph for Ribchester mare

Ultra-consistent four-year-old mare Red Card (Ribchester) landed her biggest prize to date when running out a comfortable winner of the Gr.3 Maurice McCarten Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill on Saturday for trainer James Cummings.Beginning brilliantly from an inside draw, Red Card comfortably found the lead under Adam Hyeronimus and controlled proceedings throughout.A daughter of Haunui Farm stallion Ribchester, Red Card’s Group Three victory enhances her CV further, having landed the Listed De...

Major prize for Grail Seeker at Trentham

Australian hoop Kyle Wilson-Taylor has made his first visit to New Zealand a memorable one by guiding promising filly Grail Seeker (Iffraaj) to a hollow victory in the Gr.2 Life Direct Wellington Guineas (1400m) at Trentham.The Queensland-based rider struck up a friendship with trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott when he rode trackwork for the pair during the Queensland winter carnival last year, and was quick to take up an invitation to ride members of their team at Trentham inclu...

South Island victory in Lightning Handicap

Southern sprinter Our Echo (Echoes Of Heaven) showed his northern rivals just how good he can be when he sat wide throughout before holding off a host of challenges to win Saturday’s Listed Lincoln Farms Lightning Handicap (1200m) at Trentham.Prepared by Danny Frye at Balcairn, the seven-year-old came into the race off a last start victory at Wingatui which gave him a vital confidence boost leading into the contest.Rider Tegan Newman followed instructions to the letter by allowing the son...

Pride Of Jenni proves she’s an All-Star

Elite front-running mare Pride Of Jenni triumphed in a captivating edition of the A$3.75 million All-Star Mile (1600m) at Caulfield on Saturday for trainer Ciaron Maher and regular rider Declan Bates.The dual Group One winner is known for being able to sustain a strong tempo for longer and once she found the lead within the first furlong for Bates, the pair set a building pace that had several of her rivals gasping a long way from home.The Trelawney Stud-bred Pride Of Jenni kicked off the turn a...

Group One winner Maven Belle for sale on Gavelhouse Plus

Maven Belle (NZ) (Burgundy) is following in some famous Te Akau Racing footsteps, becoming the fifth Group One-winning mare from the stable to be offered for sale on Gavelhouse Plus.Te Akau Racing has previously sold Avantage (Fastnet Rock) for a world-record price of $4.1 million, followed by Entriviere (NZ) (Tavistock) for $900,000, Amarelinha (NZ) (Savabeel) for $1.1 million and Belle En Rouge (NZ) (Burgundy) for $800,000.Like Belle En Rouge, Maven Belle was bred by Te Akau’s David Ellis an...