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Holly's Blog - April 2013

I have now been in England for five weeks which means I am halfway through my time at Cheveley Park Stud. Everything on the stud is going well; haven't had many foals in the past couple of weeks (probably due to the cold weather) so we are expecting a few very soon! Each day I am learning something new and adjusting to the different way tasks are carried out in the Northern Hemisphere. There are so many great places to see in Newmarket for a horse racing and breeding enthusiast. Running a few e...

Dozintmateranyway thrills his South Island breeders

A good many years ago a group of mates in the South Island keen on racing got a syndicate together to race a horse. They have had a bit of luck in that time and three of them are still racing a horse together - Dozintmateranyway who recently won the listed CJC Easter Cup at Riccarton. According to one of the trio, Southland NZTBA branch member Robbie Gibson, it all started years ago with a Conquistarose (USA) mare, Conquisate (ex Princess Daisy). "We started with Conquisate. She won a couple ...

Great news for The Oaks

If you are a breeder, or an owner, winning a group one race is the ultimate aim. Winning a group one race when you own the horse, bred the horse, still own its dam, stand the stallion and sponsor the race, is euphoric. Just ask Dick Karreman. Queensland-based Karreman owns Recite (Darci Brahma – Chant) the winner of the group one The Oaks Stud Manawatu Sires Produce Stakes. He is also a shareholder in Darci Brahma who stands at his The Oaks in Cambridge, which is also home to his extensive b...

Battle Eve's grand-daughter does the business at Tauranga for the Browns

There was a sense of déjà vu when Our Famous Eve (Fast'N'Famous [AUS]- Expoeve) won the group two Windsor Park Stud Japan Trophy recently. She was upholding a family liking for the Tauranga track, her famous grandmother Battle Eve (Battle Waggon [GB] – Summer Eve) won the race 39 years ago, along with another 24 races in her career, and her mother Expoeve (Exploding Prospect [USA]- Battle Eve) only won one race and that was the Owens Services Handicap at that course. Ironically it was Bay ...

Sue and Stuart McGiffert breed a stakes winner at Trentham

South Canterbury breeders Sue and Stuart McGiffert admit to being "pretty excited" when watching Natuzzi (Coats Choice[AUS] – Monsanto) taking out the listed Sahkee's Secret Melbourne Racing Club Lightning Handicap at Trentham recently. "We enjoy sitting here and watching our progeny race on a Saturday, and its pretty exciting watching them win a black type race at Trentham. We have been in the industry a long time and so know how hard it is to breed a black type winner, but it shows that the...

Ex-pat Kiwi enjoys breeding success with the promising So Wotif

As promising three-year-old So Wotif (NZ) (Iffraaj [GB]) hit the line to score his biggest win to date in the Gr. 3 NZB Insurance Pearl Series Mr Tiz Trophy at Ellerslie last week, the cheering wasn't just confined to an enthusiastic support crew in the main grandstand. Breeder and ex-pat kiwi Phillip Chen was also letting loose with a "you beauty" from the comfort of his lounge in Kurrajong, New South Wales where he now lives and has operated his own medical practice for the past twenty two ye...

Holly's Blog - March 2013

After much anticipation on the 20th February 2013 a very excited young lady set off on a brilliant opportunity and experience, the Sunline International Management Scholarship. Introduction My name is Holly Ross and I am the fortunate recipient of this years' Sunline Scholarship which allows me to spend 10 weeks each at three of the world's most renowned thoroughbred operations travelling to Cheveley Park Stud in England, Coolmore Stud Ireland and Taylor Made Farm in America. Prior to being a...

Golden run continues for Raffles Farm

The dream run for the Cambridge based Raffles Farm breeding and racing operation continued on Auckland Cup day at Ellerslie when More Than Sacred (Aus) (by More Than Ready [Aus]) scored a dogged win in the Gr. 3 McKee Family Sunline Vase (2100m). Refusing to be beaten the filly showed plenty of determination, not unlike the champion mare the race is named after, as she fought back to score by a short neck over Savabeel filly Ray's Girl. The win of More Than Sacred denied the Waikato Stud based...

Breeders' Bulletin -Autumn 2013

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Long Acres Stud breeds the Taranaki Cup winner Capone

A remarkable coincidence went largely unnoticed recently when two New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders Association Council Members swept the black type races at Taranaki Racing's premier meeting at New Plymouth on the 16th of February. Just eighty minutes after Girl of My Dreams (Gold Centre [Aus]) scored in the Gr. 3 Phoenix Park 2YO Classic to the delight of her breeder and Central Districts council member John O'Brien, Canterbury and districts branch president Myles Gordon and his partner Debbi...

John O’Brien reflects as gift horse scores Group Three triumph

The dashing win of Girl Of My Dreams (Gold Centre [Aus]) in last weekend's Gr. 3 Phoenix Park 2YO Classic (1200m) at New Plymouth produced a somewhat bittersweet moment for the man who bred the promising filly at his Newmarket Lodge property where he stands her unheralded sire Gold Centre (Aus) (Danehill [USA]). Popular Central Districts-based veterinarian and NZTBA Councillor John O'Brien continues to cement his family reputation for breeding quality thoroughbred performers that was establishe...

"Fix" is a wonderful advertisement for her dam

Achieving the optimum price for a yearling at the sales is all about timing, just ask Haunui Farm and Frantic Bloodstock, the vendors of the Zabeel – Destined (GB) filly the highest priced yearling filly at Karaka this year. "It's absolutely all about timing. The filly's half sister Fix (by Iffraaj (GB) achieved Group 2 black type performance one month out from the sales and that made all the difference," according to Haunui Farm's general manager Mark Chitty. "She was always a marketable fi...

Castlzeberg's impressive win has him in contention for the New Zealand Derby

An impressive win in the recent group two H S Dyke Waikato Guineas by Castlzeberg (ex Stylish Cent) has propelled the Castledale (IRE) gelding into contention for the New Zealand Derby next month. Castlzeberg has only raced on six occasions and the Waikato Guineas was his second win. He was soon in front in the 2000 metre event, and was tackled as they turned for home. However, he kicked clear at the 250 and went on to win easily by three and three-quarter lengths. He won his first trial in Oc...

NZTBA instigates new NZB Insurance Pearl series

Racing a filly or mare will be a lot more rewarding in the 2013-14 season thanks to the NZB Insurance NZB Insurance Pearl Series a new $2.6million bonus scheme instigated by the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders Association. The NZB Insurance Pearl Series will commence in the new racing season. The first fillies eligible for the series are the current crop of yearlings and in their two-year-old season there will be 15 bonus races available. As three and four-year-olds there will be bonuses on 1...

Heather and Peter's dream comes true!!

Taranaki Branch members Heather and Peter Crofskey feel like they have been catapulted into another universe following the deeds of their unbeaten filly Habibi (Ekraar[USA]-Danny Holiday). "She has turned our lives around. It was totally unexpected and it's wonderful," Heather Crofskey enthused. "It's a journey that as little people in the racing and breeding game you dream about, you occasionally see someone like yourself having a lot of success and you dream about it but you never really bel...

Australian court upholds international ban on thoroughbred artificial insemination

In a landmark decision, the Federal Court of Australia today dismissed a challenge to the international rule prohibiting the use of artificial insemination in the production of thoroughbred horses. As the rule applies internationally, the Australian decision is an important test case globally. Proceedings were commenced by an Australian breeder to challenge the rule as an unreasonable restraint of trade and unlawful under the Competition and Consumer Act 2010. The case was heard in September/O...

Blue Ribbon day for Denise Howell

Soriana's (3f Savabeel[AUS] – Call Me Lily) win in the group three Eulogy Stakes at Awapuni in Palmerston North was a big thrill for Waikato branch NZTBA member Denise Howell for more reasons than one. "You wait a long time to get a good horse and winning a group race is a big thrill but winning a group race in the Central Districts makes it more special as racing in the CD is where it all started for me," said the owner and breeder of the classy Savabeel filly. "I never get nervous before a...

Unbeaten Mosse impresses in Group 3 Concorde

The early spring racing was dominated by a very smart young unbeaten colt by O'Reilly in Sacred Falls, and the summer looks like it will be dominated by another unbeaten son of that fabulous progenitor Mosse (O'Reilly – Golden Sparkle). From five starts Mosse has won five races with the most recent being the group three The Aussie Butcher Concorde Handicap over 1200 metres, and the manner in which he won that race indicates that there is a lot more to come from this lightly raced four-year-ol...

Holly Ross wins the Sunline Trust Management Scholarship

The 2013 Sunline Trust's International Management Scholarship has been awarded to Holly Ross. Holly is currently employed at Arrowfield Stud in the Hunter Valley, and will head to England at the end of February to work at Cheveley Park in Newmarket, for the first stage of her scholarship. The Sunline Trust's International Management Scholarship aims to identify existing and potential managers within the New Zealand thoroughbred industry, offer them an opportunity to broaden their knowledge and...

Yeah Nah finally fronts up for Nicole Smythe

Ask any thoroughbred breeder and they will tell you that patience and perseverance are probably the two most vitally important characteristics required to be involved in the business. The win by Viadana (Towkay[AUS]- Yeah Nah) in the group three Eagle Technology Stakes at Ellerslie recently is a testament to this. According to her trainer Lance Noble she has always shown ability but until now has lacked the maturity to fulfill her potential. He and the mare's owners have shown great patience an...

New Zealand Cup Week 2012 Wrap-up

Final Touch was in great touch for the Parsons' over Cup Week It's not often someone can claim to have bred, owned and co-trained a listed winner, but that's exactly what South Island horsewoman Karen Parsons did over New Zealand Cup week. The 5yo brown daughter of Kashani (USA) was a close up second in the Pegasus Stakes (Listed) over the 1000m trip on the first-day of the New Zealand Cup carnival and went one better on the Wednesday, when taking out the Valachi Downs Canterbury Breeders Stake...

The tale of Dancer's Tale

A two-year-old stakes winner in only the second two-year-old stakes race of the season is almost a perfect start for the Challenge No 1 Syndicate, the first syndicate of Adrian Clark's Challenge Syndications Ltd launched earlier this year. Dancer's Tale (Tale Of The Cat [USA]- Pineau) provided that win for the syndicate when winning the listed Welcome Stakes at Riccarton. The first filly to race from the four filly syndicate has now had three starts for two wins and a third placing in the liste...

Lady Kipling adds another group two victory to her tally

The group two NRM Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes run at Counties is one of the most coveted races for fillies and mares in the country. Each year it attracts a capacity field of the best sprinting fillies and mares in the country, and this year was no exception with 10 stakes performers in the field of 14 runners. This year's winner Lady Kipling (Savabeel- Akela) recorded her second group two victory, and her ninth career win, when she fought like a tiger to take out the event from a l...

Blyth Tait - successful breeder of Nashville

International equestrian Blyth Tait is no stranger to success. He has won four medals including a gold at the Olympics and won four World Championships and now he is enjoying success as the breeder of Canterbury Racing's Coupland's Mile(Gr 2) winner Nashville (Darci Brahma – Royal Kiss [IRE]). "I am thrilled to bits - it was a great result," said Tait who is back in New Zealand for the summer to hold riding clinics and prepare a couple of yearlings for Karaka. "He was a lovely foal, and grew...

Pero wins the Thompson for breeders Des and Kay Fleming

Just over 30 years ago Taranaki dairy farmers Des and Kay Fleming, extended their livestock interests into the thoroughbred game. They were like a lot of farmers, especially in Taranaki who had grown up around horses, rode them as kids, and used them for shifting stock and buying a racehorse or a broodmare seemed like a natural progression. They outlaid $5,000 for a non-winning Sovereign Edition(Ire) mare Paraonui Princess and embarked on the satisfying journey of breeding racehorses and becam...