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Read About It makes headlines at Wanganui

Exciting three-year-old prospect Read About It (Wrote) made all the headlines in the feature event at Wanganui, the Listed HS Dyke Wanganui Guineas (1200m).The Robbie Patterson-prepared galloper was having just his third start on Saturday but had created plenty of buzz around his chances and future prospects after closing off his two-year-old campaign with a scintillating victory in the Listed Ryder Stakes (1200m) at Otaki.Patterson was keen on his chances prior to the contest and despite s...

Class prevails as Quintessa lands Cockram

Group One winner Quintessa (Shamus Award) returned with a bang when running out a resounding winner of the Gr.3 Cockram Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on Saturday.The Mark Walker-trained mare lumped 60kg topweight under Daniel Stackhouse and looks set to contest races over sprint-mile distances this campaign after getting out to 2400m when fourth in the Gr.1 Australian Oaks last autumn.Coming from midfield, Quintessa forged away from her rivals to record a three-quarter length victory from Ext...

Dawn rises to Heatherlie challenge

In-form galloper Rise At Dawn (Almanzor) got off the canvas to score an unlikely victory in the Listed Heatherlie Stakes (1700m) at Caulfield on Saturday as he made it three wins in succession. The son of Almanzor is prepared by Ben, Will and JD Hayes and has raced well through the winter months and may yet snare some spring riches after his tenacious win on Saturday.Ridden in his customary positive manner by Michael Dee, Rise At Dawn looked to be under siege deep into the home straigh...

Grangewiliam’s Hilal proving a big hit with breeders

Hilal has received a warm welcome from breeders with Grangewilliam Stud close to putting up the no vacancy sign on their newcomer.The regally bred son of Fastnet Rock will stand his first season at Mark and Jane Corcoran’s operation at Waitotara following a decorated racing career across the Tasman.“We have been very happy with the response, we have had really good support and he’s got over 100 mares booked to him already,” Mark Corcoran said.“I think I will limit him to 120, so he’s...

"I wish they were all like her"

Such an understatement from rider Craig Grylls upon dismounting from Bonny Lass (Super Easy) following her strong win in Saturday's Foxbridge Plate (Gr 2, 1200m). Grylls can take much of the credit for the win as he saved ground (and not in the best of the Heavy 9 track conditions) until the 600 metres then moved the mare away from the rail before they straightened. A huge gap appeared for her once they reached the 400-metre mark and Grylls kept pushing forward as well as wider for better footin...

Loyalty paying off for Moore

Loyalty is a core value for Sandy Moore, and he is now reaping the rewards from that virtue with his Group One-winning mare Bonny Lass.Growing up with Trentham Racecourse on his back doorstep, racing has always been a passion for Moore, which he took with him when he moved to Auckland and got involved in racing administration.“I was on the board of the Auckland Racing Club for 15-odd years and that kept the interest going very strongly,” he said.During this time, Moore had a few horses in tr...

Bonny Lass makes brilliant return in Foxbridge

Previously a stakes winner at the ages of two, three, four and five, Bonny Lass (Super Easy) kicked off her six-year-old season on a perfect note when she defeated a star-studded field in Saturday’s Gr.2 Waikato Stud Foxbridge Plate (1200m) at Te Rapa.The high-class daughter of Super Easy has taken her connections on a special ride over the last few seasons, beginning with a victory in the Gr.2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) as a two-year-old in February of 2021.Bonny Lass added the ...

Industry mourns Kevin Hickman

The New Zealand thoroughbred industry has lost one of its most influential figures of the last two decades with the passing of Kevin Hickman after a long illness.Tributes to the Valachi Downs principal have flowed from around New Zealand and Australia, including from Gareth Downey, who was Valachi’s general manager from 2020 to its closure in 2022. He now has a management role with leading Australian stable Lindsay Park Racing.“It really is a huge loss, and it’s the end of what’s been a ...

Stable quinella in Ruakaka feature

The Bruce Wallace and Grant Cooksley training partnership had plenty to celebrate on Saturday when they produced a superb quinella in the feature event at Ruakaka, the Gr.3 Cambridge Stud Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m), with stable runners So Naive (U S Navy Flag) and Toruk Makto (Eminent).So Naive, a stunning son of The Oaks Stud resident stallion U S Navy Flag, had won twice from four starts during his two-year-old campaign and was fitted for his new season resumption with a co...

Waikato stallion parade a spring highlight

An opportunity to witness first-hand some fabulous spring racing as well as viewing some exciting stallions presents itself with the Gavelhouse.com Waikato Stallion Parade weekend on August 24 and 25.As local President Scotty Buchanan, points out, the Waikato Branch of the NZTBA have scheduled their annual stallion parade event to coincide with the racing at Te Rapa."We're thrilled to present this year's Gavelhouse.com Stallion Parade with an adjusted schedule that allows our attendees to experi...

Cambridge Stud unveils star son of Frankel

The new stud season came closer to reality at Cambridge Stud last week as the red carpet was rolled out for the exciting newcomer Chaldean and returning shuttle duo Almanzor and Hello Youmzain.As a dual Group One-winning son of Frankel, Chaldean is a massive coup to represent the racehorse recognised as the best of his generation and now making huge waves as a sire across the bloodstock breeding world.Just days ago, Frankel was credited with his 100th Group winner when Lake Victoria won the Gr. ...

Meet the Breeder - Pam Brindley

This fortnight in Dunstan Horsefeeds Meet the Breeder, we catch up with passionate breeder and racing enthusiast Pam Brindley. Pam has been breeding horses for many years now and achieved her greatest thrill with Heart Of Gold winning the $100,000 2000m polytrack race at Cambridge recently.Tell us the story of Heart Of Gold.When ‘Benji’ was born, there was something special about him but, looking at him I knew he was going to take time. After he was broken in, he went to Keith Hawtin and at ...

Red letter Riccarton day for Wilson family

Bevan and Robyn Wilson celebrated an almost perfect day at Riccarton with a family that has served them so well for decades.The Ashburton owner-trainers won races on Saturday with homebred half-brothers Victor Rouge and Victorian Charm while their half-sibling Lord Darci finished runner-up.“We were very pleased with the way they all went, they had been racing well apart from Lord Darci who had a bit of a hiccup in the Winter Cup (Gr.3, 1600m),” Bevan Wilson said.“It was nice to see him bou...

West Coast leaving legacy for underrated sire

West Coast (Mettre En Jeu) may not have any black-type against his name, but he is proving to be one of best performers for his ill-fated sire Mettre En Jeu.On Saturday, West Coast etched his name into the history books when recording his third consecutive Grand National Steeplechase (5600m) victory at Riccarton Park for trainer Mark Oulaghan.It was the nine-year-old gelding’s 11th career victory, all over fences, and brought his earnings to just shy of $500,000.Breeders Nigel and Adaire Auret...

Stud’s racing team reigns supreme

Brendan and Jo Lindsay celebrated a string of major results in the 2023/24 season from both the proven and promising members of their racing team. Such was the extent of the Cambridge Stud principals on-track successes, the couple claimed the New Zealand Ownership Premiership with 27 winners of 40 races from 38 runners. The winner is determined over the season, with points awarded according to the quality of the race and the individual shareholding. Most importantly for the iconic...

Double Riccarton family strike for Pencarrow

A well-performed Pencarrow Stud family came up trumps with a memorable winning double at Riccarton and looks set to continue to add to its roll of honour into the future.The Adrian Bull-trained and raced Jay Bee Gee triumphed in Saturday’s Gr.3 Winter Cup (1600m) in a thrilling finish and stablemate and half-sister Harmonious, owned by farm principal Sir Peter Vela, claimed the closing event on the card.They are out of the Pins mare Huluava, who was a three-time winner from 10 appearances befo...

Jay Bee Gee takes out sensational Winter Cup

The opening stakes race for the season delivered an incredible finish between a trio of talented gallopers, but after a tense wait, the Gr.3 Winning Edge Presentations Winter Cup (1600m) went the way of Adrian Bull’s Jay Bee Gee (Complacent).Jay Bee Gee had run in just one race since finishing back in the field in the Gr.3 New Zealand Cup (3200m) last November, with Bull returning to Riccarton to win the Amberley Cup (1600m) in June before preparing him for Saturday’s contest, concluding wit...

Rebecca Donovan - Sunline Management Scholarship Blog 5

I feel like a Kiwi farmer starting yet another blog post talking all about the weather... but here I am! We had about a week of summer, during which I caught up on my tan before the rain returned. However, a heatwave is on its way, just in time for me to start a placement with Roger Varian, where they train around 200 horses at their yard on the edge of Newmarket. My last few weeks have been spending some time with some of the most incredible people involved in the Thoroughbred industry. I start...

Meet The Breeder - Alex Leander

This week in Dunstan Horsefeeds Meet The Breeder, we catch up with Alex Lander BVSc MPhil, who in partnership with Diane Andersen under their Platinum Bloodstock banner bred Read About It (Wrote x Diggilou {Iffraaj}) to win the Listed Ryder Stakes on Saturday. Tell us the story of Read About ItRead about it was born a strong, correct and very bullish looking colt. He's the second foal from our Iffraaj mare Diggilou. I acquired the mare from Sharon and Joe Waldron when she was a 3yo and hadn't sh...

Mr Brightside shines as NZTBA Horse of the Year

The Seton Otway Horse of the Year went the way of star galloper Mr Brightside at Saturday’s New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Property Brokers National Breeding Awards at Karapiro. The popular son of Bullbars added a further four Group One victories this season to a record that features six elite level victories to date, 16 wins and A$13,477,752 in prizemoney for the stable of Ben, Will & JD Hayes. Mr Brightside was bred by Bay of Plenty real estate agent Ray Johns...

Trelawney Stud crowned Breeders of the Year

Famed Cambridge nursery Trelawney Stud were announced the Sir Patrick and Justine, Lady Hogan Breeders of the Year at Saturday’s New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Property Brokers National Breeding Awards. From a band of under 40 broodmares, the historic Trelawney Stud, run by Brent and Cherry Taylor, have produced outstanding results this season, headlined by star front-running mare Pride Of Jenni. The daughter of Pride Of Dubai is out of the O’Reilly mare Sancerre ...

Savabeel top of the pops again

Outstanding Waikato Stud stallion Savabeel again made the headlines at the 2024 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Property Brokers National Breeding Awards, securing his ninth Grosvenor Award, Dewar Award, and Centaine Award respectively.The Grosvenor Award is handed to the Champion New Zealand-based sire by total progeny earnings, while the Dewar Award is received by the stallion with the highest total progeny earnings within New Zealand and Australia. Furthermore, the Centaine A...

Nominees released ahead of National Breeding Awards

Nominations for the Property Brokers National Breeding Awards, to be held at the Don Rowlands Event Centre in Cambridge on July 27, have been announced.There will be awards for the Sir Patrick and Justine Lady Hogan Breeder of the Year, the Small Breeder of the Year, Eight Carat Broodmare of the Year, premiership-winning stallions, as well as the Entain Personality of the Year, Mary-Lynne Ryan Young Achiever, and the Seton Otway Horse of the Year.The breeders of all 25 individual Group One winne...

NZ-bred a rising star in Hong Kong

New Zealand-breds have long held a strong record in Hong Kong, which was further enhanced at the 2023/24 Hong Kong Jockey Club Champion Awards on Friday when Ka Ying Rising was crowned Champion Griffin.The son of Shamexpress has been a standout in the Asian racing jurisdiction, winning five and runner-up in two of his seven starts last season for trainer David Hayes, highlighted by his victory in the Gr.3 Sha Tin Vase (1200m) last month.Ka Ying Rising became the third New Zealand-bred to be crow...

Cambridge Stud savours Australian treble

A Randwick double and a winning turn at Caulfield completed a rewarding weekend for Cambridge Stud.The Waikato nursery celebrated the successes of homebreds Defining and War Eternal in Sydney while the colours of farm principals Brendan and Jo Lindsay were carried to victory in Melbourne by Lovazou.“Obviously, a big focus of our business is to be successful in Australia at a metropolitan level, so it was nice to see that happen,” said Scott Calder, Head of Sales and Nominations at Cambridge ...