Back to Blog

Sydney features on horizon for unbeaten Immediacy

Expat New Zealand trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young know what it takes to win a Derby in Australia, and now they are setting their sights on Sydney with the unbeaten Immediacy (Tarzino).The Kiwi-bred son of Tarzino extended his perfect record to three-from-three with a dominant performance in Saturday’s A$300,000 Gr.2 Stow Storage Autumn Classic (1800m) at Caulfield.Immediacy’s super-impressive win prompted his trainers to look ahead to the Gr.1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) on March 23 a...

La Crique back to brilliant best in WFA Classic

Katrina and Simon Alexander celebrated one of their most satisfying moments on a racetrack with La Crique’s (Vadamos) triumphant turnaround in the Gr.1 Trackside Otaki-Maori WFA Classic (1600m) on Saturday.The undisputed star of the Alexanders’ Te Awamutu stable, La Crique had endured a turbulent 12 months since her runner-up finish behind Levante in the same race in February of last year.But the efforts and patience of everyone connected with the Vadamos mare was richly rewarded as she...

Savaglee springs Slipper surprise

A fruitless summer saw Savaglee (Savabeel) slip under the radar in this season’s two-year-old crop, but that all changed with a brilliant upset victory in Saturday’s Gr.3 Fairview Matamata Slipper (1200m) on his home track.The blue-blooded colt is by Savabeel out of Glee, who is a full-sister to the dam of Orchestral and a three-quarter-sister to the dam of Daffodil. Savaglee was bought by The Oaks Stud for $400,000 at Karaka last year, and he looked worth every cent of that purchase pr...

Mr Brightside adds Futurity to stunning season

Megastar Mr Brightside (Bullbars) added a sixth Group One trophy to his collection with another breathtaking performance in Saturday’s A$750,000 Lamaro’s Hotel Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.Four of those six Group One triumphs have come this season alone, where the New Zealand-bred’s eight starts as a six-year-old have produced five brilliant wins and three second placings.After kicking off his season with wins in the Gr.2 PB Lawrence Stakes (1400m), Gr.1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) ...

Campionessa claims her missing piece at Caulfield

A proven Group One star in her homeland, Kiwi mare Campionessa (Contributer) added valuable Australian black-type to her CV with a determined win in Saturday’s A$300,000 Gr.2 Carlton Draught Peter Young Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield.Te Akau Racing’s high-class six-year-old has put together an outstanding record in New Zealand, winning 10 of her 28 starts along with nine placings and more than $1 million in stakes.She triumphed in the Gr.1 Zabeel Classic (2050m) at Pukekohe on Boxing Day, ...

Wilson celebrates massive weekend

Hawke’s Bay horsewoman Vicki Wilson’s diverse range of skills and associated success were showcased last weekend across the wide spectrum of equine competition.On Saturday at Invercargill’s Ascot Park racecourse, Aberlour, a daughter of Wilson’s young stallion Mongolian Falcon, completed a stakes double with a runaway win in the Listed Southland Guineas to go with last month’s Listed Gore Guineas.The following day Wilson was the toast of the showjumping world when she scooped the pool ...

Pericles adds to Pencarrow’s big year

The past 12 months have been very rewarding for Pencarrow Stud, with last Saturday’s Listed Sky City Horizon Uncle Remus Stakes winner Pericles (Rubick) being the farm’s sixth stakes winner in that period.“I don’t think we have ever done better than that,” stated manager Leon Casey Casey in a big call considering the Sir Peter Vela-owned Pencarrow has produced 20 individual Group One winners in more than 35 years of operation.“That sort of success keeps reinvigorating the broodm...

Rider reunites with Aromatic

Milan Park’s Tony Rider went full-circle on gavelhouse.com on Monday night, buying back the multiple Group-winning mare Aromatic (NZ) (Sacred Falls) for $257,500.Rider bred Aromatic and offered her in Milan Park’s yearling draft in Book 1 of Karaka 2018, where she was bought by Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis for $160,000.Aromatic carried the tangerine colours of Te Akau to six wins and 14 placings from a 32-start racing career, earning more than $419,000 for her owners in the Te Akau S...

Champion mare Ethereal still making her mark

Memories of the mighty mare Ethereal continue to be rekindled and most recently by the emergence of her gifted grandson Pericles.Bred and raced by Sir Peter Vela and his late brother Philip, Ethereal was the toast of the 2001 Melbourne spring carnival when she completed the famed Group One double of the Caulfield Cup (2400m) and Melbourne Cup (3200m).Trainer Sheila Laxon had previously prepared the daughter of Rhythm to win the Gr.1 Queensland Oaks (2400m) and the curtain came down on her racing...

Vale Verry Elleegant

The Australasian racing industry are in mourning following the news of the passing of 11-time Group One winner Verry Elleegant (Zed) when foaling in Ireland.By Grangewilliam Stud stallion Zed, Verry Elleegant was bred by Don Goodwin out of his Danroad mare Opulence, who he purchased as a broodmare prospect for $14,000 off South Auckland horseman Nicholas Bishara at Karaka. It came full circle for Bishara, and he was pleased to take on her progeny, including Verry Elleegant, to educate and s...

Pericles too strong in Uncle Remus Stakes

The Pam Gerard and Mike Moroney stable have been enjoying considerable success of late including with class three-year-old Pendragon (U S Navy Flag), however, it was his stablemate of the same age in Pericles (Rubick) who stole the limelight on Saturday with an eye-catching victory in the Listed SKYCITY Horizon Uncle Remus Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie.Fresh off a victory over 1400m at Pukekohe last month, the strapping son of Rubick was overlooked by punters who allowed him to start at odds ...

Aberlour completes Guineas double in style

Emerging talent Aberlour (Mongolian Falcon) extended her winning sequence to three and completed a southern Guineas double with a tour de force in Saturday’s Listed ILT Ascot Park Hotel Southland Guineas (1600m) at Ascot Park.The Riverton filly had begun her career with a fourth and two thirds, including a third placing during the New Zealand Cup Carnival at Riccarton in November. She broke through with a six-length maiden win on her home track on New Year’s Day, then stepped up to stak...

Orchestral a class above in Avondale Guineas

Three weeks after announcing her arrival among the season’s elite three-year-olds in breathtaking style on Karaka Millions night, Orchestral (Savabeel) treated Ellerslie to an encore in Saturday’s Gr.2 Eagle Technology Avondale Guineas (2100m).The exciting Savabeel filly had blown her rivals away by three and a half lengths in last month’s $1.5 million TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m), and the step up to 2100m on Saturday produced something every bit as impressive.Orchestral was sent out as...

Former Derby winner back to winning form in Avondale Cup

Talented stayer Asterix (Tavistock) returned to the scene of his greatest triumph when he stormed home to take out the Gr.2 Eagle Technology Avondale Cup (2400m) at Ellerslie.The injury-plagued son of Tavistock took out the 2022 edition of the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) but a string issues had hampered his progress since then.Trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott and his ownership group, that includes former New Zealand cricketer Mark Greatbatch, have shown infinite patience with...

Grinzinger Belle adds to Lightning Day legacy for Shamexpress

A decade after saddling New Zealand-bred sprinter Shamexpress for a second placing in the Gr.1 Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington, Danny O’Brien returned to the same meeting on Saturday and landed a black-type prize with a daughter of the Windsor Park Stud stallion.Grinzinger Belle (Shamexpress) overcame a wide gate and double-figure odds to score a bold victory in the A$200,000 Gr.3 The Vanity (1400m), bringing back some fond memories for her locally based trainer.“We trained Shame...

Rich Hill roll continues into summer

It’s been an exciting mid-summer period for the team at Rich Hill Stud, initially with the reception afforded their stallions at the Karaka sales and topped off by further stunning results on the racetrack last weekend.At Te Rapa last Saturday the stud’s part-owner and general manager John Thompson was on course to witness Proisir mare Legarto take out the Gr. 1 Herbie Dyke Stakes, and Molly Bloom, the daughter of Ace High, dominate in the Gr. 2 David and Karyn Ellis Fillies Classic.On the s...

Crocetti heads for a spell

A line has been ruled through an Australian autumn campaign for Crocetti, with the son of Zacinto heading to the spelling paddock after a standout three-year-old term.Trainers Danny Walker and Arron Tata were contemplating heading to Melbourne next month with the Group One winner but have elected to call time on his season following his runner-up effort behind Bonny Lass in last Saturday’s Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa.“We did look at the Australian Guineas (Gr.1, 1600m) and then ...

Brooks looking to extend golden run in NZ Polo Open

Polo and thoroughbreds have been the two biggest passions in Kit Brooks’ life, and this week he will combine the two when he competes in the NZ Polo Open in Clevedon, Auckland.Brooks is kept busy operating KB Bloodstock, his thoroughbred breaking-in, pre-training and ready- to-run business, but he always finds time to continue competing in the sport he loves.The Cambridge horseman has been involved with horses all his life and spent his formative years learning to play polo, a sport that has s...

Ears Back preparing for further stakes targets

John Blackadder is intent on gaining some black-type for his mare Ears Back and will trek down to Ascot Park this weekend to ready her for her next stakes assignment.The five-year-old mare was fourth in the Gr.3 White Robe Lodge WFA (1600m) at Wingatui earlier this month, giving Blackadder the confidence to press on towards next month’s Gr.3 Valachi Downs South Island Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) at Riccarton.With that race in-mind, Blackadder has aimed Ears Back toward Saturday’s...

Well-performed Savabeel mare retired

Time has been called on the racing career of Savabeel’s Group-winning daughter Mazzolino.The Waikato Stud-bred and owned mare was prepared at Cambridge by Stephen Marsh and was successful on three occasions, including the Gr.3 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) and placed a further five times at stakes level.In foal to Super Seth, Mazzolino also ran fourth in this season’s Gr.1 Zabeel Classic (2000m) and signed off with a midfield finish in the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) last weekend.The four-y...

Meet The Breeder - Bruce Wallbank

This week in Dunstan Horsefeeds Meet The Breeder, we catch up with Bruce Wallbank, a Pukekohe-based small breeder who bred Snow Patrol to win a stirring edition of the Gr.2 Hyland Race Colours Autumn Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.Tell us the story of Snow Patrol?There's quite a story behind this horse, Snow Patrol.We purchased the mare from Raffles Farm privately, and she was pregnant with this foal.My son Mark was fond of the O'Reilly’s and their bloodlines, so we decided to ge...

Molly back in full Bloom for breeder

Scott Eagleton might not have had the best seat in the house to watch Molly Bloom’s (Ace High) latest success, but it didn’t detract from the satisfaction derived from the star filly’s return to winning ways.The Seaton Park principal bred and sold the high-class daughter of Ace High whose victory in Saturday’s Gr.2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic (2000m) at Te Rapa may have been her final appearance in New Zealand.“It was another huge result for the farm, even though we...

Group Three win for brave Proisir mare

Quality mare Yonce (NZ) (Proisir) scored a richly-deserved Group Three victory when landing the Carlyon Cup (1600m) at Caulfield on Saturday for trainer Ciaron Maher.The highly-talented daughter of Proisir rewarded her connections faith with her first stakes victory at her third start this campaign, having been off the scene for 20 months due to a tendon strain.The now six-year-old mare won six of her first seven starts, with her only defeat in her maiden campaign a brave fourth in the Gr.1 Quee...

Fifth Group One for remarkable Mr Brightside

Cult horse Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) commenced his autumn campaign in the Gr.1 C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday and after looking beaten for much of the contest called on all his fighting qualities to mow down bold front runner Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) and Buffalo River (Noble Mission) in the shadows of the post.The Ben, Will and JD Hayes-trained gelding has a never say die quality that has endeared him to racing fans and has been scarcely out of the money since crossi...

Legarto too good in Herbie Dyke Stakes

Matamata trainers Ken and Bev Kelso have long believed Legarto (NZ) (Proisir) had the potential to excel over 2000m, and their stable star proved them right on Saturday with a sparkling performance in the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa.Legarto was a Group One superstar on both sides of the Tasman as a three-year-old last season. She blew her rivals off the Riccarton track in a five-length New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) romp in the spring, then ventured to Melbourne in March and lau...