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La Dorada claims local victory in Matamata feature

Local filly La Dorada (Super Seth) backed up from her stunning victory in the Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) last month with another gritty performance to take out her home track feature, the Gr.2 J Swap Contractors Ltd Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) on Saturday.The Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson-prepared daughter of Waikato Stud resident stallion Super Seth was expected to put in a strong showing and once she found the fence and the lead after 200m she was always going to be hard to beat.R...

Legarto all class in Lisa Chittick

After 322 days off the scene, triple Group One winner Legarto (Proisir) made a triumphant return to racing in Saturday’s Listed Lisa Chittick Champagne Stakes (1400m) at Matamata.The superstar daughter of Proisir was previously the winner of the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m), Gr.1 Australian Guineas (1600m) and Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m). She had been on the sidelines since finishing sixth in the Gr.1 Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington in March of last year, having suffered...

Wrote To Arataki back on her game at Flemington

Multiple black-type winner Wrote To Arataki (Wrote) made a welcome return to top form in Saturday’s A$200,000 Gr.3 Frances Tressady Stakes (1400m) at Flemington.The New Zealand-bred mare had previously won the Gr.3 Geoffrey Bellmaine Stakes (1300m) in February of 2023 and the Gr.2 Tristarc Stakes (1400m) the following October, but had gone winless in seven starts through the 16 months since then.Wrote To Arataki showed a glimpse of her best form with a last-start third in the 2025 edition...

Group One performer Lady Telena for sale on gavelhouse.com

Four years after being sold for just $2,750 on gavelhouse.com, Lady Telena (NZ) (Vespa) is back for sale again on the online platform – this time as a Group One performer and valuable broodmare prospect.Lady Telena raced between the ages of two and seven. Her 58-start career produced six wins, 10 placings and $212,500 in stakes.But she really found her groove after her sale on Gavelhouse.com in March of 2021, which saw her relocate into the Rangiora stable of her part-owner Kenny Moore. She co...

Kiwi Chronicles - Overlooked

New Year began with a bang for Rich Hill Stud when four of their stallions sired five stakes winners within the first 11 days.A treble on New Year’s Day featured Satono Aladdin (Deep Impact) siring Too Sweet in the Eclipse Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m). Vadamos (Monsun) sired Real Class and Island Life to run first and third in the Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m) and Proisir (Choisir) sired Bourbon Empress, winner of the Rich Hill Mile (Gr 2, 1600m). Third in the Mile was Uderzo (Vadamos). ...

Classic winner continuing top family trend

Progressive four-year-old Risque Ruler (Mongolian Khan) is the latest success story for a Windsor Park Stud family that for decades has been a constant source of stakes winners.The lightly raced daughter of Mongolian Khan won for the third time in her eight-start career when she powered home from last to claim the $350,000 Sir Patrick Hogan Karapiro Classic (1600m) at Te Rapa last Saturday.Risque Ruler is also furthering the strong partnership the nursery has with New Plymouth trainer Janel...

Shocking sires rare Group One double

Rich Hill Stud’s senior statesman Shocking again emphasised his potency and versatility when proving the dominant figure in Te Rapa’s flagship events on Saturday.His sons El Vencedor and Here To Shock produced commanding performances in the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) and Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m) respectively for a memorable weight-for-age double.“You don’t take these things for granted, but for one stallion to win two Group Ones on the same card with one over 2000m and one over...

Guineas focus for Public Attention

Smart three-year-old Public Attention (Written Tycoon) is on a path to the Gr.1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) after an impressive first-up victory in the Gr.3 Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday.Ridden by Chad Schofield, the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-prepared son of Written Tycoon sat just off surprise leader Linebacker and forged clear of his fellow Kiwi-bred over the concluding stages to score by just over a length.The well-related grey colt has now on two of his five st...

Australians triumph in sprint showdown

Australia took the spoils in Saturday’s eagerly anticipated trans-Tasman sprint clash at Te Rapa as Here To Shock (Shocking) and Bosustow filled the quinella in the Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m).The presence of 11-race winner Here To Shock and last-start Magic Millions Guineas (1400m) hero Bosustow added international spice to an elite field of sprinters, which also featured top-flight Kiwi talent such as Grail Seeker, Savaglee, Luberon, Waitak and Babylon Berlin. But in the end, the local con...

Northern visitor too strong in Hazlett Stakes

Matamata visitor Harlech (Darci Brahma) made the trip down to Wingatui on Saturday a profitable one as he blitzed his rivals by four lengths in the Listed Nellies Restaurant & Bar Hazlett Stakes (1400m).Trainer Pam Gerard sent the eight-year-old south fresh up, having last raced when fourth of nine at Otaki back in November.Placed three times at Group One level as a younger horse, the Oaks Stud-bred son of Darci Brahma hadn’t visited the winners’ enclosure since May 2024 but didn’...

Tuxedo stakes Derby claim

A dominant performance in the Gr.2 Legacy Lodge Waikato Guineas (2000m) at Te Rapa on Saturday has thrust Tuxedo (Tivaci) into the top echelon of contenders for next month’s Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m).Tuxedo had already shown plenty of promise in his four-race career, winning twice including the Gr.3 Wellington Stakes (1600m) and finishing second in both of the other two. He chased home Derby favourite Willydoit at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day, then returned to the same venue for a r...

El Vencedor dominates Herbie Dyke Stakes

Saturday’s Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa marked another new high point in the career of the ever-improving El Vencedor (Shocking), who took his career earnings past $1 million with a stunning three-length runaway.The son of Shocking initially showed promise as a sprinter, winning over 1200m in both New Zealand and Australia as a three-year-old and placing in the Gr.3 Concorde Handicap (1200m) and Listed Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at four.But El Vencedor has come into his own ...

Leica Lucy survives scare in Fillies’ Classic

Rising star Leica Lucy (Derryn) had to live right up to her fast-growing reputation at Te Rapa on Saturday, getting herself out of deep trouble in the straight and winning the Gr.2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic (2000m).The classy daughter of Derryn went into the $275,000 feature as the hottest favourite of the day at $1.30, having won three of her four starts including dominant recent victories in the Gr.3 Eulogy Stakes (1600m) and Gr.3 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m).Soon after rou...

Meet the Breeder - Leon and Elaine Mountfort

In this week's Dunstan Horsefeeds Meet the Breeder, we catch up with Leon and Elaine Mountfort who have been heavily involved in both breeding and racing in New Zealand for many years. Karaka 2025 proved one of the many highlights of their breeding career when producing Lot 855 the Satono Aladdin x Sparkling Rose filly who was sold to Te Akau Racing for $260,000 and topped the Book 2 sale.Tell us the story of Lot 855 – the Satono Aladdin x Sparkling Rose filly.A couple of years ago Beneficial,...

History backs Haunui’s landmark Karaka sale

The undoubted feelgood story of last week’s New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales Series was Haunui Farm’s first leading vendor title headed by their $2.4 million sister to Orchestral.Going into the annual auction Haunui principal Mark Chitty knew he had a quality draft to offer, but any calculations as to where that might position the Karaka nursery on the vendors’ table was hardly front and centre of mind.However when all was done and dusted at the end of three days of Book 1 se...

Matamata mare’s Reputation enhanced with stakes victory

Trainer Pam Gerard took plenty of convincing to head south to Tauherenikau with Reputation (Iffraaj) on Thursday, but the long trip paid off with victory in the Listed Clubs NZ Wairarapa Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m).Leading apprentice jockey Lily Sutherland was positive aboard Reputation from the jump, pushing forward to sit outside pacemaker Ruby Rocks. Sutherland began to apply pressure from the 600m, which told on Ruby Rocks, and Reputation quickly had the lead. She had a two-lengt...

Kiwi Chronicles - On the cusp

A whirlwind two weeks has passed since the last edition of Kiwi Chronicles and it is pleasing to report that the New Zealand bloodstock industry appears to be on the cusp of bigger and better things.Central to the industry’s future is prize–money which in New Zealand is unlikely to rival that of Australia’s in the near term, however it was not so long ago that the minimum on offer (for maidens) was $7,000. The minimum jumped to $10,000 and is now $18,500 with many clubs opting to set a bas...

Pivotal Ten sensational in Gore Guineas romp

Powerful filly Pivotal Ten (Ten Sovereigns) was nothing short of sensational when taking out Sunday’s Listed Liquorland Gore Guineas (1335m).The daughter of Ten Sovereigns has established herself as the three-year-old to beat in the South Island after scoring a winning hattrick this preparation, including a gusty showing to down Lil Zena in the Listed NZB Insurance Stakes (1400m) at Wingatui on Boxing Day.Samantha Wynne, who trains and rides the filly on race-day, had every faith that a r...

Local victory in New Plymouth feature

Local runner Herbert (Sweet Orange) claimed the biggest win of his career to date when he raced clear in the final stages of the feature event at New Plymouth on Saturday, the Gr.3 Denis Wheeler Earthmoving Taranaki Cup (1800m).Trainer John Wheeler has never lost faith in the four-year-old gelding, who he part-owns with a pair of fellow New Plymouth locals including former Taranaki Racing Incorporated Chief Executive Carey Hobbs, even when the son of Sweet Orange recorded five runner-up fin...

Hinekaha all class in Oaks Prelude

Highly touted three-year-old Hinekaha (Savabeel) justified some heavy support from punters as she showed her enormous promise in the Listed Grangewilliam Stud Oaks Prelude (1800m) at New Plymouth on Saturday.The Andrew Forsman-prepared filly has been identified as a stayer of real potential by a number of pundits and is the $5 Fixed Odds second favourite for the Gr.1 Trackside New Zealand Derby (2400m) on 8 March behind Willydoit ($2). She also fills the same position in the Fixed Odds mark...

Topweight blows rivals away in Fulton Family Stakes

Despite carrying a gruelling 61kg while all but one of his rivals had 53kg, Ellerslie specialist El Vencedor (Shocking) was in a class of his own in Saturday’s Listed Fulton Family Stakes (1500m).A runaway victory in the $100,000 open handicap was El Vencedor’s third black-type win from only four appearances at Ellerslie. The gelding had previously scored outstanding wins in last year’s Gr.1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m) and Gr.3 Balmerino Stakes (2000m). His only defeat at t...

Satono Aladdin top of the pops again

Rich Hill Stud stallion Satono Aladdin has provided the headline acts of Book 2 of Karaka 2025, siring the highest-priced lots on both Wednesday and Thursday.Less than 24 hours after topping the sale with Brighthill Farm’s $260,000 filly out of Sparkling Rose late on Wednesday afternoon, Satono Aladdin took top billing again with two six-figure sales in the final hour of day two.The top price of the second day was $150,000, which John Foote paid to secure Lot 1079. The colt was offered by Libb...

It's in the blood - La Dorada

Sometimes breeding success comes after meticulous planning. At other times, it falls in your lap.Karaka Millions 2YO (RL,1200m) winner La Dorada (Super Seth) is the latest starlet from a Waikato Stud family that has been pure gold, one of the richest seams in the farm’s illustrious history. And to think, her heavily black typed family came to them by way of a gifted ticket in breeding’s great lottery.It begins with Gold Rocks (Oratario), a 2006 mare who, by her sire, you may twig c...

Meet the Breeder - Daniel Nakhle

In this week's Meet the Breeder, we caught up with a name synonymous in breeding and racing-  Daniel Nakhle. Daniel achieved the pinnacle of breeding when Crocetti took out the Gr.1 2000 Guineas in 2023. Crocetti has now doubled his group one tally after his success in the Gr.1 Sistema Railway at Ellerslie on Karaka Millions night.Tell us the story of CrocettiCrocetti's grand dam Irish Colleen was the very first purchase I made selecting a horse by myself. I am absolutely sure it was more l...

Sale boost for stud ahead of mare’s Group test

Off the back of a lucrative result at Karaka, Mark and Jane Corcoran’s Grangewilliam Stud will be chasing another top outcome on the track this weekend.A son of Proisir was the headline act of their small Book 1 draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale and the farm will be hoping to make another top impression with Utopian Wine at New Plymouth on Saturday.Bred by Mark’s father John, the Proisir colt will in time be heading offshore after he was knocked down to the Hong Kong...