Photo: Race Images
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 Waikato nursery, they registered five Group victories, a brace at Listed level and multiple Group placings.
“It was a great season for us and the highlight was gaining valuable black type for our mares,” Brendan Lindsay said.
“The majority of them are going to end up in the Cambridge Stud broodmare band and that adds to the variety and future opportunities.”
Among them is the homebred American Pharoah filly About Time, who with Habana, spearheaded a glorious New Year’s Day for the farm at Pukekohe Park.
Prepared at Karaka by private trainer Lance Noble, About Time claimed top honours in the Gr.2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2050m) while stablemate Habana triumphed in the Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m).
They were two of a remarkable seven winners on the day for champion jockey Warren Kennedy, who enjoys a close association with the farm.
Habana also landed the Listed Fulton Family Stakes (1500m) while About Time added a placing in the Listed Trevor & Corallie Eagle Memorial (1500m) to her record.
Snazzytavi proved herself to be a rising star on the domestic scene when the Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall-trained Tavistock mare rapidly marched through the grades.
She won four of her seven starts last preparation, including the Gr.3 Easter Handicap (1600m) and Stella Artois Championship Final (1500m) and placed in the Listed Wairarapa Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m).
The now retired Aquacade carried the familiar gold and black silks of Cambridge Stud to victory in the Gr.3 Balmerino Stakes (2050m).
Trained by Noble, the home-bred daughter of Dundeel also placed in the Gr.1 Zabeel Classic (2050m) and Listed Matamata Cup (1600m).
“We tried her at Group One level and she wasn’t quite good enough, she might not have got to the level we were hoping for but she still did us really proud,” Lindsay said.
Bella Waters went from a maiden success at Ruakaka last November to victory in the Listed Rotorua Cup (2200m) to continue a long-standing and successful association with trainer Moira Murdoch.
Now operating in partnership with daughter Kieran, she trained Marky Mark to claim the Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) in 2015 to provide the Lindsays with their first top-flight winner.
Heading the tally of black type placegetters was the Sires’ Produce Stakes runner-up Red Sea while Luberon, Polygon, Zourion and Terra Mitica also featured and Jaarffi was the inaugural winner of the Rangitoto Classic (1500m).
The Lindsays are also part of the ownership groups of the Gr.2 Waikato Guineas (2000m) winner and Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) third Ascend The Throne and the Listed El Roca-Sir Colin Meads Trophy (1200m) winner Tokyo Tycoon.
