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Group One winner Fanatic to join Melbourne stable

New Zealand Oaks winner Fanatic will target the Melbourne spring carnival for new trainer David Hayes, Taranaki breeder-owner Sean Kiernan has revealed. Kiernan said the Shocking four-year-old mare, who has won three of her 21 starts for Te Awamutu trainers Graeme Sanders and Debbie Sweeney, would fly to Melbourne next week and join the stable of Hayes and training partners Tom Dabernig and Ben Hayes. "I spoke to Graeme about it and he agreed it was better to kick off her campaign over ther...

May Sale a success

Curraghmore enjoyed another successful NZB Weanling, Broodmare and Mixed Bloodstock Sale at Karaka earlier this week. The top lot from Cm was the weanling Savabeel colt and first foal out of the three-time stakes winning Tavistock mare Avisto. He was knocked down to Andrew Williams, under his newly established Andrew Williams Bloodstock banner, for $170,000. "He's a really athletic individual and I'm very happy to have got him on my first trip to Karaka under my own banner," said Williams...

Guineas already a priority for smart filly

Connections of the surprise two-year-old package Belle Du Nord have high hopes the filly can scale even greater heights next season. The daughter of Reliable Man enjoyed a light, but highly successful opening campaign and was turned out off the back of a runner-up finish in the Gr.1 Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes. "She's spelling and she'll come back in June and we will be looking toward the 1000 Guineas at Riccarton with her," said Emma-Lee Browne, who trains the filly with husband David. ...

Williams makes a splash at Karaka

Andrew Williams has made an instant sale ring impact on his return to New Zealand. He has recently established his own bloodstock company in Sydney and he enjoyed a successful maiden buying foray to Karaka during the opening session of New Zealand Bloodstock's Weanling Sale on Monday. Williams went to $170,000 to secure the Nearco-bred Savabeel colt (Lot 30), the first foal of the multiple stakes-winning Tavistock mare Aristo, from Currraghmore's draft. "He's a really athletic individua...

Weanling & Broodmare Sale PEDIGREE UPDATES

Weanling Sale Pedigree Updates Lot 97 El Roca x Final View colt Closely related to Keely Be (2012.f. by Roc de Cambes-Arthena, by Desert Sun-Tri View). 1st Te Aroha JC Te Aroha Plumbing and Drainage H. Lot 122 Roc De Cambes x Identity colt Out of a sibling to D S Mind (2011.c. by Heart's Cry-Hear's Hoping, by Dahar-French Polish). 1st Kochi C2-13 Out of a sibling to Kyoei Brain (2013.c. by Kinshasa No Kiseki-Hear's Hoping, by Dahar-French Polish). 1st Saga C2-19 Group Lot 143 Power x Koo...

Jimmy Lincoln provides timely update

Jimmy Lincoln produced a tidy performance to win at the first time of asking in the Prodrive Golf Wellington Maiden at Hastings on Saturday, and in doing so provided a timely pedigree update for his weanling brother. From an inside alley, the colt made the running and he showed admirable fighting qualities to hold his rivals at bay in the straight. "He jumped and ran and kept out of trouble," said trainer Lisa Latta, who paid $150,000 to secure the son of Jimmy Choux out of Curraghmore's...

So Far Sokool breaks through

So Far Sokool was the impressive winner of the Avondale Sunday Markets Fillies' Classic for two-year-olds on Anzac day. Future plans for So Far Sokool are uncertain with Williams preferring to see how his daughter of Showcasing progresses in the next few days before setting anything in stone. "The better track here probably helped her and we'll get her home and play it by ear, she's not very big and is still a bit fragile," he said. When the favourite Piper issued a challenge into the strai...

New role beckons stakes winner

Absolut Excelencia is likely to be seen out in a new role in the coming months. The winner of 10 races, including the Listed Gore Guineas, will be in action on both days of the Marlborough meeting on Friday and Sunday before a change of tack. "He's going to Sam Logan to get his jumping ticket," said Kenny Rae, who trains the gelding with his wife Lisa and their daughter Krystal Williams. "He's a genuine old horse and he jumps well, but we'll take it a step at a time with him." - NZ Racing ...

Heroic Valour progressing well

Group One winner Heroic Valour enjoyed a quiet trial at Hawkesbury on Monday ahead of his Queensland campaign. The Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards-trained colt finished third in his 1000 metre heat without being out under any pressure. The three-year-old will make his Australian debut in the Gr.3 Gold Coast Guineas on May 6 with Richards confirming that Opie Bosson will take the ride. Providing Heroic Valour races up to expectations, the Gr.1 Darley Kingsford Smith Cup at Eagle Farm on...

Change to top colt's Australian programme

An abandoned domestic meeting prompted New Zealand Group One winner Heroic Valour's early arrival in Australia. "He's going to run in the Gold Coast Guineas on May 6 and he was going to have a gallop between races at Taupo, but when they were called off we decided to get him over here," said co-trainer Jamie Richards from Sydney. "He's going to have a trial at Hawkesbury on Monday and then head up to Brisbane on Wednesday with Shocking Luck. "We were looking at the Doomben 10,000 as his ...

Red Dawn rises again

Curraghmore weanling sale graduate Red Dawn posted the sixth win of his career in Singapore overnight. Purchased by Mr SP and Mrs KC Engelbrecht out of Curraghmore's 2012 New Zealand Bloodstock Weanling Sale Draft for $21,000, Red Dawn has proved to be a star in both the sales ring and on the racetrack. The handsome chestnut was re-presented at Karaka at Karaka as a two-year-old raising $170,000, a $149,000 profit, when purchased by trainer Shane Baertschinger out of Westbury Stud's 2013 N...

Three in a row for Gorgeous Again

Gorgeous Again (Fastnet Rock x Ocean Pearl) made it three wins in a row in Hong Kong overnight. He was purchased out of our 2014 NZB Premier Yearling Sale draft by the HKJC for $400,000. Now trained by Danny Shum he has so far collected HK$1,426,950 for his owners Mr & Mrs Yip Kong Wah. Check out the replay of his latest win here: http://racing.hkjc.com/racing/video/play.asp?type=......

Pitman team enjoying Riverton sunshine

The father and son training partnership of Michael and Matthew Pitman stamped their mark on the opening day of the Riverton Easter Carnival on Saturday when they produced four winners from their eight runners at the meeting. O'Kiwi and Prince Ransom got them away to a flying start with wins in the first two races on the day before Jazzman and Dynamic added further success later in the programme. It was just reward for the partnership with Pitman senior a noted supporter of the traditional two-...

First Seal retired

Group One winning five-year-old First Seal (Fastnet Rock) has been retired following a customarily brave performance to finish sixth in Saturday's Queen of the Turf Stakes. First Seal retires with a race record of six wins and over $1.2 million in prizemoney in a 21-start career, hampered by hoof issues. Showing promise to finish fourth on debut as a two-year-old, her three-year-old season was truly remarkable. She had the wood on the mighty Winx, defeating her on three occasions, in the Gr...

Provocative $1,200,000

Group One winning Curraghmore graduate Provocative (NZ) (Zabeel) has topped the Inglis Chairman's Sale after Paul Willetts went to $1.2m to secure the mare presented by Newgate Farm. Bred by Nearco Stud Limited, Provocative is by the late champion New Zealand sire Zabeel (Sir Tristram), Provocative won four of her eight starts for New Zealand-based trainer Tony Pike, including the last year's Queensland Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m). The four-year-old mare, who was offered in foal to Tavistock, is out ...

First Seal in peak condition

First Seal (Fastnet Rock) is in peak condition ahead of the Coolmore Legacy Stakes (registered as the Queen Of The Turf Stakes) (Gr 1, 1600m) at Randwick tomorrow, according to trainer John Thompson. The Group One-winning mare has had two starts this preparation, running down the field in the Coolmore Classic (registered as the TAD Kennedy Stakes) (Gr 1, 1500m) on 11 March before finishing third in the Sunline Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m) at Moonee Valley most recently. Thompson said yesterday that ...

Smart filly heading offshore

Group performer What Choux Want will do her future racing in Australia. The daughter of Jimmy Choux has won two races from Andrew Carston's Riccarton stable and last season she also placed in the Gr.2 Matamata Breeders' Stakes, the Listed Welcome Stakes and ran a meritorious fifth in the Karaka Million. This term, What Choux Want has finished fourth at Listed level in both the Canterbury Belle Stakes and the Gore Guineas before heading north again. She finished sixth and less than three le...

Tribal Wisdom earns well deserved black-type

Despite not getting the smoothest trip at his first right-handed start, Tribal Wisdom put on a brave and hearty display yesterday when taking out the $150,000 Listed Pluim Group Gosford Guineas over 1200m in the hands of Christian Reith. Usually displaying lightening gate speed, on this occasion, he didn't get the best jump which consequently set him back in the field. That didn't matter much though, as in the end, at the 200m, this smart galloper showcased his impressive turn of foot and was s...

Thompson keeping First Seal options open

The rain in Melbourne this week might further muddy the waters for trainer John Thompson as he attempts to find the firmest surface possible for his class mare First Seal this weekend. Thompson was hoping he had secured the perfect back-up for First Seal in Friday night's Sunline Stakes at Moonee Valley, but the rain forecast for Melbourne over the next few days means he is likely to dual-accept for both that race and the Emancipation Stakes at Rosehill. "We need to keep a good watch on the we...

Impressive Belle du Nord notches first win for Reliable Man

Westbury Stud stallion Reliable Man sired his first winner when Belle du Nord romped to victory in the $30,000 Richardson Racing 2YO Premier at Trentham on Saturday. Belle du Nord was a 14-to-one outsider for today's 1200-metre event, having run a good second to Ujjayi on debut before failing in the Gr. 2 Matamata Breeders' Stakes in her only other start. But today she emphatically stamped herself as one of the most promising fillies of her generation. Ridden by Lisa Allpress, Belle du Nord se...

Slipper third for Pierro filly

Brave to the finish, talented Pierro filly Tulip ran the race of her life on the rain sodden track at Rosehill on Saturday to claim third in the $3.5 million Group I ATC Golden Slipper Stakes won by her sire in 2012. A last start winner of the Group III ATC Magic Night Stakes, the Hayes/ Dabernig trained filly tried hard throughout to finish third behind She Will reign and Frolic. "It was a massive run," said her rider Kerrin McEvoy. "We had no luck, wide the whole way. She started to move ...

Slipper Runner for a Slipper Winner

Talented filly Tulip was the first winner for Golden Slipper hero Pierro when scoring on debut at Moonee Valley in December and is now his first stakes-winner after powering to a dominant victory in the Group III ATC Magic Night Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday. A good last start fourth in the Group I MRC Blue Diamond Stakes, Tulip confirmed the strength of that form when overcoming an outside gate to race away from the Sydney fillies and win the 1200 metre dash by a length and three-quarters. ...

High Praise for International Premier Sale

This year's edition of New Zealand Bloodstock's Premier Sale held steady off the back of last year's record-smashing Sale. After 17% increases in median and average last year this year saw the average settle at $172,803, down 2%, while the aggregate rose 5% to $58,407,500 ($2,720,000 more than last year's figure). Clearance equalled last year's figure of 78% with 338 horses sold and Managing Director Andrew Seabrook confident vendors and buyers alike should be pleased with the overall resul...

Kuro aims to stop the Music in Expressway

Music Magnate is the dominant favourite to win the Expressway Stakes but Kuro's jockey Josh Parr is counting on his mount's fitness to spur an upset. In a week when trainer Bjorn Baker lost exciting sprinter Winning Rupert to a lucrative stud deal, Music Magnate is odds-on to allay some of his disappointment with a first-up Group Two win at Rosehill on Saturday. Music Magnate is the only runner with a Group One win to his name having won last year's Doomben 10,000 to give Baker his maiden elit...

First Stakes Horse for Pierro

Talented Pierro filly Tulip confirmed her standing as one of the best juvenile fillies in Victoria with a gallant short half head second in the Gr.2 MRC Blue Diamond Preview at Caulfield on Australia Day. A brilliant winner on debut last month, the Hayes/Dabernig trained filly raced closer to the pace on this occasion and tried hard all the way to the line when going down narrowly in a tight finish to Limestone. Her trainers believe Tulip will be better at 1200 metres and jockey Craig Williams...