Year: 2021

The best in the New Zealand thoroughbred breeding industry will be celebrated in the New Year. One of the many events rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ebbett VW National Breeding Awards will now be held on February 20, 2022 with the NZTBA’s iconic breeding awards being revealed in the weeks leading up to Christmas. From December 3, one each of the Eight Carat Broodmare of the Year sponsored by Arion Pedigrees, New Zealand Small Breeder of the Year sponsored by Luigi Muollo and Sir Patrick and Lady Hogan…

Zayydani (NZ) (Savabeel) has been a special horse for trainers Ben and JD Hayes and they are hoping she can continue her great form for the stable in the Listed Ballarat Cup (2000m) on Saturday. Bred and raced by Brent and Cherry Taylor of Trelawney Stud, Zayydani has posted some important milestones for the fledgling training partnership. “She was our first winner for the partnership, out first stakes winner, and now she is our first Group Two winner,” Ben Hayes told RSN927. “She has been a very special horse for…

The blue, white and red silks of syndicators Go Racing will be carried in feature races in New Zealand, New South Wales and Victoria on Saturday, headed by star mare Atishu (NZ) (Savabeel) in the A$1 million The Gong (1600m) at Kembla Grange. The winner of last season’s Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes (1600m) and Warstep Stakes (2000m) at Riccarton, Atishu crossed the Tasman this spring to join the stable of Chris Waller, for whom she won two of her first three starts including the Gr.3 Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m). Since…

Vicki Prendergast is banking on a change of fortune for Our Alley Cat (NZ) (Atlante) at Te Rapa to add further momentum to the talented mare’s campaign that will have its finale on New Year’s Day. The Matamata horsewoman has a Group One plan in place for the daughter of Atlante and success in Saturday’s Gr.2 Dunstan Feeds Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) would see her firmly on target. Our Alley Cat was an impressive winner when she resumed at Hastings in October and returned to the Hawke’s Bay spring…

Classy New Zealand-bred four-year-old Western Empire is set to start an overwhelming favourite in Saturday’s Gr.1 Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot in Perth, with the son of Iffraaj set to jump from barrier 3 in the 16-strong field. The Grant and Alana Williams-trained galloper has won six of his past seven starts, and enters off the back of an impressive win in the Gr.3 Asian Beau Stakes (1400m). Bred and raced by leviathan owners Bob and Sandra Peters, Western Empire won last season’s Gr.2 WATC Derby (2400m) and looks perfectly…