Month: July 2022

It’s fair to say Auckland-based breeder Don Goodwin has loved every minute of breeding and owning a champion racehorse. The octogenarian stole the show at Saturday night’s National Breeding Awards, sponsored by AGrowQuip, where his star mare Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed) was named the Seton Otway Horse of the Year, while her dam Opulence shared the honours for Eight Carat Broodmare of the Year with Galileo mare Baggy Green. For good measure, Goodwin was also named New Zealand Small Breeder of the Year. After a couple of false starts, Goodwin…

Outstanding stallion Savabeel’s dominance has translated into yet another clean sweep of stallion titles for the 2021/22 season, headlined by an eighth consecutive Grosvenor Award as Champion New Zealand Sire. Waikato Stud’s superstar resident also claimed his seventh Centaine Award for worldwide progeny earnings and sixth Dewar Award for combined Australian and New Zealand progeny earnings, while the late O’Reilly, also a lynchpin of the Matamata nursery, claimed another Champion Broodmare Sire title. Savabeel’s unprecedented deeds were acknowledged at the National Breeding Awards, sponsored by AGrowQuip, which were presented at…

If there was a prize for the biggest smile at Te Rapa on Saturday, then fledgling jumps jockey Portia Matthews would be a leading contender to take out the contest after posting her first win in the saddle aboard Keyboard Warrior (NZ) (Shamoline Warrior) in the Waikato Busy Bees Steeplechase (3900m). The 24-year-old was beaming as she received congratulations after the race that ended in dramatic fashion as eventual runner-up Locally Sauced (NZ) (Iffraaj) was impeded by a riderless horse when lodging a challenge approaching the final fence in the…

Promising jumper Kajino (NZ) (Raise The Flag) impressed plenty of good judges when he produced an impeccable display to post his second win over fences when he took out the opening event at Te Rapa on Saturday. The rising eight-year-old son of Raise The Flag provided jockey Shaun Phelan with an armchair ride throughout as he measured his fences perfectly to draw clear in the home straight to win by over four lengths from race favourite Brucie (NZ) (Raise The Flag). It was just the fourth start over hurdles for…

Popular jockey Robbie Hannam has called time on his career in the saddle and will start in a brand new job on Monday. Hannam, who rode 1100 winners in New Zealand and nearly 300 in India throughout his more than 40-year career in the saddle, will turn his hand to truck driving when he reports for work at the offices of JWL Drainage on Monday morning The Central Districts based horseman had been thinking about a change in occupation for some time and felt the time was right to make…

Despite it being the venue of his biggest failure, Lost And Running (NZ) (Per Incanto) is a likely contender for the Gr.1 Champions Sprint (1200m) at Flemington on the final day of the Victoria Racing Club carnival. Trainer John O’Shea said he was keen for the sprinter to be given a chance to make amends for his 14th placing in autumn’s Gr.1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) down the straight 1200-metre course and so he had factored a start in the A$3 million straight race into the sprinter’s spring preparation. “I have…

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