Month: January 2024

Barry Ward gets the job done at Methven

NZHarnessNews

By Mike Love West Melton trainer Barry Ward completed a “special” day at the races with a hat-trick of training wins yesterday at Mt Harding racecourse. Although the feat is not uncommon, the fact that Ward bred all three winners makes it all the rarer. “I’ve had two wins and a second at the races before, and trained a double four times. But definitely the first hat trick for me. It’s a pretty special day,” said Ward. “They all went to Blenheim last week. Mister Blue Sky went okay on…

Bargain buy does it again, at Riverton

NZHarnessNews

By Jonny Turner Sally Lindenny staked her claim as being the bargain buy of the spring and summer with her victory in the feature trot on Riverton Cup Day. Yesterday, the trotter made it win number four for trainer-driver Kirstin Green when bagging yet another win on a grass track. The mare has either been in the first three placings, or she has galloped out of contention in her 15 starts since joining the Green stable in September. Sally Lindenny could have added another mistake to her ledger in the…

Records shattered on Day One at Karaka 2024

NZRacingDesk

Day One of Karaka 2024’s Book 1 Sale reflected ongoing industry positivity with several records broken and key sale indicators increasing. At the close of trade for the opening session, the aggregate reached a Day One record of $30,725,500 while the average reached a record $195,704, a 37% and 22% increase respectively on last year. The highlight of the day came early, when Lot 21, a full-sister to the superstar mare Prowess (NZ) (Proisir x Donna Marie) was knocked down to Peter Moody for $1.6 million, the highest price recorded for a…

Turnover records smashed at TAB Karaka Millions

NZRacingDesk

A staggering jump in turnover has propelled the TAB Karaka Millions meeting at Ellerslie on Saturday to new heights, with $9.5 million wagered on the meeting – the most on any New Zealand meeting spanning back to at least 1998. The mammoth figure is $2m more than the previous highest meeting on record, the 2022 New Zealand Trotting Cup meeting ($7.5m) but Saturday’s record total was achieved in just six races, less than half that of the Trotting Cup meeting (13 races). Year-on year-turnover for the TAB Karaka Millions was…

Kingman colt is Hong Kong bound

NZRacingDesk

A colt by exciting European stallion Kingman attracted plenty of attention during his time in the sale ring at Karaka on Sunday, where he fetched a winning bid of $650,000 from Boomer Bloodstock principal Craig Rounsefell on behalf of the Hong Kong Jockey Club. Consigned from the Pencarrow Stud draft as Lot 210, the son of the European Group One winner is out of the Irish mare Marsden Cross who comes from a family that includes outstanding cross-continent Group One performer, Mother Earth. Kingman has already garnered success from a…

Exciting time to be a part of New Zealand racing: Ellis

NZRacingDesk

Te Akau Racing boss David Ellis once again lead the buyers charge at Karaka on Day One of the National Yearling Sale series with an impressive array of youngsters finding their way into the shopping cart of the King of Karaka. Ellis outlaid $3.4million for 14 individuals with Lot 224, an I Am Invincible youngster from the Highline Thoroughbreds draft topping the list as he outlaid $510,000 for the colt’s new owners, Brendan and Jo Lindsay of Cambridge Stud. Ellis was pleased with his results for the day. “We’ve bought…

Spotlight on Satono Aladdin

NZRacingDesk

A day of milestones for the progeny of Rich Hill Stud based stallions Proisir and Satono Aladdin was one of the major highlights on the first day of the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale at Karaka. Lot 21, the full sister to dual Group One winner Prowess, a daughter of Proisir, fetched the highest price ever paid for the fairer sex at Karaka when knocked down to the $1.6million bid of Victorian trainer Peter Moody from breeder Hallmark Stud’s Book 1 draft. Later it was the turn of the…

Vale cult hero Jimmy Choux

NZRacingDesk

One of the cult heroes of New Zealand racing has passed away with news coming through that former Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) winner and successful stallion Jimmy Choux (NZ) (Thorn Park) was humanely euthanised earlier in the week. The multiple Group One winner was the standout story of racing in New Zealand during the 2011 calendar year where he captured four Group One titles and went within a length of a fifth when finishing runner-up to Pinker Pinker in the Gr.1 Cox Plate (2040m) of that year. His accomplishments…

Super sale for Waikato Stud stallion

NZRacingDesk

Waikato Stud resident stallion Super Seth was amongst the major highlight results on Day One of the National Yearling Sales series at Karaka when Patella Bloodstock’s Mike Kneebone outlaid $700,000 for a colt consigned as Lot 146 from the Pencarrow Stud draft. Out of the stakes placed Danroad mare Irion, the colt is a half-brother to the stakes winning mares Zourion and Pearl of Alsace. Irion is the daughter of Group Two winner Dopff with outstanding gallopers Octapussy, Pussy Willow, Valpolicella and Vilanova in his extended pedigree. Acting on behalf…

Richards to the fore on Day One at Karaka

NZRacingDesk

Ex-pat Kiwi Jamie Richards made his presence felt early in the piece on Day One at Karaka as he and Bloodstock Agent Andrew Williams went to $725,000 to purchase Lot 55, a Zoustar colt from the I Am Invincible mare Evalina consigned from the Elsdon Park draft. Richards, who is back in New Zealand for the 2024 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale with fiancé Danielle and new baby Spencer, and Williams had already outlaid $275,000 for a Fastnet Rock colt (Lot 9) offered by Woburn Farm and had to…