Latest news

Back to Blog

Unbeaten Orbisyn closer to returning

Hugely exciting 4YO gelding Orbisyn (Rich Enuff-Another Syn, by Mukaddamah) will trial next week in his first outing since he last raced in June 2021, according  to punters.com.au. "We've been nice and patient with him," trainer David Vandyke said. "Once we knew he wasn't going to be ready for the spring, there was no point rushing him back. So we gave him the summer off and now he's steadily building up so he'll be in great shape when he returns to racing." Orbisyn had a minor hind le...

Smart newcomer becomes first winner for U S Navy Flag

Ocean Vision (2c U S Navy Flag - Balaagha, by Mr Greeley) provided champion two-year-old U S Navy Flag with his first winner when beating some well-regarded individuals at Dundalk (Ireland) on Tuesday.Kieran Cotter’s sole representative in the five furlong maiden was ridden to chase the leaders by Jake Coen and was asked to quicken from two furlongs out. Leading as they approached the final furlong, he was pushed out to score by three parts of a length, with the same d...

The Oaks Stud mourn victims of boating tragedy

Mike Lovett was a respected and valued staff member at The Oaks Stud...

Sinarahma prevails in desperate finish to Cuddle Stakes

A well-timed run that saw her thrust her head in front just two strides prior to the winning post ensured rugged mare Sinarahma took victory in the Gr.3 Wentwood Grange Cuddle Stakes (1600m) on Saturday. The Allan Sharrock-trained seven-year-old was given a perfect trip in transit as she tracked race favourite Mai Tai ($4.20) throughout before peeling off her back early in the run home. Mai Tai and Samiam Seussie had looked likely to fight out the finish at the 250m, however rider Lisa Allpress ...

Nightmare draw for Sierra Sue

Trent Busuttin has found it difficult to put a positive spin on Sierra Sue drawing barrier 13 in the A$5 million All-Star Mile (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday. While pleased with the last start Gr.1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) winner ahead of Saturday, he said the draw took the wind well and truly out of his sails. “It’s a bad draw and it will make things extremely difficult for her to win,” Busuttin told RSN. “We needed to draw in the first six or eight to get good cover and do no work in...

Ellis Justifys big spend

Justify pictured at Coolmore Stud...

Wexford Stables secure well bred U S Navy Flag colt on day 2

Fresh from their stunning Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) triumph at Ellerslie on Saturday, Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott were back in the limelight at Karaka on Tuesday. The pair purchased three individuals on the first day of the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale and midway through the second day of selling had added two more youngsters to their haul including Lot 303 for $340,000, the U S Navy Flag colt out of Fastnet Rock mare Honfleur from the Valachi Downs draft. The colt ...

Sierra Sue explosive in Futurity

Sierra Sue has doubled her Group One tally with a strong win in the Gr.1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday. The winner of the Gr.1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes over the same course and distance last spring, the Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained mare went to a new level when claiming elite level success under weight-for-age conditions on Saturday. The five-year-old daughter of proven sire Darci Brahma headed home a New Zealand bred trifecta, scoring by a comfortable 1¼ length...

Hinepara ruled out of Auckland Cup

Last Saturday’s Gr.2 Avondale Cup (2400m) winner Hinepara (Darci Brahma) has been ruled out of the Gr.2 Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup (3200m) on March 13 at Ellerslie. Trained by Josh Shaw, the seven-year-old mare charged home late to defeat Concert Hall in the Avondale Cup. Despite not originally being in the nominations for the Auckland Cup, connections had intended to make the late payment to join the fray, but Shaw has opted to take a conservative approach. “She hasn’t pulled up 1...

Positive feedback on U S Navy Flag northern hemisphere 2YO's

...

Sierra Sue to step up in Futurity

Co-trainer Trent Busuttin knows his mare Sierra Sue (Darci Brahma-Centree, by Centaine) will need to improve for Saturday's Gr1 Futurity Stakes, according to punters.com.au. "She had every chance in the Orr and there were some proper weight-for-age horses in front of her," said Busuttin. "She had last year's Doncaster winner and Tofane, who has won four Group 1s. She's in against the big horses now. It's just one race at a time but there's certainly improvement in her from her first-up to s...

Valachi still flying the flag for well-credentialed stallion

U S Navy Flag remains a firm favourite at Valachi Downs despite the multiple Group One winner no longer featuring on the Matamata nursery’s stallion roster.The high-class son of War Front stood his first two seasons at Kevin and Jo Hickman’s operation before a change of business model in 2021 saw him relocate to The Oaks Stud.“If we had not changed our business direction there is absolutely no doubt that he would still be at Valachi,” General Manager Gareth Downey said.“The relocation ...

Hinepara upsets in Avondale Cup

Ashvin Goindasamy loves upsetting in big races at Ellerslie and he did it again on Saturday when guiding Levin visitor Hinepara (NZ) (Darci Brahma) to victory in the Gr.2 Wallen Concreting Avondale Cup (2400m).Goindasamy had registered his biggest career win aboard Tiptronic (NZ) (O’Reilly) in the Gr.1 Zabeel Classic (2000m) at the venue on Boxing Day and added a Group Two victory to his resume’ on the Josh Shaw-trained Darci Brahma mare.Betting in the race was dominated by Gr.2 Ba...

Sierra Sue ready to rock in Orr Stakes

Trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young believe Group One winner Sierra Sue is firing on all cylinders ahead of her first-up assignment at Caulfield on February 12, the Gr.1 CF Orr Stakes (1400m). The New Zealand-bred mare pleased her conditioners with her jumpout win over 1000m at Cranbourne on Tuesday, beating compatriot and fellow Group One winner I’m Thunderstruck. “She had a bit of a blow this morning, but John Allen (jockey) gave her a nice test out to the line and she responded real...

Sierra Sue targets 1400m Group 1's

Darci Brahma mare Sierra Sue established herself as a top-flight, seven-furlong horse last spring by taking out the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield in September, and co-trainer Trent Busuttin says the mare will again target Group 1 races at her favoured trip this autumn."For whatever reason her record says she's a 1400-metre horse, there are two Group 1 1400-metre races coming up in the month of February," said Busuttin, who trains in partnership with Natalie Young."Her record show...

Cup target's on Hinepara's program

Hinepara’s immediate future lies close to home before Levin trainer Josh Shaw hits the road in search of higher honours for his in-form Darci Brahma mare. The late-maturing seven-year-old was a tidy winner on Saturday in Rating 74 company over 2200m at Trentham and she will return there at the end of the month for a similar event. Shaw will then follow through with a long-term plan to test Hinepara against the open class stayers in a pair of northern features. “We took her up there last year...

Hanalei too strong in Wellesley Stakes

Promising filly Hanalei showed she had taken plenty from her runner-up performance on debut at Te Aroha at the start of the month, when she dominated her two-year-old rivals in the Listed IRT Wellesley Stakes (1100m) at Trentham. The Jamie Richards trained daughter of Darci Brahma had been heavily backed for her first-up performance but had to bow to stablemate Maven Belle after struggling to find clear galloping room early in the straight that day. Trentham’s wide-open spaces worked a treat f...

Gate Crash scores at Sandown

Trainer Patrick Payne isn’t one to overplay the prospects of horses under his care too often and he is true to his form after the win of Gate Crash (NZ) (Roc de Cambes) ($2.10) in the Ladbrokes Blended Bets Handicap (1800m) at Sandown on Monday. This was the second win in four starts for the four-year-old Roc De Cambes gelding to add to two minor placings since the debut run at Warracknabeal in last July.Breaking the maiden at Sale in August, then returning with a placing at Sale in ...

Untouchable Ed impresses on debut

Untouchable Ed (NZ) (Contributer) seemingly didn’t know what to do when having his first start at Bendigo on Sunday, but his lack of race smarts wasn’t enough to prevent him from winning comfortably.The four-year-old Contributer gelding trained by Symon Wilde settled rearward from the second widest barrier in the $35,000 Adroit Insurance & Risk Maiden Plate (1300m). Untouchable Ed was last in the 10-horsfield with 250 metres remaining but swamped his rivals, scoring by two lengths. Harry Cof...

Lord Ardmore to the fore in Sydney

Former Kiwi Lord Ardmore (NZ) (Reliable Man) continued his good late spring form when landing his second Sydney success from his past three outings, having finished runner-up to stablemate Mightybeel (NZ) (Savabeel) on the other occasion.The son of Reliable Man, who sports the blue and white silks of Go Racing, led throughout under a good ride from Tom Sherry to win over 1800m at Rosehill.Initially prepared in New Zealand by now retired trainer Stephen McKee, the four-year-old gelding looks to b...

Blatch soaking up the pressure of Cup week

Like any trainer who has a runner engaged in a major race, Nikki Blatch has a few frayed nerves on the eve of what could be a career defining moment. Nikki and husband Barrie will line-up the well-favoured Mr Intelligence (Niagara) in Saturday’s Gr.3 Martin Collins New Zealand Cup (3200m) at Riccarton off the back of an impressive victory in last weeks’ Listed Metropolitan Trophy (2500m). Blatch, who has just five horses currently in work at the couple’s Tapanui property, had thought that ...

1000 reasons for Bruhn to be excited about Guineas

Steve Bruhn's decision to extend his racing ownership interests into breeding could be set to pay a massive dividend in Saturday's G1 Barnswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas, with the filly he bred and owns, There You Go (NZ) (Niagara), a leading chance in the Riccarton feature. Melbourne-based Bruhn has been involved in owning five or 10 per cent shares of racehorses for a long time, including in Group 2 winner Niagara, and when the son of Encosta De Lago was retired and sent to ...

2021 Ready To Run Sale

The Oaks Stud are proud to present six quality Darci Brahma colts at this years New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale through the draft of Kiltannon Stables.The sale will take place virtually on the 17th & 18th November at Te Rapa Racecourse.These colts are all available for inspection at The Oaks Stud (by appointment).Please click on the links below for pedigrees, breeze-up clips and parade videos.Lot 20  Darci Brahma/Upstaged Bay ColtLot 121 Darci Brahma/Florella Bay ColtLot 124 Darci ...

Trans-Tasman celebrations following Group 3 win

There were whoops of delight on both sides of the Tasman when There You Go (Niagara – Not A Dancer) won the Gr.3 Barneswood Farm Stakes (1400m) at Ashburton last weekend.The three-year-old filly is raced by her Melbourne-based breeder Steve Bruhn while Kaitaia breeder Adrienne Gemmell is now the proud owner of her dam Not A Dancer.It was the Tony Pike-trained filly’s second win from just four starts. She finished third on debut in the Listed Futurity Stakes (1400m) in May and did not start a...

There You Go rockets to Guineas favoritism

Visiting Cambridge filly There You Go firmed into the clear favourite for next month’s Gr.1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton after dominating her rivals in the Gr.3 Barneswood Farm Stakes (1400m) at Ashburton. The Tony Pike-trained daughter of Niagara had turned plenty of heads when she broke her maiden status in effortless fashion over 1400m at Riccarton earlier in the month, smashing the clock in the process.That day There You Go dominated proceedings from in fro...