Latest news

Back to Blog

Cup challenge for in-form mare

In-form mare Desert Mirage could be in for an exciting few months if she performs up to expectations in the Steelform Roofing Group Waverley Cup 2200 on Sunday. The Clayton Chipperfield-trained four-year-old has won three of her four starts this preparation and Cup goals in Auckland next year could be on the cards for the daughter of Roc de Cambes. “I have been very happy with the way she has been going this prep,” Chipperfield said. “She was always going to be a nice mare, she went a ver...

Spelling paddock for Group 1 placed Bourbonaire

Bourbonaire (outer) went oh-so-close to collecting his first Group 1 win on Saturday ...

Sinarahma to contest Courtesy Ford Red Craze Bowl

Sinarahma (Darci Brahma) will give Allan Sharrock a two-pronged attack in the Courtesy Ford Red Craza Bowl tomorrow.   Her trainer was slightly disappointed with her unplaced run in the Gr.3 Taranaki Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) at Hawera earlier this month. “She is an interesting runner,” Sharrock said. “She was well backed and a big chance in the Taranaki Breeders’. “I put the blinkers on and she was in the barriers too long and missed the kick by two lengths. They walked an...

William Wallace turns back the clock with classic win

Versatile galloper William Wallace showed there was still plenty of fight left in his eight-year-old legs when he outlasted his younger rivals to take out the Listed Christchurch Casino Spring Classic (2000m) at Riccarton on Saturday. The Darci Brahma gelding has always enjoyed his visits to Christchurch, having won twice at the venue earlier in his career, and demonstrated that affinity with another spirited showing. Rider Sarah McNab allowed her charge to find his feet in the early running bef...

Trumbull chasing more riches

The Kim Waugh-trained Trumbull (NZ) (Darci Brahma) landed his biggest win to date when taking out the A$500,000 Gr.3 Sydney Stakes (1200m). The five-year-old gelding covered plenty of ground but showed a ready turn of foot in the run to the post to deny Standout (Exceed and Excel) and Signore Fox (Exceed and Excel).The A$1 million The Hunter (1300m) at Newcastle next month looks another lucrative target for the son of Darci Brahma, who has a good record when kept fresh.Jockey Tommy Ber...

Catalyst crowned NZ Champion Three-year-old

The Dick Karreman owned & bred Catalyst (Darci Brahma) was crowned Champion Three Year Old at last nights 2020 New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Awards. There was considerable depth in the three-year-old division and five horses received votes, but Catalyst’s outstanding domestic campaign earned him the title. Catalyst was unbeaten in five starts in New Zealand, including the Gr.1 Two Thousand Guineas, and won each race by more than two lengths. He had two starts in Australia, finishing a close ...

Sierra Sue dazzles in Group Two win

It was a case of Kiwis sticking together when the Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained Sierra Sue (NZ) (Darci Brahma) landed the Gr.2 Rose of Kingston Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on Saturday under an economical ten out of ten ride by jockey Michael Walker. Horse, trainers and jockey all started their careers in New Zealand and Sierra Sue has quickly fashioned a successful record in Australia, with Saturday’s win her fifth in seven starts and most important to date.“Wow, we had the gate ...

American syndicate in for an exciting season

A decision to invest in a handful of yearlings at Karaka last year is looking set to payoff for a group of American investors. The Bourbon Lane Stable LLC, led by American investor Dennis Foster, will look forward to watching three of their purchases compete in New Zealand this weekend. Bourbonaire will be the partnership’s major focus this weekend when he lines-up in the Gr.2 Dundeel At Arrowfield Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) at Hastings on Saturday. The son of Darci Brahma finished sixth in...

Alfa Oro returns a winner

Talented five-year-old Alfa Oro (NZ) (Bachelor Duke) returned from a brief break to score at Moonee Valley on Friday night, when leading throughout in the 955m race. The son of Bachelor Duke won four races in succession last campaign and picked up where he left off for trainer Matt Laurie, who has been patient in his handling of the quality galloper, who suffered a life-threatening injury as an early three-year-old.“It was pretty easy in the end and I am happy to keep his winnin...

Quattro Quinta takes first two year old event of the season

Race favourite Quattro Quinta (NZ) (Darci Brahma) backed up an impressive trial performance ten days ago when he proved too quick for his rivals over 880m in the first two-year-old event of the season at Ellerslie on Saturday. The Darci Brahma gelding was warmly supported off the back of his impressive victory in a 650m trial heat at Te Rapa and never gave his backers cause for concern as he sat in behind a steady pace for rider Troy Harris before asserting his superiority in the run h...

Stakes dilemma for Laurie's smart sprinter

Having baulked twice before at sending his smart sprinter Alfa Oro (NZ) (Bachelor Duke [USA]) to stakes company, Mornington trainer Matt Laurie wants to give the 5-year-old one more chance to 'build the picket fence' before taking on the better sprinters.Alfa Oro, a winner of five of his seven starts, including his past four, is an acceptor for both the Listed Testa Rossa S. at Caulfield (1200 metres) on Saturday and the Ladbrokes 55 Second Challenge BM84 over 955 metres at Moonee Valley on Frid...

Versatile sprinter on Railway path

Trainer Stephen Ralph knows it is a big step up from an open handicap win at Ruakaka to the Gr.1 Sistema Railway (1200m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s day but he is confident he has the horse that can take that leap in versatile customer New York Jazz. The five-year-old Niagara gelding stormed home out wide to defeat Familia in the Harcourts Tai Tokerau Trophy (1200m) on Saturday with Ralph keen to lift his sights after the win. Ralph has tasted victory in Ellerslie’s elite sprint having taken...

Chipperfield hoping The Shorts proves Catalyst for Everest spot

Trainer Clayton Chipperfield is getting used to training his stable star Catalyst remotely. The Te Awamutu galloper is in Sydney preparing to run first-up in the Gr.2 The Shorts (1100m) at Randwick on Saturday, while his trainer is stranded in New Zealand due to COVID-19 restrictions. It will be the first time the Kiwi four-year-old has been seen on raceday since his sixth placing in the Gr.1 Australian Guineas (1600m) in February, with that campaign ending abruptly after detecting heat in his...

Avantage claims Te Rapa feature

Quality galloper Avantage showed she is the horse to beat in the upcoming Hawke’s Bay triple crown when she produced a strong fresh-up effort to take out the Gr.2 Valachi Downs Foxbridge Pate (1200m) at Te Rapa. The Fastnet Rock mare had closed out her four-year-old campaign with three Group One victories in the space of four starts and looked primed to resume her spring campaign with an eye-catching trial win at Taupo last month. Trainer Jamie Richards was confident he had the horse to beat i...

Sierra Sue scores first-up

New Zealand-bred mare Sierra Sue (NZ) (Darci Brahma) proved a class above her opposition at Sale on Sunday when taking out her 1200m contest. It was the first hit-out of the season for the Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained four-year-old who has now won four of her six career starts, with all four coming on the Sale track.Her trainers were pleased with her efforts, but admitted they were slightly concerned about her fitness levels heading into her first-up assignment.“We were a...

Klaasen spearheads Patterson team for New Plymouth

New Plymouth trainer Robbie Patterson is hoping to pick up from how his last season ended when he produces Klaasen on debut on his home track on Friday. Patterson enjoyed one of his best seasons training despite the interruptions of the season just ended, winning 19 races from just 57 starters and he looks well-placed to continue that sort of form with Niagara (pictured) three-year-old Klaasen. Unbeaten in two trials, Klaasen will debut in the Landmark Homes 3yo Maiden (1100m) with Johnathan Par...

Stallion Parade cancelled

The gavelhouse.com Waikato Branch New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders Association stallion parade planned for this weekend (August 22/23) has been cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions. After consultation with several stud masters the decision was made not to go ahead with the planned tour. “It’s unfortunate for the Waikato Branch who have put so much effort into this tour, but we cannot risk up to 100 people going around the Waikato from farm to farm under the current COVID-19 restrictions,�...

Bounty scores maiden win at Taupo

Cambridge trainer Glen Harvey sent out his first raceday winner on Wednesday when Bounty proved too strong in the Te Akau 2019/2020 No 1 Stable 1100m maiden. The 31-year-old horseman was confident of another bold showing from the Darci Brahma four-year-old who had placed on debut and finished a solid fifth at his second start before saluting at third-time of asking under a positive Andrew Calder ride. “It’s really nice to get that first win out of the way, as it was starting to eat at me a b...

Top class galloper back to winning form at Riccarton

Quality short course galloper He Kin Fly reminded racing enthusiasts there is still plenty of life left in his eight-year-old legs when he boomed home to claim his tenth career victory when taking out the main sprint feature at Riccarton on Saturday. The Neill Ridley-trained Darci Brahma gelding won his only two local starts from the Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman stable before being sold to Hong Kong during his three-year-old campaign. Successful once from five starts in Hong Kong he was retur...

Catalyst pleases in Taupo trial

A solid showing in his 1100m trial at Taupo on Wednesday has Catalyst’s (NZ) (Darci Brahma) connections excited ahead of his Sydney spring campaign.The Group One winner jumped well from the gates and went up to sit outside leader Aretha before hitting the lead turning for home and ran away to a comfortable 1-3/4 length win.Trainer Clayton Chipperfield was pleased with what he saw and he said the exciting thing is there is plenty of improvement to come from the son of Darci Brahma.“...

Australian targets for Oaks winner

Group One winner Sentimental Miss will head across the Tasman this spring to try and add to her burgeoning CV.“It was always the long term plan for her to go to Australia for her five-year-old season,” Go Racing principal Albert Bosma said.“Given COVID-19, it now looks like it will be the least depth to spring racing in Australia for a long while, perhaps since the equine flu. There will be a limit on northern hemisphere horses coming down and restrictions on horses moving inter-state.“S...

Judy's Song delivers at Te Aroha

Trainer David Greene received a pleasant surprise at Te Aroha on Sunday when debutant Judy’s Song raced away in the closing stages of a maiden 1200m contest to score an unexpected victory. Greene had earmarked the Niagara four-year-old as a potential stayer that would need more ground before showing her best after she finished unplaced in a 900m trial at Te Rapa towards the end of June. Greene had been considering running the mare in a 1200m trial before making her debut over more ground but d...

Sydney sprint options beckon Catalyst

Te Awamutu horseman Clayton Chipperfield is pleased with the progress of his stable star Catalyst as he builds towards a spring campaign in Sydney.The son of Darci Brahma is likely to have at least one trial before crossing the Tasman and is set to have a hit-out at the Taupo trials on August 12.“He will go there and have a nice blowout and we will know where he is at from there, but he certainly feels a lot bigger under me and is a lot stronger,” Chipperfield said.“He is a lot more switch...

Seasonal position available

The Oaks Stud have a position available for an experienced person to join our team for the 2020 breeding season.This is a varied role that includes preparing yearlings for the sales, work in the breeding shed & general farm and stable duties.You must be confident handling young horses and be willing to work as part of a team.Excellent salary package and on farm accommodation available.To apply, please email your CV and two references to office@theoaksstud.co.nz...

Ronaldo's Dream to the fore

Reigning Champion Trainer Mark Walker snared two victories when racing resumed following a three-month Covid-19 interruption on Saturday at Kranji Racecourse in Singapore Singapore debutante Ronaldo’s Dream (NZ) (Darci Brahma) put in a dominant performance to win a Restricted Maiden over 1100m for Te Akau apprentice Aiman Kamaruddin whilst later in the day Admiral Winston (Declaration of War) won a Class 5 1000m contest. Educated and prepared by Te Akau NZ trainer Jamie Richards before transf...