Author: NZRacingDesk

The final session of NZB’s 100th National Yearling Sale took place at Karaka on Thursday, with a strong inaugural Karaka Summer Sale. 112 yearlings sold for a total aggregate of more than $3.4 million at an average of $30,612. Six lots sold for $100,000 or more which added to a solid clearance rate of 81%. NZB Managing Director Andrew Seabrook was elated for all those involved in the historic week. “To sum it up, this week we’ve turned over $9.6 million more than last year, with 79 less horses catalogued.” “We’re…

Respected international bloodstock agent John Foote has been attending the National Yearling Sale in New Zealand for over 50 years, and he returned to Karaka for the historic 100th National Yearling Sale this week. The Queensland-based agent was active across all three Books at Karaka, purchasing 14 lots in total. His final purchase was a colt by Armory catalogued as Lot 958 out of the Satono Aladdin mare Hanako, beautifully prepared by Putaruru vendor Stew McGregor. Lot 958 Armory – Hanako Colt led by vendor Stew McGregor. Photo: Trish Dunell…

Taking on the reigning New Zealand Horse of the Year at Ellerslie is a challenge with benefits for the Lance Noble-prepared Jaarffi. Multiple Group One winner El Vencedor will oppose the in-form mare in Saturday’s Listed Fulton Family Stakes (1500m) and has taken a degree of weight off the Karaka trainer’s mind. “Being a handicap isn’t ideal, but it’s nice to see El Vencedor pay up and instead of carrying 60kg or thereabouts, she’ll carry 58.5kg,” Noble said. “That’s a plus and I’m really happy with her.” The Cambridge Stud-bred…

Unbeaten Group One-winning colt Return To Conquer has been retired. The son of Snitzel was purchased out of Blue Gum Farm’s 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft by Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis for $1.3 million, and he went on to remain unbeaten as a juvenile last season. In the care of trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson, Return To Conquer won on debut in the Listed Counties Challenge Stakes (1100m) before repeating the result in the Gr.3 Colin Jillings 2YO Classic (1200m), Gr.3 Matamata Slipper (1200m)…

Royal Flower has one cup to her name and she will be seeking to earn another for breeder-owner-trainer Gail Temperton when she heads to Trentham on Saturday to tackle the Gr.3 NZ Campus Of Innovation & Sport Wellington Cup (3200m). The Foxton mare won her local cup last year and has subsequently run fourth in the Gr.3 Manawatu Cup (2100m) before an eye-catching runner-up result behind Rosso in the Gr.3 Trentham Stakes (2100m) at Trentham a fortnight ago. Temperton was duly rapt with that effort and has been pleased with…

Riccarton trainer Lance Robinson will trek south to Gore with just the one run runner on Sunday, but he is hopeful that will be enough to bring home a winner’s cheque. Promising Tagaloa gelding Alottago will be seeking to bounce back in the Listed Liquorland Gore Guineas (1335m) following his seventh placing in the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) in November, the only blemish on his seven-start career. Robinson said the Heavy9 conditions were not to his gelding’s liking on that day and he was proud of his tenacity…

Samantha and Francis Finnegan followed a successful pattern when going to $125,000 to purchase a sharp filly by Written By at the Summer Sale at Karaka on Thursday. Awapuni conditioner Samantha Finnegan picked up her first winner as a trainer when Written By filly Bona Sforza swept home on debut to take out the Listed Welcome Stakes (1000m) at Riccarton and she also finished fourth in the Gr.1 1000 Guineas (1600m) behind star filly Well Written. Bona Sforza was a $150,000 Karaka yearling purchase and the Finnegans went to $125,000…

Trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott have been putting in the hard yards over the past few weeks as they look to amass their next stable stars and they struck early at the Summer Sale session of the New Zealand National Yearling Sales at Karaka on Thursday. Bidding remotely through New Zealand Bloodstock’s Andrew Seabrook, O’Sullivan went to $80,000 to buy a striking filly by Noverre out of the four-win El Roca mare Royal Roc as Lot 865. “She is just athletic and a really nice filly. She walked well,…

After World Pool made its first appearance in New Zealand last year, the TAB Karaka Millions meeting on Saturday took betting on the meeting to another level. Powered by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, World Pool accepts bets from the HKJC’s overseas partners, creating the deepest and most liquid pari-mutuel pools for international top races. With customers from at least 25 participating countries and regions around the world wagering into a single pool, World Pool hosted betting on all six races at Saturday’s meeting, ensuring a 71% uplift in turnover…

Flemington trainer Glen Thompson is keen to build up his stable numbers and was pleased to come away with a pair of colts by Sword of State at Tuesday’s Book 2 session of the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales. Thompson, who trained in partnership with Mike Moroney until the legendary horseman’s death in February last year, lost several of his higher-rated horses, with Ballymore Stables absorbed by Lindsay Park. But Gr.1 Australasian Oaks (2000m) winner Benagil has been a headline act for Thompson’s small stable alongside Flemington Group Three…