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    Observations: July 6, 2018

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  • Posts

    • Jean-Claude Rouget and Cristian Demuro have scaled the greatest heights in tandem, but there can surely never have been as emotional a triumph shared by the two men as Leffard's nail-biting win in the Grand Prix de Paris (G1) at Longchamp July 13.View the full article
    • New Plymouth trainer Debbie Harris will head south to Hawera’s postponed meeting on Tuesday with just the one runner, but she is hoping that is enough to bring home a winner’s cheque. Harris had two runners initially entered for Saturday’s meeting, which was postponed due weather and track conditions, but she has been forced to withdraw debut placegetter Daysofbliss from the Sharna Caskey @ Metcalfe Real Estate (1200m) after she presented lame on Monday morning. That leaves four-win gelding Urenui as her sole representative, with the five-year-old son of Derryn set to kick off his preparation in the Scott Roberts @ Metcalfe Real Estate (1600m). Urenui has been pleasing Harris with his progression this time in, winning his 1400m trial at Foxton last month, and she is confident he is forward enough to put in a bold performance first-up. “He has been working really well so fingers crossed we can have a race meeting and he goes well,” Harris said. “He has done plenty of work and has had a few jumpouts and a trial, so he should be pretty forward. “The draw (2) isn’t ideal, but Jimmy (Chung, apprentice jockey) has ridden him in his jumpouts and trial this prep, so he has a bit of a feel of him so he will figure it out.” Harris has plenty of time for the gelding, who made his stakes debut in the Listed Wanganui Cup (2040m) in his last start in November, and she said Urenui will likely target the feature once more as she feels they have unfinished business in the Cup. “All going well we will try and look for a few nice staying races with him,” Harris said. “He was pretty competitive in some open company races last year so hopefully we can get a nice win for him and the owners. “He didn’t get much luck during the running in the Wanganui Cup last year so that is something we will probably look at again this year. “He is a pretty handy horse, he has got a bit of ability. We do have a few feet problems with him, so he is a little bit hard to keep sound, but when he is right, on his day he is not a bad horse.” While upbeat about the future with Urenui, Harris is also excited about the prospects of one of his promising stablemates who is set to make their debut in the near future. “I have got a nice three-year-old by Darci Brahma called Chibra,” she said. “He trialled a couple of weeks ago and I think he is going to be a nice progressive type of horse. He isn’t too far off coming to the races.” View the full article
    • On Saturday 26 July, the New Zealand thoroughbred breeding community will gather at the National Breeding Awards — not only to celebrate excellence, but to invest in the future of our people and our industry. At the heart of the evening is a fundraising effort supporting the Sunline Trust International Management Scholarship, which gives emerging Kiwi leaders a unique nine-month global experience to build the skills, confidence, and connections our industry needs to thrive. Over 20 past recipients have gone on to contribute significantly across the industry, here and abroad — click here to see the full list of Sunline Scholarship alumni. The Sunline Scholarship continues a proud tradition of investing in people. In both 2001 and 2012, stallion nominations were generously donated and auctioned to raise funds for the programme — a testament to the industry’s willingness to support its own and secure opportunities for the next generation. Thanks to the vision and generosity of some of New Zealand’s leading stud farms, the scholarship’s next chapter can begin. Three of New Zealand’s leading stallions will have service nominations auctioned on the night — Proisir, offered by the Proisir Syndicate and standing at Rich Hill Stud; Circus Maximus, standing at Windsor Park Stud; and Sword of State, standing at Cambridge Stud — with all proceeds going to the Sunline Trust International Management Scholarship. Proisir, from humble beginnings, has rocketed to prominence with a string of Group 1 winners and was crowned New Zealand’s champion sire for the 2023–24 season. Standing at Rich Hill Stud, his progeny continue to impress both on the track and in the sales ring; this season alone he has sired eleven individual stakes winners, and his yearlings have sold up to $1.1 million at Karaka 2025. Circus Maximus, a triple Group 1-winning champion miler in Europe, is already making a strong impression with his first two-year-olds, which include stakes winners and impressive metropolitan performers. His progeny are showing the same class and toughness that defined his racing career. Sword of State, New Zealand’s leading first-season sire at the 2025 yearling sales, was a brilliant juvenile himself, winning the Group 1 Sistema Stakes by a wide margin and defeating top-level performers like Imperatriz and On The Bubbles along the way. His first yearlings sold for up to $540,000 and have been praised for their precocity and quality. The leaders of these farms spoke passionately about why they chose to support the scholarship. John Thompson, owner of Rich Hill Stud, said: “The Sunline Management Scholarship gives young New Zealand horse people the chance to travel abroad, expand their knowledge and skillset and ultimately contribute to the New Zealand industry. The achievements of some of our previous Sunline winners reflect how successful this initiative has been. The Proisir Syndicate recognise the opportunity the management scholarship provides for the next generation of thoroughbred industry leaders. We are gifting this nomination to be auctioned with the funds generated helping finance future Sunline recipients to continue this great legacy.” Scott Calder, Head of Sales & Nominations at Cambridge Stud, added: “You only need to look at the list of alumni and the positions they now hold to see the value the Sunline Scholarship provides to our industry. It’s essential we continue to provide opportunities for our best young people, which is why we are committed to helping fund the scholarship’s future.” Steve Till, General Manager at Windsor Park Stud, agreed: “At Windsor Park, we’ve always prided ourselves not just on investing in thoroughbreds, but in people. Supporting initiatives like the Sunline Scholarship is our way of giving back to an industry that has given us so much — and of helping to inspire and equip the next generation to carry it forward.” Nick Johnson, CEO of the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association and a trustee of the Sunline Trust, summed up: “The Sunline Scholarship has opened doors, broadened minds, and built confidence in the leaders our industry needs. To see the Proisir Syndicate and Rich Hill Stud, Windsor Park Stud, and Cambridge Stud stand behind this cause with their stallions shows the kind of vision and generosity that makes our industry special. We hope everyone will get behind the auction and help secure this opportunity for the next generation.” For more information about the Sunline Scholarship and the National Breeding Awards, visit www.nzthoroughbred.co.nz, or to discuss supporting the scholarship further, contact nick@nzthoroughbred.co.nz. View the full article
    • Bregman Family Racing and Swinbank Stables' Governor Sam showed the talent that made him a three-time stakes winner and grade 1-placed at 2 as he conquered his five foes in the $175,000 Quick Call Stakes (G3T) at Saratoga Race Course July 13.View the full article
    • Racing NZ Thoroughbred Chat Page Colin Wightman  · All-star contributor   · rSentdspoo71h605a6u6tct411t8952thtf19m5au5m6u254httl1lhhh7uu  ·   Just reading the comments of Brian Molloy on another thread relating to the likelihood of a further attack on community track assets around NZ now that Winston has legalised what is essentially theft of those assets. Brian has pointed the finger at 2 members of the whale community being complicit in that directive being handed down to our new CEO Matt Ballesty who released a document on Friday announcing a non-detailed “stamina” plan that his masters have put together which focuses on the infrastructure of racecourse assets. Being fair to Ballesty, he notes the disasters unfolding at Awapuni, Trentham and Hastings. But not fair when he points to Avondale as if it’s sale is a forgone conclusion using Winston’s dodgy new Racing Act that the whales got him to slip through 4 years ago during Covid without consulting stakeholders. The timing of Ballesty’s circular was interesting because it came off the back of an un-signed letter from supposedly the RIB threatening to censor those who dare question future moves by our codes administration. Speaking with many over the weekend, that threat has backfired. Many I’ve spoken to are angry that organisations working for us would attempt such a draconian or authoritarian effort. So I went digging to find out who the author was. I’m told from reliable sources that it was Matt Ballesty himself. It was his initiative, his idea, but one probably demanded by the whales who appointed him through the non democratic NZTR governance system. It sounds as if Ballesty asked the RIB to put their name behind it to give the impression of some authority, some threat, some punishment for those still exercising their right to be critical of racings administration. Apparently the draft letter written by Ballesty was so wank, so woke, that Harness refused to put their name to it initially and Greyhounds didn’t want a bar of it .. and still don’t. So there we are folks .. welcome to Thoroughbred Racing in NZ with its private little fiefdom controlled by un-appointed whales thinking they run the show. The question I have is: “How much longer will stakeholders in Thoroughbred racing tolerate this situation”?????
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