Verona’s black type breakthrough at Randwick last Saturday not only brought more endorsement for the eye of the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace stable, it showed New Zealand shuttle sire Belardo (Lope De Vega) may have breathed some overdue life into the breeding line of an all-time great mare. Maybe Mahal (Maybe Lad) was one... Read More

It’s been a very long time between drinks but a foal she had when she was 19 has brought the dam of Headway a second Group winner, 13 years after her first. A punt by the owners of Chatelaine on a little known Japanese sireline, mixed with an educated gamble by Arrowfield Stud that the... Read More

A handful of trainers can hit it with the big guys at the major yearling sales. Others have to operate in the margins, sniffing out a bargain at smaller auctions. And others, like the boys and girls from the bush, often have to try a third way. Riverina trainer Gary Colvin likes to take a... Read More

In the space of 80 minutes one day at Randwick a few years back, descendants of remarkable blue hen Denise’s Joy won three races in a row. That’s fairly astounding. But wait, there’s more. One of them was a Group 2. The next two were Group 1s. Jeez, Denise. No need to show off. That... Read More

Breeding, as we know, is all about meticulous planning, searching through the generations for that magical mix of the heavenly connections, and matching mare with stallion on type. And then there’s Yonce. Sometimes fortune favours the brave, and sometimes there’s dumb luck. This budding star of the Australian turf, the mare who’s won six from... Read More