Kiwi Chronicles

What took so long?

In a first, the Danehill (Danzig) sire line has finally succeeded in providing a New Zealand Sire Championship winner, in this case Champion New Zealand Sire of 2022-23, Proisir (Choisir). Rich Hill Stud’s Proisir qualifies via Danehill’s son Danehill Dancer and grandson Choisir, breaking an eight-year stranglehold on the premiership by living legend, Savabeel (Zabeel).... Read More

Reality rules

The last two New Zealand stakes, the Ryder Stakes (Listed, 1200m), run on Saturday, July 29 and the Winter Cup (Gr 3, 1600m), run last Saturday, have one thing in common. The sires of both winners will not be available this spring. It’s a trend we hope does not last, but that’s one of the... Read More

Novara’s Night

Joining a coveted list, Madonna Mia (Red Clubs), dam of the world’s top–rated sprinter, Lucky Sweynesse (Sweynesse), has been named New Zealand Thoroughbred Broodmare of the Year for 2022-23. The prestigious title, first awarded in 1953, includes the creme de la creme of the New Zealand Stud Book. Once a title has been achieved it... Read More

Kiwis at home, and abroad

A round of applause for the Whangarei Racing Club. They put on a top program and gave us a glimpse of what New Zealand racing might be like when the Entain cash infusion (less than we’d hoped for) kicks in next season. This was a regular meeting. There were no stakes races to boost the... Read More

Doubling down

Southland-bred and nurtured then South Taranaki-trained, Ucalledit (Zacinto) went back-to-back in Saturday’s Winter Stakes (Listed, 1400m) as he wrapped up a winter stakes double. After his Civic Stakes (Listed, 1400m) victory two weeks ago, Kiwi Chronicles detailed Ucalledit’s early race career which began in far-away Reefton, inland on the West Coast of the South Island.... Read More

Don’t Give Up

Tauranga Classic (Listed, 1400m) winner Flower Of Wanaka (Burgundy) is a lesson in perseverance. The four-year-old mare took nine starts to break her maiden and a further eight starts to claim win two. Last September at Waverley was her breakthrough, but win two, at big odds in Saturday’s feature (which was originally scheduled for June... Read More