Kiwi Chronicles
Old friends enjoy shock win
A family friendship that has endured for more than half a century was celebrated in spades (and a few cocktails, no doubt) when Hezashocka (Shocking) did exactly that and caused a huge upset in the Championship Stakes (Gr 2, 2100m) at Ellerslie on Saturday. The gelding was making just his third start, having finished runner-up... Read More
More from Kiwi Chronicles
Jack a product of Muollo’s Explosive ‘factory’
You just knew it would happen. That’s because, sadly, it happens quite often. A young stallion dies prematurely then soon after, one of his progeny wins big. The New Zealand industry has lost a number of emerging stallions over the past few years, the sire of last Saturday’s Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) winner, Explosive... Read More
A weekend for the unheralded proves every stallion can have his day
New Zealand stakes-race success was confined to domestic shores over the weekend, as four of the five black-type races in the country went the way of the Kiwis, but what an interesting line up they make. In this column last week Per Incanto (Street Cry) was hailed as an evergreen stallion who keeps throwing winners,... Read More
Zabeel flies New Zealand flag in dual Group 1 scalp
New Zealand breeders proudly hoisted their flag at Saturday’s delayed Rosehill meeting and, unsurprisingly, Zabeel (Sir Tristram) had much to say about two of the five Group 1 contests. In this column a few weeks ago, considerable space was given to “under appreciated” sire Zed (Zabeel), who stands at Mark Corcoran’s Grangewilliam Stud in South... Read More
Amarelinha’s Oaks win has Chittick jumping for joy
With her strong victory in Saturday’s New Zealand Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m), inventively named Amarelinha (Savabeel) not only wrapped up the coveted New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of Year title but also ensured that the Savabeel (Zabeel)-Waikato Stud roadshow continues. Amarelinha in Portuguese means hopscotch, the name given to her dam Hopscotch (O’Reilly) and in adding... Read More
Mapperley Stud roars to Lion’s success
For Mapperley Stud, the week could not have been better. Only last Wednesday Mapperley’s young stallion Contributer (High Chaparral) sired his first stakes winner when Llanacord held on gamely in the Lowland Stakes (Gr 2, 2100m) at Hastings and Saturday’s Group 1 success in the Randwick Guineas (1600m) is more icing on the cake as... Read More