First and last
New Zealand’s first Group 1 of 2026 saw a continuation of the great run of stakes results by Cambridge Stud’s Almanzor (Wootton Bassett).
Readers may remember Kiwi Chronicles’ final report of 2025 (December 16th) which detailed that Almanzor had sired three new stakes winners during the previous four Saturdays. Making it four new stakes winners in five weeks was Lux Libertas when she took out the Manawatu Challenge Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m) the following Saturday, a 29th individual stakes winner for the stallion.
One of the four was First Five (Almanzor) who arrived at Trentham for last Saturday’s Telegraph Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) on the back of an impressive performance when scoring the December 13th J Swap Sprint (Gr 3, 1400m) at Te Rapa. That win, in a slick 1:21.61 was just the ticket for a demanding 1200m down the Trentham chute and so it proved.
Wiremu Pinn had the five-year-old beautifully placed early, two lanes out in third position. At the junction they peeled out another lane, had a bit of a wobble then set after the leader Navigator (El Roca). Levelling up at the 200m, First Five then took over. Navigator didn’t give up easily but First Five stretched his lead to a length, holding on bravely in a good time of 1:07.23. Stewards advised that First Five lost a left hind plate at about the 900m, underlining a notable winning effort.
The win puts First Five among the elite sprinters in the country. The winning prize took his earnings beyond $523,000 from seven victories and now attention will no doubt be diverted to Ellerslie for the Railway Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m), set for January 24th. The calendar has undergone serious changes recently. Not that long ago the Railway was always staged on New Year’s Day with the Telegraph three weeks later.
Beyond the Railway is Te Rapa’s BCD Sprint (Gr 1, 1400m) on February 7th. Now that First Five has taken that next step it will be fascinating to see if he can maintain his new found form. Right-handed Ellerslie will not bother him as four of his wins have been clockwise.
Almanzor’s headline act is Gezora, the Breeders’ Cup Fillies & Mares (Turf) (Gr 1, 11f) winner at Del Mar just two months ago. Earlier in the year Gezora was also successful in the Prix de Diane (Gr 1, 2100m). Two of Almanzor’s four Group 1 winners have raced in Australia. The northern hemisphere-bred Circle Of Fire landed the Sydney Cup (Gr, 3200m) while New Zealand-bred Manzoice won the Victoria Derby (Gr 1, 2500m).
The stallion is proving to be somewhat versatile and since the loss of his sire Wootton Bassett (Iffraaj), combined with recent stakes results, there is every reason to suggest that buyers will be attracted to the 33 lots catalogued for the upcoming NZB Karaka Yearling Sale.
Raid or sales promotion?
The last New Zealand Group 1 of 2025, the Zabeel Classic (2000m) took place at Ellerslie on Boxing Day and provided a most interesting result as well as a Cambridge Stud connection.
Melbourne raider Kingswood (Roaring Lion) stole a march and stole the show when rider Rory Hutchings caught everyone napping as the field reached the end of Ellerslie’s back straight. Judging that the dawdling pace and sprint home was never going to suit his charge, Hutchings set Kingswood alight from the 800m and his sprint was devastating, to the effect that within 200m he was three lengths clear. Rounding into the home straight the lead increased and half way down the straight it was clear that nothing was going to catch him.
Hutchings knew it was all over and stood up in the stirrups strides before the line. This was comprehensive with all the credit going to the rider. They didn’t complete the last 600m in the fastest time but that mattered little as the damage had been from the 800m. The fastest 600m belonged to the wonderful mare, fourth placed La Crique (Vadamos) who, unknown at that time, was competing for the final time, her retirement announced a few days later.
Kingswood, a grey entire, was on display. Trainer Gavin Bedggood declared pre-race that one of the main decisions in making the flight to Auckland was to “advertise” Kingswood as a possible future stallion prospect. Taking out the Zabeel Classic in such style may have assisted greatly but Bedggood’s post-race comment may have done exactly the opposite when the trainer stated that in Melbourne Kingswood was a “B grader”. Potential studs would have noticed.
That’s not all. If a “B grader” can do that against our best middle-distance Group 1 performers, what does that tell us? Facts are facts. Not liking facts doesn’t change them. Should Kingswood remain in New Zealand and take out next month’s Herbie Dyke Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m), we will know for sure. Another thing we know for sure is that Hutchings will be closely monitored at Te Rapa.
Kingswood represents the first and only northern hemisphere crop of Roaring Lion (Kitten’s Joy), a wonderful performer whose last four races in Britain and Ireland resulted in successive Group 1 victories. In 13 starts he won eight times, his win in Ascot’s Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) perhaps his best in conditions he detested. A mark of his quality was that his previous three Group 1 victories were over ten furlongs.
Roaring Lion was destined to shuttle to New Zealand, to stand at Cambridge Stud but was twice struck down with a serious bout of colic and had to be euthanized before covering a mare at his southern hemisphere home. He is buried at Cambridge Stud. That sole crop comprised 55 individual winners from 90 to race including eight stakes winners (8.9%). Kingswood is one of two to land a Group 1, the other being Criterium de Saint-Cloud (Gr 1, 2000m) winner Dubai Mile. It is easy to assume that Roaring Lion would have gone on to greater success at stud. The numbers above confirm that.
As for Kingswood, he started his career in Ireland breaking his maiden over ten furlongs at his third start and managed a Group 3 third in a small field in the Gallinule Stakes (10f), one of his seven races in Ireland before his export to Australia.
At start three from Bedggood’s stable he landed a Benchmark 78 at Sandown and then added the Coongy Cup (Gr 3, 2000m) in September 2024, one of six races. Five starts this season have brought a Listed win at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day and a fourth in the Ballarat Cup (Listed, 2000m) prior to the Ellerslie raid. His five wins have grossed the equivalent of A$768,000.
Discarding trainer Gavin Bedggood’s remarks, does Kingswood have some appeal as a future sire? One answer might be: Why not?
Sire-line wise, his grandsire Kitten’s Joy (El Prado) was declared Eclipse Champion Turf Male in 2004 and was twice successful at Group 1 level. Champion sire of USA and Canada in 2013, he consistently ranked among the top ten sires for a lengthy period, siring 120 individual stakes winners, 16 of which landed Group 1s. Interestingly, Kitten’s Joy was foaled by cesarean section. His sire, El Prado (Sadlers’ Wells), achieved 10.25% stakes winners to runners siring 83 stakes winners including eight Group 1 winners.
Kingswood’s year older half-brother is Eldar Eldarov (Dubawi), a winner of the English St Leger (Gr 1, 14f) and Irish St Leger (Gr 1, 14f). His dam All At Sea (Sea The Stars) won a trio of Listed races in France and is one of four stakes winners from Albanova (Alzao), twice European champion older mare and a triple Group 1 winner in Germany. It looks like Kingswood’s progeny may take time.
For a local connection, Kingswood represents the Bruce Lowe 9c family tracing directly to Mumtaz Mahal (The Tetrarch), as does Eight Carat (Pieces Of Eight). Albanova’s great-grandam Allara (Zeddaan) is a half sister to Alama (Aureole), the dam of successful Ra Ora Stud sire Nassipour (Blushing Groom). How’s that Gavin?
Welcome home
On paper, La Dorada (Super Seth) deserved to be favourite for Saturday’s rich Levin Classic (Gr 2, 1400m). She was returning to the site of her outstanding win in last autumn’s Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) and subsequently named New Zealand champion two-year-old. Three runners were preferred by punters with favourite Argo (Almanzor) starting outright favourite due to the James MacDonald factor.
The question mark surrounding La Dorada was her Melbourne spring form of two starts in September. On reflection, those races were a huge ask, especially beginning her second season in the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m). To the stable’s credit, they identified as much and quickly pulled up stumps and came home. A wise decision.
A brief rest, some home cooking and she returned in December, fronting at Te Rapa against three-year-olds in the Wentwood Grange 1200 to finish an encouraging fourth, not too far from the winner. That brought her along in good style for the Levin Classic where she began quickly to co-lead early but soon drifted, settling midfield when they reached the first corner. The pace then slackened and she continued to drift. Near the home straight she had only three runners behind her.
Not covering any extra ground, Craig Grylls was patient and drove the filly along the fence. Her turn of foot was still there and at the 200m she was equal second. At the 100m she was almost level with leader Swiss Prince (El Roca) but with 50m to run she grabbed the lead and ran out a convincing winner in a leisurely 1:24.40 for the 1400m.
The next question is: Can La Dorada equal Probabeel (Savabeel) who famously took out the 2019 Karaka Million 2YO (RL, 1200m) as well as its counterpart, the 2020 Karaka 3YO Classic (RL, 1600m), the only horse to accomplish such a double.
The way La Dorada ran out both the Manawatu Sire’s Produce Stakes and the Levin Classic suggests she has the talent to match her former Te Akau stablemate and stretch out to 1600m of the Classic on January 24th. Her presence at Ellerslie will be worth the effort in attending. The question after that is whether she takes Te Akau’s slot in the NZB Kiwi (Listed, 1500m) where the set weights and penalties race conditions would likely see her carrying top weight.
As for Waikato Stud’s Super Seth (Dundeel) there are 47 yearlings by the sire catalogued later this month at Karaka. The stallion enjoyed a fabulous 2025-26 season and Australian trainers and buyers could not miss his successes there. One lot in particular, Milan Park’s Lot 138, may well be among the leading lights as the colt is a half-brother to NZB Kiwi winner Damask Rose (Savabeel) as well as Provence (Savabeel), who has added a third Group 1 to her resume since the catalogue went to print.
Kiwi Chronicles wishes all advertisers and readers a great 2026. May all your equine hopes and dreams come true.