A bumper Saturday of high class racing, especially in Sydney, did not produce the usual New Zealand results. Apart from the Chris Waller, Bjorn Baker and James McDonald influences, the Kiwis did not have a lot to write home about. Even home wasn’t too flash as three of the four stakes races run in the... Read More

As recently as March 25 this column discussed the results from the only two studs in the lower half of New Zealand’s North Island, Grangewilliam Stud in Waitotara and Little Avondale Stud in Masterton and the same two studs provided two of the stakes winners on day one of The Championships at Randwick . Evaporate... Read More

And the title for the best two-year-old in the land goes to – drum roll…La Dorada (Super Seth), but by how much? It’s a discussion we can only surmise because she and Return To Conquer (Snitzel) – the only juveniles in contention for the crown – never met during the season. Even if the Sistema... Read More

Geographically, the New Zealand thoroughbred industry is largely centered in the Waikato region and within that, principally around the towns of Matamata and Cambridge. The lower–half of New Zealand’s North Island (known as the Central Districts) has just two significant studs that stand stallions, namely Little Avondale Stud near Masterton in the Wairarapa, and Grangewilliam... Read More

Replay In stark contrast with Ellerslie’s grand NZB Kiwi day, a week ago, this week the attention was focussed on Tauranga and the sole stakes race in the country. By some coincidence, the last 400 metres of the NZB Kiwi (Listed, 1500m) and the Japan Trophy (Gr 2, 1600m) saw a strong similarity when Waitak... Read More