Savabeel inducted into Hall of Fame
Multiple champion sire Savabeel (Zabeel) is set to be inducted into the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame for his contributions to the New Zealand racing and stud industries. The Waikato Stud resident, who completed his 20th season at stud late last year, will join his sire Zabeel and grandsire Sir Tristram (Sir Ivor) in... Read More
Zac Purton moves to within three wins of Hong Kong jockey record
Zac Purton edged closer to the precipice of Hong Kong racing history after drawing to within three wins of matching Douglas Whyte’s record of 1,813 victories with a double at Happy Valley on Wednesday night. The seven-time Hong Kong champion jockey slotted a double on Bottomuptogether (Shamus Award) and Kasa Papa (Savabeel) to take his... Read More
‘There’s less money swimming in the pool at the moment’
As we continue Trevor Marshallsea’s review of the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, key industry figures discuss the signs from the first auction of the season. The thoroughbred industry needs to brace for restrictions on bookmaker advertising, hope interest rates drop, and maintain the size of Australia’s foal crop – including by rethinking service... Read More
Amosu
Things certainly run in a sequence in the Langbecker family, the breeding name behind flying filly Amosu (Invader), winner of Saturday’s The Debut 2YO Plate (1000m) at the Gold Coast. The dynasty began with Kevin Thomas, the former king of Albion Park and a revered member of Queensland’s Harness Racing Hall of Fame. He passed... Read More
‘The industry as a whole is going into a difficult patch’
In the first instalment of this two-part series, Trevor Marshallsea canvasses the thoughts of prominent industry figures on the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. Some markers were down, sometimes slightly but nonetheless significantly, the middle to lower market was a tough sell, and to some vendors, the week felt quieter than in past years,... Read More
Blanket finish
At the 200–metre mark of Saturday’s Thorndon Mile (Gr 1, 1600m), a blanket covered the first five runners. The winner, Provence (Savabeel), was fifth but had not made her final move, a sprint that saw her level up to Qali Al Farrashah (Almanzor) at the 100 metres. These two fought out the finish, the lead... Read More