News

Check out the first New Zealand foals by our Gr.1 winning son of Frankel.

Super Unicorn doubled his winning tally when he downed his Class 4 rivals at Happy Valley.

The son of Savabeel broke his maiden in Hong Kong last season and subsequently mixed his form before bouncing back to his best over 1650 metres.

He provided trainer Mark Newnham with the middle leg of a winning treble when he swept to victory under rider Andrea Atzeni.

A sister to our recent winner Love Symbol, Super Unicorn was bought out of our draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale for $720,000 by the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

He is the fourth winner for late O’Reilly mare Lovetessa, who was twice successful and placed in the G3 Eulogy Stakes.

She is a member of the legendary Eight Carat family and is a half-sister to the multiple Group winner and joint NZB Filly of the Year winner Queen Of Diamonds

Their dam Love Diamonds is a sister to the G1 Spring Champion Stakes winner Viking Ruler, whose brother Kempinsky won the G2 AAMI Vase and finished second in the G1 VRC Derby.

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The bar is likely to be lifted next time out for Exceedance’s daughter Dance To The Boom.

The Bjorn Baker-trained four-year-old has carried our colours to consecutive wins over 1400 metres to bring a mares’ feature at Flemington into play.

Dance To The Boom was successful on the Kensington track at Randwick earlier this month and followed up in style with another victory at Warwick Farm in the hands of Kerrin McEvoy.

“There’s a Group Three over 1400 metres on Cup Day for her, Kerrin said if we could sneak her into a black-type race it would certainly be worth a crack,” Baker’s Assistant Trainer Luke Hilton said, referring to the HKJC Stakes.

In her latest outing, last season’s Listed Gosford Guineas winner sat in second spot to the turn and rallied strongly in the run home to continue her hot run of form.

“She’s pretty straight forward and she’s won five from eight now so she can’t do much more, we were pretty confident with her, and it was good to see her get the job done again,” Hilton said.

We purchased Dance To The Boom out of breeder Rosemont Stud’s draft at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for A$250,000.

She is the first foal of the unraced I Am Invincible mare Bim Bam Boom, who is a half-sister to the G1 Easter Handicap winner Albany Reunion and the Listed Champagne Stakes winner and top-flight placegetter Fast Dragon.

The family also features stakes Royal Discretion, Sun City, Roulettes, Parlophone and Vezalay.

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Well-related mare Mollify relished a step up in distance at Te Aroha to open her New Zealand account.

Our lightly tried four-year-old was a winner and a multiple placegetter when trained for us by Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman before she relocated to Lance Noble’s team.

Mollify had finished sixth in her first run over 1300 metres from her new quarters and appreciated more ground in the hands of Warren Kennedy to prove too good for her Rating 65 rivals.

“I thought she’d be an improver and first-up she looked a bit one-paced so getting up to a mile suited her,” Noble said.

She settled close to the pace and unwound powerfully in the run home.

Mollify is a daughter of the late So You Think and the winning Lawman mare Mitigate, who we purchased for 50,000gns at the 2018 Tattersalls December Mares’ Sale.

She is a half-sister to the multiple international stakes winners Kick On and Sabratah and they are out of the Marju mare Marika, also successful at black type level.

Mitigate’s first foal Hilary’s Boy won four times in England while her second is Group performer Investigate, and she has been served by Almanzor.

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Ceolwulf bounced back to his brilliant best at Randwick to successfully defend his Group 1 title in the King Charles III Stakes.

The five-year-old had been in indifferent form this preparation and trainer Joe Pride’s decision to put blinkers on out homebred proved a master stroke in the 1600-metre feature.

Ceolwulf travelled comfortably in behind the leaders near the fence and once into the clear in the straight, he overpowered his high-class rivals for his sixth career victory and take his earnings beyond A$9 million.

“I said a while back he’s the best horse I’ve trained so it’s been a long 12 months waiting for him to win again,” Pride said.

“I’m just glad to see him return to what he is capable of because his best is better than a lot of the horses that have been beating him.

“We chucked the blinkers on him, it’s the first time he’s ever worn them, and it’s done the trick.”

Regular rider Chad Schofield said he was relieved to see the best version of Ceolwulf turn up.

“I know how good he is and his first-up run was enormous when I didn’t give him much of a ride and then he’s been below par,” Schofield said.

“He’s made a top-class field look average and I knew he would if he gave his best.”

Ceolwulf was sold on our behalf by Sam and Hana Beatson’s Riversley Park at New Zealand Bloodstock’s Ready to Run Sale where he was purchased by Pride for $170,000.

He is a son of the unraced Shamardal mare Las Brisas and his three-year-old half-sister by Almanzor Lupa Captiloina, a A$260,000 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale graduate, is also in Pride’s stable.

The dam has a yearling colt by Sword Of State and this season produced a filly by Chaldean.

Las Brisas’ half-sister Nantyglo was a Listed winner and from the family of four-time Hong Kong elite level winner Wellington, G1 Irish Oaks heroine Moonstone and the G1 Prix Saint-Alary winner Cerulean Sky.

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This week marks the official public launch of National Thoroughbred Week (NTW), an Australasian initiative inviting the public to step inside stables, studs, and retraining centres from 20–24 November 2025.

More than 70 venues are already confirmed, with events spanning every Australian state and key New Zealand Thoroughbred regions, including Northland, Auckland, Waikato, the Central Districts, and Canterbury. A national public campaign will now ramp up through October and Melbourne Cup Week, urging people to register for a free visit to see Thoroughbreds up close, meet the people who care for them, and learn more about the industry.

Timed strategically for the week following the Melbourne Cup and NZ Cup Week, the initiative seeks to harness heightened public interest in racing while proactively addressing the scrutiny and misconceptions that often surface during this period of mainstream attention.

Invite the public in

National Thoroughbred Week has been developed by a volunteer Steering Committee comprising representatives from both sides of the Tasman. NTW co-founder and Kick Up director Vicky Leonard said the event represents a shift from reactive defence to proactive engagement

“Every year during Spring racing, the conversation inevitably turns to negative assumptions about welfare, and most often it’s shaped by people who’ve never been inside a stable,” Leonard said.

“This year, instead of arguing online, we want to invite people in. When someone says, ‘horse racing is cruel,’ our response can be: Have you ever actually been to a training stable or stud farm? If not, here’s your chance - everyone is invited.”

“As an industry, we have a great deal to be proud of - the care, the professionalism, and the people behind it. National Thoroughbred Week is our chance to show that pride to the public, and it aligns perfectly with Kick Up’s mission to give racing its voice back.”

Leonard said the event was designed as a national demonstration of transparency and unity.

“This is a practical, coordinated way to show what really happens behind the scenes - the hours, the care, the teamwork that most people never get to see.”

‘Bring Five Mates’: a call for industry-wide participation

The campaign’s success, Leonard said, will depend on participation from across the racing and breeding communities.

“We’re asking everyone in the industry to bring five mates who’ve never been behind the scenes before - friends, colleagues, family members - anyone who only knows horse racing from television or social media,” she said.

“If every person working in the industry brings five newcomers through the gates, the ripple effect will be extraordinary. It’s a simple concept, but it’s how we’ll reach thousands of Australians and New Zealanders who’ve never seen the reality for themselves.”

Industry participants are also encouraged to volunteer at local events or support the initiative financially. A GoFundMe campaign has been established to help cover signage, marketing, visitor resources, insurance, and logistics.

“This week will only succeed if everyone plays a part. Whether you’re a bloodstock agent, a stud hand, a trackwork rider, a vet, or an owner, there’s a role for you. Volunteering at your local event is one of the most powerful ways to help people see the care and dedication that define our industry.”

“National Thoroughbred Week is a team effort. We need people from every corner of the industry to get behind it and welcome visitors, guide them through the tours, and explain what really goes on each day. Every volunteer helps shift a perception,” Leonard said.

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) and local industry participants have embraced the opportunity to show what makes New Zealand’s breeding and racing sectors so special, with 24 hosts already secured including, training centres, historic breeding farms, aftercare facilities and veterinary clinics.

NZTR Chief Executive Officer Matt Ballesty says the week represents a practical way to bring transparency, education, and community together.

“National Thoroughbred Week is a chance for the public to see the care and passion of our industry in action. It’s about opening our doors, showing the professionalism behind the sport, and building genuine understanding of what Thoroughbred life really looks like in New Zealand.”

“Across regional New Zealand, racing and breeding is woven into the fabric of local communities. They create jobs, sustain businesses, and bring people together through a shared love of horses.

“By opening our gates, we’re helping people understand the role Thoroughbreds play in those communities and hopefully sparking inspiration in the next generation, whether that’s a future jockey, vet, farrier, or simply someone who loves horses and wants to be part of their world,” Ballesty said.

With registrations still open, organisers are encouraging more farms, trainers, retrainers, and racing Clubs to join the programme in the coming weeks. Registrations can be made at Thoroughbredweek.co.nz.

-NZTR News

Sword Of State has made a dream start to his stallion career with a black-type victory posted by his second representative and first on Australian soil.

We couldn’t have wished for a better result for our young son of Snitzel at Caulfield where his daughter Torture belied her name, providing a painless watch to claim top honours in the Listed Debutant Stakes.

The well-related filly, who had finished runner-up in an 800-metre trial on the track earlier this month, belied her starting price of 15 to 1 with a faultless display over 1000 metres to the sound of champagne corks popping at Cambridge Stud.

“To get black type is fantastic, she was very impressive,” said Ben Hayes, who trains the youngster with brothers Will and JD.

“She’s well-bred and a stakes winner now with so much more improvement to come, the Blue Diamond might be right up her alley.”

The quaintly named Torture bounced out of the gates to settle close the pace before striding to the front 200 metres from home to put the issue beyond any doubt.

“She was very professional and felt like she had strengthened off her trial,” successful rider Ethan Brown said.

“I gave her a squeeze, and she lobbed into a beautiful position and flowed into the race well and was strong to the line.”

Bred by GSA Bloodstock, Torture was offered at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale by Curraghmore and was knocked down for $250,000 to Lindsay Park and Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock.

She is a half-sister to Tavistock’s daughter Ruthless Lady, who won the G1 Robert Sangster Stakes, with their dam Ruthless Dame.

The Keeper mare is a half-sister to multiple South African Group winner Oracy and the family of three-time Group 1 winner Sea Siren, whose daughter Warm Heart also claimed a trip of top-flight titles.

A bright future has been tipped for lightly raced filly Luna Bay, who broke her maiden at Kembla Grange.

The daughter of our shuttle stallion Hello Youmzain finished runner-up on the course in her first appearance and a return visit was rewarded with victory over 1500 metres.

“We’re thrilled to get that result, she’s a filly going places,” co-trainer Will Freedman said.

Luna Bay settled in fourth place on the fence and angled into the clear at the top of the straight before finishing resolutely under rider Keegan Latham.

“She’s still raw and gangly and will only get better over further,” Freedman said.

The $150,000 Karaka graduate was bred and sold by Trelawney Stud and has a pedigree to back her progress through the grades.

She is a half-sister to the G2 James & Annie Sarten Memorial winner Pareanui Bay with their dam the Flying Spur mare Okahu Bay, who had a Sword Of State filly last season, successful in the G3 South Australia Fillies’ Classic.

Okahu Bay’s pedigree page also features the G1 Easter Handicap winner Calveen.

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Our high-flying young shuttle stallion Hello Youmzain has produced another exciting stakes winner in Europe.

Two-year-old Dostoievsky has quickly graduated to rising star status following his latest victory in the Listed Prix Saraca at Chantilly.

Trained by Mauricio Delcher-Sanchez, the colt jumped well for rider Theo Bachelot and produced a commanding front-running performance to score by a length and a-quarter over 1400 metres.

The French-bred Dostoievsky had finished runner-up on debut at Deauville before he was successful at Saint-Cloud and has now impressively bridged the gap to black type company.

He is a son of the Dawn Approach mare Vlatka, whose three foals have all been successful, and is a half-sister to a pair of Group 3 winners in Fas and Silva.

The headline act on the pedigree page is the champion European sprinter Sole Power, whose 12 victories features two editions of both the G1 Royal Ascot King’s Stand Stakes and G1 Nunthorpe Stakes.

He also claimed an edition of the G1 Al Quoz Stakes and placed a further five times at the elite level.

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