News & Events

Despite the 58kg impost, High Octane (Towkay-Trendy And True) registered his eight win when taking Saturday's 1600m open handicap at Ellerslie. 

A couple of hours later and it was three-year-old filly Special Mission's (Towkay-Te Akau Theme) turn, scoring over 1400m against the older horses on Premier day at Taranaki. Now with Peter McKay, the trainer of multiple group one placed mare Kay's Awake (Towkay - Wake Up Suzie), Special Mission has impressed her new Matamata mentor to the extent he likens her to Kay's Awake at the same stage of their careers.

Sunday in Hong Kong and the LA bred Special Days (Keeper-Eva's Belle) won his third race for the season, easily taking a class three 1600m after leading throughout. He was an $110,000 purchase by C Taylor from the LA Karaka Premier draft in 2005. 

LA takes three youngsters to the Inglis Yearling Sale in Sydney starting on April 20. The Savabeel - Steluta colt pictured right and above is bound to attract plenty of interest given his half brother Gorky Park's second to Efficient in last seasons Group One VRC Derby. Not that our other two yearlings will lack for friends either both being by super sire Zabeel, a colt from young Stravinsky mare Rites of Spring, a half sister to the stakeswinning Zabeel brothers Philosophe and Men At Work and a filly by group two winner Dancing Daze. 

We are sending two Towkay colts north to the Carnival Yearling Sale at Karaka on 7 March; lot 102 from Grosvenor mare Meech and lot 149 a half brother to stakesplaced Kitty O'Hara. 

Those of you looking to secure a nice broodmare need look no further than the five mares in foal to Towkay going forward as part of the Highview Dispersal Sale on 16 March. Included amongst the mares are a group one placed two-year-old and a mare from the Eight Carat family. 

Just to finish, LA's purchase of Delbrae's dam We Leica last Easter in Sydney just gets better. Not only has Delbrae matured into one of NZ's best middle-distance gallopers in the meantime but over the last few weeks two Australian three-year-olds from branches of the family, in Light Fantastic and Zagreb have emerged as potential stars. We Leica has a Bradbury's Luck filly at foot which LA intend to retain and is in foal to Golden Slipper winner Stratum.