News & Events

Stakes Double For Towkay 

Special Mission (Towkay-Te Akau Trek) became our resident sire Towkay's third individual group one winner with a typically courageous performance to take out Saturdays Group One New Zealand Bloodstock Breeders Stakes over 1600m at Te Aroha. 

Bred by David Ellis and Dr C Yau and owned by Ralph and Frances Maxwell, the gutsy filly became the first three-year-old since Ebony Belle in 1984, to win NZ's only group one race for fillies and mares. 

From barrier 14, the Peter McKay trained runner had to be used up to cross and sit outside the leader, she collared the pacemaker turning in then held out Culminate and Group One Levin Classic winner Keepa Cruising in the drive to the line. 

Towkay came oh so close to siring the book end of the trifecta with his other runner Lady Cavalier(Towkay-Malahide), who started from the widest barrier at 16 and ended up a close fourth. 

But group race spoils for Towkay didn't end there. Sunday in Hong Kong saw Armada (Towkay-Dance In Time), Hong Kong's champion miler of 2006/07 and second up after a 12 month break, capture the Group Two Chairman's Trophy at 1600m. Bred by J Fleming, G James and Tom Jamison, Armada's win in a fast 1.33.7, sets up a mouth watering clash with Good Ba Ba in the Group One Champions Mile later in the month.

The win on debut at Hastings last Friday of the Guy Lowry trained Go Kay (Towkay-Pesky) was a real family affair with Go Kay being bred by Guy's uncle Tom Lowry. Go Kay is a grandson of the Lowry family's wonderful mare Lilt. 

Currently sitting in eighth position on the NZ Sires Premiership with progeny earnings of $889,163, Towkay's domestic results this season and the group one performances of Special Mission and Kay's Awake (Towkay-Wake Up Suzie) are just further reminder of the son of Last Tycoon's rare ability to substantially upgrade his mares. 

Our three yearlings fly to Sydney next Sunday for the Inglis Australian Yearling sale which commences on 20 April. The physically imposing Savabeel - Steluta colt - lot 397 - sells himself with his masculine good looks and strong current pedigree. The Zabeel - Rites of Spring colt - lot 338 - will have the eye of a lot of local trainers and agents being a three quarter brother to two Sydney stakeswinners, Men At Work and Philosophe, while the Zabeel - Dancing Daze filly -lot 59 - will be on the shopping list of those looking for a staying type from a running NZ family with plenty of black-type.