News & Events

At $700,000, our Redoubts Choice - Foxtrot filly was the top priced female at this years Karaka Premier Yearling Sale. It's a great feeling as a breeder to receive that sort of money but it's much more satisfying to see that they actually might have the engine to match the price tag. Hence we were excited just over a week ago to get a phone call from Dean Hawthorne - who buys for owner Jonathan Munce- telling us that the filly, now named Pachanga, had won her first trial at Cranbourne for...

She may have lost her unbeaten record but Special Mission ( Towkay - Te Akau Trek) lost few admirers, running second to Diamond Deck at Hastings on Saturday in the Group 3 Highview Stakes. Unable to find the fence from another difficult draw, she put the pressure on leader Satinka a long way out, collared last seasons Group 2 Matamata Breeders Stakes winner shortly after straightening, before getting run down late by the Octagonal filly. Staying with Hastings, two LA bred mares also turned in...

There's a distinctive LA flavour to the just released markets for the 1000/2000 Guineas. Towkay's pocket rocket Special Mission heads the charts for the fillies classic. And Alamosa (O Reilly-Lodore Mystic), joint favourite for the 2000 Guineas, is very closely related to the LA broodmares, Cent From Heaven (a full sister to Lodore Mystic) and her half sister Double Okay . Alamosa's win in the classic on 17 November would be redemption of sorts for Eloa (Volksraad- Cent From Heaven ). It was...

LA NEWSLETTER 10 SEPTEMBER 2007 Exciting filly Special Mission ( Towkay -Te Akau Trek) made it three wins from three starts and her second consecutive stakes success with a two length win in last Saturdays Listed Carters-Gib Stakes over 1200m at Wanganui. Whether it's in front and clearing out on a heavy track or as with Saturday's success, from midfield with a sustained burst of acceleration from the point of the home turn, the diminutive Towkay filly is a real professional. A $70,000 private...

September got off on the right foot for LA with the Mercedes Horse of the Year Awards in Napier last Friday night. There were a number of winners with LA connections. Before we start on those winners though here's a chance to bid on tickets to the Rugby World Cup Semi finals, with flights and accomodation....go to www.trademe.co.nz and you could secure your place in Paris supporting the All Blacks! The Champion Two-Year-Old Nightlign is out of a Carolingian mare. Carolingian was our foundation...

The saying "when it rains it pours" is never truer than this week at LA. While it's not literally raining foalings just yet, we have had four new arrivals in the last week & what, with the Mercedes Thoroughbred Racing Awards in Naiper on Friday night, the stallions due to start serving this Saturday and the Kelt Capital Spring Carnival kicking off on the same day, sleep will be at a premium! This last week has been eventful for Little Avondale's Charity of choice www.catwalk.org.nz . The Great...

The late season two-year-old star Special Mission ( Towkay - Te Akau Trek) and confirmation of Armada's ( Towkay - Dance In Time) high international rating last week have seen heightened interest in Towkay. Sam's taken steady bookings through the last couple of weeks and he looks like he will serve one of his best books of mares this season. The article by Renee Geelen on www.thoroughbrednews.co.nz on 20th August has helped too. Renee classified stallions standing in New Zealand with three or...

By Renee Geelen, de Kabat Bloodstock VALUE NZ SIRES FOR 2007 Of course, the first question to ask is what constitutes value to a breeder? It may be the ability to breed a champion, wanting the highest chance of breeding a winner, or the best return in the sale ring. The ultimate test of value is the number of breeders lining up to visit a stallion at the particular fee. The statistics given in the New Zealand Stallion Register 2007 publication deal with racing performance for the progeny of...

LA NEWSLETTER 13 AUGUST 2007 The sole Towkay in last Friday’s New Zealand Bloodstock South Island Sale sold for $27,000, nearly twice the sale average. The colt’s from the good Central Districts family of Sandsend, Sierra Sand, Kaapeon etc . Speaking of things Towkay , more recognition came his way this last week with the release of the World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings (WTRR). These are the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities official end of season assessment of horses...

The highlight for the LA this week will undoubtedly be the sale of our LOT 110 Dubai Destination – Rivertaine two-year-old gelding, at this Fridays South Island Sale in Christchurch. Interest from Hong Kong in the horse has been very high on the back of the deeds of his half brothers O Reilly Rally and Regency Horse. Contact sam 0274 853400 for more information about this exciting 2YO. We were looking to send Rivertaine to Darci Brahma this year but such were the performances of three-year-old...

Special Mission Special Misson’s (Towkay – Te Akau Trek) win in the Listed Stoney Bridge Ryder Stakes last Saturday was more vindication for breeders sending mares to Towkay this season. By maligned stallion Khozaam, Te Akau Trek has had 9 foals prior to Special Mission for one individual winner of two races (at Timaru and Wairoa to boot!), once again highlighting the ability of Towkay to upgrade his mares. The Mark Walker stable have spoken post race of Special Mission’s ability to just ‘eat...

We may only be consigning one two-year-old to this years South Island Sale on 10 August but he’s sure to be extremely sought after. He’s lot 110, a brown gelding by Australian shuttle stallion Dubai Destination from our broodmare Rivertaine . The Pines Thoroughbreds will present him on our behalf: given we only have the one entry it’s not economic for us to send down our staff to present him for sale. A November foal, he was not sold at Karaka earlier this year primarily because he needed the...