Supreme Heights sought for talented mare

Group Three winner Supreme Heights got her spring preparation off to the best possible start at Te Rapa on Monday when comfortably taking out her 1050m trial by 2-1/2 lengths.

Trainer Mark Brosnan was pleased with her performance and is now eyeing some lofty targets with the mare, including a first-up tilt at the Gr.2 Valachi Downs Foxbridge Plate (1200m) at Te Rapa on Saturday-week.

“I was happy with her run today,” Brosnan said.

“The track was pretty wet but she had a few weeks out after her last run and we were just giving her a bit of a blowout before the Foxbridge in a couple of weeks.

“She seems to be doing well and her coat is starting to move now.

“On her trial, she is well, and she is going to need to be because it is going to be a lot stronger come raceday at Te Rapa.”

Brosnan is also considering a trip south next month to contest the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) at Hastings with his mare, but he said her performance next Saturday as well as weather conditions will dictate those plans.

“We will see how she goes at Te Rapa,” he said. “I wouldn’t want the track to be too hard at Hastings. She can go on a Dead track, but I don’t want to see her on a firm track.

“She ran third in the Cal Isuzu last summer and that was on a pretty good track, but at Group One and Two company I think a rain-affected track would bring her into it more.”

Kiwi connections ponder lucrative bonus

Racing Victoria has today announced a series of enhancements to the Victorian Spring Racing Carnival, bolstering all Group One races for the carnival to a minimum of A$1 million in prizemoney.

There is also an A$1 million bonus to be paid to the winner of the Gr.1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) run at weight-for-age for fillies and mares at Flemington on 30 October if they have won one of 12 selected races for the fairer sex.

Among them is the Gr.1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m), which was won by the Jamie Richards-trained Avantage.

The bonus is undoubtedly Victoria’s response to the prize money arms-race with New South Wales, with Randwick to host the inaugural running of the A$2 million The Invitation (1400m), a set weights and penalties event for fillies and mares just a week prior to the Empire Rose.

Richards is in the fortunate position of having a strong hand in the mares division, with multiple Group One winners Probabeel and Avantage plus emerging star Entriviere.

The latter is set to contest Saturday’s Gr.3 Toy Show Quality (1100m) with James McDonald to ride and is on a path to The Invitation. 

“I guess it is a good incentive by Racing Victoria,” Richards said.

“It has always been the plan to possibly look at a race like the Empire Rose for Avantage and I guess that only enhances our focus on it a bit.”

With the winner of races like the Gr.2 Rose Of Kingston Stakes (1400m) also eligible for the million-dollar bonus should they prevail in the Empire Rose, Probabeel could potentially also qualify for the bonus.

Richards said there is plenty of depth in the fillies and mares ranks and is not getting ahead of himself. 

“You only need to look at the nominations for the weekend for the Toy Show, there are some lovely mares around,” he said.

“It is going to create some good healthy competition.”

Prizemoney has also been increased for the Gr.3 Bart Cummings (2500m) – up from A$500,000 to A$750,000 plus a Melbourne Cup ballot exemption, plus the Gr.2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m) – up from A$500,000 to A$1 million

 

Auckland stallion parades on August 29

Breeders should circle Sunday 29th August on their calendars as the Auckland Branch of the NZTBA look to host the Auckland Stallion Parade at Haunui Farm and Westbury Stud, followed by a casual function for NZTBA members to celebrate the success of Group race winners bred in the Auckland region.

The day will start at 10.30am at Haunui Farm with 2021 Champion First Season Sire Belardo and exciting young stallion Ribchester on show with the possibility of some early foals by Ribchester also hitting the parade ring with 2021 his second season at stud in New Zealand.

This will be followed by a parade at Westbury Stud at 11am where they will present their six stallions Reliable Man, Tarzino, Swiss Ace, Redwood, El Roca, and Telperion.

The day will conclude at New Zealand Bloodstock’s sale complex in the Garden Bar where branch members who have bred a group race winner during the 2020/21 racing season will be presented with an award to recognise their achievement.

Attendees will receive a welcome drink on arrival with finger food served during the afternoon.

“As a branch we are big supporters of the National Breeding Awards and are very pleased to see it coming to fruition in 2021 after COVID enforced the cancellation of the inaugural event last year. But we also think it is important to recognise the achievements of our branch members,” Auckland Branch President Mark Chitty said.

“It is no mean feat to breed a Group race winner and these breeders should be duly recognised by their peers.

“With the new breeding season upon us it is also a great opportunity to get out and see the Auckland-based stallions which holds a great mix of exciting young prospects and proven sires.”

Any NZTBA members that wish to attend the function after the stallion parades are asked to please RSVP to shannont@haunuifarm.co.nz for catering purposes.