Sires With Winners - Thursday April 21

Te Akau has been forced to take an unconventional path to Ellerslie with Quintessa and are confident the high-class mare will strip in the best possible order, given the circumstances.

The late Wootton Basset was one of those stallions whose progeny can excel over all distances and we saw a taste of it at Caulfield on Wednesday when his French bred five year-old Wootton Verni (Fr) won the $240,000 Group III MRC Coongy Cup (2000m).

Hong Kong champion and odds-on favourite Ka Ying Rising has drawn barrier seven for the Group One The Everest to be run at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

A half-brother to Champion 3YO Filly Shoals (Fastnet Rock), Written Tycoon colt Chicama appreciated not only the step up to 1400m for the first time to break his maiden, but a change to the Joe Pride yard appears to have also done the trick.

The horsemen and women who prepare two-year-olds for the NZB Ready to Run Sale at Karaka every November are internationally renowned as some of the very best in the world at what they do, and a new generation will join them next month as first-time vendors.

Sharp ‘N’ Smart’s Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) campaign hangs in the balance, with his performance in Saturday’s Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) at Ellerslie dictating whether he continues on that path.

A memorable winner of the 2025 Group I Prix Jacques le Marois, flashy Frankel stallion Diego Velasquez has been retired and will take up stud duties at the National Stud in 2026.

Race favourite Half Yours has drawn an ideal gate two for the Group One Caulfield Cup to be run at Caulfield on Saturday with Japanese visitor Golden Snap drawing the outside.

Trainers Ben, Will and JD Hayes have unleashed another promising juvenile when two-year-old filly Torture proved too good for her rivals on debut in the Listed Debutant Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield providing a dream result for Cambridge Stud based first season sire Sword of State.

Kelly Van Dyk’s Prima Park Bloodstock will be represented on both sides of the Tasman this week, from the sales ring in Sydney to the big stage at Ellerslie on Saturday.