Winx Family Delivers Group Double for Boutique Kiwi Breeders

Media Release - Tuesday March 25

Family runs deep and fast for Northland couple Dirk and Nicci Oberholster who are enjoying a magical run with their small broodmare band.

The Totara Park Stud principals are breeding from three closely related mares from the family of superstar Winx, with half-sisters Miss Vegas and Miss Bluebell combining at the weekend for a memorable winning double.

Vegas Queen winning the Gr.2 Wellington Guineas (1400m) at Trentham last Saturday.  Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North)

Carlton House’s unraced daughter Miss Vega was firstly to the fore at Trentham as the dam of Vegas Queen, who produced a tenacious performance to land the Gr.2 Wellington Guineas (1400m).

Trained by Kenny Rae, the Proisir three-year-old made all the running under rider Wiremu Pinn and was gallant in the run home to keep her rivals at bay.

Miss Bluebell’s son Gringotts chimed in later when the Ciaron Maher representative took his earnings beyond A$3.6 million with victory in the Gr.1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill.

Gringotts wins the G1 George Ryder - image Bradley Photography

It was a maiden top-flight victory for the son of Per Incanto, who was sold through Archer Park’s draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s 2021 Book 1 Yearling Sale to Kasa Bloodstock for $100,000. He was then reoffered through Kilmore Farm’s New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale draft later that year but failed to meet his $450,000 reserve, but was subsequently sold privately after winning a trial at Waipa for Simon and Katrina Alexander.

Vegas Queen was retained and is raced with good friends Matt and Mandy Brown under their Ngapuke Racing banner and The Magpies, numbering Nicci Oberholster’s son Kurt Benney and mates.

“Mandy used to train for my Dad many, many years ago and they had a great relationship,” she said.

“Vegas Queen races in her colours and they came up for the weekend and it was fabulous. It was Mandy who suggested she run in the Guineas, it hadn’t been on anybody else’s radar to be fair.

“Kurt is my youngest son and plays for the Kamo Rugby Club, The Magpies, and they had a little betting syndicate and he’s involved with five of his mates.

“They just wanted to have a bit of fun and drink a bit of beer, they’re very good at both those things.”

Advertisement

Vegas Queen has now won twice from nine appearances, but it hasn’t been all plain sailing.

“Kenny and her strapper who rides her, Sera-Lee Knight, have done a fabulous job with her because she’s not an easy filly and quite tough,” Oberholster said.

Vegas Queen is the first foal of Miss Vegas with the second a Proisir gelding who sold for $160,000 to Riversley Park through the Highline Thoroughbreds draft at Karaka.

He subsequently made $650,000 when reoffered at the Ready to Run Sale and the dam also has a yearling colt by Proisir and is in foal to Noverre.

Gringotts’ dam Miss Bluebell, an unraced daughter of Savabeel, has a colt at foot by Satono Aladdin, who is likely to be sold at Karaka.

“We sent her all the way down to Per Incanto, but she came home empty,” Nicci Oberholster said.

“We’d love a filly out of the mare, that’s why we sent her to Per Incanto to hopefully get a sister to Gringotts that we could keep.

“We’re having discussions again, but for mine it would be hard not to send her back again.”

The third member of the breeding trio is Shocking mare Vegas Strip, a four-time winning half-sister to Miss Vegas and Miss Bluebell who had a filly foal by Noverre last season. – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
Sires With Winners - Monday September 8
Here is the full list of 18 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
$1.7million Flightline Colt Sets Pace at Keeneland September Day 1
The 2025 Keeneland September Yearling Sale is underway and as expected yearlings from the first crop of US Horse of the Year Flightline are lighting up the sale ring, while a colt by Widden Stud shuttler Cogburn’s sire Not This Time sold for $1.6million.
Impressive First Foals for Don Corleone
The first son of outstanding sire Extreme Choice to find his way to Queensland, Group I performer Don Corleone proved very popular with breeders last spring covering 133 mares at Eureka Stud and his first foals are exactly what you might hope for.
Vale, Fastnet Rock
Fastnet Rock was a crowd pleaser when paraded as a living legend at the Coolmore stallion parade last month, but sadly this spring was to be his last. 
G1 Manikato Next for Alabama Lass
New Zealand sprinter Alabama Lass will press on for a tilt at the Gr.1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) at The Valley later this month following her runner-up effort in the Gr.1 Moir Stakes (1000m) at the Melbourne track last Saturday.
Mulberry Racing Purchase $550,000 Colt at Keeneland September
Australian based Mulberry Racing featured on the buyers list during the first session of the Keenland September Yearling Sale purchasing a colt by Quality Road for $550,000.
Tragic News from Milburn Creek – Vale, Secret Admirer
Spring brings so many foaling stories from our studs each year and while the majority have a happy ending, sometimes things sadly don’t go as planned.
Barneswood Farm Trans Tasman Strike
A trans-Tasman ownership double prompted long and enthusiastic celebrations for Ashburton’s Barneswood Farm.
$3.3million Gun Runner Colt Tops Keeneland September Day 1
Keeneland’s 2025 September Yearling Sale began Monday with double-digit gains while posting a record average price of $653,208 and selling 15 horses for $1 million or more led by a colt by Gun Runner for $3.3 million to M.V. Magnier and Peter Brant’s White Birch Farm. The average topped the previous record $611,038 for a single session set during Day 2 in 2024, and the number of seven-
Tara Talks Racing – This Week We Talk to Bennett Racing
In the wash up of last Saturday’s great day of spring racing there was no winner that meant more to his connections than Group I MVRC Moir Stakes victory Baraqiel, so our obvious guest this week had to be Nathan Bennett.