Waikato Stud claim 11th Breeder of the Year title

Media Release - Monday July 28

Another year of New Zealand thoroughbred breeding excellence was celebrated on Saturday night at the Property Brokers National Breeding Awards at Karapiro, with powerhouse breeders Waikato Stud claiming top honours.

Hosted by the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association, the awards recognised the elite performances of 24 individual Group One winners plus outstanding achievements in a host of categories.

Sprint sensation Ka Ying Rising was named the Seton Otway Horse of the Year, with breeders Fraser and Erin Auret of Grandmoral Lodge collecting a swathe of awards care of the son of Shamexpress, who went undefeated in eight starts this term including four Group One victories.

But it was the Chittick family’s Waikato Stud named Sir Patrick and Justine Lady Hogan New Zealand Breeder of the Year for a remarkable 11th time, after another season of outstanding results.

Waikato Stud’s Mark Chittick (left) with Steve Davis at Saturday’s National Breeding Awards, Photo: Christine Cornege

Waikato Stud’s breeding influence was headlined by Atishu, winner of the Gr.1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m), and the dazzling juvenile La Dorada, who swept the Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m), Gr.2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m), and the Karaka 2YO Million (1200m).

Savaglee added further top-flight success, claiming the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) in addition to three Group Two victories, while also boasting Group One placings on both sides of the Tasman.

In total, Waikato Stud bred 135 individual winners for the season, including eight stakes winners — five at Group level — and another 12 stakes-placed horses, a testament to their remarkable depth and consistent excellence.

“This award means a massive amount to us,” Mark Chittick said. “The integrity this award has internationally we are very proud of and every one of them —and the first one was when we were at Thornton Park in Palmerston North — and this one means just as much as that first one.

“We are a wholly and solely a breeding operation. You take those three Group One winners that we are very proud of, accepting their recognition tonight, they are all families that we have been breeding out of for generations and they are all by stallions we have selected, purchased and made work and we haven’t done that by ourselves.

“We are very appreciative of the support we get throughout New Zealand.”

Chittick said much of the success of the family-operated stud was the passion of the hard-working team behind it.

“On the farm there are now three generations of Chitticks involved, but I accept this award on behalf of Waikato Stud because we have got a unbelievable group of people who are just absolutely passionate about horses and Waikato Stud and about the success of the place,” he said.

“We get through the lows and enjoy the highs but we just could not do it without them.”

George, Pippa and Mark Chittick with the Breeder of the Year trophy, Photo: Christine Cornege

Among the finalists for the supreme award were Sir Brendan and Lady Jo Lindsay of Cambridge Stud, Nearco Stud and Pencarrow Stud.

“If I can just congratulate the other finalists because it was a pretty auspicious line-up tonight and New Zealand should be incredibly proud of all of its breeding success,” Chittick said.

“I’d like to acknowledge everybody in the room tonight trying to breed a good horse and the people that have got up here.

“It’s been our life. That’s the only thing I have done. We kicked off at the Trentham Sales mucking out boxes with Sam Williams, the Chitty family, Dean Hawthorne, the Schicks and many more.

Advertisement

“This is an incredible industry given the backbone of people that are passionate about horses and love the game. It’s a great group of people.”

While Waikato Stud is poised for a new era care of the deeds of the farm’s gun young stallion Super Seth, his remarkable barn-mate Savabeel claimed his 10th Grosvenor (Leading sire by total progeny earnings within New Zealand) and Dewar Awards (Leading sire by total progeny earnings within New Zealand & Australia), cementing his legacy as one of the truly great stallions in New Zealand’s history.

“Obviously we all keep trying to find the next one, but he is a stallion of a lifetime,” Chittick said.

“He is rising 24 years old now and has been at the farm 20 years. We had a bit of a mishap last year which was none of his wrong-doing but certainly once we got back on track he actually ended up with a really good season.

“He is fit and healthy, he looks fantastic and is still bouncing around the place so we just carry on as it is.”

Award winners:

Dewar (Australasian earnings): Savabeel

Grosvenor (New Zealand earnings): Savabeel

Centaine (Worldwide earnings): Per Incanto

Breeder of the Year sponsored by Dunstan Horsefeeds Ltd: Waikato Stud

Eight Carat Broodmare of the Year sponsored by Arion Pedigrees: Missy Moo (Ka Ying Rising, owned by Fraser Auret)

Small Breeder of the Year sponsored by Luigi Muollo: Grandmoral Lodge

Mary-Lynne Ryan Young Achiever of the Year sponsored by LOVERACING.NZ: Jack Stewart – White Robe Lodge

Personality of the Year sponsored by Entain AU & NZ: Steve Davis

Property Brokers Seton Otway Horse of the Year: Ka Ying Rising

Advertisment
More Reading...
Tara Talks Racing - Insights from a Legend - Darren Beadman
Beiwacht upstaged his more fancied rivals to win the $1million Group I ATC Golden Rose last Saturday in course record breaking style to become the hottest colt in Australia giving us the opportunity to chat to a legend that has been very much involved in his story so far.
2025 G1 Epsom Handicap Field and Barrier Draw
The field and barrier draw has been decided for the Group I Epsom Handicap on Saturday with odds-on favourite and unbeaten mare Autumn Glow drawing the extreme outside gate in a field of 14.
Karaka Million Dreaming for Out of the Blue
Te Akau Racing marketing manager Julia-Rose Hayes has had plenty of success syndicating horses selected by her father, David Ellis, and that has continued with her latest syndicate.
Resolute Racing Purchase Top Lot Goffs Orby Day 1
The Goffs Orby Yearling Sale kicked off overnight and the top lot on Day 1 was a colt by Blue Point purchased by John Stewart’s Resolute Bloodstock for €675,000, while Wootton Bassett produced the top selling filly, whose half-brother Trinity College is now in Australia.
She's Unusual Keeps Good Times Rolling
Continued success with resident stallion Unusual Suspect and their racing team has kept Nigel and Adaire Auret busier than they may have envisaged, but without any complaints.
2025 G1 The Metropolitan Field and Barrier Draw
Chris Waller and Ciaron Maher are set to have half of the Group I Metropolitan field between them with the Waller trained Birdman an easing favourite after drawing a wide gate for Saturday’s race.
Sires With Winners - Tuesday September 30
Here is the full list of 27 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Equimillion This Long Weekend – Draws and Start Lists
Racing NSW have their annual Equimillion event coming up this long weekend at Sydney International Equestrian Centre at Horsley Park and for people interested in off the trackers it’s a showcase for the sport, so let’s take a look at who’s who in the zoo.
Autumn Glow Epsom Challenge - Just How Big Is This Task?
With the unbeaten Autumn Glow set to run as the first odds-on favourite this century in the Epsom Handicap on Saturday we thought we’d run some data to see how big this mountain is that she’s attempting to climb, and turns out, it’s pretty big.
Youngsters Impress Leading into Magic Millions Horses in Training Sale
The build up to the 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast Horses in Training Sale has intensified with a swag of impressive breeze up performances over the past week.