Needs Further Dominates Tassie Awards

Media Release - Sunday September 15

It was a Needs Further domination at the Tasmanian Horse Of The Year Awards, Armidale Stud's outstanding young stallion stamping his name on all seven equine award categories.

Needs FurtherHis daughter Mystic Journey (last year's TTC Tasmanian 2Y0 Of The Year) won every category she was eligible for, honoured with the titles of DRC Tasmanian 3YO Of The Year, Armidale Stud Leading Tasmanian Filly Or Racemare (a nomination to the exciting Alpine Eagle part of the prize) and Ladbrokes Tasmanian Horse Of The Year.

Defeated only once in the eight races she contested over the course of the season, the Adam Trinder trained star wrote her name into history as the inaugural winner of the rich All-Star Mile; a dominant victory off a wide run from a tricky gate on the back of a easy Gr.1 Australian Guineas win.

Her successes, which also included wins in the Gr.2 Moonee Valley Classic, the Listed Thomas Lyon Stakes and the Listed Jim Moloney Stakes, enabled her dam White Gold to be crowned Grenville Stud Tasmanian Broodmare Of The Year - making her owner Ralph Zito, co-breeder of Mystic Journey, exceptionally proud.

"Well earned with the best still to come!" he enthused, adding that he has enjoyed watching the success not only of Mystic Journey but of her sire, a horse he has long been a fan of.

"When we first inspected him before he had even served mares we thought he looked amazing," he recalled, "and now, well he is a colossus, the spitting image of Encosta de Lago."

Which is why Zito is excited that White Gold is paying a return visit to Needs Further this spring... whilst her daughter Gold Phoenix was amongst the first to be served by him this year.

Advertisement

Not only will that foal be a highly prized full sibling to Mystic Journey, it will also be a 3/4 to Mystical Pursuit who was last night crowned TTC Tasmanian 2YO Of The Year.

By Needs Further out of White Gold's daughter Oh So Gold (by former Armidale Stud star Savoire Vivre), Mystical Pursuit won all four of her juvenile starts including the Listed Elwick Stakes and Listed Gold Sovereign Stakes.

With the success of Mystic Journey and Mystical Pursuit - along with Needs Further's other 28 2018/19 winners (including the black type performers Deroche and Our Long Sali) of 54 races, it is no surprise that he earned two titles - Tasbreeders Leading Overall Tasmanian Sire Of The Year and Magic Millions Leading Tasmanian-based Juvenile Sire.

All in all a great night celebrating a great season for Armidale Stud and we are hoping that the fun continues today with Mystic Journey returning to the scene of her two greatest successes as she lines up favourite in the Gr.1 Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Cream Rises at Trentham
A half-sister by Hello Youmzain (Fr) to dual Group I winner Mustang Valley, exciting filly Cream Tart is set to line up in one of the major three-year-old races over New Zealand Cup Week following her impressive win in Sunday’s Upper Hutt Car Sales LTD Three-Year-Old (1400m) at Trentham.
Sale Cup Winner Adds to Fastnet Rock Super Weekend
It’s been quite the weekend for the late great champion sire Fastnet Rock with a Cox Plate quinella on Saturday and then on Sunday he produced a new stakes-winner when seven year-old gelding El Rocko captured the $200,000 Listed Sale Cup (1600m).
Doubtland 2YO All On Red Smashes Them Again at Ascot
Widden Stud's Doubtland has a potential 2YO topliner in Perth in the shape of exciting WA colt All On Red, who remains undefeated from two starts after another comprehensive Ascot Saturday win.
Armidale Stud's Proud Cox Plate History
Saturday afternoon, across Tasmania racing fans will be crowding into their local TABs or sitting at home, glued to their television sets or computer screens, excitedly anticipating cheering on the much loved Betty - Mystic Journey - in the Group I WS Cox Plate.
Yes Yes Yes 3YO Shooting for G2 on Monday
Last year’s Gr.2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial (1400m) set Savaglee up for Group One glory in Christchurch, and Matamata trainer Pam Gerard is hoping to follow a similar blueprint in 2025 with her Yes Yes Yes 3YO Affirmative Action..
Hi Yo Sass Bomb Wins G3 on Sunday
Kim Reid bypassed a Group One in favour of Sunday’s Gr.3 Gee and Hickton Funeral Directors Thompson Handicap (1600m) at Trentham with Hi Yo Sass Bomb, a decision that paid dividends when the mare led from the outset to claim her third stakes success.
Wootton Bassett Colt Leads Coolmore G1 Trifecta
The last British Group I race of the flat season was run overnight at Doncaster with Aidan O’Brien producing a trifecta of two year-old colts led by a son of the late Wootton Bassett (GB) in Hawk Mountain, who was too good for a pair of Frankel colts.
Pedigree Watch - Powerhouse Godolphin 3YOs Dominate
The current crop of three year-olds running for Godolphin lay claim to being the best they have ever produced in Australia and three of those colts won Group races in Australia on Saturday so let’s take a look at those pedigrees.
Fourth Stakes Winner for Needs Further
Sensationally backed Tasmanian Yearling Sale graduate Bold Star did best in a driving finish to earn a maiden stakes win in Saturday’s Listed Kensington Stakes (1000m) at Flemington.
Undefeated 3YO King of Light Wins Listed Belgravia
Dan Morton's exciting three year old King Of Light (Earthlight) remains unbeaten in three starts, as the gelding graduated to stakes company with a scintillating first up victory in the Listed Belgravia Stakes on Cox Plate Day at Ascot.