Pencarrow Racing Boasts Remarkable Roll of Honour

Media Release - Sunday January 19

Pencarrow Stud has achieved international fame as a nursery of outstanding thoroughbred talent, but the blue and white hooped colours of Pencarrow’s racing team have also earned a stellar reputation.

Supera is the current flagbearer for Pencarrow RacingPencarrow Thoroughbreds operates an extensive racing team of homebred horses. From a dream combination of top-quality pedigrees and a first-class education at an exclusive training facility at Maungatautari, Pencarrow’s racehorses have consistently delivered exceptional results – providing the foundation for five New Zealand Owner of the Year awards for Sir Peter Vela.

There has been a long line of big-race victories in New Zealand, Australia and even further afield, and Pencarrow horses have played a key role in the careers of trainers such as Laurie Laxon, Mark Walker, Sheila Laxon, Steven Ramsay and Julia Ritchie, and the current premiership-topper Jamie Richards.

Pencarrow’s outstanding roll of honour is headed by the great Ethereal (NZ) (Rhythm), who earned more than A$4.7 million with four Group 1 victories including the Caulfield Cup (2400m) and Melbourne Cup (3200m) in 2001. In the almost 20 years since then, no other horse has completed that famous spring double.

Lililikoi is another Pencarrow star for 2020Her dam, Romanee Conti (NZ) (Sir Tristram), won the Hong Kong Cup (1800m) along with four stakes wins in New Zealand and Australia.

Other Group 1 winners in the Pencarrow colours include Noble Heights (NZ) (Sir Tristram), Riverina Charm (NZ) (Sir Tristram), Clear Rose (NZ) (Deputy Governor), Grand Echezeaux (NZ) (Zabeel), Insouciant (NZ) (Keeper) and Guiseppina (NZ) (Johar).

The current headline acts are Supera (NZ) (Savabeel), who has won the Group 2 Tauranga Stakes (1600m) and Group 2 Travis Stakes (2000m) and placed in the Group 1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m), and the up-and-comer Lilikoi (NZ) (Charm Spirit), who won this season’s Group 3 Eulogy Stakes (1600m) and placed in the Group 2 Royal Stakes (2000m).

Advertisement

These have all been outstanding results for fillies and mares bred by Pencarrow and retained to race in the blue and white colours. However, that does not mean that the cream of Pencarrow’s filly crop are never made available to prospective buyers.

Many budding star fillies and mares have been sold through Pencarrow drafts, including the top-class racetrack performers Hoeberg (NZ) (Maroof), Eleonora (NZ) (Makfi) and Arrabeea (NZ) (Zabeel).

Buyers will again have access to these sensational dam lines in Pencarrow’s draft at Karaka 2020.

  • Lot 43 is out of Lafleur (NZ) (Zabeel), who carried Pencarrow colours to Group 2 victories in the Group 2 Royal Stakes (2000m) and Sir Tristram Fillies’ Classic (2000m). She has already been the dam of Pencarrow Racing’s stakes-winning mares Amaryllis (NZ) (Red Ransom) and Papilio (NZ) (Redoute’s Choice).
  • Lot 162 is out of Papilio.
  • Lot 189 is out of Posavina (NZ) (Tiger Hill), who won the Group 3 Lowland Stakes (2100m) for Pencarrow. She is the dam of stakes-placed Pencarrow mare Podravina (NZ) (Bel Esprit).
  • Lot 212 is a daughter of Pencarrow’s Group 2 Travis Stakes (2000m) winner Rasa Lila (NZ) (Darci Brahma), who is a half-sister to Posavina.
  • Lot 285 is a daughter of another Pencarrow stakes winner, Silver Eclipse (NZ) (Darci Brahma), who won the Listed Pegasus Stakes (1000m) in fast time.
  • Lot 294 is out of Sopraffina (NZ) (High Chaparral), a half-sister to Supera and Eleonora.
  • Lot 308 is out of a half-sister to Lafleur.
  • Lot 373 is out of the Group 1-placed Uberalles (NZ) (Giant’s Causeway), a daughter of Ethereal and half-sister to the dam of Supera and Eleonora.
  • Lot 382 is out of a half-sister to Insouciant.
  • Lot 452 is a half-brother to Lilikoi.
  • Lot 565 is out of Echezeaux (NZ) (Encosta de Lago), a stakes-placed daughter of Grand Echezeaux, who is also the dam of Group 1 performers and sires Darci Brahma (NZ) (Danehill) and Burgundy (NZ) (Redoute’s Choice).
  • Lot 578 is out of a daughter of Insouciant.
Advertisment
More Reading...
Tara Talks Racing Returns for Autumn 2026
We're seven weeks out from the Golden Slipper and chances are we have already seen the winner, but who is it? Three juvenile stakes races last weekend did more to add intrigue rather than clear the somewhat murky picture.
Sires With Winners - Friday January 30
Here is the full list of 47 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Toronado 4YO Little Paradise Wins HK Classic Mile – Half-Brother Inglis Easter
The first leg of the Four-Year-Old Classic Series in Hong Kong was run at Sha Tin on Sunday with victory in the HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) going to Toronado (IRE) gelding Little Paradise, who has a half-brother headed to Inglis Easter.
Zip Lock Half-Brother a Classic Standout for Yarraman
The Yarraman Park sires have been flying high this season with father and son duo I Am Invincible and Hellbent accounting for 11 Aussie stakes-winners between them since August 1 and for Brave Smash (Jpn) things are about to get interesting!
Sires With Winners - Sunday February 1
Here is the full list of 53 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Second Stakes Win for Exciting Playing God Filly
Adam Durrant won the Listed WA Breeders Classic back in 2020 with his good gelding Money Matters, and the leading trainer notched up another victory in the 1200m southwest feature - the richest provincial race for 3YOs in the state - with gifted filly Playin’it Sweet (Playing God) scoring a determined win.
Widden Stakes - A Race Rich in History
2YO racing in Australia was not always the popular slice of the racing spectrum that it is today.
Breeding To Win - 2026 G3 ATC Widden Stakes
The Group III ATC Widden Stakes (1100m) has drawn a field of 10 lovely fillies and none have won a race so we are relying on potential and pedigree to find the winner.
Ciaron Maher Stayer Ready for G3 Wellington Cup
Expat Australian hoop Matt Cartwright is looking forward to teaming up with his old boss at Trentham on Saturday when he rides Interpretation in the Gr.3 NZ Campus Of Innovation & Sport Wellington Cup (3200m).
Vinery Classic Stars – Find Your Own Sepals
Hunter Valley nursery Vinery Stud has an impressive track record for success with past graduates such as Golden Slipper winner Farnan and Blue Diamond hero Artorius, but their draft for Inglis Classic can also deliver a big result such as Sepals.