El Vencedor has been an unstoppable force at Ellerslie, and while there are looming targets at northern headquarters for the gelding, a lucrative bonus and prize money on offer at Te Rapa this weekend have lured his connections south. 

Greg and Jo Griffin of Lime Country Thoroughbreds sold 15 yearlings at Inglis Classic last year at an average price of $132,333 and amazingly three of them have not only made it into the Inglis Millennium field, but they all have a serious shot at winning the lucrative scamper worth $2million.

Probably for the first time in New Zealand turf history, a Kiwi trainer has made a $3.5 million race his backup plan. 

Savaglee has conquered all before him at age-group level in New Zealand, and on Saturday, the star colt will take on the older horses in a star-studded edition of the Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m).

There is $2million up for grabs in the ATC Inglis Millennium (1100m) on Saturday with a full field, plus emergencies declared for the race which has a new favourite after Zoustar filly Price Tag drew gate 11, while the unbeaten stakes-winner With the Law will have to jump from gate 18.

It’s never a long wait for the next Newhaven Park bred and sold stakes-winner to arrive with talented filly The Playwright taking out the Group III ATC Widden Stud Stakes last Saturday and it might not be long until the next with Cool Aza Beel colt Cobra Club engaged to run in the $2million Inglis Millennium.

Here is the full list of 23 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.

Tricolours’ Racing boss James Moss has revealed tough Written By filly The Playwright is likely to make it three starts in three states with a Blue Diamond tilt in a wide ranging chat on the Tara Talks Racing podcast, including some of the theories behind a track record of finding cheap yearlings that become stakes winners.

Unbeaten three year-old Private Harry shot to fame when downing Golden Slipper winner Lady of Camelot to win the $3million Magic Millions Sunlight Plate last month and if you believe he has the potential to be a serious sprint star of the future, you’re going to be more than interested in his half-sister that will be offered at Inglis Classic next Monday morning.

Tony Pike has used the Gr.2 Legacy Lodge Waikato Guineas (2000m) as a launchpad to Derby success on several occasions and he hopes to continue that trend with a pair of contenders on Saturday at Te Rapa.

Applications for Thoroughbred Breeders Australia's (TBA) latest Fast Track program are now open. 

Vinery Stud have a super draft of 33 to present at Inglis Classic and 20 of those horses are by the farm's proven stallions All Too Hard, Exceedance, Star Turn and Ole Kirk, who have all sired stakes-winners this season and the latter is currently the leading first season sire and leading 2YO sire in the country.

Breednet report for unraced progeny of first season sires at the trials is often a good guide for stallions that are about to make a splash and regular trial watchers will notice one of our first season sires has thrown up a rocket.

Dr Richard McClenahan, his wife Kim and their team can expect to be busy at Inglis Classic this week with a cracking draft of 16 yearlings by 14 different sires offering a mix of the promising and proven.

Here is the full list of 20 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.

The next chance for buyers to purchase horses for the popular Inglis Xtra Bonus Series at a live auction is at this weekend’s Classic Yearling Sale, for which inspections officially begin at Riverside tomorrow, Tuesday February 4.

A mammoth set of 21 trials were run at Rosehill on Monday that featured Group I stars like Militarize (back as a gelding), Sunshine in Paris, Lady of Camelot and Joliestar, but our interest was in the juveniles and they included North England, who was not nominated for the $2million Inglis Millennium this Saturday for which he would have been favourite.

Prominent Australian owner Ozzie Kheir is looking to repeat history in this weekend’s Gr.2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic (2000m) at Te Rapa, after buying into the $1 million Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) favourite Leica Lucy on Monday.

Roger James has unveiled an exciting prospect in his attempt to add a seventh $1.25 million Gr.1 Trackside New Zealand Derby (2400m) to his record, in the form of unbeaten three-year-old Oceana Dream.

A trio of Newcastle racing enthusiasts who became hobby breeders with a mare who won only one country race in NSW and was purchased for $3000 can now lay claim to breeding a Hong Kong star.

The 2025 catalogue for the sale that provides more incentives to buyers than any other, the Magic Millions Gold Coast March Yearling Sale, is now online

Five years ago Torryburn Stud arrived at Inglis Classic with a draft of eight horses and sold all of them with a colt by Deep Field from Raheights topping the sale at $380,000 before going on to fame and fortune in Hong Kong as Group I winner Voyage Bubble, so what are they offering at Riverside Stables this week?

Well-performed Lindsay Park representative Here To Shock is back in familiar territory and thriving in his build-up toward Saturday’s feature sprint at Te Rapa.

Classy mare and Group 1 winner Benedetta (Hellbent x Whatalovelyday) was named the SPORTSBET SA Thoroughbred Breeders HORSE OF THE YEAR on Saturday night.

Progressive sprinting mare Ima Brazen One delivered on the promise she showed early in her career with an impressive victory at New Plymouth on Saturday.

As we move into February and the autumn carnivals start to kick off the race to be Champion Australian Sire by earnings will heat up and on the front of individual winners we have a dead heat at the top with five stallions now in the century club after Spirit of Boom hit his ton at Sandown on Saturday.

Here is the full list of 57 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.

Bred by leading WA breeders Peters Investments, three year-old Headwater filly London’s Image was sold as a yearling at Magic Millions in Adelaide so does not race in the famous cerise and white, but she is still making her mark and won the $125,000 Listed Bunbury WA Breeders Classic (1200m) on Sunday.

Powerful filly Pivotal Ten was nothing short of sensational when taking out Sunday’s Listed Liquorland Gore Guineas (1335m).

The purple and white stars colours of Star Thoroughbreds were in the winner’s circle in Tasmania on Sunday at Launceston where they won both the Magic Millions 2YO Classic and 3 &4YO Classic!

It was only a Sale maiden on a Sunday, but when the winner is a half-sister to a Golden Slipper winner by Dundeel and has a half-brother for Inglis Easter we would like to know a little more!

Willydoit tightened his grip on Gr.1 Trackside New Zealand Derby (2400m) favouritism with a dominant victory against older opposition in Saturday’s TAB (1600m) at Ellerslie.

Progressive galloper Talisker made a welcome return to the winner’s circle at New Plymouth on Saturday, taking the Platinum Homes (1400m) with a stamp of authority.

Widden Stud is the biggest vendor at this year’s Inglis Classic Yearling Sale and this large and diverse draft of 45 have all their images and video available for those looking to make some assessment before inspections start at Riverside Stables this week and we’ve gone looking for some interesting contenders.

There were three two year-old stakes winners in Australia and New Zealand on Saturday giving great updates to yearling catalogues so here are the families and what sales you can find them.

Breednet’s Family Search feature is very good for sniffing out close relations to stakes-winners in upcoming sales and one of the most interesting stakes-winners from Saturday was Shamus Award gelding Willaidow and being from a well known female family he was always going to be a good candidate for a search.

Progressive Shooting To Win mare She’s Bulletproof scored her first stakes win with a dominant effort in the Group III Lamaro's Hotel Geoffrey Bellmaine Stakes at Sandown on Saturday.

Here is the full list of 106 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.

He’s nothing flash to look at and cost just $7,000 as an unbroken three year-old in a Magic Millions Online Sale, but the Marc Conners trained Shamus Award gelding Willaidow has the most important thing of all and that’s the will to win and he showed it at Rosehill on Saturday when taking out the $250,000 Group III ATC Southern Cross Stakes (1200m).

After seven placings in his last eight starts, Bunker Hut broke through with a dominant return to winning form in Saturday’s A$160,000 Captivant @ Kia Ora Handicap (1350m) at Rosehill.

Satono Aladdin (Jpn) was a newsmaker at Karaka in the past week with yearlings selling for up to $525,00 and he also had the top priced lot on both days of Karaka Book 2 and he made his presence felt at Rosehill on Saturday with a quality winner.

It’s been a good day at the office for Kia Ora Stud, who share in the ownership of two stakes-winning juvenile Snitzel colts on Saturday in Blitzburg and Return to Conquer, but the real icing on the cake came with their homebred I Am Invincible filly Inkaruna, who made a winning debut in the $200,000 Group III MRC Chairman’s Stakes (1000m) at Sandown.

Highly touted three-year-old Hinekaha justified some heavy support from punters as she showed her enormous promise in the Listed Grangewilliam Stud Oaks Prelude (1800m) at New Plymouth on Saturday.

Local runner Herbert claimed the biggest win of his career to date when he raced clear in the final stages of the feature event at New Plymouth on Saturday, the Gr.3 Denis Wheeler Earthmoving Taranaki Cup (1800m).

Oaklands Stud’s first season stallion Prince Fawaz is on the board with a two year-old winner that promises to keep getting better as the races get longer.

Despite carrying a gruelling 61kg while all but one of his rivals had 53kg, Ellerslie specialist El Vencedor was in a class of his own in Saturday’s Listed Fulton Family Stakes (1500m).

It only seems fitting that the $250,000 Group III ATC Widden Stakes (1100m) should be won by the progeny of a Widden Stud based sire and on this occasion it was Written By that delivered the goods when his fast and professional filly The Playwright led all the way for a tenacious victory.

With a full brother to be offered at Inglis Easter, Blitzburg brought up a two-year-old stakes double for Snitzel when winning the Group III Arrowfield Canonbury Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill on Saturday although the trainer isn’t confident about a Golden Slipper.

Te Akau Racing’s million-dollar colt Return To Conquer delivered again in Saturday’s Gr.3 Colin Jillings 2YO Classic (1200m) at Ellerslie, improving his unblemished record to four trials and two raceday appearances.

American Pharoah (USA) mare About Time continued her love affair with the new Ellerslie track as she completed a hattrick of victories when taking out the Victoria Racing Club (2200m) open contest on Saturday.

Here is the full list of 68 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.

Mark Newnham continued his excellent season and My Wish continued his remarkable rise when the pint-sized Flying Artie four year-old won the Hong Kong Classic Mile on Friday in and Australian bred trifecta.

Queensland favourite Spirit of Boom is having a hot run with this juveniles this season and posted his eighth winner from 15 starters when the Chris Waller trained filly Karinska saluted at Canterbury on Friday night.

Middlebrook Valley Lodge had the honour of offering the very first horse into the sale ring at Inglis Classic last year when they sold a King’s Legacy filly from Vain Elaine for $150,000 and she is now exciting filly Open Secret, who is set to take her place in the $2million ATC Inglis Millennium next Saturday.

G1 performers, siblings to G1 winners, dams of G1 winners and shares in several G1 winners and Stakes horses highlight another strong catalogue for the Inglis Digital February (Early) Online Sale.

Stakes assignments await promising filly Miss Madridista following her impressive 5-1/4 length victory in the Norwegian Park 1200 at Te Rapa on Friday.

Following a busy week in Auckland, it’s back to business as usual for Mark Walker, with the Te Akau trainer heading back across the Tasman to oversee his Cranbourne base.

In-form mare About Time is giving every indication she can master the ultimate distance of her autumn target.

Shaun and Emma Clotworthy’s hopes for the upcoming Gr.1 Trackside New Zealand Derby (2400m), Willydoit and Interplanetary, will continue their preparations for the $1.25 million feature in respective events at Ellerslie on Saturday.

Saturday’s Canonbury Stakes at Rosehill has been used in recent years as the starting point for two of Chris Waller’s superstars (neither of them winning by the way) and the race is often one of the autumn’s strongest leads so let’s have a closer look.

Here is the full list of 22 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.

The curtain came down on the final day of selling at NZB’s 99th National Yearling Sales Series with the last day of Book 2 continuing the trend of steady trade. 

A productive week of shopping at Karaka has helped to put up-and-coming horseman Nick Kneebone on a path towards New Zealand’s training ranks.

The big guns were in action at Warwick Farm on Thursday morning with the likes of Via Sistina (IRE), Ceolwulf and Fangirl stepping out as well as glamour three year-olds Switzerland, Broadsiding, Private Life and Lady Shenandoah, but they have been well exposed through social media so we’ll stick to the juveniles and they also held plenty of autumn promise.

Rich Hill Stud stallion Satono Aladdin has provided the headline acts of Book 2 of Karaka 2025, siring the highest-priced lots on both Wednesday and Thursday.

Classy mare Pearl Of Alsace will have an opportunity to get back in the winning groove at New Plymouth on Saturday, tackling the Gr.3 Denis Wheeler Earthmoving Taranaki Cup (1800m).

The NZB National Yearling Sale Book 1 was held earlier this week and as always there are a good selection of Australian bred yearlings offered that are pinhooked from various sales here and we’re taking a look at the most profitable and you can also check out the full list of all that were offered.

Next week’s Legends Day at Te Rapa will have a strong international flavour, with Sydney trainers Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald set to tackle the meeting’s two Group One features with a pair of high-profile runners.

With an eye to the future, the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) is the preferred Classic option for talented filly Hinekaha.

A $1 million Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) path is on the cards for Waverley filly Twisted Love following her debut win in the Agfirst (1650m) at her home track on Wednesday.

There is plenty of evidence to suggest that if a mare is going to produce a stakes-winner, she’s going to do it within the first four foals she delivers, but there are always exceptions to every rule and we saw a high profile one last Saturday.

Here is the full list of 35 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.

It was only a midweek Class 1 at Sandown on a Wednesday over 1200m, but the two fillies that ran the quinella are by champion Victorian sires Shamus Award and Toronado (IRE) and both hold the promise of stakes potential.

Following a strong Book 1, the momentum continued into NZB’s National Yearling Sales Series Book 2 session where 122 yearlings sold on Wednesday.

The inaugural NZB Mega Maiden Series had its fifth winner when Dramatic Miss (NZ) (El Roca) produced an impressive performance in Wednesday’s $25,000 NZB Mega Maiden Series (1200m) at Wanganui.

Fresh from a pair of million-dollar successes at Ellerslie and another leading buyer title in Book 1, Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis remained in the headlines with some Book 2 fireworks at Karaka on Wednesday afternoon.

Castelvecchio made swift progress last spring with a string of impressive three year-old stakes-winners and he had a very promising maiden winner at Kembla on Wednesday that looks well capable of winning better races.

It was a strong renewal of the NZB National Yearling Sale Book 1 and while the key metrics were down slightly on last year’s record breaking sale it was still a very satisfactory result and there were a number of first season sires that left a good impression with Coolmore shuttler St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) heading his peers on average, while Cambridge Stud’s Sword of State led the

Roger James and Robert Wellwood experienced a whirlwind of highs across the Karaka Millions and Yearling Sales series this week, a trend they hope to continue back at Ellerslie on Saturday.

Haunui Farm have been crowned leading vendor of New Zealand Bloodstock’s Book 1 Yearling Sale at Karaka for the first time this week following a pleasing set of results, led by the $2.4 million sale of the full-sister to glamour mare Orchestral.

Off the back of a lucrative result at Karaka, Mark and Jane Corcoran’s Grangewilliam Stud will be chasing another top outcome on the track this weekend.

Here is the full list of 38 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.

This week we’re having a quick look at all the action from Karaka race day and sales, making sense of the 2YO's and we have a special guest trainer who sheds light on a blue hen, a champion sire and has a tip for us on Wednesday.

The $2million Inglis Millennium (1100m) will be run at Randwick on February 8 and while top contenders North England and Within the Law have been tuning up at the trials it was impressive debut winner Open Secret that was a big mover from last weekend’s racing with her connections immediately announcing their intention to target the race.

Day Three of NZB’s 2025 National Yearling Sales Series rounded out Book 1 on Tuesday, with a solid day of trade on par with last year’s results.

An outstanding few days for Sword Of State’s first-crop yearlings at Karaka culminated in a $540,000 purchase price towards the end of the Book 1 session on Tuesday afternoon.

After being an underbidder on the two highest-priced yearlings of the sale, Dean Hawthorne had to wait until the last hour of the Book 1 session on Tuesday afternoon to finally secure one of the fillies on his Karaka wish list.

For the second year in a row, Hallmark Stud has struck seven-figure gold at Karaka with a yearling filly by Proisir out of Donna Marie.

New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale attracts buyers from far and wide in search of the classic-type horses this country is famous for producing, and a new name joined that list during the Book 1 session at Karaka this week.

There were some interesting juveniles in action at Randwick on Tuesday that featured a couple of heat winners in the James Harron Bloodstock colours and a colt by Too Darn Hot (GB) that has designs on the $2million Inglis Millennium on February 8.

Victorian trainers have rejected the push by the Victorian Jockeys Association (VJA) for jockeys to be paid riding fees for jump outs, instead suggesting that jockeys are pushing a false narrative and have reneged on their original deals to accept other compensation for not being paid for jump outs.

Somehow it took Shalaa three-year-old Shalaa Gold six starts to win his maiden, although he did face some strong ones, but he was certainly impressive getting the first win up at Warwick Farm on Monday.

The first crop Southern Hemisphere bred yearlings by St Mark’s Basilica have been making a good impression and he posted a couple of great results during the second session of the NZB National Yearling Sale Book 1 at Karaka on Monday.

Here is the full list of 46 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.

Day Two of NZB’s National Yearling Sales Series was one for the history books, with the sale of a $2.4 million filly the highlight on a strong day of selling.  

It was an emotional scene at Karaka on Monday after the regally-bred full-sister to glamour mare Orchestral was sold for $2.4 million.

After a formidable career competing at the highest level, Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall’s star mare Bonny Lass has been retired from racing.

The familiar Go Racing colours were carried to victory at Warwick Farm on Monday by progressive imported stayer Tajanis (IRE), who continued his upward trajectory with a three quarter length win in the $200,000 Listed ATC Australia Day Cup (2400m).

Capitalist had a select group of five yearlings to be offered at the NZB National Yearling Sale Book 1 this week at Karaka and all were sold in the first two sessions to give him 100% clearance and an average of $238,000.

Champion sire I Am Invincible produced a couple of interesting new three year-old winners at Warwick Farm on Monday in potential packed La Roja and $2.5million colt Railway Man.