With glimpses of spring time over the past week and more daylight hours our horses are starting to lose their winter coats, so I think it timely to update everybody on the progress of the racing team going into the new season.
We have only raced three horses to date this season with Von Trapp winning early in August at Te Rapa only to lose the race in the enquiry room. It was a very brave effort on a soft track from the very promising 3yo son of Swiss Ace -Musically, after working hard early to cross and lead from a wide barrier. He was turned out for a spell in the weeks following, to  take a break while the tracks are still wet which will see him coming to hand again for the good summer racing.

Braced was given his first start mid-August over 1200m at Te Aroha finishing a tidy 5th and went on to win second up at Waipa on Friday over 1580m in the hands of our son-in-law Andrew Calder. The 4yo son of Postponed is the first horse we have raced for Gerry Harvey’s NZ Thoroughbred Holdings. The horse seems to continue improving as he gets through this preparation. Last season we developed a lovely gelding named Confederacy for the same ownership who after winning a 2yo trial impressively was sold to Hong Kong for a very good price.

It is fortuitous to have Andrew back riding for our stable after seven seasons riding in Macau, and of course great to have Tasha and their twin boys Jax & Tye, who are now seventeen months old back as well. All four returned in April and Andrew is now getting to know the majority of our horses whilst riding track work every day. He is a worthy replacement with Alysha riding in Singapore on a six month contract, which if successful she will look to renew into their new racing season commencing on 1st January 2019. To date Alysha has ridden 10 winners and is working hard getting plenty of rides from numerous trainers, her winners have been for almost a different stable on every occasion. Being able to ride at 50kgs is a big advantage for her in Singapore.

Our stables only other starter this season was Gutsy Gussie who raced very poorly at Counties mid-August over 2100m in maiden company. This was his fourth start  over the winter and with battling efforts at his prior three starts his owner opted to retire the grey gelding and concentrate on racing his 2yo half-brother by Super Easy who is due to re-join the stable in the next couple of months.

We have given the majority of our horses a good spell over early winter with most resuming in July. We have a number ready to trial at Avondale on Tuesday providing the track is reasonable. These include Azaboy who is almost 20kgs heavier this time in as a four year old.
Untamed Diamond will trial over 1000m and all going well could resume back at Avondale later in September. Swissta & Ventura will also trial and are close to resuming late September/early October depending on how quickly the tracks improve. We also plan to trial 3yo fillies Massachusetts & Tiger Silk. Both fillies have got through plenty of groundwork and are in need of a trip and good hit out at the trials prior to resuming.

As with last season Counties Racing Club are planning jump outs on 24th September following our Spinal Trust Raceday held on Sunday 23rd. I will use these 800m jump outs held on the course proper to bring on a further six horses. These jump outs are a cheap alternative to trialling and we have found that after these jump outs our horses are forward enough to race competitively following.
Hvar our promising Zed four year old will have a jump out along with Sepella, Mercy Hill, the unnamed 3yo fillies Rip Van Winkle –Mary Agnes, O’Reilly – November Rain and finally the 3yo Reliable Man – Pyrate Princess gelding.  Another unnamed mare who could be forward enough to jump out is a recent addition to the stable, 4yo Red Giant – Musically, a half-sister to Von Trapp owned by breeder NZ Thoroughbred holdings who arrived having been pretrained to a forward level.

Cinematic is presently doing light work at the beach and is due to rejoin the stable in October.
The remainder of the 20 horses we have in training at present include Midnight Countess, Fluorobus and Alternative Fact who have resumed recently and will be ready to trial in October before resuming race day.
We have just a couple of 2yos in the stable this month, a gelding Proisir – Pristino, being a half-brother to last season’s top 3yo filly Djon Bleu. He is owned by the Robinson Family Trust and has shown good ability in recent gallops and a jump out while our other baby is a filly All Too Hard – Trista Rossa which we bought out of the Adelaide Magic Million sale in March for owner Joanne Sims. She is a lovely leggy filly.

Currently spelling is a robust 2yo by Sweet Orange out of Wealth Star who looks an early type. She was given a quiet jump out in mid-August before spelling and will resume again shortly. Also spelling is a lovely 2yo Rip Van Winkle – She’s Got Spunk gelding who was put aside mid-August to give him more time to mature.

Older fillies spelling at present include 3yos Tavistock - Maureen Dorothy and Red Giant - She's a Tomboy. Both are raced by their breeders and look to be autumn later types, having not had sales preparations as yearlings.

We were satisfied with our results for the last season winning 14 races and a further 23 place getters from 105 runners, resulting in $334,607.00 in stake money. We produced two black type winners with Untamed Diamond winning the listed Legacy Lodge Sprint at Te Rapa in November over 1200m and Azaboy winning the G2 Valachi Downs Championship Stakes for 3yos over 2100m run at Counties Racing Club, a big thrill for his local owners Henry Wilcox, Terry Shaw & Warren Gatland. Time Lord was also G2 placed finishing 3rd in the same race and went on to race in Queensland winning over 1600m at Caloundra over the winter carnival. His owners Matt Goodson & Di Perron have since opted to send Time Lord to Singapore to continue his racing career, with the 4yo Derby over 1800m held in May next year his main target.
We have hopes his younger half-sister will continue the mare Mary Agnes 100% record as a broodmare having also left City Boy another good winner for the stable who was retired earlier in the season.

Another horse to perform with merit was Cinematic winning three races in a row, two for our apprentice Kavish Chowdhoory. Kavish is showing promise as a rider, getting 3 winners quickly from around 20 rides, then received three decent suspensions, one for interference and twice for excessive whip use. He has come back from the suspensions with a good attitude and has plenty of time on his side to create his own opportunities.
Alternative Fact, Swissta, Mercy Hill and Ventura were others to win races during the season and will go on into the new season.

During the season, like many stables a number of horses were sold on or retired. With the passing of our great client Arthur Avis, Top Prospect a previous listed winner was sold to Australian Bloodstock Syndications and is now with Darren Weir. Selfie was purchased by John Clydesdale and is now continuing his racing career in the South Island based in Christchurch.
Earlier in the season Moki & Once Were Warriors were on sold overseas, Moki has gone on to win in Malaysia while unfortunately Once Were Warriors career came to a sad ending when he collapsed during his first race in Rockhampton.
Both these geldings were horses I brought back from Sydney and ironically the pair ended up back overseas once sold through the Gavelhouse auction website.

Two geldings I left in Sydney 12 months ago with Claire Cunningham, our son Jason’s partner were Segenhoe & Just Shine. The pair of stayers have been great flag bearers for Claire’s Warwick Farm stable both able to win in Saturday company at Randwick recently. Claire is doing a great job with both horses for their respective owners, the Mortimers and Nancy Wong.
Japhite was also on sold during the season and is now racing and picking up prizemoney in the Tamworth area where stake money is at the $20K level.

Others to move on over the past season included Gottgetmywoohoo who after winning fresh up for us at Ruakaka in September was tried as a hurdler early in the winter and after showing great confidence in schooling solo he lacked the concentration on race day in company. He will make a lovely hack as will Biggin Hill who retired last spring.

Finally over the past twelve months we have been doing some major property development removing lovely stands of trees and re fencing what was the entire training track area of our farm to  make into both horse paddocks for ourselves and  two separate one hectare blocks to sell on. Once fencing is complete and the land is sold we will still have stabling for 32 horses and paddocks to cater for the number of horses we train.

Our stable has had a very busy April with 15 race day runners, the largest number for a month this racing season. It was also a very successful month with five winners and six place getters.

The highlight was Azaboy winning the 3yo G2 Valachi Downs Stakes over 2100m at Counties. We just missed the quinella with Time Lord being nosed out of 2nd placing. Azaboy’s win was his second for the month when winning a fortnight prior also at Counties over 2100m. The Azamour gelding, locally owned by Henry Wilcox, Terry Shaw and son in law Warren Gatland has now gone to the paddock for a well-earned spell. We are keen to have the horse back up and racing in the spring with the obvious target the Counties cup in November.

Time Lord has since flown to Brisbane and will race at Caloundra this Wednesday over 1600m. Safely through that race he will head to the Grand Prix for 3yos on 26th May over 2200m, with his main target being the Queensland Derby a fortnight later.

Cinematic was also successful twice in April initially at Counties earlier in the month then at Te Rapa three weeks later. She was ridden by our apprentice Kavish Chowdhoory who gave her lovely rides on both occasions. With her golden patch of form she will remain in training and race either at Te Rapa next Saturday over 1400m if track conditions are good otherwise wait for a 1200m at Te Rapa early in June before a spell.
Kavish will be a big asset for our horses who need a 4kg allowance over the next few months as he is a good thinker and a strong rider.

,We have had a changing of the guard’s rider wise with Alysha leaving for her six month contract in Singapore last week and Andrew returning permanently from Macau three weeks ago. Also Kelly McCulloch who rides track work for us regularly has resumed race day riding, mixing this with her gym instructing so we have no shortage of quality jockeys. I have always found it a big advantage putting jockeys on race day who have ridden the horses in training.

Selfie had a change of ownership in April and now races for John Clydesdale of Silverstream Racing Ltd. He immediately put some money in the bank for his new owners when finishing 4th close up at Te Aroha on good ground before finishing strongly late for 3rd placing locally on heavy ground later in the month. He then started in a strong line up at Te Rapa on 5th May and never saw daylight at any stage in the straight. We were happy to see the horse race well on heavy ground and with Kavish’s claim it won’t be long before he is back on the winners list.

We are getting close to having our first starter in a jumping race for almost six years when Gottagetmywoohoo lines up over fences at Te Rapa this Saturday. He was a trial winner over hurdles at Cambridge a fortnight ago. Along with a couple of flat races he has recently galloped well at Kariotahi Beach and also schooled at Anne Browne’s legendary training facilities at Cambridge so he should be forward in condition for his race day debut over hurdles.

Andrew came so very close to getting an early winner fresh back from Macau when promising 2yo Fluorobus finished 2nd at Counties over 1200m. After winning a Waipa trial late in April he had trained on nicely prior to his debut and has continued to do well since. He will return to Counties on the 26th May for the Listed Futurity Stakes over 1400m. The Helmut gelding is a long striding horse and will be better on firm tracks but he has enough ability to cope with the tracks as they are at present.

Artic Storm regained form in April once stepping up over 1400m and with an apprentice claim. Kavish rode him for a 3rd placing at Avondale on the 25th April at long odds, he then backed that up at Rotorua on Saturday finishing 3rd in good company on very heavy ground. The 4yo Captain Rio gelding is closing in on his second win and will start next at Counties on the 26th again over 1400m.

Alternative Fact was another to appreciate getting back onto softer ground at Counties last week finishing on nicely for 4th over 1600m in a fresh state. The filly will be improved by the outing and once she strikes a looser surface we expect her to go close to winning again as she did in her impressive maiden win. She is another who will appreciate a 4kg claim over the winter months.

After her brave maiden win at Counties early in April Mercy Hill was given her chance in listed company in the 3yo fillies Warstep Stakes over 2000m at Riccarton. As with all her three starts this preparation she again drew wide.  Alysha was caught three wide in the leading line throughout and understandably she weakened to finish 7th over the final stages. We have freshened the All American filly since and she could step on next Saturday over 1600m. Having missed all of the summer racing we intend to race her on into the winter months.
Similarly Swissta has missed the majority of the summer with a hind quarter issue. He has completed plenty of ground work over the past two months and will trial shortly.

Ventura is expected to trial at Avondale this week after having a jump out locally last Monday over 800m. She is pencilled in to resume at Avondale in a R70 race over 1400m early in June. The Iffraaj mare is coming to hand nicely and we are looking forward to a good winter campaign with her.
Also due to trial this week following jump outs last Monday are 2yos Von Trapp & Sepella. Von Trapp will debut early in June at either Avondale or Te Rapa. Sepella, a tall Sepoy filly is expected to be a nice 3yo over ground but she shows enough now to perhaps warrant having a race as a late 2yo.

Midnight Countess & Gutsy Gussie will also trial this week, both 3yos are strong enough to race following their trials providing they cope with the softer tracks. Braced has steadily picked up strength during this preparation, we plan a jump out for the Postponed 3yo later in the month prior to trialling. Also due for a jump out is 2yo O’Reilly – November Rain, now gelded he has continued to grow this time in and will spell following his jump out.
Hvar is back in training after a paddock injury in the summer. The promising Zed 3yo has furnished into a lovely type during his enforced spell. He is still a good way off racing.

The 2yo Showcasing Memory Keeper colt has completed almost a month in the stable and could have a jump out shortly after some barrier education and stronger work recently.
We have turned out a number of horses recently including Massachusetts who had a minor placing in a maiden 2yo race over 800m early in April along with Tiger Silk  who trialled at Cambridge on soft ground and did not cope with the surface. Unnamed fillies Swiss Ace- Uberfrau & Rip Van Winkle – Mary Agnes were also put aside after 800m jump outs. The pair are both leggy types who will develop into stayers later on.
Untamed Diamond has been spelling with part owner Brian Mollet for the past couple of months and is due to re-join the stable later in May.
The stable has had a few yearlings back from the breakers recently, they have completed a fortnight at our track before spelling. We have a Proisir – Pristino colt, being a half-brother to Dejon Bleu who is very athletic and forward at this early stage. A Rip Van Winkle – Shes Got Spunk gelding who is very strong and mature, and a Sweet Orange – Wealth Star filly who is a real professional and is a natural 2yo type. We have another four yearlings currently at the breakers at different stages who are due back later in May.

Cinematic provided the stable with a win at Te Aroha on Friday aided by a lovely ride from Alysha. The mare was produced in a fresh state over the 1200m. She had an economic trip in the trail and stuck on well once asked for an effort late in the straight winning narrowly.  She has some through the race well and will be seen out again early in April.

Selfie was also bold in his fresh up race albeit in stronger company at Ellerslie last Saturday where he finished a close fourth over 1200m. Like Cinematic he has come through the outing well and is pencilled in to line up at Te Aroha on Saturday 7th April if the track is dead to slow.

Our two 3yo stayers went tidy races on the first day of the ARC autumn carnival. Time Lord was inclined to race a shade keenly in the Derby with the slow tempo and after mounting a brief sprint on straightening he battled well into 9th. Azaboy was started from a wide barrier in his first race over 2100m and paid the price getting caught wide throughout and did very well to finish 6th.
The pair were given an easy week following and will be aimed for the Championship Stakes, a 3yo 2100m race for $100K, this season being run at Counties due to the Ellerslie closure on Saturday 21st April. Both will have a lead up run early in April prior to the Group 2 staying race.

Artic Storm was disappointing in his 1200m race at Te Aroha last Friday after going a tidy race for 3rd fresh up late in February. The consensus is he needs softer tracks so he should get his chance in the next few weeks as autumn approaches.

Due to race at Avondale this Friday are Massachusetts & Mercy Hill. Massachusetts was in need of her fresh up race at Counties when finishing 5th over 1200m. In a strong field she loomed up to be a winning chance at the 200m only to tie up over the final 100m. She continues to train on well and will step out again over 1200m in a fitter state. Mercy Hill has trialled twice recently and will start over 1400m. Her most recent trial at Avondale against winners was sound and given a suitable barrier on Friday we expect a nice performance. She will be seen over more ground later on.

Alternative Fact has been allowed to freshen up to focus on softer tracks in the autumn. She will resume mid April, we are keen to see her improve on her 4th placing in listed staying company prior to Christmas. Her maiden win was on soft ground.
Top Prospect was eased in training following his placing at Counties late in January and has been ticking over quietly of late. We have yet to make any race plans for him as yet.
Swissta re-joined the active training list early in March. The break has allowed him to strengthen. Like Top Prospect we are a way off having any set race plans for him.

Untamed Diamond has been turned out after not showing the necessary improvement from a muscular injury. She will rejoin the stable as winter approaches. Also back to the retirement paddock was Fast Learner. After completing a lengthy comeback from a leg injury to win his 1000m trial at Taupo he was again feeling the suspensory injury.

Gottgetmywoohoo was better for his 1200m trial at Avondale late in February and has since stepped up to schooling over hurdles in readiness for the winter. He will have a 1600m race early in April then race over ground once the tracks ease later in the month.

Ventura has completed six weeks back in the stable after a lengthy summer spell. The Iffraaj mare has matured into a lovely staying type and should be forward enough for a jump out later in April.
Gutsy Gussie is another to be given schooling over hurdles recently to bring on his fitness level, he is due to trial early in April. The grey Any Suggestion 3yo is a nice potential winter stayer.
Another 3yo getting closer to trialling is the Duke of Marmalade – Midnight Senorita filly. She is steadily getting stronger and also shaping up as a potential stayer.

We have a number of 2yos who will trial and race over the next couple of months. Von Trapp easily won his 800m trial at Avondale late in February and will race at Counties early on April in over 800m.
Tiger Silk was impressive in an 800m jump out early in March and will trial at Cambridge. She has developed into a decent type now and will also race in April. Sepella has matured over the summer and will have a trial in April. The Sepoy filly is looking more of a 3yo type.

The Helmut – Pteryon gelding has made good progress in the past month and will also trial in April. He is out of a city winning Lucky Owners mare and is another who could get over more ground at three. The due to be named Swiss Ace – Uberfrau filly was nice in an 800m jump out recently and like the previous pair will trial in April. How she trials over 1000m and comes through will tell us whether she will race as a late 2yo.
Re-joining the stable recently was the now gelded O’Reilly – November Rain and Time Lords half-sister by Rip Van Winkle – Mary Agnes. These two late maturing types will progress to having a jump out early in the winter.
Finally we have purchased a lovely All Too Hard filly out of Trista Rossa at the recent Adelaide sale for our good client Joanne Sims. The filly will join our other yearlings at the breakers over the next couple of months.

Our stable was represented by an impressive winner at Counties last Sunday with Azaboy showing great courage to win narrowly but well over 1600m on a heavy surface. This followed on from his prior placing for 3rd at Avondale where he finished off strongly having his first run in blinkers so we were confident of his chances. It was a nice win at Counties for his local owners Henry Wilcox, Terry Shaw & Warren Gatland.
 The 3yo Azamour – Cataari gelding has run out of time to get to the Derby however we expect to see even more from him when stepped up over staying trips. His next outing could on Derby day in a R65 Benchmark event.

Time Lord is our other staying 3yo who produced a big effort to finish 3rd in the Waikato Guineas a fortnight ago in the hands of our son Jason. His Group 2 placing over 2000m was well deserved after a couple of solid runs against older horses over the mile trip. We have opted to bypass the Avondale Guineas and keep the speed in his legs so he will go straight into the NZ Derby on March 3rd from here.

Artic Storm resumed back to the races last Sunday at Counties after a lengthy spell, finishing 3rd over 1200m. He showed ample ability last season and has strengthened as a 4yo, given a better surface at Avondale on 7th March we could see him go close over 1200m.

This Tuesday we took two horses to Taupo to trial. Fast Learner, now a 7yo won his 1000m heat. This was his first outing in almost two years after straining a ligament in a fetlock. He was initially retired and after spending his time being the ‘stable pony’ accompanying other horses to the races he resumed training last November. The Align gelding (winner of 5 races from 20 starts) will trial again at Avondale on the 27th over 1200m before looking to resume during March.

Mercy Hill was our other horse to trial, she settled back over 1000m and on straightening loomed up against the rails to challenge the leader then weakened just as quickly. This being her first outing since a trial in October she blew hard following confirming she will need a further trial on the 27th before resuming race day. The All American – Do Gooda filly will be seen at her best on raceday when she gets up over 1600m.

Also looking to trial at Avondale on the 27th will be Selfie, Cinematic & 2yo Von Trapp. Both older horses have been freshened during January. Selfie could be seen next at Ellerslie on Auckland Cup Day over 1200m while a suitable race has yet to be confirmed for Cinematic.
Von Trapp (Swiss Ace- Musically) missed a planned jump out due to the wet conditions so the Avondale trial will be his first public outing. He is a powerful type and looks a prospect of winning as a 2yo. All the Swiss Ace stock we have raced to date have shown ability but lacked early maturity.

Just a fortnight ago Arthur Avis, the owner of both Selfie & Top Prospect passed away at the age of 94. Arthur had raced horses with us since Packsapunch joined our stables in 1992. Horses like Riotous and So Wotif gave Arthur a lot of joy and he was also a partner in our most recent stakes winner Untamed Diamond.
Untamed Diamond continues to be on the injured list along with Swissta. Both are slowly recovering and should be back in training by the end of February.

Alternative Fact found the 3yo 1600m a bridge to far in a fresh state on Karaka Millions day. She has had some foot issues since. The filly has shown enough ability on wet ground and staying trips to pick up black print in the right race going into the autumn.

Massachusetts (Ferlax – Boston Symphony) missed her planned race debut at Te Aroha last Wednesday with the cancellation of the meeting due to heavy rain. She was forward when winning a jump out earlier in the month and was ready to go well however there is another maiden 2yo race on the 28th at Counties so we will aim for this for the filly to commence her racing career.

Tiger Silk & Sepella have made good progress in recent weeks and are close to either a local jump out or trial at the end of the month. Both 2yo fillies are expected to press on to racing in March.
The Swiss Ace – Uberfrau filly and recent new arrival Helmut – Pteryon gelding are progressing well and could have a jump out locally in early March.

Gottgetmywoohoo & Gutsy Gussie have completed a month in training following spells over summer and will train towards a trial later in March. Ventura also resumed training recently after a lengthy spell and will race through the winter with the other two geldings.
We have also recently resumed with 2yo Rip Van Winkle- Mary Agnes & 3yo Duke of Marmalade – Midnight Senorita. The pair are both out of mares that raced and won with our stable.

In the past month Confederacy was sold to race in Hong Kong and Moki was sold to Malaysia after racing at Avondale.
Finally at the recent Karaka sales we inspected numerous yearling and purchased a couple of lovely types, a Sweet Orange filly, a half-sister to Wealth Princess and a Rip Van Winkle colt who is an excellent individual.
We did struggle to buy others as the prices were very strong, we plan to attend the Magic Millions two day sale in Adelaide on the 13-14th March where we have previously found good value for money horses.

The beginning of 2018 has started off a lot slower on the racing front than we had hoped with only limited runners due to a number of setbacks to our racing team.
To date we have only started four horses in January with two place getters. Next week we plan to line up three competitive chances at Avondale and another runner locally at Counties on Friday.

Due to race at Avondale on the 24th are Time Lord who was a big finisher late for 3rd over 1600m at Ruakaka on the 6th January. He cleared the gates slowly but once balanced late in the straight he flew home to finish 1.5 lengths from the winner. He will step out again over 1600m and has trained on well since.
Azaboy was brave in his 1400m race the same day, sticking on well for 6th after being caught wide throughout. He will step up to a 1600m maiden on Wednesday and will race in blinkers for the first time as he was quite field shy at Ruakaka in his last outing.

Our final runner at Avondale will be Moki, he will step out in a 1200m maiden. He was given an easy 1000m trial at Cambridge last week on the back of a steady build up since returning from Australia. All his previous racing has been in Sydney where he ran up a number of placings in provincial company. The recent trial has sharpened his fitness nicely. From barrier 11 over 1200m he will be ridden patiently early and is expected to be strong over the final stages.

Top Prospect will line up again at Counties on Friday over 2100m after a big effort to finish 2nd over 2200m last Sunday in the $100K Karaka million bonus race at Ellerslie. It was his first start beyond 1600m and after missing a planned lead up race on New Year’s Day with the cancellation of the last race he ran a brave race being light on mileage going into the staying race.
Swissta was also pencilled in for the Ellerslie race however he has been on the easy list for the past fortnight with a strained hamstring. There is little likelihood of him back racing until mid-February at soonest.

Untamed Diamond has also had a muscle issue over the past week following a gallop and will miss a planned start on Karaka Million day, she had been coming to hand very well prior to this setback which is very disappointing for her connections.

Selfie was honest when finishing 5th at Ellerslie late in December again struggling to cope with the very firm surface. We spelled him following that outing and he will resume training next week. Cinematic has also been given three weeks spell after a battling effort in the Dunstan Final over 1500m on Boxing Day. She had been on a quick back up after a 2nd placing at the same venue nine days prior. She resumed training this week along with Gottgetmywoohoo who has had a good five week spell.

Alternative Fact was disappointing in the Royal Stakes over 2000m on New Year’s Day making little ground over the final stages after getting a lovely trip in the race. She has galloped more recently wearing a tongue tie and could travel south to Taranaki on Saturday 4th February for a listed 3yo filly’s 1800m race.
Artic Storm missed a planned race at Thames earlier this month after the abandonment of the meeting. He has been sharper with recent gallops and will resume race day shortly. Hvar who went a promising race in his debut over 1400m in December has been ticking over steadily in the stable after a minor setback. The Zed 3yo will be better suited once he steps up over 1600m.

Confederacy was given a 1000m trial at Cambridge early in January and won impressively. He win was so impressive he quickly attracted the interest of bloodstock agents and it is likely he could end up racing in Hong Kong.
Mercy Hill has recently stepped up to stronger work and will trial in February before resuming race day. At a similar stage is the 2yo Swiss Ace – Musically gelding, he has matured recently and we are looking forward to him racing as a late two year old.
Tiger Silk & Massachusetts, our most forward 2yos bypassed a maiden race late in December. Massachusetts will have an 800m jump out locally on the 30th before making her race day debut while Tiger Silk should be forward enough to have a jump out late in February before her debut.

Sepella  and the 2yo unnamed Swiss Ace- Uberfrau filly have both completed five weeks back in the stable and are due to step up their workload next week. The pair showed good promise in the spring and we expect both to be at trialling stage late in February.
A newcomer to the stable this week from Australia is a 2yo by Helmut out of Pteryon. He was a fast timed product of the Magic Millions Ready to run sale in September. He has spelled since, after being gelded and is a lovely type.
Due to resume this week are Gutsy Gussie after a six week spell along with the Duke of Marmalade – Midnight Senorita filly and 2yo filly Rip Van Winkle – Mary Agnes.
Finally Ventura will re-join the racing team in February following a lengthy spell to allow a hoof split to grow out. She has strengthened a lot while spelling and should have a good winter.

With the early part of December producing a number of place getters we are aiming to pick up a win or two over the busy Christmas racing period.
Top Prospect is looking to be our best chance on Boxing Day. He will line up in the 1500m Dunstan Final. His previous third placing at Ellerslie earlier in the month over 1400m was a decent run. This Friday he will have a 1000m gallop at Ellerslie to top off his preparation. With Alysha again suspended he will be ridden by our son in law Andrew Calder who is home from Macau briefly for Xmas, along with Tasha and their twin boys Tye & Jax.

Also likely to start in the Dunstan Final is Cinematic who went a lovely race to finish second over 1400m last Sunday. This is the horse Alysha was suspended on for going to the front and ‘easing the speed’. She is the first jockey to be found guilty of this charge which has now set a precedence for future racing. 1500m will be an interesting distance for Cinematic who has ample pace and a short sprint.

On the middle day at Ellerslie we could be represented by a number of runners. Selfie finished a brave third at Te Rapa last Saturday struggling to let down on the very firm surface. He is still racing honestly and has been earmarked for R85 1200m while Hvar will step out in a 1600m maiden. His debut for fifth placing at Counties over 1400m early in December was the run of an improver over more ground. The leggy Zed gelding will keep improving as he gets stronger towards the autumn.

Tiger Silk and Massachusetts (Ferlax – Boston Symphony) are two fillies we have trialled recently and the pair will also have a gallop at Ellerslie on Friday to give them the needed experience on the track. One or both will be entered for a 2yo maiden over 1200m on Friday 29th. These are the only 2yos we have trialled to date and both have plenty of potential.
The stable will venture to Taupo on 30th December with Artic Storm and Moki. Artic Storm will be better for a recent trial at Te Aroha and will race in a fresh state over 1200m. Moki who has done all his racing to date in NSW will make his New Zealand debut over either 1000 or 1200m. We expect the four year old Testa Rossa gelding to be better suited to left handed tracks.

We are looking forward to Alternative Fact stepping out in the Royal Stakes at Ellerslie over 2000m on New Year’s Day after going a tidy race for fourth at Ellerslie last Sunday against the boys in listed company. The filly is a good stayer and any rain on the day would make her a strong chance.
Time Lord had a minor setback following his 1400m win at Avondale and will benefit from a gallop in company at Ellerslie on Friday. He has a couple of race options on New Year’s Day being eligible for the special conditions maiden over 1400m or the Great Northern Guineas for 3yos over 1600m. The promising Guillotine gelding continues to strengthen as he progresses through this preparation.

Swissta will be the stables final starter on New Years Day in the R75 1600m which like all races on the day has a generous stake of $50K. He was poor at Te Rapa last Saturday on a very firm surface however back in grade and on a better prepared surface where he has raced well previously we expect him to run well.

One big defection from our runners over the next fortnight is Untamed Diamond, she coughed following a gallop last Saturday and after scoping was found to have a throat infection. We have opted to bypass the Railway and focus on the Concorde on Karaka Millions Day later in January.

Azaboy has overcome a foot issue and is close to racing again after a tidy fresh up effort at Avondale in November. He will line up early in the New Year. Confederacy is also getting close to race day fitness and has strengthened considerably during his enforced spell with a pulled muscle.

A number of horses have spelled in recent weeks Gutsy Gussie (Any Suggestion – Southern Touch) was shin sore following a 1200m trial at Te Aroha as was Braced (Postponed – Strengthened) who was professional in his debut trial over 1000m.
Gottagetmywoohoo has been spelled after not appreciated the firmer tracks and we are looking forward to the autumn with him as he could be our first runner over hurdles for quite a few years. He has looked good when schooling and is a good stayer. Ventura is also continuing to spell to give her front foot which she has had issues with grow out. She will re-join the team in February.

Lupelani has been retired to stud after running some honest races but struggling on the firm ground.
The unnamed 3yo Duke of Marmalade – Midnight Senorita filly has made good progress in her first serious preparation and could have a jump out locally in January. She has been joined by the recently broken in 2yo filly by Rip Van Winkle – Mary Agnes. This leggy laid back filly is a half-sister to both City Boy & Time Lord. She will do a few weeks in the stable before have a break.

This week we resumed with three promising 2yos who have spelled well over the past six weeks and will progress through to racing in the autumn. The Swiss Ace- Musically gelding has furnished nicely during his break as has the Swiss Ace- Uberfrau filly and Sepella (Sepoy Wowee)
Finally Mercy Hill has also resumed training after a month off. She had been coming to hand nicely after trialling well at Ruakaka late in October before suffering a setback.

As we head into December a number of our team are shaping up nicely towards races over the Christmas/New Year period. Since our last update we have tasted success in Listed company with Untamed Diamond winning the Legacy Lodge Sprint over 1200m at Te Rapa in the hands of Trudy Thornton, filling in for Alysha who was busy at Riccarton that day. Opting not to send her south for the Stewards and winning at black type level closer to home left her in good condition to race a fortnight later in the G2 fillies & mares 1400m at the Counties Cup meeting last Saturday. Unfortunately the aggressive mare ended up getting a terrible trip being parked three wide in the open throughout the event and she understandably weakened out over the final stages. At this stage we plan to save her for the G1 Railway on New Year’s Day.
Swissta missed a couple of planned races early in November and fronted up at Counties, finishing a brave 2nd over 1600m. Carrying clear top weight he jumped quickly to lead throughout only to be picked up in the final few strides. He is in excellent order at present and has a few options in December including a 1600m race on Waikato Cup Day as well as Ellerslie on New Year’s Day.
We have four runners heading to Ellerslie tomorrow – Selfie, Top Prospect, Cinematic & Alternative Fact. Both Selfie & Top Prospect were totally without luck in the final stages of their previous races finishing their races well held and full of running. Selfie steps out over R85 1100m while Top Prospect & Cinematic  are race rivals in the R 75 1400m Dunstan Feeds Qualifier. Cinematic was late scratched following a barrier issue on Melbourne Cup day after actually finishing a tidy fifth. To keep her up to full fitness the mare was given an 800m jump out locally on Monday and went lovely.
Our final runner on Saturday is Alternative Fact who has been freshened for the 3yo 1500m Trevor Eagle Memorial after winning a maiden impressively at Counties late in October. In between times the promising staying filly finished a tidy second in a 1200m trial mid-November.
All four horses will show improvement on their last outings with Top Prospect & Cinematic looking towards the Dunstan Feeds Championship Final on Boxing Day while Alternative Fact will be stepped up to 2100m in a 3yo listed race mid-December then the Royal Stakes on New Years’ Day. Selfie could be tested next up on Boxing Day in the listed Hallmark Stud Handicap over 1200m.
With the cancellation of half the program at Te Aroha mid-November, Gottagetmywoohoo travelled to  Waverley for a benchmark 2200m event and although at home going left handed he failed to let down on the good 2 surface finishing 5th. He has been freshened since the race and we are yet to confirm his next outing.
November ended on a high note with Time Lord winning at Avondale yesterday over 1400m. Following at start at the same venue early in November where he missed the start from a wide barrier over 1200m he struggled to make ground over the concluding stages however yesterday from a good barrier Sam Collett was able to get him out on terms and trail the pace and go on and win nicely. The upstanding gelding is expected to step up to 1600m mid-December before being tried over 2000m in the New Year. He is raced by Matt Goodson and Di Perron who also own his dam Mary Agnes (by Zabeel) who has now had three foals for three winners.
Azaboy was also given his first up run for the season at Avondale early in November, he made good ground in the 1200m race however missed a planned start yesterday with an issue. He will appreciate lining up next over 1400m or further.
Another three 3yo gelding in the stable showing potential is Hvar (by Zed) he is due to make his debut this Wednesday at Counties over 1400m. He is a lovely big type who was nice to the line in an 800m jump out on Monday.
Confederacy is back on the active list after a muscle issue following a nice trial placing late in September. The time off has not hurt the Swiss Ace gelding who we are looking forward to racing in the New Year.
Lupelani was taken to Ruakaka late November and struck traffic problems in the straight over 1400m when looking a winning prospect for Sam Collett. She was eliminated yesterday from a race at Avondale which looked ideal however there are numerous racing options for the mare coming up.
A number of our young team had jump outs on Monday over 800m. Gutsy Gussie ( by Any Suggestion) made ground nicely over the final stages and will trial at Te Aroha on the 12th December over 1200m. Jimmy Choux- Golden Trophy showed pace in his jump out however was shin sore following and will be spelled, also to spell following his jump out is the 2yo Reliable Man – Pyrate Princess.
His half-brother Artic Storm finished a close up third in his 800m jump out and is coming to hand nicely. He was a winner first up this time last year.
Moki was nicely held to finish third in his 600m jump out and will be better for the outing. He could trial before resuming at the races. He is provincially placed in NSW but will appreciate our left handed tracks here more.
Postponed – Strengthened gelding finished third in his jump out, being professional enough to look at trialling him at Te Aroha on the 12th. The 3yo is steadily maturing. Our Ferlax – Boston Symphony filly also had a jump our finishing close up in her heat over 600m, Alysha giving her a good educational experience. She has come through it well and may also trial on the 12th.
Tiger Silk the recently named 2yo All American – Star Pupil filly was trialled at Avondale late November beaten a nose by last Saturday’s listed winner Melt. Our filly has shown good ability at home and will debut sometime over the New Year.
Finally we have recently stepped up the 2yo O’Reilly – November Rain colt to stronger pace work along with the Duke of Marmalade – Midnight Senorita filly.  We expect both to trial in the autumn.

Whilst we lacked any luck on Melbourne Cup day we are looking forward to the next couple of days with three runners at Avondale today and Untamed Diamond stepping out at Te Rapa on Saturday.

On the first Tuesday in November our two runners were presented in forward condition and both were certainties beaten. Cinematic after appearing to clear the gates awkwardly settled back in a tidy line up and finished on well for 5th. However following the race she was declared a late scratching as the barrier attendant who was holding her in the gates was found to be still holding her when the gates opened. She will keep as she has come to hand nicely this preparation.
Top Prospect was never in clear space in the straight in his 1400m race and could have easily finished closer. He will step out over 1600m on Counties Cup Day in a fortnight.

Today at Avondale Azaboy resumes over 1200m, while we expect the Azamour 3yo will be better as he steps up in distance he looks nicely placed fresh up here.
Time Lord makes his debut over 1200m after trialling well at Waipa mid-October. He is a lovely type with plenty of talent. Our third runner is Gottagetmywoohoo who steps up over 2100m for the first time for our stable. He has had a nice build up to get over the distance. Alysha will ride all three runners and is riding in great form at present.

With Alysha riding in Christchurch on Saturday we have called on Trudy Thornton to ride Untamed Diamond in the listed Legacy Lodge sprint over 1200m at Te Rapa. The Snitzel mare will be second up on Saturday and has drawn nicely at barrier one under handicap conditions compared to her fresh up race at Rotorua drawn the outside barrier at WFA. Her recent gallops have been sharper and we expect a nice effort from her.

Our last runner Alternative Fact was an easy winner against older horses at Counties on the 27th October, justifying our stable confidence stepping up to 1600m. The 3yo filly will be aimed toward staying age group races over the New Year. Between times, as she is thriving we may step her out at Te Aroha over 1600m on the 14th November.
Lupelani our other runner at Counties was inconvenienced by rain on the day and the track down grade finishing 5th after travelling boldly during the mid-stages. She will head to Ruakaka on Friday 17th again over 1400m.

Swissta bypassed a planned race last Saturday at Tauranga, due to forecast race day rain which didn’t really eventuate to much in the end. He is in good condition and is training boldly. He will return to Tauranga on Saturday 18th for another 1600m race. Selfie missed a race on Tuesday but is looking good going forward to a benchmark 85 race also at Tauranga.

A number of the stables 2yos were given 600m jump outs on the course proper late in October. The All American – Star Pupil filly looked smart winning her eight horse heat and could trial at Avondale on the 16th. The Swiss Ace- Musically gelding also showed ample natural pace finishing 2nd. We have decided to spell him now to give him more time to furnish. Likewise the Sepoy filly Sepella who finished 2nd of 8 runners which was also a good effort.
The Reliable Man – Pyrate Princess gelding finished close up in his heat and could also trial at Avondale next Thursday. Thewayouare – Go South gelding was unsettled in the gates in his jump out and will return for another jump out following our Counties cup day races in a fortnight.
Others to have jump outs on the 27th will be Moki & Artic Storm who are both coming to hand nicely and will be easily placed over the New Year period.

Three year old geldings by Postponed, Jimmy Choux and Any Suggestion are all working at speed and will have jump outs locally before trialling publicly. Two year old fillies Ferlax – Boston Symphony & O’Reilly – November Rain are also looking promising.
Confederacy is steadily recovering from a muscle strain and is expected back in full training shortly while Mercy Hill has gone for a short break along with 2yo Swiss Ace – Uberfrau with shin soreness.

Hvar, the recently named Zed 3yo was due to race today following some excellent trial form but has been held back with a throat infection, he will be easily placed over the upcoming moths.
The Duke of Marmalde – Midnight Senorita filly is getting through plenty of groundwork and was recently joined by a 3yo Reliable Man – Pyrate Princess filly for owner Keith Oddy.

We are represented locally today with two runners who should not mind the slow track conditions on offer. Lupelani starts over 1400m after an enforced freshen up and has been galloping well recently. She has drawn nicely and will be ridden by Alysha. Alternative Fact will line up in the last race, she steps up to 1600m after making late ground in earlier in the month at Ruakaka over 1200m.

We were successful last Friday at Tauranga with Swissta, ridden nicely by Sam Collett. He built to a winning effort after a luckless race at Ruakaka mid-October, appreciating the step up to his pet distance of 1600m. He is down to return to Tauranga next Saturday for a similar R75 1600m and Sam will retain the ride with Alysha having commitments elsewhere.
Gottagetmywoohoo could not overcome at outside barrier draw over 1600m at Tauranga and faded over the final stages. He will step up to 2100m at Avondale on Friday 10th, a distance he has been successful over in the South Island.

We unfortunately drew another outside barrier at Rotorua with Untamed Diamond, she was slow clearing the gates by her standards and was caught three wide throughout, eventually weakening over the concluding stages. The mare could be aimed next at the listed 1200m at Te Rapa on Saturday 11th in preference of the Stewards at Riccarton to regain her form.

We have again trialled horses over the past fortnight with Time Lord easily winning an 1150m maiden trial at Waipa last Thursday. Time Lord (by Guillotine) is a half-brother to City Boy who has recently been retired due to ongoing knee issues and never reached his full potential. Time Lord will debut on race day at Avondale on the 1st November over 1200m. He looks a worthy replacement for his owners & breeders Matt Goodson and Di Perron.
Cinematic also trialled at Waipa finishing close up over 1150m after covering ground. She will also resume at Avondale in the benchmark 70 1200m. Both horses are fit and forward to resume.

On Tuesday we trialled Top Prospect at Cambridge over 1200m where he finished a close up 2nd of four runners. He is getting close to race day fitness and is expected to resume on Melbourne Cup day at Ellerslie on the benchmark 85 1400m. Our other runner on the day was the unnamed Zed – Just One Kiss who finished a solid 2nd over 1200m in a large field. He could make his race day debut at Avondale on Friday 10th over 1600m.

Selfie who was a disappointing 4th on the second day at Hawkes Bay has been waiting for a suitable race closer to home over 1200m. Mercy Hill who trialled well at Ruakaka mid-month will miss a planned race on Wednesday due to a minor setback.
We have recently spelled Ventura who was at the end of a long preparation which ended with a win at Counties after returning from Sydney. She appreciates softer ground.

Biggin Hill is another from our stable to be retired recently. He was an honest performer who picked up a cheque at nearly every start for his owner Joanne Sims. He retired with 6 wins and 35 placings from 56 starts. He has earned his retirement at a coastal farm.

Getting closer to race day is Once Were Warriors who will have a further organised jump out over 800m at Counties on Monday. He was in need of his Ruakaka trial and will resume on race day shortly.
We also plan to jump out a number of 2yos over 600m including Swiss – Ace –Musically gelding. Swiss Ace- Uberfrau, All American- Star Pupil, Ferlax – Boston Symphony fillies and Sepella. We expect a few of these 2yos will spell following their jump out.
Thewayouare – Go South and Reliable Man – Pyrate Princess geldings will also have educational jump outs.

Moki & Artic Storm are due to have their work stepped up to stronger pace along with the Jimmy Choux – Keffiya and Any Suggestion – Southern Touch geldings.
The 2yo O’Reilly – November Rain colt has completed just over a month in training and continues to grow taller. The promising 3yo Confederacy has been on the easy list following his Ruakaka trial with a pulled muscle while his fellow Westbury owned stable mate Postponed – Strengthened is getting closer to having a jump out.
Finally our robust Duke of Marmalade – Midnight Senorita filly has completed a month in the stable and is just starting to tone up weighing in at 605kgs, the heaviest horse in the stable.