Floods wreak havoc for Hawke’s Bay trainer

Media Release - Friday February 17

Amid the devastation and destruction to her property which has decimated her business, Hawke's Bay trainer Vicki Wilson is counting herself lucky.

Wilson's Kahuranaki farm, south of Hastings, suffered extensive damage from flooding resulting from Cyclone Gabrielle but despite the heartbreak she is still looking on the bright side and prioritising the care of 180 horses on the property.

"We're incredibly lucky. All the people are safe, all the horses are safe," Wilson said.

"I know there are people in the region who have lost horses and we haven't lost any so in that regard, we're lucky. We moved everything early. 

"We've got excessive damage. It's been destructive. We've lost paddocks for 45 horses. They told us the floods two years ago were the biggest the area had ever seen but this was 3m higher. We've got debris halfway up trees on the farm."

Wilson has no power or water on the property and now faces a monumental task of salvaging what's left of her farm.

"All my main fences are gone. We've lost 20 paddocks that had all my horses in work and we've lost our two 40-acre paddocks that had all our broodmare and turn-out ones on," she said.

Advertisement

"The hay paddocks are gone, the starting gates are gone - it's fences, it's trees down and then there are slips. We've lost our track and starting gates so we've got nowhere to work the horses now. I've never had so many horses in such a small space before in my life."

Wilson has been forced to curtail the preparations of not only her racing team but also her showjumpers.

"We're out for a while. All we'll be doing now is clean up," she said.

"It will be a slow clean-up of debris from fencelines, fixing fences and water troughs. We're still in trouble for feed and water for the horses but we'll solve that," she said.

"I did have a few major colic cases from horses struggling with the water but we've been able to treat them. Our water is the problem. How do we get water to 180 horses?

"We're lucky that we were ready early. Our house is high, our stables are high. But the rest is just ugly and now we're facing the clean-up. We're very practical though. You get on and begin the clean-up.

"We've got four-wheel drive access to our road but we couldn't get a float or a truck in."

Stable apprentice Lily Sutherland has already relocated to Wanganui trainer Kevin Myers so she can continue to ride trackwork.

Wilson said the damage of the cyclone was widespread in the area and she felt for everyone affected by it.

"It's devastating,” she said. “We drove to town yesterday and saw the damage to the apple crops and onions floating. It's just carnage everywhere."

Other Hawke's Bay trainers that were able to be contacted said they were able to work their horses at the Hastings racetrack this week as normal though regular training had been disrupted.

John Bary was facing an anxious wait to see if the Napier-Taupo road can open soon so he can avoid travel disruptions for his team heading north.

He has Low Flying aiming for Saturday week’s Gr.2 J Swap Contractors Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) as well as his Gr.1 Auckland Thoroughbred Racing New Zealand Derby (2400m) hopeful Rockburn headed to the same meeting.

"We've got off quite lightly considering the damage around us. We just got the power back on Thursday morning," Bary said.

"There's a lot of water lying around and a few trees have come down but we were able to work our horses at the Hastings track this morning. There are a lot of people much worse off than us so we're counting ourselves pretty lucky."

Hawke’s Bay Racing has done its part in providing for the Hastings community, providing soup, power and showers to the public, as well as looking after pets affected by the floods. - NZ Racing Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
Do Deuce From Last to First in Japan Cup
The visitors were once again humbled by the locals in the 44th running of Sunday’s Group 1 Longines Japan Cup (2400m) at Tokyo Racecourse.
One to Watch – Canberra
At the 2023 Magic Millions Yearling Sale on the Gold Coast US investors Richard and Tammy Rigney of Rigney Racing purchased two yearling fillies by I Am Invincible for $2million and $1.2million and got a result with one of them in Canberra on Sunday.
Sun City Filly to Target Karaka Million
The Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) has been the goal for Sierra Leone from the moment she was purchased at the Yearling Sales, and she took an important step towards the $1 million feature with a game second in Saturday’s Listed Counties Challenge Stakes (1100m).
Aussie Mare Youngstar Produces Exciting Japanese G3 Winner
Australian Group I winning half-sisters Youngstar and Funstar are both at stud in Japan and the former has a very smart two year-old colt in Eri King, who made it three wins from three starts when taking out the Group III Radio Nikkei Hai Kyoto Nissai Stakes (2000m) on Saturday.
New French Stakes-Winner for Churchill
Currently finishing his seventh season of shuttling to Coolmore Australia, Churchill has had a productive year and sired his 16th stakes-winner of 2024 when progressive three year-old filly Some Skye landed the Listed Grand Prix de Fontainebleau (1900m) at Chantilly.
Expensive Xtravagant Wins $1million Meteorite
The highest priced yearling by Xtravagant sold in 2022, progressive sprinter Nadal (Xtravagant) produced an explosive turn of foot to come from near last to win the inaugural running of today’s $1m The Ladbrokes Meteorite at Cranbourne.
Cosmic Vega Breaks Through in Kilmore Cup
A rapidly deteriorating track at Kilmore proved the winning formula for the Irish import Cosmic Vega (IRE) and visiting English rider Saffie Osborne to open their Australian accounts in Sunday’s $200,000 Listed Bet365 Kilmore Cup (1600m).
Cambridge Stud News
It’s been the spring that keeps giving for Cambridge Stud and it’s not over yet.
$2000 Mare Wins Winton Cup
Exciting southern mare The Grey Goose continued her faultless preparation with an impressive performance to win Sunday’s Hyde Landscaping and Wash Rite Winton Cup (1400m) at Ascot Park.
Sires With Winners - Saturday November 23
Here is the full list of 117 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.