Sires With Winners - Sunday February 18

Trainer Stephen Marsh believed he had two live chances going into the Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m) at Ellerslie on New Years Day, and that judgement proved spot on as his lightweight runner Bourbon Empress downed a talented line-up of milers to claim victory.

There was an overload of racing right around the country on New Year’s Day and rightly so given our national interest in horse racing as a sport to be enjoyed over the holiday break and there was a winner that did catch my eye, but until now have not had a chance to put my thoughts into a story.

When there’s a target race run at the same period every year, history is often a reliable guide so we’ve delved into the Magic Millions 2YO Classic and it points to this weekend’s races at the Gold Coast as being must watch events.

Rich Hill Stud has enjoyed a lengthy and successful association with an Ellerslie feature, with the 2025 edition one of extra special significance for the Waikato nursery.

A brilliant winner of the 2024 Group I MRC Blue Diamond Stakes, top class three year-old filly Hayasugi is sadly no longer with us with her trainer Clinton McDonald announcing the tragic news of her passing on Thursday.

Cambridge stables have a proud recent record in the $1.5m TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m), and Yaldi (NZ) (Ardrossan) has emerged as a chance to uphold that tradition at Ellerslie later this month.

The emergence of Bourbon Empress has gone a long way toward confirming a future plan for Highline Thoroughbreds.

Wexford Stables are hoping their purple patch of form can continue at Trentham on Saturday where they will line-up three runners in two of the feature events on the card.

Here is the full list of 105 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.

Only one part of Skew Wiff’s build-up to the Gr.1 TAB Telegraph (1200m) at Trentham on Saturday has not gone to plan for trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson, and it is a factor beyond their control.