Trans Tasman Celebrations for Waikato Stud Families

Media Release - Monday March 4

Waikato Stud celebrated trans-Tasman success at the weekend with female representatives of two of their leading families and the nursery is well-placed to continue reaping future rewards.

The Matamata farm’s colours were carried to victory by Savabeel filly Certainly in the Gr.3 Mufhasa Stakes (1400m) while their champion stallion also sired homebred Gr.2 Blamey Stakes (1600m) winner Atishu.

Certainly winning the Gr.3 Mufhasa Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie on Saturday.   Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)

Certainly winning the Gr.3 Mufhasa Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie on Saturday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)

Australia now beckons the Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson-trained Certainly, a retained daughter of the Pins mare Frankly whose four foals to race have all been successful.

“It is O’Reilly and Courtza’s family and funnily enough we’ve got a bit of that family but not a hell of a lot,” farm principal Mark Chittick said.

“Over the last couple of years, we have been very conscious of Savabeel’s stage of life and we’re not going to be able to keep making these fillies forever.

“We’re keeping an eye on that and will be doing so in the future.”

A half-sister to dual Listed winner Ocean Beyond, Certainly provided her trainers and rider Opie Bosson with a notable victory.

Advertisement

“It was lovely to be part of Te Akau and Opie’s first win on the new Ellerslie track,” Chittick said.

“Mark and the stable have held her in very high regard, so it was great to get that result and it was a lovely ride.

“He needed the right horse underneath him to get out and do what she did, obviously we were rapt and excited about going forward.”

Certainly has bounced through her latest outing well and will now likely join Te Akau’s Cranbourne base.

“Mark and I had a bit of a yarn and he said she has come through the run extremely well,” Chittick said.

“He’s leaning toward the Group Three race (Alexandra Stakes, 1600m) in three weeks’ time and then maybe the Australasian Oaks (Gr.1, 2000m) or something like that.”

Frankly has an unraced juvenile filly by Ocean Park and is in foal to Noverre after producing a daughter to the Group One-winning son of Savabeel last year.

Dual Group One winner Atishu was sold at Karaka in 2019 to Albert Bosma’s Go Racing for $260,000 and is out of the No Excuse Needed mare Posy, a sister to three-time Group One winner Daffodil.

Atishu looks to be on track for more G1 success - image Grant Courtney

Atishu looks to be on track for more G1 success - image Grant Courtney

Waikato Stud retained and raced Atishu’s sister Mazzolino, who won the Gr.3 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) and was a multiple black-type placegetter.

“She is back on the farm and is in foal to Super Seth,” Chittick said.

Posy is in foal to Ardrossan and hails from a family, that also features Saturday’s Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) winner Orchestral and the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) winner Aegon, the farm has been involved with for decades.

“It’s a great family and our entry came some 30 years or so ago with our relationship with Chris Turner (of Veandercross fame),” Chittick said.

“It started in the Palmerston North days of Thornton Park through Head Of The River, Chris owned her and we went 50/50 and she came up with us to Waikato Stud.”

Head Of The River produced seven winers, including Posy’s dam Spring, a daughter of O’Reilly.

“As a yearling, Spring was a bit immature so we kept her and bought Chris’ half-share out,” Chittick said.

She won her first two starts as a three-year-old before finishing sixth in the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) and then suffered a serious injury.

“Spring broke a leg in the Bayer Classic (Gr.1, 1600m), but was fortunately saved,” Chittick said.

Meanwhile, another high-class daughter of Savabeel will represent the stud and Te Akau Racing at Flemington on Saturday when Skew Wiff steps out in the Gr.1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m).

“She will run and we are taking on the stablemate Imperatriz, so let’s hope Te Akau will quinella the race,” Chittick said. – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
G1 Bonecrusher Stakes Next for Orchestral
Cambridge trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood will head into next week’s Champions Day at Ellerslie with a trio of leading chances, with all three pleasing in their final hit-outs at the Auckland track on Saturday.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Randwick
There were four heats for juveniles at Randwick on Monday including a couple of interesting winners, one unraced by Too Darn Hot (GB) and one bred on a nick that works for Tricolours Thoroughbreds, plus a commanding trial winner at Hawkesbury by first season sire Anders.
G1 Pedigree Watch – Helen Street Making Her Presence Felt
We saw two brand new Group I winners in Australia on Saturday and both super interesting on the pedigree front with one of them a $1.4million yearling and the other a Kiwi bred sprinter, who continued the G1 winning run for the Street Cry sireline and we also take a look at why you need to know more about Helen Street.
Zoustar Filly a Standout for Twin Hills
The team at Twin Hills Stud are prepared to be busy at Inglis Premier this week presenting a diverse draft of 25 by 24 different stallions and they include champion sire Zoustar, who has a filly to be offered that is bred on a nick that spells stakes success!
Trelawney Stud Excited to Offer Shanwah Half-Brother at Inglis Easter
Shanwah’s victory in the Gr.2 Autumn Classic (1800m) at Caulfield on Saturday was timely for his breeder’s Trelawney Stud, who are set to offer his half-brother at Inglis’ Australian Easter Yearling Sale in April.
How Do You Measure Success?
There are a lot of ways to measure the success of a stallion, but for elite breeders looking to produce serious racehorses it’s all about Black Type horses and this young stallion has really spread his wings.
World First G1 Success for Rachel King in Japan
Leading Australian jockey Rachel King is no stranger to Group I success, but achieved a first in Japan on Sunday in becoming the first woman to ride a G1 winner on the JRA circuit when steering Costa Nova to victory in the February Stakes (1600m) on the dirt.
Three Fillies Share Top Honours at MM Tasmania
The three top sellers all sold for $80,000 with local buyers competing with those from interstate and overseas to secure the next generation of racetrack stars from the Apple Isle.
Sires With Winners - Monday February 24
Here is the full list of 16 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
One to Watch – Grafton
Kooringal Stud’s bargain blueblood sire Sandbar has been the most searched stallion on Breednet this year through hypothetical matings and that’s thanks to his unbeaten super exciting 2YO Shaggy and at Grafton on Monday he produced another scintillating debut winner.