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)

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

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...
Holbrook BOBS Eligible Trio for MM Adelaide
Julie Harris of Holbrook Thoroughbreds is taking just three youngsters across to the Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale and they all hold interest with two by Hellbent and Castelvecchio and the third is from a stakes-winning daughter of Fastnet Rock.
Fiorente Gets His 2 Mile Cup Winner - Half By A Slipper Winner at Easter
Melbourne Cup hero Fiorente has finally, a bit poetically and a bit sadly, sired a two-mile Cup winner and you can buy the half-brother at Inglis Easter by a Golden Slipper winner.
Twin Hills Head to MM Adelaide
Olly Tait and his team at Twin Hills Stud are headed next to South Australia for the Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale next week with a select draft of seven that includes a filly by So You Think and two youngsters by his young sire son Peltzer, who stands at the Cootamundra based nursery.
It’s Time to Get Cracking
A lot of attention is paid to the first season sires table, but it’s the second season when things get really interesting for a lot of sires as we saw at this time last year when The Autumn Sun took off like a rocket and with four stallions in this cohort already siring G1 winners this season we’re taking a closer look at these guys.
Golden Slipper Order of Entry Updated
The Golden Slipper picture is cloudier than ever after last weekend’s key races with five horses now exempt from ballot and boom colt Wodeton is just into the field, but vulnerable to possible latecomers from the Group III ATC Pago Pago Stakes and Magic Night Stakes to be run this Saturday.
Te Akau Champions Day Stars to Spell
Ellerslie’s inaugural Champions Day was a memorable one for New Zealand’s leading stable, Te Akau Racing, with their tangerine and blue silks taking out two of the major prizes.
Entries Open for 2025 National Weanling Sale
Entries for NZB’s 2025 National Weanling Sale are now open, with the Sale set to be held at the Karaka Sales Centre on Thursday 26 June.
Sires With Winners - Monday March 10
Here is the full list of 39 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
$1.65million NZB Ready to Run Sale-Topper Ready for Debut
There’s plenty of anticipation ahead of regally-bred colt Hostility’s raceday debut at Matamata on Wednesday.
I Am Invincible Colt Ready for G2 Goal
Well-related colt Tardelli will make a return trip to Wellington in his bid to add a black-type victory to his burgeoning record.