Night Of Thunder - New Winner

After more than 60 years and a multitude of top-flight success in the role, the Dennis brothers have retired from training.

Spring is sprung, but with G1 racing in Perth and the Magic Millions extravaganza of sales and racing set to unfold in January there is plenty of excitement in our world to inspire new owners into the sport and a bargain priced filly with an x-ray issue was the biggest story on Breednet from last weekend.

A chance purchase at Karaka has proved to be an outstanding piece of business for Waikato breeders and owners Ross and Corrine Kearney.

A star studded opening session of the Tattersalls December Mares Sale is underway and before the Sceptre Session started Australian trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr and bloodstock agent Dermont Farrington found value paying 170,000 guineas for Group placed filly Ring True, while Yulong buying as Willingham snapped up a mare in foal to Too Darn Hot.

The Inglis Great Southern Sale is done and dusted for this year, but a weanling filly that was bought from the sale in 2022 for $100,000 caught our eye on Sunday for both her pedigree and her talent.

Caught U Looking was the star turn on the opening day of the Tattersalls December Mares Sale, selling to Yulong, buying as Willingham, for 1,800,000 guineas on an opening day that saw significant increases across the board and five lots sell for 500,000 guineas or more.

This year’s publication features stories from respected industry personnel such as Ray Thomas, Andrew Rule, Bruce Clark, Trevor Marshallsea, Jess Owers, Tim Rowe, Glen Latham, Bren O’Brien, Michael Cox, Kristen Manning, Jill Williams, Tom Reilly and the Sydney Morning Herald’s senior sportswriter Iain Payten.

Twin Hills Stud’s Blue Diamond winner Daumier has left some stunning foals in his first crop this season and are certainly worth seeing.

There was a busy set of trials at Canterbury on Tuesday morning with five heats over 900m for juveniles that featured a winning double for Trapeze Artist and an interesting Justify (USA) colt for Yulong that has been named Willingham, which is the name under which they have been buying at the recent Northern Hemisphere breeding stock sale.

Hunter Durrant has been rewarded for his commitment to leading Te Akau Racing’s Riccarton barn with promotion to assistant trainer for the trans-Tasman operation.