Quality Kiwi Mares Entered for MM National

Media Release - Thursday March 21

Team Rogerson will venture south to Riccarton on Saturday with three of their better credentialed mares, two of which are soon to be on the market.

Contessa VanessaThe partnership of Graeme, Debbie and Bailey Rogerson have multiple stakes winner and consistent performer Contessa Vanessa set to contest the meeting's feature, the Gr.3 Valachi Downs South Island Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes (1600m), while Gift Of Power and Nuclear Fusion will also appear on the undercard.

Runner-up in the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) and the winner of the Gr.2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m) and the Gr.3 Sunline Vase (2100m) in her three-year-old season, four-year-old mare Contessa Vanessa has raced well this season without winning.

"She's been going really good races," Graeme Rogerson said of the daughter of Bullbars who has been installed a $1.90 favourite for Saturday's Group Three assignment.

"It was a terrific run last start behind the stablemate (Sandrine) and I couldn't be happier with her."

Should Contessa Vanessa perform to expectations she might continue on to the Listed Christchurch Casino Easter Cup (1600m), also at Riccarton, on April 6.

"She is certainly up there with the best horses, Danzdanzdance only beat her a half-head in spring, she is up there with them," Rogerson said.

"She is entered for the Magic Millions broodmare sale, but I have to talk to the owners still."

One mare who is definitely bound for the mid-year Queensland auction is well-bred filly Gift Of Power who will contest the Sonia & Garry Thompson Open Sprint (1200m).

"She is far better racing left-handed and last week we decided to run Volks Lightning and Ferrando in the Lightning at Trentham (Listed, 1200m), and take her to Christchurch.

"She is a very good horse, she is probably one of the most valuable broodmares in New Zealand, her pedigree is just unbelievable. You can't get any closer to Eight Carat than Gift of Power.

"Bailey bought her at the sales and we were always going to sell her when we were finished with her as she is raced by a syndicate.

"There has been interest from people from America and Japan and she is just a beautiful mare.

"I have sold some champion broodmares, including Vegas Showgirl the dam of Winx, and she is probably one of the nicest mares I have ever taken to a sale.

"She will probably run again down there in two weeks and then we may look at running her in Australia."

The Group Two winner has won 11 of her 22 starts to date.

Rogerson is also confident of a strong showing from Nuclear Fusion, who will contest a Rating 72 event over 1400m.

"She is a good mare that has had no luck in her last couple of starts but she did run super at Ellerslie, she will run well," he said.

Meanwhile, quality three-year-old More Wonder has undergone a minor operation after finishing 16th in the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) earlier this month.

"We took a bone chip out of the back of his fetlock and he will go out into the paddock next week," Rogerson said. "He is a very good horse but he won't be seen out now till the spring."

Speaking just hours after landing in Hong Kong, Rogerson also confirmed that high-class sprinter Ferrando would not be campaigning internationally, despite holding a nomination for the Gr.1 Chairman's Sprint Prize (1200m) at Sha Tin on April 28.

"He is definitely not going, he is out until the spring," Rogerson said. – NZ Racing Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
Coolmore Set Justify Fee for 2025
Coolmore have announced the US fee for Justify in 2025 with the undefeated Triple Crown winner priced at $US250,000 to head  their roster of 16 stallions at Ashford Stud in Kentucky.
Darley Announce European Fees 2025
Darley have announced fees on their roster off 22 sires standing in the UK, Ireland and France with Dubawi heading the list at a fee of £350,000 for the third year in a row.
Magic Nick Strikes Again – Fastnet Rock x Galileo
The Fastnet Rock x Galileo nick has been on fire in Melbourne this spring producing Cox Plate winner Via Sistina (IRE) and leading Melbourne Cup contender Buckaroo (GB) and it struck again overnight in the UK with a brand new stakes-winner in Military Academy, who captured the Listed Floodlit Stakes (1m4f) at Kempton.
Sires With Winners - Monday November 4
Here is the full list of 21 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
More Stakes Success for Air Assault
Group I placed last season in the SA Derby, talented gelding Air Assault kept the winning run going for Victoria Derby winning trainer Andrew Gluyas when taking out the Listed SAJC John Letts Cup (1800m) at Morphettville on Melbourne Cup Day.
Oaks Pedigree Preview – Who is Bred to Stay?
The $1million Group I VRC Oaks (2500m) is the highlight at Flemington on Thursday and with all of the fillies on trial at the trip, pedigree can be a good indicator and in a field of 14 that features only two stakes-winners and no Group I winners, it could be a year for an upset result.
2024 Melbourne Cup Result - It's Knights Choice
The 2024 Melbourne Cup has been run and won with Knight’s Choice, a five-year-old gelding by Extreme Choice victorious.
$6million Frankel Mare Tops Fasig -Tipton November Sale
The Fasig-Tipton November Sale, billed as the World’s Premier Breeding Stock Event, was held Monday at the company’s Newtown Paddocks in Lexington, Kentucky. Twenty-five offerings sold for $1,000,000 or more, led by a trio of Grade/Group 1 winners with international appeal.
Cup Day Stakes-Winner for Headwater
With a plethora of racing all over Australia on Cup Day there were opportunities aplenty and Vinery Stud’s value sire Headwater made his mark with a new stakes-winner on Perth at Ascot where three year-old filly London’s Image captured the Listed WATC Burgess Queen Stakes (1400m).
Melbourne Cup Pedigree Analysis - Do It Yourself
Breednet has produced a great page with click through to five generation pedigrees for all the Melbourne Cup runners, so for amateur pedigree buffs looking to have a Cup flutter based pedigree here’s your chance  to DIY it!