Unkind cut serves tyrannize well

14 December 2015

Unfortunate but necessary surgery has brought out the best in the O’Reilly three-year-old Tryannize. He showed promise with two seconds in his first three starts before Flemington trainer Danny O’Brien had him gelded and he has since won consecutive races.

He was successful first-up at Bendigo before victory over 1200 metres at Flemington this afternoon under Ben Melham. “We had a pretty leisurely tempo up front,” he said. “I was worried about him hitting the front too early – he gave me the impression he might just wait a little bit. I kept him together for as long as I could and then let him run over the top of them late.”

Tyrannize was a $155,000 Karaka purchase by O’Brien out of WS’s Premier line-up last year. He is the first foal of the Listed Northland Breeders’ Stakes winner Queen Sabeel, a daughter of Savabeel.

Tivaci’s Movie Night steals the show at Newcastle

A sister to the Gr.1 ATC Flight Stakes (1600m) winner Never Been Kissed, the Waikato Stud-bred and raced Movie Night (NZ) was rewarded for her consistency, breaking her maiden with an all-the-way win over 1400m at Newcastle for trainer Tom Charlton.

9 July 2026

Oilman’s stud stake could change course of NZ breeding

Eighteen months ago, Texas oilman Nelson Bunker Hunt walked through the lush Waikato pasture of Matamata’s Balcarres Stud and announced he wanted some just like it for his own.

Today he has-360 acres about a mile down the road which has been transformed from a dairy farm to one of New Zealand’s leading horse and cattle breeding establishments.