Wannabe Does It In Style Again

17 December 2012

The winning style Wannabe showed at Te Rapa on Saturday strongly suggested she can make her mark in a much higher grade. The Pins four-year-old had quit maiden ranks on the track at her previous start and had no trouble downing a competitive field of Rating 65 performers.

Prepared at Matamata by Andrew Scott, Wannabe is raced by her breeder Mary Chittick and is out of the O’Reilly mare Zoe Spice.

“She was raced by the Manawatu Racing Club and won a couple,” she said. “Both times she (Wannabe) has won really well so it’s very exciting.” Zoe Spice is a half-sister to Rhysess, who won the Gr 3 Lowland Stakes for owner-trainer Chris Tuner. She is also the dam of his Gr 3 Cuddle Stakes winner Sahrhys.

Wannabee raced off the speed and produced a fine turn of foot in the straight to forge clear. “She went really well and on that run she can only improve when she learns to relax a bit more,” winning rider Cameron Lammas said.

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.