Top Family To Fore Again

8 September 2012

A strong black type WS family drew further reward for the Matamata nursery in Australia yesterday. The well-related O’Reilly mare It Girl carried the Chittick family’s familiar colours to victory at Wyong at just her second appearance.

Trained by Chris Waller and ridden by Nash Rawiller, the four-year-old had been unplaced on a debut on a heavy track in July and showed her appreciation of improved footing. She hit the line well to record her maiden success over 1200 metres with the prospect of more now to come.

It Girl is out of the winning Redoute’s Choice mare Iguazu’s Girl, who is a half-sister to WS’s Gr 3 Thoroughbred Stakes winner Splashing Out (O’Reilly). Their dam is the dual Gr 3 Manawatu Classic and White Robe Lodge Handicap winner Iguazu. Previous O’Reilly colts out of Iguazu sold at Karaka by WS have realised $215,000 and $160,000 in 2009 and 2011 respectively.

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.

9 July 2026

WS graduate Honour Roll out to add stakes success at Otaki

Waikato Stud will be cheering on one of its promising graduates on Friday when Honour Roll contests the Listed John Turkington Forestry Castletown Stakes (1200m) at Otaki. The WS-bred son of the late Champion sire …