Bassett Strikes Stakes Success at Moonee Valley

22 March 2017

On-pace galloper Bassett (NZ) (Savabeel)became Savabeel’s 15th stakes winner this season at Moonee Valley last Friday.

Bassett, who was purchased at the 2014 Premier Sale for just $60,000, struck what was his first black-type win when he dominated Friday night’s A$120,000 Listed Sweeney Estate Agents Abell Stakes (1200m).

Trained by Mick Price and ridden by apprentice jockey Beau Mertens, Bassett sat outside the leader before effortlessly cruising to the front 500 metres from home. The four-year-old gelding asserted his superiority down the short Moonee Valley straight, drawing away by two and a quarter lengths and stopping the clock at 1:10.65.

The win was Bassett’s fourth from 17 career starts and pushed his prize-money earnings to $299,900 – almost five times his purchase price at Karaka.

Bred by Qatar Bloodstock, Bassett is out of the stakes-placed Captain Rio mare Fledgling (NZ) – a half-sister to the Group 1 winner and sire Fully Fledged (NZ) (Align).

Bassett was offered by Westbury Stud at the 2014 Premier Sale, where former trainer Peter Moody secured him for $55,000. He now races for a large group of owners, made up of MJ Scheele, VM Stackhouse, S Hillier, Mrs H Hillier, PG Green, AW Bruhn, SW Bruhn, MC Bryant, Mrs CMH Bryant, VYK Ip, JW Daniels, Mrs SM Ridgway, M Maskell, TN Porter and WS Pelchen.

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.