Coldplay back in fine style

7 May 2011

Savabeel’s Primed For Gr 1 Success

The Rogerson training partnership will head for the Queensland winter carnival brimming with confidence about the prospects of a pair of fillies by Savabeel. The top-quality daughters of the WS stallion will target feature races in Brisbane and both boast outstanding lead-up form.

Scarlett Lady is unbeaten in her last four starts including a Gr 2 victory in the Travis Stakes at Te Rapa and will be a fancied contender for Gr 1 honours in the Queensland Oaks. Stablemate Dowager Queen also showed she was ready to take on the best in the Gr 1 TJ Smith Stakes at Eagle Farm after downing the older horses in Saturday’s Listed Rotorua Stakes.

“They are both right up to the Gr 1 horses in Australia and Debbie will take them over – she’ll probably improve them as well,” Graeme Rogerson said. “Just look at the Savabeels – they can win two-year-old races and three-year-old staying races and it’s just great for Savabeel.”

Dowager Queen, who had won the Listed Champagne Stakes at her previous appearance, had the benefit of carrying just 46kg on Saturday and she raced away for an impressive victory.

“Lisa (Allpress) said she had a lot of trouble getting her to the outside but when she went for her she just found another gear,” Rogerson said. “It was an easy win in the end so we’ll look at Australia now.”

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.