Fast ‘N’ Famous Mare a Carnival Star

2 June 2013

John Sargent’s top mare Quintessential again showed her fondness for the Queensland winter carnival with victory in Saturday’s Gr.2 Eagle Farm Cup. The daughter of WS resident sire Fast ‘N’ Famous has posted her last three career wins at Eagle Farm following her success in last year’s Gr 1 Queensland Oaks and in the Gr 3 Chairman’s Handicap a fortnight ago.

Sargent, who is now a trans-Tasman trainer with a stable at Warwick Farm in Sydney, said he doubted Quintessential would return to New Zealand. “Probably will (stay here) now. She loves this course, the temperature and the climate.”

Also sharing in Quintessential’s successes has been former Kiwi jockey Damian Browne. “She’s all heart,” he said.

“When Manighar came up I thought ‘we could be in some trouble here’ but gee she showed some fight. She needed to step up today, there were genuine weight-for-age horses in the race but she just tries her heart out, she’s all guts.” Sargent said Quintessential would back up next Saturday in the Gr 2 Brisbane Cup over 2400 metres.

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.