King rules at Kranji

15 November 2014

A potent WS family was again to the fore in Singapore last night when Demon King produced a regal winning performance. The four-year-old earned the second victory of his nine start career when he was successful over 1600 metres at Kranji in the hands of Danny Beasley.

The son of No Excuse Needed is trained by Michael Freedman and was a $150,000 Ready to Run Sale after he had earlier been passed in at the National Yearling Sale at Karaka. Demon King was bought by Freedman and Cambridge agent Michael Wallace, who have enjoyed an outstanding run of success with WS graduates.

The gelding is out of the O’Reilly mare Sorgente who is a sister to the dam of the triple Group One winner Daffodil (NZ 1000 Guineas, Australian Oaks, Windsor Park Plate). She is also a half-sister to Good Faith (Gr 1 Ellerslie Sires’ Produce Stakes) and in turn the dam of Tully Dane (Gr 3 McNeil Stakes) and Mygoodgrace (Listed Canterbury Breeders’ Stakes).

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.