Mackintosh back in perfect style

12 September 2016

WS graduate Mackintosh has made the sweetest of returns at Rosehill this afternoon with a dashing victory in the Gr 2 Theo Marks Stakes. The four-year-old resumed from a three month break to down a competitive line-up of sprinters.

A son of Pins, Mackintosh showed a sharp turn of foot in the straight to win for the sixth time in his nine start career. “Obviously he is a horse with talent and the plan is to go second up to a mile in the Epsom,” trainer Chris Waller said.

Mackintosh won two of his first three starts for Byerley Park trainer James Bridge before his sale and transfer to Waller’s team. He subsequently claimed the Gr 3 Rough Habit Plate and the Gr 3 Grad Prix Stakes during last season’s Brisbane carnival before failing in the Gr 1 Queensland Derby.

The gelding impressed his rider Joao Moreira, who believed he will only improve over more ground than today’s 1300 metres. “He’s still very green and he was hanging in, he did a lot of things wrong but he’s got a lot of ability,” he said. “The longer distances will be better for him.”

Mackintosh is out of the Generous mare Lolly Scramble, who is a half-sister to the Group Two winner Viennetta. She is in turn the am of the multiple Group-winning Australian sprinter Golden Archer and the family of the Group One winners Anacheeva, Headturner and O’Marilyn.

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.