Mary quant a model mare

27 February 2016

Progressive mare Mary Quant took another step toward a stakes challenge with further success on her home track this afternoon. Trained for WS by Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott, the daughter of O’Reilly was too good for her Rating 85 rivals when posting the fifth win of her 14-start career.

“We’ve always had high hopes for the mare,” Andrew Scott said. “She just keeps on improving and we would dearly love to get some black type with her, she’s royally-bred. We are sure she will be competitive and we’ll look for the right race for her.”

Mary Quant, a daughter of the former top race mare Legs, was caught three wide early before Danielle Johnson pressed forward to sit outside the leader. They were in front on the turn and forged clear in the straight to score with ease. “She’s got a good race in her,” Johnson said. “She’s still doing a few things wrong, but she was far too good for them.”

Savabeel’s son Heavens Keep chased gamly to finish runner-up and part-owner and trainer Lucy Tanner has a Group One goal for the gelding next season. “He’ll have one or two more runs and then go out – the Spring Classic will be his main aim next campaign,” she said.

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.