Pins 3YO Mackintosh on Derby Mission

11 January 2016

The James Bridge stable is confident that Mackintosh has the pedigree to back his Gr 1 New Zealand Derby claims. The three-year-old is on target for the autumn classic after winning for the second time in three starts when he was successful at Ellerslie today.

“We’ve got aspirations for the Derby for him so let’s hope he keeps on improving,” said Bridge’s father John, who shares in the ownership of the gelding. “He’s quite a big, lean horse who has taken some time to mature and you can’t beat the breeding.”

A WS graduate, he is a son of Pins and the Generous mare Lolly Scramble and the family of the Gr 1 Australian Derby winner Headturner. Mackintosh was bought out of the farm’s 2011 Weanling Sale draft for $11,000.

Mackintosh was given an economical run behind the leader today by Samantha Collett and they were in control of the race over the closing 200 metres. His performance saw his Derby odds cut to $16.

The Corner with Garry Chittick

It would appear I now have to continue my weekly Corner with the amount of rumblings at the start of our new racing season. I have been around long enough to know we can never please all; my tenure as Chairman of the Racing Board was subjected to as much vitriol as subsequent Boards have had to bear, so what’s different this time, or is it different.

5 August 2026

First foal for Waikato’s Group 1 winner Skew Wiff

Group 1-winning Savabeel mare Skew Wiff (ex Starvoia), known affectionately as ‘Wiffy’, foaled a filly by Super Seth in the early hours of Wednesday, 5 August.