Pins colt powers into Karaka Million contention

14 January 2017

Unbeaten youngster Felton Road has booked his berth in the country’s richest two-year-old race. The WS-bred and sold son of Pins confirmed his presence in the Listed Karaka Million with an impressive winning performance at Ellerslie this afternoon.

He is trained by Tony Pike, whose pre-race confidence was boosted by the earlier success at Trentham of Padraig, who had finished third behind his charge last month. “That was good to see the form franked at Wellington and my horse had trained on well,” he said.

Pike’s only concern had been the wide gate, but under rider Leith Innes it didn’t prove a barrier to success. Felton Road let down strongly in the run home for a convincing victory.

A $20,000 Karaka yearling, he is a son of the unraced O’Reilly mare Rose Red. She is a three-quarter sister to the dam of the Group Three winner and Group One placegetter Tootsie.

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.