Pins’ son on the way to the top

10 March 2011

Shantaine Defies Weighty Problem

The WS-bred and sold Shantaine turned in an outstanding performance under a hefty weight to further her impressive career record with a brave victory at Ellerslie yesterday. The well-related daughter of Pins has four wins and five placings from her 11 appearances and not surprisingly is rated by Pukekohe trainer Richard Collett the equal of any horse in the stable.

Saddled with 59kg over the 2200 metres, Shantaine was settled midfield on the fence by Leith Innes before he angled off the rail with 600 metres to run. The four-year-old strode to the leaders in the straight and fought doggedly to gain a narrow decision. “We had to sprint a couple of times and it was a very good effort with the weight,” Innes said.

Purchased by Collett for stable clients Bruce and Gerald Shand from WS’s 2008 Premier Sale draft for $280,000, she is out of the winning Centaine mare Centelise from the Gr 1 family of the VRC Derby and Caulfield Guineas winner and successful sire Grosvenor.

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.