Pins Strikes 1st Stakes Winner for the Season

9 August 2011

Waikato Stud’s 39 time stakes producing sire Pins struck his first winner for the 2011/12 season on Sunday.

Just seven days in to the new season, son Our Nautique picked up stakes win # 2 in the Listed Joseph Grace Handicap (1700m) at Santa Rosa in California.

The six-year-old gelding has proven quite a revelation in the States.

Since his 2010 US arrival, the six-year-old has enjoyed a black-type double in the Gr.3 San Franciso Mile at Golden Gate and the Listed Joseph Grace Handicap (1700m) and of his 12 starts, he has achieved six wins and five placings.

Our Nautique is bred and co-owned by Rob Tunnicliffe, who races the horse in partnership with trainer Jerry Hollendorfer.

Prior to his US export in 2010, Our Nautique was raced in New Zealand.

Known as Nautique, he registered two wins here for Richard and Chris Otto.

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.