Saavoya & Platinum Witness to fight out NZB Filly of the Year honour in Oaks

13 March 2015

The New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year winner will be determined on Saturday with the running of the Group 1 $300,000 Wellfield New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham.

Top of the NZB Filly of the Year Series is Saavoya (NZ) (Savabeel) who has earned 23 points thanks chiefly to wins in the Gr.2 Cambridge Stud Eight Carat Classic and the Gr.2 NZB Royal Stakes.

Platinum Witness (California Dane) is almost on par with Saavoya, sitting on 22.5 points and Vavasour (NZ) (Redoute’s Choice) is in third place with 12 points. With Vavasour not contesting this weekend’s final leg, only Saavoya and Platinum Witness can win the crown.

The winner of the Group 1 feature race will earn 12 points towards the Series, second place receives 7 points and third place receives 3.5 points.

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.