Shopaholic Bags Another One

7 February 2012

Shopaholic returned to racing in a blaze of glory on Saturday with a smart victory at Caulfield. Ridden by emerging apprentice Katelyn Mallyon for Flemington trainer Danny O’Brien, the WS-bred and owned filly came back from three month break to triumph over 1100 metres.

It was the Pins filly’s third victory from just eight starts and her second in Melbourne after initially breaking her maiden at Matamata before crossing the Tasman. With black-type placings last preparation in the Gucci and Twilight Glow Stakes, she looks an exciting prospect for the future.

The three-year-old is out of the farm’s Gr 3 Thoroughbred Club Stakes winner Splashing Out (O’Reilly). Shopaholic’s brother was purchased by Hong Kong interests during the Premier Sale at Karaka last week for $160,000.

Her success followed that of another well-related WS-raced mare Sequin who had posted her third career win at Paeroa on Friday. The Pins mare has been lightly-raced and is considered to be future stakes material by her trainer Graham Richardson. Out of the Listed Rotorua Stakes winner Glitzy (O’Reilly), her sister went to the $100,000 bid of Warwick Farm-based trainer Bjorn Baker at Karaka.

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.