Smart Love too smart this start
Racing at Te Rapa on Sunday, 14 September, saw the return of Smart Love (ex Relentless Desire), having last been seen in November of 2024.
The four-year-old daughter of Savabeel, trained by Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott, had two trials before lining up in Race 7 over 1300m, and she did not disappoint, winning well, being eased down at the line some 3.3 lengths on the field.
Racing in the Waikato Stud colours for Garry Chittick’s Chittick Investments, Smart Love is the third foal of the O’Reilly mare Relentless Desire, who has a Noverre yearling filly and is expected to foal to Ardrossan this season.
This year, Savabeel was inducted into the NZ Hall of Fame and secured his 10th NZ Champion Sire award, having produced 35 Group 1 winners and nearly A$200 million in progeny earnings.
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.
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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.
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