Tick of approval for Pins’ son

3 April 2013

Approve broke through for his first win in Hong Kong on Monday night when tops at Sha Tin for a leading trainer-jockey combination. The Pins three-year-old was ridden by Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Brett Prebble for John Moore.

An $AUD370,000 Sydney Easter Sale yearling for breeders WS, the gelding had weighed in four times from his previous eight appearances before making his mark in a class four event over 1600 metres. Approve is the only foal out of the Danasinga mare Heavenly, who died prematurely, and is a grand-son of the three-time NZ Broodmare of the Year Flying Floozie.

O’Reilly again made his presence felt on the Sha Tin card with his son K-Mouchi claiming the class five sprint. The four-year-old is out of Zabeels Angel, the winner of nine races including the Gr 3 Winter Cup at Riccarton.

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.