Walker rapt with WS graduate

25 November 2013

Kiwi trainer Mark Walker was rich in his praise for both Golden Sand Steed and his sire Pins after the four-year-old’s latest success in Singapore. The gelding recorded his fifth win at Kranji on Friday night from 17 starts, which also features 10 placings.

“He’s got the heart of a lion,” said Walker. “He was purchased for NZ$65,000 out of Karaka and that win has taken his prize money to around $330,000. It’s (Singapore) one of the best models for racing in the world. This horse would not have been able to win this sort of money back home. He’s getting better with age. His sire Pins gets good horses and is proving a versatile stallion as well. I don’t have any big plans with him. We’ll just pick our way through the grades for the time being. He’s still only lightly-raced and hopefully can keep his record going.”

Bred by WS, Golden Sand Steed was bought out of their Premier draft in 2011 by Te Akau principal David Ellis. He is out of the Last Tycoon mare Ambitious, who emulated her dam Starcent when she finished runner-up in the Gr 1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas of her year.

Golden Sand Steed is a half-brother to Strike The Stars and Best Case.

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.

9 July 2026

WS graduate Honour Roll out to add stakes success at Otaki

Waikato Stud will be cheering on one of its promising graduates on Friday when Honour Roll contests the Listed John Turkington Forestry Castletown Stakes (1200m) at Otaki. The WS-bred son of the late Champion sire …