Wee Nessy breaks her maiden in style
Savabeel’s influence continues to build momentum, with his three-year-old daughter Wee Nessy delivering an impressive maiden victory at Ellerslie on Monday, 27 April.
Dominant over 1400 metres, the Barbara Kennedy-trained filly proved far too strong for her rivals, surging clear late to score by 1.67 lengths in a competitive 15-horse field. Positioned midfield and three-wide throughout, jockey Warren Kennedy made a decisive move approaching the 500m, sweeping into contention before Wee Nessy lengthened stride and put the race beyond doubt inside the final furlong.
Bred and raced by Lyn Salvidge and Bruce Amies, Wee Nessy is the second foal out of the Group 2-winning and Group-placed mare Contessa Vanessa.
The victory marked yet another milestone for Waikato Stud’s champion sire, becoming Savabeel’s 1057th individual winner while pushing his progeny earnings beyond $208 million.
With his 2026 book now set to private, the ten-time New Zealand Champion Sire continues to underline his enduring impact on the Australasian breeding landscape, currently sitting second on the premiership within striking distance of the lead.
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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