The New Zealand Purebred Breeding Association got together on the evening of 22 July to celebrate a season of excellence with elite level achievements at the National Breeding Awards in Karapiro.
New Zealand breeders have produced 35 group 1 winners across Australia, Hong Kong and their homeland in the past 12 months.
Power breeders Waikato Stud have been awarded Sir Patrick and Justine Lady Hogan New Zealand’s Best Breeder of the Year for the ninth time, but there are so many diverse and diverse breeders that have contributed to the overwhelming success of the Kiwi varieties this season.
Seton Otway Horse of the Year is lucky lucky—the Hong Kong superstar is the highest rated sprinter in the world. Bred by Paul Dombroski, Explosive Breeding of Luigi Muollo and Allan Sharrock, Dam of Lucky Sweynesse Madonna Mia was voted Broodmare 8 Carat of the year.
Lucky Sweynesse Wins President’s Sprint at Sha Tin Racecourse
Rich Hill Stud’s Outburst Proisirwho is responsible for five individual group 1 winners this season—Legarto, power, Levante, DikeAnd Dark Destroyer—won his first Grosvenor Award as a New Zealand Sire Champion.
The majesty Savabeel received its eighth Centaine Award for progeny income worldwide and its seventh Dewar Award for progeny income combined in Australia and New Zealand.
I WANT ME TO WIN 🚀🚀 Our Sire Champion’s son Savabeel stunned opponents with his unreal swing in G1 TJ Smith S. @aus_turf_club Randwick for @moodyracingpgm. Congratulations to the whole team for taking part, we’re so proud of our hybrid 🌟 and how far he’s come! pic.twitter.com/Gf9i3LkVgy
– Waikato Stud (@WaikatoStud) April 1, 2023
The headline action for Savabeel this season is the outstanding sprinter I wish I wonwho embodies the colors of Waikato Stud and embodies the loser theme of the night.
The 4-year-old gelding was born with a well-documented severe knee deformity, which means he was never a candidate for a commercial ring, but he has continued to be judged for his actions on the track.
Main Beel, ArtichokeAnd ice bath are the other top-flight winners this season bred by the Matamata incubator, and Waikato Stud’s Mark Chittick admits it’s the result of a huge team effort while his family members stand side by side on stage.
“Waikato Stud is a big family and a big group. It takes a whole community to run it and to get the results we do. I’d love to have everyone (from the students) up here on stage. It’s been an incredible night,” Chittick said.
“Everybody put in a lot of effort and we appreciate that.
“It’s been a great year and a great night and when we see the excellent results of these horses on the big screen, and have horses from all over the country and breeders from around the country, it’s exciting.
“I know how excited and excited we are to win any race, let alone group 1 races, and I hope everyone else is just as proud of horse farming as we are.
“Watching New Zealand crossbreds win Doncasters, Derbys and Oaks, as well as 2-year-olds and sprinters win group 1, man, New Zealand is very good at it (bred thoroughbred racehorse) and we should be really, really proud.
“I suppose the equivalent night in Australia could be a pretty short one, because all the Australian group 1 races are shown on that big screen.”
New Zealand Small Breeder of the Year, limited to those with a parent group of five or less, was disqualified by Warwick Jeffries of Tauranga, who bred both. Legarto And Dark Destroyer.
As a sheep and beef farmer, Jeffries doesn’t want to divulge too many of his secrets, but credits his family background running Romney Ranch with providing transferable skills to the purebred game. He also pays tribute to his wife and children, who share his passion for racing and livestock.
“We were the ones who raised Romney for 30 years, but the old fashioned way,” said Jeffries. “Each ewe has a pedigree card. Seven hundred ewes will take four days to get into their breeding flock and Dad will do it all and we’ve learned. I remember Dad and what he taught us.”
Legarto’s victory in the Australian Guineas (G1) at Flemington in March was a clear highlight for Jeffries, which saw stout Proisir step off the canvas from a near-impossible position.
“Like Ken Kelso (the coach), we were really proud of her and thought she ran a good race, couldn’t get past it and she would run in fourth or fifth. That last 100 meters was divine. My heart skipped a beat. I don’t know how she did it but she was brilliant,” he said.
Jeffries said Saturday afternoons involve sitting in front of Trackside TV watching races with his newly grown kids.
“The old man with the genealogy pages was sitting in front of him on a Saturday afternoon, there’s no doubt about it and everyone has to be quiet,” he said.
Novara Park’s Luigi Muollo was unable to attend the awards ceremony as he is currently in the United States, but is represented by Don Edwards, who received the title of group 1 breeder for both detonated and Lucky Sweynesse, with the latter being voted Horse of the Year.
“Luigi would love to be here tonight,” Edwards said. “This is what he’s trying to achieve and he’s already achieved it, so it goes on and on for him.
“Madonna Mia is Sweynesse’s pony and then she’s going to Savabeel.”
One of the more memorable speeches of the night was given by John Thompson of Rich Hill Stud, who is also the president of the New Zealand Purebred Breeders Association.
The likeable Thompson was voted Personality of the Year on Entain NZTBA and lived up to the criteria, amusing audiences with the mistakes of working in the United States as a young purebred enthusiast with longtime friend and renowned breeder Gordon Cunningham.
Brad Molander, the aspiring manager of Wentwood Grange, was also recognized as Mary Lynne Ryan Young Achiever on a memorable night for the New Zealand livestock industry.
