NZB

09/09/2026

This week marks the beginning of two prestigious NZB-sponsored series for three-year-old fillies, whose first legs have taken place a week apart at two of New Zealand’s most iconic racing venues. 🏇

The NZB Filly of the Year Series began at Ellerslie last Saturday with the Group Three Sunline Vase (1200m), and this Saturday marks the first leg of the NZB Southern Filly of the Year Series with the running of the $80,000 Listed NZB Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) at Riccarton.

The Southern Filly Series consists of four Listed races in the South Island – the Canterbury Belle Stakes, the $90,000 Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes (1400m) at Wingatui on Boxing Day, the $80,000 Listed NZB Insurance Stakes (1600m) at Riccarton on April 10, and the $80,000 Listed Warstep Stakes (2000m) at Riccarton on April 24.

The winner of each race will earn 7 points, with 4 for second and 2 for third. The filly with the most points at the end of the series be the NZB Southern Filly of the Year, with a trophy presented to connections during the South Island Racing Awards the following September. The winners also receive an insurance policy from NZB Insurance to the value of $50,000 plus GST.

Read more 📰:

This week marks the beginning of two prestigious NZB-sponsored series for three-year-old fillies, whose first legs have taken place a week apart at two of New Zealand’s most iconic racing venues. The NZB Filly of the Year Series began at Ellerslie last Saturday with the Group Three Sunline Vase (1...

09/09/2026

Two years after securing her stable star Prioress (NZ) (Proisir) from Gavelhouse, Foxton trainer Suzy Gordon is putting the multiple black-type performer back on the online platform.

Prioress is part of the latest 39 Lot fortnightly auction, which is currently open for bidding with the first lot closing at 7pm NZT on Monday 14 September.

Read more here📰:

gavelhouse.com

Two years after securing her stable star Prioress from gavelhouse.com, Foxton trainer Suzy Gordon is putting the multiple black-type performer back on the online platform. Prioress is part of the latest 39 Lot fortnightly auction on gavelhouse.com, which is currently open for bidding with the first....

08/09/2026

NZB Mega Maiden Set to Get Underway 🏇 💥

NZB’s Mega Maiden Series is is set to continue for the 2026/27 season, with the first race scheduled for 11 September at Taupō Racing Club with Race 6 on the card.

A $25,000 bonus is struck if a Karaka Millions eligible horse, three years or older, wins one of the races in the Series. The winning owner(s) will receive $20,000 and the successful trainer $5,000. 💸

In contention for this weeks bonus' for connections are the following:

🐴Camila (NZ)(Savabeel) - Wexford Stables
🐴All On Black (NZ)(Proisir)- Pike Racing
🐴Bourbon And Soda (NZ) (Adrossan) - Marsh Racing
🐴Rip Tide (NZ) (Ocean Park) - Wexford Stables (on the ballot)

Best of luck to all connections 🍀

For the full Mega Maiden Series schedule visit: www.nzb.co.nz/maidenseries

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08/09/2026

Well Written Remains Unbeaten With Brilliant Group One Return 🏆🥂

New Zealand’s pin-up racehorse Well Written (Written Tycoon) has followed up her flawless three-year-old season with a perfect start at four, easily beating a quality field in the $400,000 Group One Proisir Plate (1400m) at Ellerslie on Saturday.

Well Written was a sale-topping $80,000 purchase by Stephen Marsh Racing and Dylan Johnson Bloodstock from the 2024 NZB National Online Yearling Sale. She now boasts a perfect seven-from-seven record and more than $2.84m in stakes – 35 times her purchase price.

“I’m proud, really proud,” Marsh said. “I was very nervous, because it’s hard for these four-year-old mares to take on the older horses.

Cartwright has been aboard for every single race of Well Written’s perfect seven.

“It is a little bit emotional to see her doing it at this level today, because she was still an unknown at weight-for-age,” he said.

“We enjoyed a lovely run, although she was racing on to the heels of Alabama Lass. So I popped out 100 metres earlier than I wanted to, because I wanted to keep her in a beautiful rhythm. When she kicked into gear, it was all over.

“If she can do that to the field that she was against today, I think she definitely has the quality to be right there in Australia and race at the top of her game.”

Read the full story here: www.nzb.co.nz/news/well-written-remains-unbeaten-with-brilliant-return

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07/09/2026

Well Written Claims Top Honours at New Zealand Horse of the Year Awards 🏆

Sunday evening’s New Zealand Thoroughbred Horse of the Year Awards in Auckland capped a big weekend for unbeaten superstar NZB graduate Well Written (Written Tycoon), who was named Horse of the Year and Champion Three-Year-Old for the 2025-26 season.

The other NZB graduate honoured during Sunday night’s awards was the recently retired standout mare Legarto (NZ) (Proisir), who was named Champion Middle-Distance Horse.

The NZTR Award for Outstanding Contribution to Racing went to the Williams family, represented by three generations of the family, including Sam and Dame Catriona Williams, Richard “Buzz” and Susie Williams, and Tom and Gay Williams. Their involvement in thoroughbred breeding and racing spans three generations and more than 85 years, with Little Avondale Stud now home to Champion sire Per Incanto, who won both the Dewar and Centaine Awards for the 2025–26 season.

The late Savabeel was named the 2026 recipient of the NZTR Award for Outstanding Global Achievement, recognising an extraordinary legacy on the track, at stud and in the sale ring. He went on to become a champion stallion at Waikato Stud, producing 36 individual Group One winners and 159 stakes winners, with his progeny achieving Group One success in Australia and helping him become Hong Kong’s leading sire by winners in 2018–19. Savabeel was named New Zealand’s champion sire ten times, while his progeny collected 16 Horse of the Year equine category awards. 🥂

Read the full story here 👉📰: www.nzb.co.nz/news/well-written-claims-top-honours-at-new-zealand-horse-of-the-year-awards

Marsh Racing | Highline Thoroughbreds | NZ Thoroughbred Breeders' Association | NZTR

07/09/2026

NZB Weanling Sale Graduate Stars at Yulong Racecourse 🇨🇳

NZB was proud to sponsor the 1 million RMB NZB 2YO Karaka Stakes (1200m) at Yulong Racecourse in China on Saturday, and the race was won by a graduate of the NZB National Weanling Sale.

Bu Xuan Er Zhan (NZ) (Proisir) is owned by Mr GS Liu, who bought the c**t for $60,000 from the Haunui Farm draft at the 2024 National Weanling Sale at Karaka.

NZB’s Andrew Seabrook and Alex Teng were on course to present to the winning connections of Bu Xuan Er Zhan, on what was the richest raceday in China.

"It was a pleasure for Andrew and myself to attend and be part of such an exciting race day here in China," commented NZB's Asia Bloodstock & Airfreight representative Alex Teng.

"We've met with lots of clients, who are looking forward to returning to Karaka very soon in search for quailty horses."

Read more here👉 📰: www.nzb.co.nz/news/nzb-weanling-sale-graduate-stars-at-yulong-racecourse

07/09/2026

Pounce (NZ) Puts Wexford Stables in NZB Filly of the Year Contention Again 💐

Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott have trained two of the last three winners of the NZB Filly of the Year Series, and Wexford Stables have made an early statement again in 2026-27 with Pounce (NZ) (Almanzor) winning the first leg of the series at Ellerslie on Saturday.

Pounce scored an emphatic win in the $150,000 Group Three Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Sunline Vase (1200m), earning 6 points to take an early lead in the NZB Filly of the Year Series.

That has been a familiar position for O’Sullivan and Scott in recent seasons, with Molly Bloom (NZ) (Ace High) taking the title in 2023-24 and Ohope Wins (NZ) (Ocean Park) topping the table last season.

The early headline act in Wexford’s 2026-27 contingent is Pounce, who they bought for $110,000 from the Book 1 draft of breeders Cambridge Stud at Karaka 2025. The promising filly has now had four starts for two wins and $111,950 in prize-money.

The second leg of the NZB Filly of the Year Series is the $150,000 Group Three Gold Trail Stakes (1200m), which will be run at Hastings on September 26.

Read more 🗞: www.nzb.co.nz/news/pounce-nz-puts-wexford-stables-in-nzb-filly-of-the-year-contention-again

07/09/2026

Karaka 2025 graduate Blind Raise (NZ) (Ace High) was a stakes winner as a two-year-old and has immediately done the same thing at three, with Saturday’s A$175,000 Listed McMahon’s Dairy McKenzie Stakes (1300m) at Sandown putting him on a Group One path this spring. 🏇🎉

Blind Raise was bred by The Oaks Stud, who offered him in Book 1 of Karaka 2025. He was bought by trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young for $70,000. He has now had four starts for three wins and A$258,725 in stakes.

Blind Raise won two of his three starts as a two-year-old including the Listed ANZAC Day Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on April 25.

“I learned from his jumpout leading into this that he’s a very good horse,” Shinn said. “He’s a lovely, big, scopey horse by Ace High, and he’s got a beautiful action on him and is quite light on his feet.

“We came here pretty confident, and it’s just nice to see him deliver.

Read more here:

Busuttin Racing |

Karaka 2025 graduate Blind Raise (NZ) (Ace High) was a stakes winner as a two-year-old and has immediately done the same thing at three, with Saturday’s A$175,000 Listed McMahon’s Dairy McKenzie Stakes (1300m) at Sandown putting him on a Group One path this spring. Blind Raise was bred by The Oa...

07/09/2026

Platinum Emperor (NZ) Reigns in NZB Open Championship 🏆

Platinum Emperor (NZ) (Sweynesse) had a richly deserved day in the Malaysian big-race spotlight on Saturday with his victory in the RM300,000 NZB Open Championship (1400m) at Selangor Turf Club - Official.

The lucrative race was restricted to graduates of NZB Sales. Platinum Emperor was offered by CH Bloodstock Ltd in Book 2 of Karaka 2021, where he was bought for $29,000.

Platinum Emperor spent the early part of his career in Macau, where he won eight of his 26 starts and the equivalent of more than NZ$320,000 in prize-money.

Read the full story here 📰: https://www.nzb.co.nz/news/platinum-emperor-nz-reigns-in-nzb-open-championship