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The Chosen One sparkles in Thorndon Mile

A late nomination to contest the Group One feature at Trentham on Saturday paid dividends for the connections of quality performer The Chosen One as the Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman-trained runner scored a stunning victory in the Gr.1 Harcourts Thorndon Mile (1600m).Having his first start since running a gallant fifth in the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) back in November, the six-year-old Savabeel entire looked well suited under the set weights and penalties conditions of the race, having to car...

Thurlow pleased with Guineas hope despite unorthodox campaign

One of the more intriguing runners in Saturday’s Gr.1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton is the Bill Thurlow-trained And We Danced. The daughter of Wrote will enter the classic at just her third raceday start, having broken maiden ranks as a juvenile back in May, before a set-back meant the filly has had just one further start, a second placing over 1400m at Hawera behind White Noise late last month. While admitting it has been a race against time to get the Kurt Gil...

First NZ winner for Wrote

Highview Stud stallion Wrote recorded his first New Zealand win as a sire when the Kurt Gillovic-bred And We Danced was victorious in the Yara Fertiliser 1100 at Hastings on Wednesday. The Bill Thurlow-trained two-year-old got back early after only being fair away for jockey Sarah Macnab. Turning for home they were met by a wall of horses, but a pocket opened with 250m to go and she was able to let down and get up by a short head over Express Desire. Highview Stud principal Brent Gillovic was pl...

Wrote filly impresses with trial win.

Highivew’s resident stallion Wrote was credited with his first trial winner last week. The ease in which the two-year-old filly claimed her victory in the 1000m heat at Waverley came as no surprise to trainer Bill Thurlow who has a good opinion of the daughter of Simply Boogie. “She had been to a couple of jumpouts and done a similar thing,” he said. “She had shown us a bit of ability so we were expecting her to run pretty well. “She is a very good type, she has a bit of strength and ...

Highview Returns to Boutique Operation

Highview Stud stallion Wrote will stand his fifth season at stud at an unchanged fee of $5,000 + GST this coming breeding season. The Group One winning son of High Chaparral has enjoyed good patronage in his initial seasons at stud, covering 338 mares across four seasons, with his eldest crop of two-year olds. On the back of strong yearling sale results in 2020, he covered 95 mares last season. “The feedback from trainers to date has been very positive on him. The underlying comment coming thr...

Champion stayer Let’s Elope for Hall of Fame induction

Let’s Elope, one of the great racemares in Melbourne Cup history, has earned induction to the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame.Already a member of the Australian Racing Hall of Fame, Let’s Elope will take her place alongside fellow New Zealand-bred greats of the turf at the Hall of Fame induction dinner in Hamilton on the evening of May 2. Previous inductees with the Melbourne Cup on their CV are Carbine (1890), Phar Lap (1930), Rising Fast (1954), Might And Power (1997) and Ethereal (2001), ...

The Chosen One a brave Cup fourth

New Zealand-trained stayer The Chosen One (NZ) (Savabeel) finished a gallant fourth in Tuesday’s Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) won by the Joseph O’Brien-trained Twilight Payment (Teofilo).O’Brien’s father Aidan again played second fiddle to his son, with Tiger Moth (Galileo) finishing runner-up, reminiscent of the 2017 Melbourne Cup, when Joseph’s Rekindling (High Chaparral) denied Aidan’s Johannes Vermeer (Galileo).Perennial Cup placegetter Prince Of Arran finished third ahea...

Nadal remains undefeated

For the first time in 79 years the Kentucky Derby was not run on the first Saturday in May. In 1945, a ban on horse racing due to World War II postponed the famed race until June. This year restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic have forced the 146th edition of the race, sponsored by Woodford Reserve, to be postponed until Saturday, September 5. So, while no one was trackside at Churchill Downs on Saturday all eyes were on the racing at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas, where key Derby contende...

Wrote 2020 brochure now available online

High Chaparral's most precocious Group One winning son, standing at Highview in 2020 for a fee of $5,000 +GST. To view our 2020 Wrote brochure online click here. ...

Zabeel mares join Highview broodmare band

Brent Gillovic is pleased to have recently added two well-bred Zabeel mares to Highview’s broodmare band.  Gillovic purchased Kilfenora for $22,000 and Tuesday’s Child for $12,250 from Cambridge Stud via Gavelhouse.com’s March 16 auction.  “I was really excited to secure two Zabeel mares of this quality for such a reasonable price,” Gillovic said.  “While were facing unprecedented times, it presented a unique opportunity to buy into these families.” Tuesday’s Child...

Nadal’s connection to WROTE

Undefeated Kentucky Derby hopeful Nadal (Blame) has created a lot of excitement in the U.S.A. where he has won his three starts to date including the Gr.2 San Vincente Stakes and the Gr.2 Rebel Stakes (a Road to the Kentucky Derby prep race).  Currently in seventh position on the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard with 50 points, and with a TimeFormUS racing of 120, Nadal has been described as abundantly talented and among the best three-year-olds of his generation.  “We were hoping for that...

Nudge Bar a popular winner

Bullbars gelding Nudge Bar was a popular winner of the last race on Mornington Cup Day on Saturday.  Held up for a run at Moonee Valley the week prior, jockey Thomas Stockdale had no issues getting the four-year-old clear to win the Neds Same Race Multi Handicap (1600m). “Last start he was very stiff,” said Stockdale. “I just couldn’t get out but today we drew perfectly (barrier 2) and had the economical run.” Stockdale said he was happy to ride a winner for trainer Peter Gelagoti...

Puro Blanco back in the winners’ circle

Grey mare Puro Blanco registered the second win of her career at Tampa Bay Downs in Florida on Saturday.  The Monica McGoey owned and trained mare was ridden by Daniel Centeno to win the race run over one mile and fourth yards, coming home three wide to reel in leader One Slick Fact on the line.  Bred by Northwest Stud, Puro Blanco is by Wrote out of the Exchange Rate (Danzig) mare White Hands. Puro Blanco is Wrote’s 25th winner in the U.S.A where he served limited mares in Flor...

Wrote's progeny in hot demand at Karaka 2020

BOOK 2 AVERAGE PRICE $61,667 (More than 12x his $5,000 fee) We were rapt with resident sire, WROTE's sale results at Karaka, his first Southern Hemisphere yearling sale. The Gr.1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winning son of High Chaparral's only Book 1 representative sold for $50,000.  He just missed out on the leading first season sire (three or more sold) title for Book 2 where his progeny averaged $61,667, just $833 less than the leader.  In the Book 3 sale his five fil...

Gillovic buoyed by Wrote reception

Highview's Brent Gillovic is over the moon with the reception first season sire Wrote has received at Karaka this week.The Group One winning son of High Chaparral’s sole Book 1 representative sold for $50,000, while his six yearlings sold in the Book 2 session of New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale averaged $62,000, with two colts selling for $80,000 each.“They have sold fantastically through Book 2 and we just sold a filly in Book 3 for $24,000, so it’s great,” Gillovic sa...

Beauden best on favourite track

Tuhikaramea visitor Beauden (NZ) (Bullbars) made light work of his 59kg topweight as he took out the Listed Japac Homes FastTrack $5k Marton Cup (2200m) on his favourite Awapuni track. The Team Rogerson-trained galloper had won five times from just seven outings at the Palmerston North circuit before Saturday and added a sixth victory and his first at stakes level with a comprehensive performance in the hands of regular rider Ryan Elliot. Send out a $2 favourite off the back of a gritt...

Wrote yearlings impress ahead of Karaka

Highview Stud Manager Brent Gillovic is looking forward to Karaka later this month where yearlings by resident stallion Wrote will be offered in New Zealand for the first time. Gillovic is heading into the sale buoyed by the feedback he has received from bloodstock agents and trainers.“They are lovely horses and I have been singing their praises since we weaned them,” he said. “I think it is the first time trainers have laid their eyes on them and the comments have been extremely...

Karaka First Crop Sire – Wrote

Highview Stud stallion Wrote will be represented by his first crop of yearlings at Karaka next month.The Irish-bred Wrote won three of his nine starts for Aidan O’Brien including the Gr.1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (1609m). The only Group One-winning two-year-old son of High Chaparral was also placed at Group Two level in the Royal Lodge Stakes (1609m), the UAE Derby (1900m) at Meydan and in the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial (2012m) at Leopardstown in Ireland. BOOK 1 YearlingsBOOK ...

Ninth win for son of WROTE

Four-year-old gelding Vincero won the ninth race of his career at Gulfstream Park in Florida on Friday. Bred by Northwest Stud, Vincero is out of the dual race-winning and stakes placed Congrats (A.P. Indy) mare The Marikutana. Leading jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. had Vincero close early before he moved out three wide on the turn to poke his head in front of Early Entry a quarter-mile out racing head to head with him before edging away in the 100 metres.  View vision of the win via trainer Safe Jo...

Gamay Oaks-bound after Ethereal Stakes win

New Zealand Bloodstock sale graduate Gamay (Pierro) is a step closer to delivering on a long-range plan in the VRC Oaks after winning an important lead-up race at Caulfield. The Archie Alexander-trained Gamay held off a strong challenge from the previously unbeeaten Vegas Jewel (NZ) (Shocking) to prevail by a long head in Saturday’s Group Three New Zealand Bloodstock Ethereal Stakes (2000m), with VRC Oaks Trial winner Celestial Falls (Hinchinbrook) another 1-1/4-lengths away third.Th...

Field Marshal stays undefeated in three starts

While owner Jayven See is at the Gold Coast, wife Kathy is enjoying the spotlight of leading in another winner, Field Marshal (NZ) (Sweet Orange) in the last race in Singapore, the S$50,000 Class 4 Division 2 race over 1200m on Friday night. See, the principal owner of the Middle Kingdom Stable, is in Australia, but had his eyes peeled in front of his TV to watch his undefeated three-year-old son of Sweet Orange attempt to maintain his invincibility. That he did, but in a hair-raising fashion th...

A Weekend Double for Wrote

As the last of Wrote’s first crop of NZ foals arrive at Highview, he was represented by two winners over the weekend in the US. Vincero (ex The Marikutana (Congrats)) continued his great season notching his fifth win from eight starts in winning over 1,400m on the dirt at Gulfstream Park West.  A couple of races later, Armonico (ex Camp Surprise (Forest Camp)) broke his maiden with a storming finish. Vincero who secured his fifth win in the last six starts was sent out as favourite and ju...

Double For Wrote Over Weekend

The winners continue to flow for Wrote in the US.  In the weekend just passed, he was represented by two more of his progeny recording their first wins.First up was his three-year-old filly Play That Tone (Wrote - Ben's Tune (Concorde's Tune)) who broke her maiden over 1,700m on the turf at Gulfstream Park.  Play That Tone was having her ninth career start having previously recorded two seconds and a third.Looking to go one place better than her last start close-up second, Play That To...

Three Winners in Four Days for Wrote

It may be a case of "Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better" between our stallions as Wrote has had a great start to July following on from Bullbars' seven winners in June. In the past four days, three of the progeny from Wrote's first season as a stallion in the US have greeted the judge.  Toss in another couple of seconds and a third and it really has been an exceptional start to the month of July. Wrote's first winner for the month was his filly Irish Letters (ex Kawaguchi [Fusaichi Pegasu...

Seven wins for Bullbars in June

As he enters his fourth season at stud BULLBARS continues to produce winners on both sides of the Tasman and further afield from small foal crops. He’s proving to be a versatile stallion with winners on a range of tracks, over a variety of distances (from 1000m to 2400m) and he is well represented by both sexes. Standing at the reduced fee $5,000 +GST in 2018 he offers breeders great value. Bullbars Seven wins in June: 3/6 Ballarat: Minoan Spirit (Amazing Spirit, Montjeu)Breeder: Hong Kong Br...