NZB Success at NZ Thoroughbred Racing Awards

New Zealand Bloodstock enjoyed a successful evening at New Zealand's Thoroughbred Racing Awards on Friday night, with Mufhasa (NZ), Wall Street (NZ) and King's Rose (NZ) earning three of the coveted titles.

A triple Group 1 winner last season with victories in the Group 1 Windsor Park Plate, the Group 1 Spring Classic and the Group 1 Emirates Stakes in Australia, Wall Street (NZ) (Montjeu x Villa Wanda) was one of the dominant performers last spring. His victories secured him the New Zealand Champion Middle-Distance award for the season.

Bred by C W Wong and owned by G G Syndicate Ltd, G K V Holdings Ltd & M A Head, Wall Street was bought by Paul Moroney Bloodstock from Te Mania Thoroughbreds in the 2006 Karaka Premier Sale for $100,000 and has won over $1.6 million.

Now a seven-year-old, Wall Street is looking to go one better this year as he holds a nomination for the Group 1 Cox Plate, a race his trainer Jeff Lynds has been eyeing up for this horse for some time.

Wall Street resumed in the Group 1 Makfi Challenge Stakes on Saturday and is set to defend his title in the Group 1 Windsor Park Plate on September 17 where he is quoted at $5 with the TAB.

In the New Zealand sprinting ranks, it was hard for the panel to look past the achievements of Mufhasa (NZ) (Pentire x Sheila Cheval) awarding him New Zealand Champion Sprinter.

New Zealand's Champion Middle-Distance Horse Wall Street (NZ)

Successfully completing the Group 1 Telegraph Handicap/Group 1 Waikato Draught Sprint double, a double that helped him take the Horse of the Year honours in 2008/09, Mufhasa has been a standout sprinter for the last three seasons.

Bred by Colin and John Thompson, Mufhasa has been an outstanding ambassador for the Karaka Select Sale where he was bought by David Archer from Rich Hill Stud in 2006 for $50,000. Mufhasa has now won over $2.2 million from his 15 career victories.

His Group 1 victory on Saturday in the Makfi Challenge Stakes certainly backs up his award and, at seven years of age, shows he has lost none of his ability or tactical speed.

The New Zealand Horse of the Year title was predictably taken by the deserving Jimmy Choux (NZ) (Thorn Park x Cierzo) who had an outstanding season on the track. A dual Group 1 winner in New Zealand in the 2000 Guineas and the Derby, his win in the Rosehill Guineas in Sydney confirmed his status as a champion colt.

The awards dinner also saw King's Rose (NZ) (Redoute's Choice x Nureyev's Girl) crowned the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year after her stunning sequence of victories throughout her three-year-old season. To earn her crown she had to amass the most points of all the three-year-old fillies around the country across the ten black-type races of the New Zealand Bloodstock Series. With 34 points King's Rose was the dominant victor, 16 points ahead of her nearest rival. Te Akau Stud's David Ellis and trainer Jason Bridgman were on hand to accept the award for owner Dr Gene Tsoi.

King's Rose opened her account in Australia with confidence posting a big win in the Group 2 New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday for her new trainer Peter Moody.

For a full list of results from Friday night's New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Awards, click here.