Spring Stakes the Highlight of Special NZB Day at Newcastle
11 November 2022
For the second straight year, New Zealand Bloodstock is teaming up with the Newcastle Jockey Club to stage a lucrative New Zealand-themed raceday at Newcastle Racecourse this Saturday.
NZB is proud to be at the forefront of developing the innovative concept, playing an integral part as the principal sponsor of the entire meeting as well as multiple undercard races.
The richest race of the standalone meeting is the A$1m The Hunter (1300m), supported by the A$200,000 Group Three New Zealand Bloodstock Spring Stakes (1600m), the A$300,000 NZB Insurance The Beauford (2300m), the A$150,000 NZB Airfreight Max Lees Classic (900m), the A$150,000 DoubleTree by Hilton Karaka Fillies & Mares (1400m), the A$150,000 Alf Kneebone Trans-Tasman Trophy (1850m), the A$150,000 Karaka 2023 Benchmark 88 Handicap (1300m), the A$150,000 NZB Jack Newton Legend Mile (1600m) and the A$120,000 Gavelhouse.com Midway (1600m).
A talented field of 13 will shoot for valuable black type in the Spring Stakes, including Karaka graduates Saveadateforme (NZ) (Savabeel) and Kazalark (NZ) (Vadamos). Proven blacktype performer Basquiat (Snitzel), meanwhile, is part-owned by New Zealand Bloodstock principal Sir Peter Vela.
The Spring Stakes will be run as Race 7 at Newcastle with a start time of 4pm local time (6pm New Zealand time).
Adding another dimension to the day is the Alf Kneebone Trans-Tasman Trophy, where Australian-born and New Zealand-born trainers will compete head-to-head. The race, named after the highly respected racing scribe Alf Kneebone, celebrates the talented trainers produced by both Australia and New Zealand. The winning trainer of the race will receive a NZ$5,000 NZB credit towards the Karaka 2022 yearling sale.
| # | HORSE | DRAW | COMMENTS | SALE | PURCHASER | TRAINER | JOCKEY |
| 1 | Basquiat | 7 | Fifth in last season's Group One J J Atkins (1600m), talented colt Basquiat (Snitzel) has measured up in strong fields this spring with placings in the Group Three Up & Coming Stakes (1300m) and Group Three Ming Dynasty Quality (1400m) before taking on the cream of the crop in races like the Group One Golden Rose (1400m). He would be a fitting winner of this race, being part-owned by New Zealand Bloodstock principal Sir Peter Vela. | Chris Waller | Nash Rawiller | ||
| 2 | Robusto | 12 | Robusto (Churchill) was unplaced in four attempts at stakes level as a juvenile, but has made real progress this spring - culminating in a last-start win at Randwick on November 1. The gelding has the services of superstar expat Kiwi jockey James McDonald in this race. | Chris Waller | James McDonald | ||
| 3 | Saveadateforme | 10 | Kiwi syndicators Go Racing paid $220,000 to buy Saveadateforme (NZ) (Savabeel) from Book 1 of Karaka 2021. Fourth on debut in early October, the colt has since put together back-to-back wins at Kembla Grange and Goulburn. | Karaka 2021, Book 1 | Go Racing, $220,000 | John O'Shea | Tommy Berry |
| 4 | Rediener | 11 | Redoute's Choice colt Rediener began his career with a win and three placings from his first four starts, then stepped up to stakes level with an eighth in the Group Three Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on October 29. | Chris Waller | Hugh Bowman | ||
| 5 | Token Capitalist | 4 | Debut winner Token Capitalist (Capitalist) has had mixed fortunes this spring, finishing second at Newcastle on September 24 before losing his rider at the same venue on October 15. He turned things around well in his last start at Randwick on October 22, finishing fourth in the Group Two Callander Presnell (1600m). | Annabel Neasham | Chad Schofield | ||
| 6 | Kazalark | 1 | Kazalark (NZ) Vadamos) was a $115,000 purchase by Mulcaster Bloodstock and Chris Waller Racing from Book 1 of Karaka 2021. Sixth on debut at Rosehill in late September, he took a big step forward with a win at Hawkesbury in his only other start. | Karaka 2021, Book 1 | Mulcaster Bloodstock/Chris Waller Racing, $115,000 | Chris Waller | Brenton Avdulla |
| 7 | Kandos Cosmos | 13 | Kandos Cosmos (Stratum Star) has placed in two of his four starts to date, including a close last-start third at Warwick Farm on October 19. He has also finished close up behind subsequent Group One winner Madame Pommery (No Nay Never). | Terry Croft | Jay Ford | ||
| 8 | Pierossa | 2 | Pierro filly Pierossa has been a steady improver in her spring campaign, finishing fourth at Newcastle and second at Kembla Grange before a strong last-start maiden win at Gosford. | Peter & Paul Snowden | Sam Clipperton | ||
| 9 | So You Battle | 9 | Impressive at the trials, So You Battle (So You Think) won by two lengths on debut before running seventh as favourite at Kembla Grange on November 1. | Nathan Doyle | Kerrin McEvoy | ||
| 10 | Marillier | 3 | Marillier (Deep Field) has been another of the spring improvers in this field, kicking off with a sixth and a seventh before scoring by two lengths in her last start on October 29. | Tracey Bartley | Tim Clark | ||
| 11 | Starliner | 6 | Arrowfield Stud's Starliner (Real Impact) has had only two career starts to date, finishing third on debut before winning by two and a half lengths on October 30. She is a full-sister to Group One performer Sky Lab (Real Impact). | Paul Messara | Regan Bayliss | ||
| 12 | Miss Faberge | 8 | A half-sister to Group One winners Criterion (NZ) (Sebring) and Comin' Through (Fastnet Rock), the John Sargent-trained Miss Faberge (Russian Revolution) finished fourth in last season's Group Two Sweet Embrace Stakes (1200m) and Group Three Magic Night Stakes (1200m). She is still a maiden after eight starts, but has placed in her last two. | John Sargent | Rachel King | ||
| 13 | Talento | 5 | Talento (Fighting Sun) has had five starts, headed by a second placing at Goulburn in May. | Paul Murray | Jason Collett |