29 April 2026
Novara Park secures globe-trotting Group One performer
Novara Park Stud in Cambridge has announced that Group One performer and multiple Group Two winner The Foxes will join the stallion roster this season at an introductory fee of 10,000+GST.
A high-class son of Churchill, The Foxes was a stakes winner every year in a career that spanned the ages of two and five, competing at the highest level for trainer Andrew Balding.
Bred by Barronstown Stud, The Foxes is one of six stakes winners among 12 winners from blue hen Tanaghum, whose other stakes-winning offspring include Group One winner Matterhorn, Group Two winner Bangkok, Group Three winner Tactic and Listed scorers Perotan and Yaazy.
Bought for 440,000 guineas (NZ$1.15 million) as a yearling, The Foxes won five of his 17 starts with a further four placings, with his victories ranging from 1400m to 2100m.
A winner over 1400m and a mile at two, The Foxes was a strong winner of the Gr.2 Royal Lodge Stakes (1600m), defeating subsequent Group One winner Dubai Mile.
At three, The Foxes won the Gr.2 Dante Stakes (2100m), defeating White Birch, before finishing fifth in the Gr.1 Derby (2400m) won by Auguste Rodin.
Runner-up in the Gr.1 Belmont Derby (2000m), The Foxes returned to the UK to finish fourth in the Gr.1 Juddmonte International (2050m).
Campaigned at the highest level internationally, The Foxes was also fourth in the Gr.1 Hong Kong Cup (2000m) behind star gallopers Romantic Warrior, Liberty Island and Tastiera.
Demonstrating his enduring class and toughness, The Foxes produced a superb effort at his second-to-last start when finishing a close second to the nine-time Group One winner Rebel’s Romance in the $2.5 million Amir Trophy (2300m), Qatar’s premier race.
The flashy son of Churchill signed off in style by winning the Gr.2 Huxley Stakes (2100m) at his final start with a sizzling turn of foot.
“The Foxes is living proof that legendary blood still breeds true at the very highest level,” Novara Park Stud’s Luigi Muollo said.
“He retires to stud with an outstanding race record that marks him as one of the most consistent and high-class middle-distance performers of his generation, having competed successfully in England, Ireland, North America, Hong Kong, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
“The Foxes was exceptionally consistent and won at Group or stakes level in every year of his racing career.
“If you can breed horses that can race over multiple seasons, that’s really going to keep the breeders interested as well as the buyers.
“He is a striking bay stallion of exceptional quality — athletic, well-balanced, and powerfully built with a commanding presence, a beautiful shoulder, and the scope and substance to stamp his stock with speed, stamina, and commercial appeal.”
His sire Churchill has quickly established himself as a highly successful son of Galileo at stud, with the dual Guineas winner the sire of elite level scorers Vadeni and Blue Rose Cen in Europe and Gr.1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) winner Attrition in Australia.
The Foxes is out of Tanaghum, a Listed-placed daughter of Darshaan who in turn is out of Gr.1 Irish 1000 Guineas (1600m) heroine Mehthaaf, a descendant of the legendary blue hen Fall Aspen.
“The Foxes is bred on the exact same Sadler’s Wells sire line over a Darshaan mare that produced the outstanding sire and sire-of-sires High Chaparral,” Muollo said.
“Breeders will also love the depth of this pedigree. He carries a second dam by the legendary Nureyev, the same influential broodmare sire that powered Zabeel to greatness.
“He brings not only his own proven Group race ability and international class, but also the proven sire family running through a remarkable broodmare line whose progeny continue to deliver elite performers across multiple generations.
“At his fee of $10,000+GST, he represents outstanding value for a proven international Group performer, and importantly, he’s exactly the type of tough, versatile stallion New Zealand breeders have built their success on.” - NZ Racing Desk
Walker amassing a strong Trans-Tasman spring squad
Trainer Mark Walker enjoyed good success on both sides of the Tasman last Saturday, headed by the narrow Gr.1 Sangster Stakes (1200m) victory of Geegees Mistruth (Wordsmith).
The four-year-old daughter of Wordsmith is bred and raced by Elizabeth Geard Racing and transferred to Walker’s Cranbourne stable after six wins in Tasmania for Stuart Gandy.
Walker was delighted to land a second Australian Group One victory in the past month, following Belle Cheval’s (NZ) (Savabeel) victory in the Gr.1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) in Sydney.
“It was great that both Belle Cheval and Geegees Mistruth have won Group One races in outside colours, which helps reiterate that we are a public training stable and we've already picked up a horse because of it and hopefully there are more to come,” Walker said.
Despite the blanket finish to the Sangster, Walker was confident Geegees Mistruth had saluted.
“Even though it was very close, I actually thought she had won as she's got a great big head on her and I thought she had her head down on the line,” Walker said.
“She's gone out for a spell now and we'll have her back for the spring. She'll be a five-year-old and more mature, so hopefully she can measure up to weight-for-age.
“I haven't had a chance to think about a program yet and we've got plenty of time, but races like the Manikato (Gr.1, 1200m) will come into play.”
While Walker enjoyed a good day in Adelaide, where two-year-old filly Wonderful Sky (Ole Kirk) also finished runner-up in the Gr.3 Breeders’ Stakes (1200m), the New Zealand stable, where he trains in partnership with Sam Bergerson, continued to forge clear in the premiership as some quality types were unearthed.
Well-related three-year-old filly Drops of God (NZ) (Hello Youmzain) was an impressive winner of the Gr.3 Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m), enhancing her record to three wins, and a Group Three placing behind Belle Cheval, from just four starts.
“It was a great win because she had to do it tough from that outside barrier and work at both ends of the race, which was impressive,” Walker said.
“We are a little bit undecided yet as to what she's going to do next. Sam and I have given a few ideas to Greg Tomlinson (breeder and part-owner) and his team. There's not a lot left for her in New Zealand, so the options would be to either spell or go to Australia.
Walker has got the daughter of Hello Youmzain and outstanding broodmare Distinctive Lass pegged as a 1200m to 1400m horse.
“Hello Youmzain is a young stallion that is really showing something and they're just getting better and better,” he said.
“A long-term goal would be a race like the Railway (Gr.1, 1200m) but it's just what we do with her between now and then.
“Getting Australian black-type would be very beneficial for her as a valuable broodmare into the future.
Group Two winner and multiple Group One performer Qali Al Farrasha (NZ) (Almanzor) will head to the paddock following her gallant second placing in the Gr.2 Travis Stakes (2000m).
“We're going to give her another year in training,” Walker said. “She'll have a good break now and there are many races that are suitable for her next season again.”
Meanwhile, $480,000 Ole Kirk colt System Of Play (Ole Kirk) was ultra impressive on debut, coming from back in the field to score convincingly in the Beyond Water 2YO (1200m), with the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale graduate now being set for classic targets.
“He’s a nice horse. He relaxed beautifully back in the field and he rounded them up efficiently,” Walker said.
“He's gone for a break and will be set for the 2000 Guineas (Gr.1, 1600m) at Riccarton in November.”
While System Of Play will be aimed at the Riccarton feature, Group One winning Te Akau juveniles Seize The Day (I Am Invincible) and Lara Antipova (Russian Revolution) are destined to race from the Cranbourne stable in spring.
“We have the Caulfield Guineas (Gr.1, 1600m) in mind for Seize The Day. Now he's got a Group One at home, it’s important to add to his CV as a colt by I Am Invincible and target an Australian Group One.
“Lara Antipova had a temperature the day before she was due to fly over for a Group Three at Flemington, so we spelled her and she'll be at the Cranbourne barn about mid-June. She'll have the short-course three-year-old spring races in mind over here.”
Walker confirmed that the $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m) at Randwick is on the cards for Belle Cheval, who was beaten a whisker by unbeaten filly Well Written (Written Tycoon) in the NZB Kiwi, with the pair both facing the daunting task of taking on fellow rising four-year-old Sheza Alibi (Saxon Warrior).
“I went and saw Belle Cheval yesterday, she's spelling on the Mornington Peninsula and she's doing well,” Walker said.
“We're still getting afternoons at 24 or 25 degrees; it's a beautiful spell of weather which really helps.
“The Golden Eagle is definitely her target as a spring four-year-old.”
Walker said it was pleasing to see horses from New Zealand travel to Australia and frank the form.
“We’ve had a great year. The fact that Ohope Wins (NZ) (Ocean Park) won the Australian Oaks (Gr.1, 2400m), Belle Cheval won the Vinery (Gr.1, 2000m) and even Jigsaw (Manhattan Rain) who won the Railway (Gr.1, 1200m) in New Zealand and then he has come back over here and won the William Reid (Gr.1, 1200m) and The Quokka (A$5 million, 1200m), it’s really important,” he said.
“There are a few races at home on warnings and the more horses that can come to Australia and are competitive, the better it is for our whole industry.” - NZ Racing Desk
Proisir heads 2026 Rich Hill roster
Rich Hill Stud has announced 2026 service fees for its strong roster of proven Group One sires, once again led by champion stallion Proisir.
“It has been another exceptional season for our stallions, who continue to deliver outstanding results for breeders both on the racetrack and in the sale ring,” Managing Director John Thompson said.
“We are proud to present a line-up of proven sires that have achieved success across all our major markets.”
Proisir has further cemented his position among the leading stallions in the Southern Hemisphere, siring four individual Group One performers this season, including outstanding multiple elite level winners Waitak and Legarto.
His success has also been strongly reflected in the sales arena. At Karaka Book 1, Proisir was represented by the $600,000 Trelawney Stud colt out of Ruqqaya, one of the sale highlights.
In Australia, leading breeder Yarraman Park Stud capitalised on his popularity with their yearling filly out of Zee Falls selling for A$700,000 at the Inglis Easter Sale.
Proisir’s yearlings have consistently commanded elite prices across major sales, averaging $194,000 during Book 1 at Karaka, A$303,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and A$366,000 at Inglis Easter Sale.
Breeders supporting Proisir this year are well positioned for the future, with the superbly bred progeny from his most recent crops set to hit the track. He had 52 yearlings catalogued in Karaka Book 1 in 2025 and 54 in 2026, alongside strong representation at both the Magic Millions and Inglis Easter Sale.
“These are significantly upgraded books in terms of pedigree compared to his earlier crops, and we are confident he will continue to build on what is already an outstanding stud record,” Thompson added.
Proisir’s 2026 service fee has been set at $65,000 + GST.
Satono Aladdin continues to deliver
Rich Hill will again stand Satono Aladdin in conjunction with Japanese powerhouse Shadai Stallion Station.
The richly bred Group One-winning son of Deep Impact continues to strengthen his reputation as one of Australasia’s leading young stallions.
He has maintained an impressive 12.4 per cent stakes winners to runners strike rate among his Australasian progeny, underlining his consistency and class.
Satono Aladdin’s yearlings continue to deliver excellent returns for breeders across the major Australasian sales.
His Karaka Book 1 highlight was a $500,000 filly offered by Curraghmore out of Avitso, while in Australia Widden Stud’s filly out of Legramor realised A$575,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
At the Karaka Ready to Run Sale, Riversley Park’s colt out of Shezdelicious sold for $675,000.
Across the key sales, his progeny averaged $201,000 at Karaka Book 1, A$412,000 at the Magic Millions, and A$192,000 at the Inglis Easter Sale.
Satono Aladdin has more than 120 foals across each of his two crops now approaching their two and three-year-old seasons, representing his largest and best credentialled books of mares to date.
“We expect Satono Aladdin’s profile to rise significantly over the coming racing seasons. He now has strong numbers of well-bred progeny, placed with many of Australasia’s leading stables,” Thompson said.
Satono Aladdin’s 2026 service fee has been set at $45,000 + GST.
Ace High continues his rise
A dual Group One-winning son of High Chaparral, Ace High continues his strong ascent through the New Zealand sire ranks.
This season, he has produced 10 individual Australasian stakes performers, including outstanding Group One winner She’s A Dealer, high-class Australian Group Two winner She’s A Hustler and Listed Anzac Day Stakes two-year-old winner Blind Raise.
Ace High’s progeny have also performed well in the sale ring and was represented by a top price of $380,000 at the 2025 Karaka Ready to Run Sale, where he averaged $171,000.
With more limited representation at the yearling sales, he still achieved a top price of $160,000 at Karaka Book 2 for the filly out of Maenoha, delivering an excellent result for breeder Seaton Park.
“Ace High’s progeny are continuing to show they can perform at the elite level as they mature and step up in distance. We are very excited about his future and expect his upward trajectory to continue,” Thompson said.
Ace High’s 2026 service fee has been set at $15,000 + GST.
Shocking delivers consistent results
Shocking, a dual Group One-winning son of Street Cry, has enjoyed another outstanding season, reinforcing his reputation as a reliable source of high-quality racehorses.
A proven commercial sire, Shocking continues to produce tough, consistent performers and recent flagbearers El Vencedor and Here To Shock have both competed with distinction at the highest level, while Azazel added further success as a stakes-winning three-year-old in Victoria.
Shocking’s progeny have also delivered strong returns across the yearling, Ready to Run and trial markets over the past season. He was the leading sire by average (three or more sold) at this year’s Karaka Book 2 Yearling Sale, achieving an average of $121,667.
“Shocking is an established sire of high-class racehorses. He offers breeders access to a proven stallion at exceptional value,” Thompson said.
Shocking’s 2026 service fee has been set at $8000 + GST. - NZ Racing Desk
NZ Racing Desk
Paul Vettise
NZ Racing Desk
