New training partnership on the board
Hall of Fame trainer Graeme Rogerson and his wife Debbie have been joined in a training partnership by Clint Isdale, with the new entity off to a winning start on day one when talented staying mare Skymax ran out a strong winner of a Rating 72 event over 2000m at the Cambridge Synthetic on Wednesday.
“It was a great way to start of the new partnership with Clint,” Debbie Rogerson said.
“She needed that kill today and she has had no luck in her races. As a three-year-old she ran in top company without a win but going good races.
“She deserved to be favourite and I was pleased to see her keep going through the line and learn to win again.
“She has got good staying ability and we will keep going through the grades with her.”
With ten runners engaged, the new training partnership had a winner and six placings on a fruitful opening day.
Former Cambridge trainer Isdale, who prepared stakes winners Only Words and Knights Realm, said the move to Tuhikaramea has already been positive on a personal front.
“I was doing 120 hours a week by myself, and I have a little boy at home and he doesn’t care if I work that many hours or not, he just wants to play with his Dad when I get home,” Isdale said.
“We had an exodus of horses sent to Australia and Graeme just came knocking at the right time.
“My uncles were in Polar Success and Savabeel, so there has been a family connection for a long time, and he has welcomed my family into part of his.
“Graeme has always looked after me and I have done breakers for him in the past. I did a bit of work with Mascarpone back in the day when he won the Group One (Otaki WFA, 1600m) and we have had a great association.”
With the powers combined, the Rogerson-Isdale partnership has around 80 horses in work.
“Ever since I have known Graeme, he has been cutting back, but with the partnership we have gone from about 40 horses to around 80,” Isdale said.
“But it has been really good since I have been there.
“There are not too many people here that could do what he has done. He’s trained a Cox Plate winner, a Golden Slipper winner and a Melbourne Cup winner, so to be in that company and helping him is an honour.” - NZ Racing Desk
Novara Park release service fees
Novara Park has announced its 2026 service fees, with owner Luigi Muollo reinforcing the stud’s commitment to offering breeders quality bloodlines and genuine value across its stallion roster.
Sweynesse continues to build momentum following another strong season headlined by Wigmore’s Gr.1 South Australian Derby (2500m) victory.
The stallion has also been represented by consistent filly Miss Starlight, now crowned NZB Southern Filly of the Year, while Group-performed sprinter Sweynesday will step out in Queensland for the first time when contesting Saturday’s Gr.3 BRC Sprint (1350m) en route to the Gr.1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m).
Meanwhile In Hong Kong, multiple Group One winning galloper Lucky Sweynesse returned from an injury-plagued season to win the Gr. 2 Chairman’s Trophy (1600m), while also being Group One placed behind superstars Ka Ying Rising and Romantic Warrior.
“I am rapt for Sweynesse,” Muollo said. “There is more ahead of him. He is still relatively young and they sell well at the sales and as tried horses.”
Sweynesse will stand at an unchanged fee of $7,000 plus GST.
Deep Impact sire Staphanos continues to produce quality gallopers, with his eldest crop five-year-olds and Muollo points out that his fillies in particular have excelled.
With 11 stakes performers from 107 starters, Staphanos’ progeny range from Group One-winning juvenile Pignan to Group One placed milers Movin Out and Special Sakura through to proven stayers like Basilinna,
“Looking at the 18 proven stallions in New Zealand that sit above Staphanos in service fees, no other stallion beats his percentage of Group One winners and performers to runners for his fillies,” Muollo said.
“He is ahead of the likes of Savabeel, Proisir, and Per Incanto, and incredibly I think he can build on this with his best crops yet to come.”
Staphanos will remain at $9,000 plus GST.
King Of Comedy will also stand at an unchanged fee of $7,000 plus GST after producing a number of promising performers including Gr.3 Manawatu Classic (2000m) placegetter King Jakkal and Sir Ruby, a leading three-year-old in Malaysia, in addition to emerging three-year-old The Explosive.
Meanwhile, Novara Park’s newest addition to the stallion roster, The Foxes, has already attracted strong breeder interest with his debut fee $10,000 plus GST.
The son of Churchill won stakes races across four consecutive seasons and boasts one of the most powerful pedigrees available to breeders.
“Novara Park is always looking at offering upside and value for money to breeders,” Muollo said.
“Our stallion line-up offers breeders the best bloodlines in the world while our fees give our clients affordability and a live foal guarantee.” - NZ Racing Desk
Hello Captain makes winning return
Champion trainer Chris Waller isn’t expecting Hello Captain’s winning run to stop anytime soon.
Waller produced the three-year-old son of Hello Youmzain for an effortless first-up victory over 1100m at Warwick Farm in the hands of James McDonald.
Hello Captain was sent out an odds-on favourite on his return and was allowed to drift to the back of the field before picking up ground 500m from home.
He swung widest into the straight and, when asked for a serious effort, the gelding responded positively to win with authority.
“He showed glimpses of that in Queensland, hence why we brought him back to Sydney,” Waller said.
“He’s well-bred being by Hello Youmzain and I think he’ll win his next one too.”
Hello Captain hadn’t raced since he won at the Sunshine Coast on Boxing Day off the back of a debut runner-up finish at Doomben.
“He is a beautiful horse and he will shoot through the grades,” McDonald said.
“He was a bit rocky in the gates and he came out slowly and didn’t muster speed, so going up in distance will help him.
“He was inclined to wander late in the piece as well, so there is plenty to look forward to.”
Hello Captain was purchased for $425,000 by Chris Waller Racing and Mulcaster Bloodstock from the draft of Cambridge Stud at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale, and is raced by Christchurch owner Glenn Ritchie.
The progressive galloper is out of the Pivotal mare Steer By The Stars who has produced four winners from five foals to race, including the European stakes victor Never Look Back while full brother Persian Wonder was runner-up in the Gr.3 Baillieu Handicap (1400m) in March for David Payne. -NZ Racing Desk
Blueblood mare goes back to back
Well-bred mare Superfabulistic continued her rise through the grades at Warwick Farm on Wednesday, making it back-to-back victories with a strong performance in the Precise Air Handicap (1600m).
Sporting the colours of Waikato Stud, the progressive daughter of Super Seth has now won three of her seven starts for trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott.
“I thought at her last two runs she has been very strong through the line,” Bott said.
“I think in time she will get over a bit further. I think it is was her fifth run this campaign and we just want to give her time. She is going to be a lovely mare going forward.”
A daughter of Super Seth, Superfabulistic is a half-sister to Group One winning mare Icebath and commenced her campaign with a third placing before two narrow runner-up finishes prior to her back to back wins.
“Mark Chittick and the team at Waikato Stud are so patient with their horses and happy to give her time,” Bott said.
“I’m delighted to get them a result but I think we can achieve bigger and better things with her going forward.”
Given a beautifully controlled ride by Rachel King, Superfabulistic enjoyed one of the softer runs of her career before asserting late to score with authority, with her jockey reporting the mare didn’t want anything to go past her even after the line.
“I thought today was a nice measured ride by Racheal King and probably one of the smoothest runs she has been able to have,” Bott said.
“There was a bit of pressure there in some of her earlier runs but things worked in our favour today.
“Most likely she will go for a break now. She is strengthening all the time and we don’t want to go to the well too many times.”
Superfabulistic is the seventh winner from eight foals to race from terrific producer Fabulist, a five-time winner by Savabeel that has left Gr.1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) winner Icebath, Hong Kong Group Three winner Courier Wonder, stakes-winner Nowyousee and Grou Three placed Just Fabulous. - NZ Racing Desk
Jess de Lautour
New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing
Paul Vettise
📻 Did you hear?
