A select offering of 17 mares in the National Online Breeding Stock Sale on Gavelhouse Plus continues an exciting period of evolution and growth for Milan Park.

Tony Rider’s operation is having a landmark year, from the A$1.8 million sale of triple Group One-winning homebred mare Provence to the recent purchase of the neighbouring internationally renowned nursery The Oaks Stud.

There have also been numerous additions to the Milan Park broodmare band in recent times, and the need to make room for that new blood has created some exciting opportunities for buyers on Gavelhouse Plus.

“Tony is always developing the Milan Park broodmare band,” stud manager Grant Bennett said. “Since the sale of Provence, he’s already gone out and reinvested in new mares from Australia and new bloodlines to replace her.

“With our purchase of The Oaks Stud, we’re also coming into a period of significant restructuring over the next 12 to 18 months.

“So you could call this a reduction sale, trying to stay on top of our broodmare numbers. But that doesn’t mean we’re only selling mares from the very bottom end.

“We’ve put some good mares on the market on gavelhouse.com in the past, such as the dam of the Group One winner Pulchritudinous and the dam of the Wellington Cup winner Manzor Blue. And this year’s draft is as strong as any we’ve offered before.

“There are some quality mares from really good families. There are mares that are in foal to top stallions, and we’re offering them either with no reserves or with reserves that are well below the stallions’ service fees. So there’s plenty of exciting opportunities for buyers among this draft.”

Among the notable inclusions are two mares in foal to the late, great Savabeel – Vitani and Real Divine. Another two mares, Cashmere and Miss Martini, are in foal to the former Waikato Stud and now Coolmore-based stallion Super Seth.

“As we know, Savabeel sadly passed away recently,” Bennett said. “And there are only a limited number of mares in foal to him this season, so the two mares that we’re selling are quite a rare opportunity to be involved with one last crop of Savabeel foals. With Super Seth no longer standing in New Zealand, we’re offering a couple of mares in foal to him as well.”

There are also mares in foal to Rider’s stallion The Chosen One, along with exciting names from both sides of the Tasman such as Capitalist, Doubtland, Little Brose, Ocean Park and Sword Of State.

“Tony holds a number of stallion shares, and he’s very strategic in deciding his matings,” Bennett said. “He’s very passionate about breeding foals to be good racehorses, and that’s what he chooses his matings based on.

“One that you could single out is Fillygizalook. She’s a winning half-sister to the Oaks winner Pulchritudinous and is in foal to Capitalist, who’s a Golden Slipper winner. So that’s an attractive prospect.

“Sundaze is a half-sister to the Group One winner and Golden Slipper runner-up Oohood, and closely related to King’s Legacy, and this is also a family that we’ve had success with this season with Magill running second in the Karaka Millions 2YO. Sundaze is in foal to the Blue Diamond winner Little Brose.

“There are plenty of other highlights. Alpine Julz is the dam of a Hawke’s Bay Guineas winner. Bree has just retired off the track and is a half-sister to three black-type performers.

“Dragon Robe is a half-sister to four stakes winners including the Group One winner Hasahalo. Nerissa is a full-sister to Oceanex and has four other stakes-performed siblings. So there are some really good opportunities here – genuine opportunities to buy into some strong families.”

The 92-Lot catalogue for the 2026 National Online Breeding Stock Sale is now available to view online on Gavelhouse Plus.

Bidding opens at 10am (NZT) on Friday 3 July and closes from 6pm (NZT) on Wednesday 8 July. - NZ Racing Desk

Gibbons postpones holiday for Thebudgiesmugla

In a vote of confidence, jockey Dylan Gibbons has delayed an end of season holiday in order to partner emerging stayer Thebudgiesmugla (NZ) (Redwood) in the Listed Caloundra Cup (2400m) at the Sunshine Coast next Saturday.

Gibbons was due to take an overseas break following Saturday's Tattersall's Tiara meeting at Eagle Farm but postponed it once trainer Bjorn Baker's racing manager, Luke Hilton, confirmed Thebudgiesmugla would head to the Sunshine Coast feature.

"I pushed my holiday back to ride him in the Caloundra Cup once Luke Hilton mentioned it," Gibbons said.

"I came in Tuesday morning and galloped him, and I was amazed how he'd come through his last run. After a 2400 metre run, he galloped close enough after that, and just felt amazing.

"As long as he can hold that into the race he'll run well."

Thebudgiesmugla has worked his way through the grades since arriving from New Zealand last year, winning four of his eight starts for Baker and landing his first stakes success in the Winter Cup (2400m) with Gibbons in the saddle.

The gelding has yet to taste defeat over the 2400m journey, and if he can maintain that perfect record at Caloundra, Gibbons believes it will provide an ideal launch pad to bigger targets next season, as it did with Half Yours, who won the Caloundra Cup 12 months ago before returning in the spring to claim the Caulfield-Melbourne Cups double.

"If he can take care of business next Saturday, they can aim higher with him," Gibbons said.

"The staying ranks do thin out a bit in Australia, and I think he's the right horse to continue going through the grades.

"He has ticked the 2400 metre box a few times and won in Listed grade, so hopefully he can start to step up and take on the better horses."

Thebudgiesmugla's six wins have been on ground ranging from good to heavy, and Gibbons says that versatility is crucial given the unpredictable weather in Queensland this winter.

"The wetter the better, but he can do it on top of the ground," he said

"He's got a great racing style, and he is flying at the minute." - NZ Racing Desk

Jackson stars again on home soil

Shane Jackson last month took home training honours at his hometown Warrnambool May Carnival, and on Sunday, the Irishman celebrated another memorable moment at The 'Bool when his promising jumper Andy Win (NZ) (Almanzor) registered a comprehensive victory in the $100,000 Lafferty Hurdle.

Sent off as the $2.70 second favourite behind Clayton Douglas’ Mr Waterville ($2.40), Andy Win raced third throughout most of the 3200-metre trip, before tackling the Ciaron Maher-trained Ongatiti at the second-last jump.

Jockey Tom Ryan sent Andy Win to the front ahead of the last and from there he wasn’t for the catching.

Andy Win scored by 11 lengths, with Mr Waterville, second and Ongatiti third.

“It was great,” Jackson told Racing.com.

“You get more nervous and more of a thrill today than I ever was riding in this race. I won it on a legend of a horse in Gold Medals and it was one my first big winners over here (in Australia), I suppose, but nothing beats that.

“Geez, he’s a tough horse.

“It was a strong win.”

A five-year-old gelded son of Almanzor, Andy Win boasts three wins and a second from four starts over hurdles.

“I know the conditions suited, and probably didn’t suit the rest of them, but I think he’s improving with every run. He’s hurdling so much better now; he’s really quick and sharp over the hurdles,” Ryan added. - Racing.com

Kaimai Queen ticks black-type box at Tauranga

In the twilight of her career, underrated mare Kaimai Queen (NZ) (Atlante) added valuable black-type to her record when second in Saturday’s Listed Team Wealleans Tauranga Classic (1400m).  

Despite all four victories and the lion’s share of her career earnings coming on heavy tracks, Kaimai Queen started at a quote of $71 at the rain-affected Tauranga track where Churchillian and Platinum Diamond were fancied.  

Her rider Elen Nicholas initially elected to go back from the outside draw but was trapped three and four-wide throughout in midfield while Churchillian controlled proceedings from the front. The latter kicked hard on the turn and proved too strong to rein in, but Kaimai Queen put in a valiant effort down the outside fence, charging into second ahead of Thooza.  

While the performance came as a surprise to punters, her trainer Glenn Old had been quietly hopeful of a strong result.  

“She’s always been an honest mare, right from day dot,” Old said. “I’m the third trainer to get hold of her and she’s probably improved a bit with age.  

“She’s funny, she likes those wet tracks where it’s not raining on the day so the couple of dry days prior to yesterday suited her. 

“We were hopeful of a top four or five run, so she’s gone very well.” 

Purchased for just $3,000 as a yearling by DG Bloodstock, the daughter of Atlante and an unraced Thorn Park mare in Thyme has collected over $133,000 in stakes for Peak Racing, who likely will look to the broodmare paddock next term for the rising nine-year-old.  

“We’ll look at another Listed race with her, possibly in three weeks' time at Taranaki in the Opunake Cup if she gets in there,” Old said.  

“Then, the owners will probably be looking to get her in foal this season.” - Jess de Lautour LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

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