Sunday 22 February 2026
Milan Park Principal Hops On NZB Kiwi Ride
Tony Rider whet his appetite for victory in the $4 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) after breeding the inaugural winner of the race in Damask Rose (NZ) (Savabeel) last year, spurring him to lease a slot in this year’s edition of the Southern Hemisphere’s richest three-year-old race.
The Milan Park principal has leased a slot in the Champions Day feature off RACE, and fittingly, he has chosen War Princess (NZ) (U S Navy Flag), a filly trained from the Club’s Awapuni track, as his representative.
“We have got War Princess,” Rider said. “We rate this filly in the top five three-year-olds.
“Obviously, it will be hard to beat Well Written (Written Tycoon), but any of us that race horses know anything can go wrong on the day.
“It worked out quite well. I know Pete Didham (co-trainer) reasonably well and I know one of the owners, Ian Middleton, really well, he is a friend of ours.”
Bred by Don and Dame Wendy Pye, War Princess was offered through Haunui Farm’s 2024 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 2 Yearling Sale draft, where she was purchased by Ian Middleton, under his Exempt Bloodstock banner, and Peter Didham Racing for $77,500.
She made an instant impact on the track as a juvenile, winning her first two starts before finishing 11th in the $550,000 Group One Courtesy Ford Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m). She returned as a three-year-old where she won three of her seven starts, including the $100,000 Group Three Lawnmaster Eulogy Stakes (1600m) and was runner-up in the $80,000 Listed The O’Learys Fillies Stakes (1340m).
The daughter of U S Navy Flag was fourth in last month’s $1.5 million TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) at Ellerslie and trainers Peter and Trent Didham are excited to prepare her for New Zealand’s richest race at Ellerslie on March 7.
“We are rapt to have someone like Tony on board, it’s fantastic,” Peter Didham said.
“She deserves it (NZB Kiwi slot), she has won five and is a Group Three winner. It was a huge run in the Karaka Millions, she only got beaten a nose from third by a Group One winner in La Dorada.
“We are happy to have secured a spot. We were always targeting that night anyway because if we didn’t get a slot, we were going to the three-year-old 1400m, but it was nice to get it done nice and early.”
War Princess has had a quiet time since her Karaka Millions run, and Didham said she is building nicely towards The NZB Kiwi.
“She went to Mark Treweeks and had a week on the grass,” he said. “A little foot abscess burst out that night after the race. She had a week on the water treadmill and then came back here.
“She went to the beach on Friday and she is galloping between races at Wanganui. She is on track and looks fantastic.”
With Ben Thompson already booked for The NZB Kiwi, Didham has secured the services of Wiremu Pinn, and he said he can’t wait to be part of the big meeting and believes she has a bright future instore.
“She is very honest and tries really hard. She is just a lovely horse to train,” Didham said. “She might be a length off those top ones, but I feel next year in the fillies and mares Group races she is going to be right amongst it over 1200 and 1400m.”
Tony Rider said he is looking forward to heading to Ellerslie on March 7 to try and replicate the thrill of last year, where he not only bred the first NZB Kiwi winner, but also won the $600,000 Group One HKJC Word Pool New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) with her full-sister Provence (NZ) (Savabeel).
“What a fantastic thrill,” Rider said. “Damask Rose won the Karaka Millions 3YO and then came out and won The NZB Kiwi, and on the same day having the full-sister win was amazing. We had an amazing day,” Rider said. - New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing
Alabama Lass on track to defend King’s Plate crown
Trainers Ken and Bev Kelso have been scratching their heads with their Group One-performed mare Alabama Lass (Alabama Express) over the last few months, but they received a confidence boost following her win in a Group and Listed 1100m trial at Taupo on Sunday.
After finishing runner-up when first-up in the Gr.1 Moir Stakes (1000m) at The Valley in spring, she disappointed when tailing the field home in the Gr.1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) three weeks later and following a series of post-race examinations, nothing untoward was found.
The daughter of Alabama Express returned to New Zealand and resumed in the Gr.1 Railway (1200m) at Ellerslie last month, but once again disappointed when finishing seventh, and once again an extensive post-race examination came back clear.
The Kelsos elected to press on with her preparation, taking her to Taupo on Sunday for a trial and she pleased with an all the way win in a smart field that included Te Akau Racing’s $4 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) bound pair of He Who Dares and La Dorada.
“We don’t know what went wrong in the Manikato, she disappointed, and was disappointing again in the Railway,” Ken Kelso said.
“After the Manikato we did all the tests, dynamic scopes, an ECG, x-rays, and we couldn’t find anything wrong with her. It’s a mystery really.
“Today was a day to see where we are at and she looked more like her old self.
“If we can’t find anything wrong and her work is good leading up to next week then we will press onto the King’s Plate.”
Alabama Lass was victorious in the Gr.3 Haunui Farm King’s Plate (1200m) last year, following consecutive Group One runner-up performances in the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) and Gr.1 Railway (1200m), before going on to win the Listed Moomba Plate (1100m) in her final three-year-old outing at Flemington.
The King’s Plate will take place at Ellerslie on Champions Day, March 7, where stablemate Legarto (NZ) (Proisir) could have her final start in the Gr.1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m).
The multiple Group One winner was a popular winner of the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa earlier this month where she brought up jockey Opie Bosson’s 100th elite-level victory in the saddle.
The Kelsos have been pleased with her progression since that run and they received positive reports from Bosson following her exhibition gallop at Ellerslie on Saturday.
“She has come through it (Herbie Dyke victory) well and she had an exhibition gallop yesterday at Ellerslie after the first,” Kelso said. “Opie had a feel of her around Ellerslie, which was the idea of it. He gave us a good report and said she changed legs and balanced up nicely, because she hasn’t been the greatest around Ellerslie, but he said she felt great and worked nice, so it’s all systems go to the Bonecrusher.”
Legarto is currently a $3 favourite in the TAB’s futures market for the Bonecrusher, with Gr.1 Otaki-Maori WFA Classic (1600m) runner-up Pier at $4.20.
Kevin Robertson
Joshua Smith
