Story: Jess de Lautour, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk. Photo: Grant Peters

Lib Petagna’s stayer Kalapour will be tasked with the topweight when attempting to add another Group One to his resume in Saturday’s A$5 million Caulfield Cup (2400m) in Melbourne.

The son of War Command was imported to Australia out of Ireland after being purchased by the Wellington-based breeder, and over the past 18 months he has accumulated victories in the Gr.3 Chairman’s Handicap (2000m), Gr.3 Archer Stakes (2500m), and a crowning success in the Gr.1 Tancred Stakes (2400m) in March.

Since returning as an eight-year-old, Kalapour finished fourth in the Gr.3 Premier Cup (2000m) before midfield finishes in the Gr.3 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) and Gr.1 Might and Power Stakes (2000m), performances that satisfied Petagna’s racing manager Bruce Perry ahead of the Cup.

“Kris (Lees, trainer) is really happy with where he’s at, obviously he’s got a bit of weight to carry which is never easy, but we’d rather have that weight and have the Tancred in the bin,” Perry said.

“We were happy with his run last start, we probably would’ve liked to see him finish it off a bit better, but that was probably just the way the race was run, leaving him a bit flat-footed.

“He’ll strip much fitter this Saturday, it’ll probably be a big ask to win a race like this or even finish in the first two or three, but I’m sure he’ll run well and if he can finish in the first half of the field, you never know (where too next).”

On top of the book carrying 55kg, the gelding will be ridden by Ben Melham and has drawn barrier four.

Kalapour’s victory in the Archer last November earned him an automatic place in the A$8 million Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m), where he finished among the tailenders in a race won by Without A Fight.

Petagna, who owns and operates Matamata thoroughbred nursery Elsdon Park, has accepted through the second round for this year’s Melbourne Cup, a race Perry indicated is still an option beyond Saturday’s contest.

“We’ll see how he goes on Saturday, if he came through it well you’d have to look at it,” he said.

“I’m not sure whether he’s a true two-miler against that sort of elite-level, but it’s such a great iconic race, that, if you’re running well and you’re in there, you’d probably have a go.

“No doubt Kris will make all of those decisions.” 

Love Poem winning at Te Rapa. Photo: Kenton Wright Race Images NZ

Snitzel filly Love Poem locked in the third winner for the Elsdon Park racing team this week with a dominant maiden win over 1200m at Te Rapa today.

Stakes placed in all three of her starts at two, the Stephen Marsh-trained filly was strongly supported in her classic season debut today, winning as a $1.50 favourite under Matt Cartwright.

AS a two-year-old Love Poem finished second in the Gr.3 Taranaki 2YO Classic (1200m) and the Listed Auckland TR Star Way Stakes (1200m), and filled the third position in the Gr.2 Matamata Breeders Stakes.

With today’s impressive outing, Love Poem has shortened from $16 into $10 for her nominated start in the Gr.1 Barneswood Farm NZ 1000 Guineas on November 16.

Bred by Arrowfield Pastoral Pty Ltd and GSA Bloodstock, Love Poem is a half-sister to Estriella, who races in the Gr.1 Manikato Stakes at Moonee Valley tonight.

Love Poem was purchased by Bruce Perry Bloodstock at the 2023 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale for $280,000.

Elsdon Park’s earlier winners this week comprised Donna Chiara (Belardo) and Ravello (Savabeel).

Ravello in action| Photo Bradley Photos

The racing team’s promising gelding Ravello resumed in style yesterday with smart win over 1300m at Warwick Farm.

The John O’Shea and Tom Charlton-trained four-year-old was sent out the $3.50 favourite and duly rewarded supporters, taking the lead under James McDonald at the 200m for a neck margin win.

“Wet tracks have always hindered him but he has always been a talented horse,” said Tom Charlton.

“It remains to be seen what his best distance will be but he has always shaped like a horse who would get a mile, maybe 2000m in time, but whether he is better fresh and over these shorter distances we will see with time.”

Bred by Max Whitby and co-owned with Sam Williams and Greg Clarke, Ravello has now put together a record of three wins from 13 starts.

Out of the American-bred stakes performer Cover Charge, Ravello was purchased from the draft of Cambridge Stud by Bruce Perry at the 2022 NZB Book One Sale.

Donna Chiara and Wiremu Pinn gapping rivals over 1200m today. Photo: Ajay, Race Images

Story: By NZ Racing Desk

Promising filly Donna Chiara (NZ) (Belardo) put her hand up for upcoming stakes assignments with a dominant performance in the Seahorse Supplements Maiden 3YO (1200m) at Timaru on Wednesday. 

The daughter of Belardo competed in strong company as a juvenile, placing behind subsequent Group One-performer Red Sea before heading for a spell. Returning as a three-year-old, Donna Chiara made her first appearance for Te Akau Racing’s Riccarton arm on the synthetic, where she finished runner-up to Robdontess. 

Reverting back to her own age group, Donna Chiara was heavily favoured to break maidens closing at $2.90, with jockey Wiremu Pinn showing plenty of intent early to sit outside the pacemaker in Holdem. The filly shook off Holdem turning into the straight and she was simply cruising from the 200m, being eased down by Pinn at the post to score by 1-½ lengths to a fast-closing Kaiseda. 

Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson, who lead the Te Akau stable from Matamata, were represented at the Phar Lap Raceway by stable foreman Hunter Durrant. 

“She (Donna Chiara) took a lot of improvement from her first-up run and I think the addition of blinkers by Mark and Sam was the key,” Durrant said. 

“It was good to see her get the job done quite easily in the end. We’ll see how she pulls up before deciding what we aim her for in the future.” 

Walker was equally impressed by the performance, indicating the Gr.3 Barneswood Farm Stakes (1400m) on October 12 was the likely target for his filly. 

“It was a really good win by Donna Chiara and a good ride by Wiremu to put her in the race,” he said. 

“He was positive from the gates and that was the winning of the race. 

“She’s getting stronger and more mature, as time goes on, and the win should give her a lot of confidence. She’ll go on to bigger things now and hopefully head towards the Barneswood Stakes at Ashburton. 

“It’s great to get another win for Lib Petagna, in his colours, and we always appreciate the support of breeders like him. He’s got the breeding operation in full swing at Elsdon Park, and has an outstanding stud manager in Kerrie Cox.” 

Bred by Little Avondale Trust out of a Zabeel mare in Bellabaci, Donna Chiara was purchased by Bruce Perry for $90,000 at the 2023 Karaka Yearling Sales and is raced by Petagna’s JML Bloodstock. 

The Eldson Park principal acquired Kevin Hickman’s Valachi Downs property in 2022 and is expanding his broodmare band, which would be greatly enhanced with black-type honours for Donna Chiara. 

“We bought her to be a nice filly and she’s out of Sam’s (Williams) great family,” Perry said. 

“Lib has a great setup on a beautiful farm at Elsdon Park, and Kevin Hickman (Valachi Downs) had done an amazing job there. 

“Lib is fortunate to have stallion shares in the likes of Savabeel, Per Incanto, Alabama Express, Ardrossan, Super Seth, and Noverre, which makes life a lot easier when it comes to breeding rights. 

“Donna Chiara might have a crack at the Barneswood, which won’t be easy, but it’s a suitable stakes race. In order for Donna Chiara to earn her keep as a broodmare at Elsdon she probably has to be a black type filly. 

“It’s nice to have a filly out that family and if she can get some black type as a three-year-old, whether it’s in the spring, or in the autumn leading up to the Warstep Stakes, it would be great. 

“She’s a big leggy filly and there should be no reason, if she settles, that she wouldn’t get a mile and a bit further, especially as a three-year-old against her own age group, which is sometimes when they can get a distance that they may not ever get at any other age.”

Lucia Valentina and Damien Oliver winning the Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Photo: Bradley Photos

The team at Elsdon Park are deeply saddened to report the passing of their star mare Lucia Valentina yesterday.

The triple Gr.1 winning heroine was days away from being covered in Australia by leading stallion Zoustar, when the heartbreaking news of her sudden death came.

For her owners Lib and Katrina Petagna, Lucia Valentina provided some huge thrills.

“Lucia Valentina has a special place in our hearts. She was named after our daughter and enabled us to enjoy some phenomenal family events,” recalled Lib Petagna.

“The whole family really got behind her and we had a lot of thrills with her.

“When you have a horse like Lucia, you bring people into racing that aren’t naturally interested and they get a real buzz out of it. This is what she enabled for us with our friends and family.”

Lucia was initially purchased by Bruce Perry for $60,000 from the draft of Blandford Lodge at the 2012 NZB Premier Yearling Sale.

“She had so much presence and personality from day one,” said Perry.

“She was pretty determined and had an incredible will to win. She knew who she liked and who she didn’t – i.e. some people and most horses. However, if you were one of the few she liked, she gave you everything.”

The Graham and Helen-Gaye Bax-bred daughter of Savabeel and Staryn Glenn won on debut at three for trainer Stephen Marsh and after winning the Gr.3 Wellington Stakes at Trentham, made her way to Australia to the yard of Kris Lees.

Under Lees’ guidance, she distinguished herself as the Gr.1 winner of the ATC Queen Elizabeth Stakes, the ATC Vinery Stakes and the VRC Turnbull Stakes.

Victory would also come in the Gr.2 ATC Tramway Stakes and the Gr.2 VRC Matriarch Stakes, along with bold Gr.1 placings in the Caulfield Cup, Ranvet Stakes, Australian Oaks and the Underwood Stakes.

Such a career would see her awarded the Top Filly of the 2013-14 Australasian 3YO Classification (Int.), the Joint Top Filly on the 2013-14 NZ 3YO Free H (1600m+), a World Thoroughbred Ranking of 117 in 2016 and as the NSW Provincial Champion Horse of the Year in 2015.

“For me, her stand-out win was the Queen Elizabeth, where she stumbled twice, but picked herself up under Damien Oliver to explode away from her rivals. No one would have beaten her that day,” said Perry.

Having also enjoyed success on her in the Gr.2 Matriarch Stakes, Damien Oliver likewise held the mare in the highest regard.

“She was a lovely mare, who I have a lot of fond memories of. She was a dream to ride and definitely punched well above her weight. RIP beautiful girl,” Oliver said.

Since her retirement from racing, Lucia has produced five foals.

Her legacy is set to continue at Elsdon Park through her Gr.1-placed Snitzel daughter Luella Cristina and through her Per Incanto colt, who is now a yearling.

“A loss is always sad, but to lose a mare like Lucia who brought so much joy to so many people is really tough. She was a proper character and a great mother. Her legacy will live on at Elsdon Park, as will the many treasured memories she leaves us with,” said Elsdon Park General Manager, Kerrie Cox.

Elsdon Park welcomed its first foal for the season on August 1st with the arrival of this plucky Exceedance filly out of the Snitzel mare With Zeal.

The same day also marked Elsdon Park’s second birthday.

8YO Sebring mare Dolce Amore, who has sold progeny for up to $260,000.

-Galvelhouse Plus Press Release

Buyers have access to a high-quality and varied selection of bloodstock on Gavelhouse Plus this week, made up of an annual reduction sale by Elsdon Park and a unique dispersal of the Dewar Partnership.

“It’s a two-fold sale this year,” Elsdon Park’s general manager Kerrie Cox said. “Part of it is made up of Elsdon Park’s annual reduction of broodmares and weanlings. We have a number that we want to try to stick to with our broodmare band, and it can grow quite quickly when you’re buying mares and have racehorses retiring off the track to join the broodmare band as well.

“An annual reduction will keep our numbers as tight as possible, and at the same time it gives a great opportunity for people to buy into some of the really nice families that we’ve built up.

“The other aspect of this sale is the dispersal of the Dewar Partnership, made up of mares in foal to Ardrossan and some young progeny of that stallion. That includes two weanlings and four racehorses, including one that placed at Cambridge on Wednesday – the three-year-old filly El Amor (NZ).

“Some really nice horses are being sold in both sides of this sale, so it really just adds another layer and will hopefully attract plenty of interest from buyers.”

Elsdon Park was established in 2022 by Lib and Katrina Petagna and is developing into a major player on the New Zealand thoroughbred landscape.

The Petagnas have been four-time New Zealand Owners of the Year, and their apple green, blue and yellow colours have been carried by nine individual Group One winners across Australasia including the triple Group One-winning superstar Lucia Valentina (NZ) (Savabeel).

Making their sale-ring debut as vendors in 2023, Elsdon Park have already had yearlings sell for $725,000 and $600,000 and finished as the second-leading vendor by average in Book 1 of Karaka 2024.

The Dewar Partnership, meanwhile, was set up in 2019 by a group of shareholders in the highly talented former racehorse and young Waikato Stud stallion Ardrossan. They were focussed on supporting him during his first few seasons at stud. Nine mares were bred from in that first year, and six of those are being offered as part of this dispersal.

The partnership’s plan was to race the offspring from the first season to ensure they were given every opportunity and then to sell some of the offspring from the second and third crops as yearlings.

Dewar has subsequently sold a total of eight yearlings at Karaka 2023 and 2024 for an average price of $152,500, with price tags ranging from $85,000 up to $260,000. The three yearlings sold at Karaka 2023 include the stakes winner Beau Dazzler (NZ) who ran a commendable fifth in Saturday’s Gr.1 JJ Atkins Stakes (1600m) after drawing the outside barrier and being posted wide throughout plus Te Akau Racing’s talented winner Maracatu (NZ).

With Ardrossan now firmly established as one of New Zealand’s most exciting young stallions, the goals of the partnership have been achieved and the time has come wind up the partnership as was the agreement on formation.

Ardrossan has sired 11 winners, three stakes winners and one stakes placegetter from an initial crop of just 44 foals. From a second crop of just 58 foals, he has already sired four winners from just eight runners including a stakes winner and two stakes placegetters. These include some very exciting gallopers, so his commercial future looks assured and this season he will stand at a fee of $20,000.

According to Cox, there is no shortage of drawcards in the catalogue.

“One of the highlight lots for Dewar would be the broodmare Pwerfect (Pentire), who’s the dam of Beau Dazzler,” she said. “He was a stakes winner earlier this season, then came over for the Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) and didn’t have much luck in that race. He’s a high-profile horse for that mare and is running in Group Ones.

“Dolce Amore (NZ) (Sebring) is another notable mare. Her progeny have sold for up to $260,000 and she leaves a beautiful type.

“In the Elsdon Park reduction sale, there’s a weanling filly by Hello Youmzain out of the Group-placed mare O’Angel (NZ) (Cape Blanco). Her first foal, a son of Shooting To Win, was sold after winning a trial. Fraser Auret trained him, and he later came back and bought the half-sister by Shalaa.

“This is a really nice filly with a Book 1 pedigree. So she could be a fantastic pinhooking opportunity, or a lovely filly to race and then put into a broodmare band later on. O’Angel is for sale herself as well.”

Cox also highlighted Lot 6, a weanling filly at by Group One New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) winner Noverre (NZ) out of Queen Of Pop (NZ) (Pins).

“Noverre is leaving a fantastic style of horse,” she said. “We have shares in the stallion, so we have more of his progeny in the paddock.

“This filly’s dam Queen Of Pop was Group Two-placed and fourth in a Group One, and she has left the Group winner Pop Star Princess (NZ) (Makfi) and stakes-placed Queen Of Zealand (NZ) (Savabeel). So this filly’s a half-sister to two stakes performers. Her half-brother by Ardrossan sold for $440,000 at the Ready to Run Sale last year.”

Bidding on the first lot will close from 7pm (NZT) on Tuesday 25th June.

With the help of Gavelhouse Plus, Elsdon Park is set to host its first-ever annual reduction and Dewar Partnership Dispersal Sale.

The Sale will go live on Gavelhouse Plus on Tuesday the 18th and the auction will conclude the following Tuesday.

This Sale will feature 16 in-foal broodmares, 4 racehorses and 8 weanlings.

For a sneak peek at the quality horses heading to this sale, please click on the below lookbook.

Visit Sales Section of Website

To book an inspection or to enquire about a horse, please contact Kerrie Cox on 021 433 517 or Sarah Scott on 027 412 4606.

Elsdon Park, a thoroughbred nursery located just outside Matamata, is on the lookout for an Experienced Foal Watch Attendant(s) to help welcome into the world its exciting class of 2024.

This Fixed-Term contract would date from August 1st, 2024, until October 31st, 2024, with the hours being from midnight until 9 am during weekdays and 6 pm until 6 am on Saturday and Sunday nights. The role can be tailored around 2 people with rostered days off.

Responsibilities include:

The successful applicant will have:

Remuneration is dependent on experience.

If this sounds like you, then we very much look forward to hearing from you!

For more information, please contact Sarah Scott: 027 412 4606, office@elsdonpark.com

Applications close 31st May 2024

Panic winning the Listed South Pacific Classic 1400m. Photos: Bradleyphotos.com.au

Joshua Smith, NZ Racing Desk

Matamata thoroughbred nursery Elsdon Park have had a memorable week in Sydney with the progeny of young broodmare Daniela’s Magic, culminating in stakes success at Randwick on Saturday.

While the eight-year-old daughter of Per Incanto never made it to the races, her progeny is more than making up for it, with her first foal, Panic, extending his record to four wins from six starts over the weekend when taking out the Listed South Pacific Classic (1400m) for trainer Michael Freedman.

Bred by Elsdon Park principal Lib Petagna, the three-year-old son of Time Test was offered through Blandford Lodge’s 2022 Book 1 Yearling Sale draft where he was purchased by bloodstock agents Mick Wallace and Paul Moroney for $80,000.

He has proven to be an astute purchase, having now accrued more than A$179,000 in earnings.

“He was in the last draft that we sold under Blandford Lodge,” said Elsdon Park General Manager Kerrie Cox, with Petagna owning a share of the farm at the time before investing in what is now Elsdon Park.

“He was a beautiful type and a lovely moving horse. He was the first foal and he was just big and strong, a lovely mover, and had a great head on him.”

Cox said his yearling half-brother by Ardrossan is cast from the same mould and sold accordingly through the farm’s Inglis Easter Yearling Sale draft earlier in the week.

“We had a really good Easter Sale where we sold three horses, including the half-brother to Panic, who was the only Ardossan in the sale,” Cox said.

“He made A$260,000 and when talking to Michael Wallace over there, who bought Panic with Paul Moroney, he said he (Panic) was going to be running in a stakes race and they were pretty confident.

“It was great to see him get that win, especially in a big field like that.”

They are the only two live foals out of Daniela’s Magic to date, who is now in-foal to Yulong’s Alabama Express.

“Lib owns a share in Alabama and it has turned out to be a pretty good mating,” Cox said.

“She is a lovely type of mare. She is leaving a really nice types and they look like athletes.”

Daniela’s Magic is a full-sister to Group One performer Saracino, who went on to win four races, including the Gr.2 Danehill Stakes (1200m), Gr.2 Foxbridge Plate (1200m), Gr.2 Wellington Guineas (1400m) and Listed Newmarket Handicap (1200m). He was also placed in the Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m), Gr.1 NRM Sprint (1400m), Gr.3 Taranaki 2YO Classic (1200m), Listed Beaufine Stakes (1000m), and two editions of the Listed Scenic Blast Stakes (1200m), earning nearly A$500,000 in prizemoney.

Meanwhile, Elsdon Park has experienced further success on the track in Australia of late, with the Petagna-owned Kalapour placing in the Gr.1 Sydney Cup (3200m) on Saturday, while farm graduate Hezdarnhottoo became Elsdon Park’s first winner at Randwick a fortnight ago.

“Kalapour won the Tancred (Gr.1, 2400m) a couple of weeks ago, and was a really commendable third in the Sydney Cup,” Cox said.

“Hezdarnhottoo was the first horse that was branded at Elsdon Park and he won as a two-year-old in Sydney a few weeks ago. That was pretty exciting for us to see our brand cross the finishing line there.

“I think there have only been four two-year-olds to the races so far with our brand on and they have gone pretty well. We have had Macaluso who was stakes placed as a two-year-old and also ran in the Karaka Millions.

“We have had some nice success with that first crop. It wasn’t a very big first crop so it is nice to see those results coming through as two-year-olds already.”