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Contessa Vanessa On Target for Oaks Bid

Bullbars filly Contessa Vanessa showed she was progressing well towards her main target of the New Zealand Oaks with a victory at Matamata on Saturday. Back from a short break following a luckless run in the Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m), Contessa Vanessa ran in a 3YO Proisir 1,400m race which included the Group 1 winning colt Age of Fire. First-time jockey Jason Waddell pounced 'The Contessa' out from her handy draw to settle behind the leader, Pop Star Princess.  He shook her up appr...

Bullbars Daughter Contessa Vanessa Becomes His First Group Winner

Christmas came a day late for Bullbars as his daughter Contessa Vanessa (ex Di Lusso) won the Group Two Cambridge Stud Eight Carat Classic at Ellerslie and in the process, provided Bullbars with his first Group winner. Contessa Vanessa, from Bullbars' second crop, came into the mile race off an unlucky third placing at Awapuni in the Eulogy Stakes.  Trained by Team Rogerson and ridden by Ryan Elliot, Contessa Vanessa bounced from her inside draw and relaxed in behind the leaders travelling ...

Wrote feature on Kiwi Bred

Click here to view all the episodes from Season Six of Kiwi Bred....

Another Bullbars Victory in Asia

Bullbars had further success last night in Hong Kong with his son Compassion Star victorious first up for the current season over 1,400m at Sha Tin.  Trained by CH Yip and ridden beautifully by Zac Purton, Compassion Star registered a relatively comfortable victory to suggest that there may be more to come in short order. Compassion Star had had an abbreviated campaign last season with his four starts yielding one fifth and two sixths.  Clearly more acclimatized to the Hong Kong enviro...

Bullbars' Mongolian Lightning Strikes in China

You can now chalk up another country where the progeny of Bullbars has been successful, with his son Mongolian Lightning becoming one of the premier horses in the burgeoning racing industry in China. Mongolian Lightning, out of the Last Tycoon mare It’s Spring Again, was born and reared at Highview Stud.  He was sold at the 2015 Ready to Run Sale to Rider Horse China for $90,000 and was sent to be trained by the Champion training partnership Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman.  Rider Ho...

Kelowna Star Shines Again in Macau

Kelowna Star, bred by Highview Stud, won his second Group 2 Autumn Trophy on the weekend in Macau, showing a great turn of foot along the rail to defeat the race favourite Sacred Missile by a length and a quarter. Ridden by Peter Ho and trained by James Moore, Kelowna Star has been an impressive performer for his owners amassing close to $NZ500k.  He also represented Macau last year in their race meeting against Hong Kong rivals. By Sufficient out of the Royal Academy mare Middlebrook, Kelo...

Wrote's first stakes runner finishes second

Highview Stud's new stallion Wrote is fully into his mating season in New Zealand and enjoying it.His freshman season here in the stallion barn corresponds with the debut racetrack season in the United States for his oldest Stateside crop.Although, he had only a couple of starters thus far, Louisiana Downs was the location on Saturday for his first runner in a stakes race.High Providence took his place in the Listed Sunday Silence Stakes over the mile.  He had won his debut race impressivel...

Another Two Winners for Bullbars

A recent news article on our website outlined what an excellent month of June the racing progeny of Bullbars had had.  The success has continued this week with two of his first crop clearing maiden ranks, each in a style that suggests there may be more in store.First up on Sunday, Minoan Spirit (Bullbars - Amazing Spirit) saluted the judge at his fourth start over 1,300m at Bendigo.  Trained by the master Darren Weir and ridden by accomplished Irish jockey John Allen cam...

Wrote's First Turf Runner Wins Impressively

Wrote, Highview Stud's new stallion for the upcoming breeding season, hasn't taken long to register his first winner.  The son of High Chaparral has had his first crop hit the track this seaon in the US, and on the weekend, Wrote's first turf runner High Providence won in emphatic fashion.High Providence debuted at Lone Star Park over seven and a half furlongs.  Slow out of the gates, he took his time to find his feet and travelled for the early stages of the races five lengths be...

A Bumper June for Bullbars

Trapped in the midst of winter, broodmare owners minds turn to mulling over who to send their mare(s) to for the upcoming season.Ultimately, performance on the track is a key measure of success, and going by his progeny's performance over the month of June, Highview Stud's Bullbars has put his hand up in impressive fashion.Bullbars currently has two small crops of racing age, and on the whole, they are showing themselves to be competitive over a range of distances and track conditions. &nbs...

The Contessa Strikes Again for Bullbars

Bullbars filly Contessa Vanessa won her second race on end today in comfortable and convincing fashion at Pukekohe.   Following up her two and three quarter length victory over 1,000m a fortnight ago at Avondale, Contessa Vanessa was simply too good for her rivals today recording a relatively untested two and a half length win over 1,200m.  In both victories, the Graeme and Debbie Rogerson trained filly was ridden by the New Zealand's leading jockey, Chris John...

Jolly Bountiful Provides Bullbars First Winner in Hong Kong

Bullbars was represented by his first winner in Hong Kong with his son Jolly Bountiful victorious last night in the Shatin Heights Handicap over 1,200m at Sha Tin.It was his second start in the colony having previously debuted for third over 1,000m at Happy Valley.The gelded three-year-old son of Bullbars and Senoita Rosay was favourite for the race based on his first up effort.  Trained by John Size and ridden by Umberto Rispoli, he settled midfield from his inside gate and ...

Group One winner joins Highview Roster

Brent Gillovic's persistence has been rewarded with a deal to bring a unique son of High Chaparral to stand at Highview Stud in 2017. He has long been an admirer of the Gr.1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Wrote and he recently completed a deal to stand him alongside current resident Bullbars.  "He's the only Group One-winning two-year-old son of High Chaparral in the world," Gillovic said.  "I was first alerted to the horse by an American agent and when I went to the US Masters Gol...

El Sicario Sets Track Record in Easy Win

Bullbars gelding El Sicario scorched over the 1,000m at Pakenham this week to set a track record in victory at Racing.com Park.El Sicario, Group 1 placed in the Sires Produce at Awapuni as a two-year-old, had been racing in better company previously and this showed as he won easing down by 3.75 lengths in 57.82 seconds; setting a new record in the process.Trained at Cranbourne by Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young and ridden for the first time by the experienced Noel Callow, El Sicario has struggl...

Listed Success for the Highview Sold Twoznotenough

Highview Stud reared and sold the winner of yesterdays Listed Speight’s Mid Ale Great Easter Stakes in Twoznotenough.Sired by Sakhee's Secret out of the Royal Academy mare Middlebrook, Twoznotenough was purchased from the Highview 2012 Select sale draft by Allan Sharrock for $21,000.Click here for full details of her victory. (Photo Credit: Trish Dunell)Twoznotenough younger half-brother Kelowna Star has proved to one of the best horses racing in Macau.  The pair ...

Invader's Sires' Group 1 Success Borne Out Of Highview

Invader's Group 1 victory in the Inglis Sires' (registered as ATC Sires Produce Stakes) over 1,400m at Randwick virtually guaranteed him the status of "Champion Australian 2YO Colt" for the current racing season; the trappings of a sparkling stud career will no doubt follow.Raced by the influential China Horse Club and sired by the amazing Snitzel, Invader proved comfortably superior in one of the two 'majors' for Australian youngsters - a stone bruise had prevented him from compe...

Comin'through Wins Again At Ellerslie - Australia Next?

Bullbars gelding Comin'through added to his impressive record over ground at Cup Day at Ellerslie today with victory in the last race of the carnival.That made it two wins in a row (and three in his last five) for Comin'through who has really thrived with the step up to middle distance.  Having always shown fight in his races, this is now coming to the fore against older and more experienced rivals.It didn't come easy today though as victory was secured in the enquiry room after B...

Kelowna Star Flies Macau Flag in Hong Kong

The Highview Stud bred and raised Kolowna Star (Sufficient - Middlebrook) will represent Macau this weekend in the annual Interport Series with Hong Kong.  He lines up at Sha Tin on Sunday in the Hong Kong Macau Trophy over 1,400m.  The purpose is two-fold for his trainer James Moore; firstly, (to try and win the race for Macau - where success has been limited lately) and secondly to assess whether Kelowna Star is competitive to warrant future trips across the Zhujiang River Estua...

Comin'through Does Just That On Derby Day

Bullbars gelding Comin'through (ex Commendable) closed off Derby Day at Ellerslie with victory over 2,100m in good style after enduring an awkward trip where little went right.  In a race against highly regarded competitors, Comin'through prevailed after a trip that required a good deal of tenacity to be shown.Breaking from barrier three, the Logan/Gibbs trained Comin'through was unable to take advantage and found himself at the rear as the field settled into formation.  Grant Coo...

Bullbars First Crop On Fire Since Christmas

The win of Akoya today at Trentham continued an exceptional run for Bullbars since Christmas.Bullbars first crop of forty foals showed potential in their freshman year, with Sicario running a close second in the Group 1 Sires Produce Stakes at Awapuni.However, it is as three-year olds where they have truly started to shine.Since Christmas, this crop has competed in fourteen races in New Zealand and Australia registering six victories, three thirds, one fourth and one fifth; only three ...

Ruthless Agent Now Three From Three

Ruthless Agent convincingly won his third race from as many starts on 6th January, to keep the Bullbars flag flying high across the Tasman.Winning your first three starts is a difficult assignment that few horses achieve; however Ruthless Agent has done it showing end of race acceleration that suggests that further wins are in store.Bred by Highview Stud, Ruthless Agent was sold for $55,000 at the 2015 Karaka Premier Sale to Australian Bloodstock.  His dam is Starnet, a Last Tycoo...

Lady Bullbars Scores In Australia

Lady Bullbars required just a second start in Australia to register her first victory today, running out a narrow winner of the 1,200m maiden race at Mornington.Having previously had a handful of races in New Zealand where she had displayed some talent, she was transferred to the Victorian stable of Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young to continue her racing.Her debut yielded a close third in a 1,000m event at Mornington in late December; however, she was able to race close to the pace today, establ...

Akoya Too Hot To Handle At Taupo

For the second time in a week, a Bullbars three-year old filly trounced her rivals in impressive fashion.Following on from the Allan Sharrock trained Mars Bars winning at Taranaki, Akoya was probably even more impressive at Taupo yesterday.Sent out a hot favourite in the maiden 1,000m race, Akoya jumped straight to the lead and coming around the turn, eased a couple of lengths clear.  Nothing in the race could bridge the gap and in fact, she was four lengths clear a...

Impressive Debut Winner for Bullbars

Bullbars was represented by a debut winner today over 1,200m at the Taranaki meeting in the form of three-year old filly Mars Bars.Prepared by Allan Sharrock and in the hands of Jonathan Parkes, Mars Bars settled behind the leader until approaching the turn, where she left the rail and made her run down the middle of the track.  Once balanced, she drew clear to win by a cosy length and a half.Her trainer has an opinion of Mars Bars, and there should be more exciting times for her ...