We launch into March with Champions Day at Ellerslie featuring the $4M NZB KIWI rolling up only a few days away and the Golden Slipper for the best two-year-olds in Australia also a key feature later in the month.

The Autumn Racing Carnival will be in full swing in Sydney, with a number of hot features that will see some of the best thoroughbreds in Australia returning to the track. But first, our focus will be on Ellerslie this weekend with the hottest horse in the land, WELL WRITTEN going for six straight after taking out the 3YO Karaka Millions, and good luck beating her.

We will continue to provide information on course at Ellerslie tracking all the action and posting our top videos on social media to keep everyone involved no matter where you are in New Zealand or Australia. It should be an exciting time with dynamic racing.

NZB KIWI (1500m) - Ellerslie 7/3

AUCKLAND CUP (3200m) - Ellerslie 7/3

NEW ZEALAND DERBY (2400m) - Ellerslie 7/3

SISTEMA STAKES (1200m) - Ellerslie 7/3

NEWMARKET HANDICAP (1200m) -Flemington7/3

ALL-STAR MILE (1600m) - 1200m) Flemington 7/3

RANDWICK GUINEAS (1600m) - Randwick 7/3

CANTERBURY STAKES (1400m) - Randwick 28/3

GOLDEN SLIPPER (1200m) - Rosehill 21/3

ROSEHILL GUINEAS - Rosehill (2000m) - 21/3

VINERY STUD STAKES - Rosehill (2000m) - 28/3

MANAWATU SIRES PRODUCE - (1200m) Trentham 28/3

The highly anticipated Champions Day meeting at Ellerslie is approaching, and it is expected to be an even grander event than last year's, which saw a substantial attendance for the inaugural running of the NZB KIWI, the most lucrative race for three-year-olds ever held in Australasia. In conjuction with ATR, a number of big features have been bought together on one massive card to showcase New Zealand racing to the world. The NZ Derby and Auckland Cup are part of that card, as well as the Bonecrusher Stakes, Dubai Classic and G1 Sistema Stakes for Two-Year-Olds. We take an early look at some of the potentital participants and what to look forward to.

NZB KIWI

Obviously, the NZB Kiwi is the big one, with the huge Stakes money on offer, now raised to $4 million plus bonuses. But there seem to be only one horse everyone's lips, and that's WELL WRITTEN, the stunning filly who has blitzed her opposition this season, and there's appears to be no stopping her. It would take a stroke of terrible luck for the Marsh filly to not he winning this race, but this is a fine 3YO crop with a number of top competitors, including, the Te Akau star LA DORADA, LOLLAPALOOZA, AFFIRMATIVE ACTION, PANTHER, BELLE CHEVAL and ASAKURA over from Ballarat for Mitchell Freedman.

AUCKLAND CUP

The Auckland Cup can be an unpredictable staying race, won last year by TRAV, who has returned, but achieved little inbetween. The Australian BRAYDEN STAR from the Busuttin/Young camp will start likely fave after a brave second in the Avondale Cup and looms as a serious contender. The team have had a plan in place since early last spring and seem to he on track for the 3200m staying event. Southern star ROSSO failed in the Wellington Cup, but will take his place, as will MANZOR BLUE, who caused a massive upset in that race at Trentham. SON OF SUN looks the dark horse, currently sitting on nice odds and has been running well without much reward, but should be at peak for the Cup.

NZ DERBY

The New Zealand Derby is dominated by the James/Wellwood pair of AUTUMN GLORY and ROAD TO PARIS, although we favour the latter, who produced a huge run from the rear last start and is likely to play a major role in the finish alongside the stablemate. However, THAT'S GOLD, Wexfords YAMATO SATONA, Te Akau's TOWERING VISION and the other, forgotten Kingsclere horse ARIANDE cannot be dismissed as live chances of featuring over the 2400m for 3yos.

BONECRUSHER STAKES

The Bonecrusher is a tricky affair with so many quality Group One horses down to start, and winner of the Herbie Dyke LEGARTO will no doubt jump favourite, although she doesn't have a great affinity with Ellerslie. Despite that fact, we've never seen her looking in such immaculate condition as at Te Rapa. JAARFFI won the G1 here at her latest, with PIER a close up second place. KINGWOOD, PROVENCE and WAITAK are all Group 1 winners this season, so it is a difficult proposition to work out who may in fact come out on top, but what a magic race we have in store.

SISTEMA STAKES

LARA ANTIPOVA looks the standout in the G1 Sistema, but don't be fooled, as the 2YO Karaka Millions Classic threw up an interesting result and these juveniles are often unpredictable at the best of times. But, boy - she is super quick, and no matter the gate look for her to jump out of the blocks fast. HARVEY WALLBANGER, TE ENCUENTRO, LIGURIA and OUT OF THE BLUE we have in the picture, but if INCANDESCENT starts, he could be the one to upset the apple cart charging late with the right set up.

DUBAI CLASSIC

The Dubai Classic isn't that straightforward a race either, with QUINTESSA back from a break and a number of sharp sprinters set to feature. GRAIL SEEKER, MARY SHAN, PROVENCE and a winner last week In CAPTURED BY LOVE are in with s shot, but it is the inclusion of two Australian gallopers in CHICA MOJITO and Waller's MARE OF ST BULLER that makes it even more fascinating. Looks a very fair betting contest, but we will need some sharp analysis to find a winner

The exceptional talent of OHOPE WINS will now exclusively be showcased across the Tasman, following Yulong's decision to forgo the NZ Derby. Consequently, the three-year-old filly has been promptly transferred to the Chris Waller racing stables in Sydney. In a deal negotiated by NZB's Alex Teng, she was bought by Yulong Investments for a large sum, whose green and white colours have also been carried this season by the undefeated Group One New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) and $1.5m Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) winner WELL WRITTEN.

We have to be satisfied that we saw the OCEAN PARK filly trained by the O'Sullivan/Scott Wexford team produce three stunning victories on New Zealand soil, and be assured, she will be a star stayer in Australia. After beginning her career fairly low key at Rotorua and Pukekohe, the filly ran on late for a solid 2nd at Te Rapa in December before unleashing a strong late burst to claim the Gr.2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes at Ellerslie. She then settled last in the Gr.2 Ellis Filles Classic at Te Rapa and produced a stunning sprint to take out the 2100m race in the final few strides.

Even though that was an incredibly impressive display by the filly, her NZ Oaks win over 2400m was next level after coming from dead last to eat up the field and power down the outside at Ellerslie with an exceptional finish. She will no doubt be missed by the stable as the rare Oaks/Derby double was there for the taking and almost a foregone conclusion. But Yulong are aiming for bigger fish in the giant Australian racing pond with greater riches, including the ATC Oaks among other future options.

Plenty of people have suggested it won't be as easy, using WILLYDOIT and LEICA LUCY as examples of three-year-olds who have crossed the ditch and found it a far more difficult proposition to excel in the same fashion on the Australian turf. However, we believe OHOPE WINS is a vastly superior horse with a massive motor and one of those rare staying talents that only come around a few times in s generation. Should OHOPE WINS maintain its health and Yulong decide to explore her full potential as a staying mare, the horse could conceivably achieve victories in prestigious races such as the Cox Plate, Caulfield Cup, or even the Melbourne Cup.

Obviously, her future lies in the breeding barn, where her offspring will fetch high value at Auction. Until then we look forward to seeing her produce her very best in Australia and claim some big scalps representing her sire OCEAN PARK and the two brothers Gartshore Bloodstock who put the brilliant sire to their mare CHOUX MANIA via Waikato Stud.

The green and white silks of Yulong Investments have been associated with numerous Group 1 victories, notably through DEVIL NIGHT, TREASURETHE MOMENT, KIMOCHI, and VIA SISTINA in recent seasons, but have now set their sights on raiding the very best of New Zealand stocks. The acquisition of the nation's premier three-year-old filly talent has generated considerable discussion within the racing community, with some expressing apprehension that this trend could lead to our top equine athletes being campaigned internationally, thereby limiting opportunities for domestic audiences to witness their performances.

A significant expenditure on New Zealand racehorses by one of the world's prominent racing organisations continued, with THAT'S GOLD being acquired by the global Yulong operation. Ironically, Yulong, a prominent entity in the racing industry, repurchased the Avondale Guineas winner, which they had previously sold as a yearling for a significantly lower price. Trainer Chris Wood confirmed that he and the ownership group ultimately accepted Yulong's offer to acquire That's Gold, a leading contender for next Saturday's $1.25 million NZ Derby. We surmise that Wood was initially reluctant to release the horse; however, given the substantial resources at Yulong's disposal, it appears they were ultimately able to up the offer and force the purchase through.

Yulong has established itself as a prominent entity in global racehorse ownership and breeding, boasting an impressive collection of Group 1-winning mares and an expanding roster of stallions. Among these stallions is LUCKY VEGA, the sire of That's Gold; consequently, should their recent acquisition perform well in Australia, it will undoubtedly enhance his standing in the region.

While Yulong's spending in Australia and Europe is nothing new, they had not set their sights on New Zealand racehorses until this season, concentrating mainly on buying our retired glamour mares such as IMPERATRIZ and MELODY BELLE for their broodmare value.

Their inaugural significant investment in New Zealand thoroughbreds occurred this season with the acquisition of a 50% stake in the undefeated filly, WELL WRITTEN, currently the $1.20 favorite for next Saturday's $4 million NZB Kiwi. The subsequent acquisition of the filly OHOPE WINS has proven to be a strategic success, as she has since achieved victories in the Ellis Classic and NZ Oaks and is currently favoured to win the Australian Oaks. But sewer will only be seen racing in Australia after being transferred to the Chris Waller racing stables in Sydney.

Additionally, they acquired AUTUMN GLORY, a three-year-old staying filly, who subsequently secured victory in the Waikato Guineas and achieved a second-place finish in the NZ Oaks. Autumn Glory is currently favoured to win next Saturday's Derby, positioning Yulong as the owner of both the first and third favorites for that prestigious classic, as well as the leading contender for the NZB Kiwi.

It appears Yulong may have concluded their significant buying endeavours in NZ for this season. However, it is anticipated that they will be actively seeking the next promising talent from New Zealand, and will likely be prepared to invest substantially to continue enhancing their breeding stocks. No doubt Zhang Yuesheng’s empire is about to grow far stronger with the arrival of a fresh battalion of reinforcements next season, and we could witness a repeat of their influence.

Trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood have successfully developed Kingsclere stables into a thriving racing enterprise since their collaboration, with their recent string of victories underscoring their significant progress. The Cambridge-based stable only house a relatively small team of Thoroughbreds in work, but their strike rate often matches that of bigger operations such as Te Akau and Wexford.

Roger’s distinguished career began with breaking-in and pre-training horses, and after two years he was successful in his application to become foreman for legendary trainer Jim Gibbs. Roger began learning his craft from one of the best in the business. It wasn’t long before he became a fully licensed trainer himself and stepped into a prosperous five-year partnership with Jim Gibbs. Roger and Jim saddled up six Group One winners. Among them was TIDAL LIGHT; a winner of 10 races, including the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby and Gr.1 Canterbury Guineas in Sydney. 

Upon accumulating substantial experience and achieving notable success, James made the decision to establish his own independent training operation, founding Kingsclere Stables in 1987. Celebrated for being the ‘Derby King’, Roger goes down in history for training the highest number of Group 1 New Zealand Derby winners. Roger achieved this feat through the success of multiple Group One winner’s SILENT ACHIEVER, HADES, ZINDA, ROYSYN, TIDAL LIGHT and ORCHESTRAL, and add in dual G1 winner PROWESS and Gr.1 Queensland Derby winner, PINARELLO. Among his long list of accomplishments, head trainer Roger James has received the Champion NZ Trainer of the Year award.

After leaving school, Robert Wellwood worked for Lime Country Thoroughbreds. It was there that he gained experience breaking-in, pre-training and preparing yearlings for the Karaka Yearling Sale. He also completed a yearling preparation stint at Windsor Park Stud in Cambridge. Robert immersed himself in the racing world while he was studying and rode trackwork before morning classes for Tony Pike. Following the completion of his degree, Robert joined Kingsclere Stables in the position of Racing Manager. After proving himself to be a valuable asset to the team, Roger promoted Robert from Racing Manager to training partner at the start of the 2018/19 racing season.

The stable have trained the winners of more than 1303 races, including 35 Group 1 races and 166 stakes races throughout Australasia. At the moment they have the exciting sprinter SWEYNESDAY in training, SHE'S A DEALER who is a high class four-year-old, ARABIAN SONGBIRD, DEALT WITH, THE PRECURSOR, dynamic 2yo INCANDESCENT, FAIRY DREAM and ROAD TO PARIS plus AUTUMN GLORY who could be their next Derby hope. Stable star and Derby winner ORCHESTRAL was recently retired after an atrial heart fibrillation that failed to return to normal.

She also won the Karaka Millions 3YO, Gr.1 Vinery Stud Stakes at Rosehill, Gr.1 Otaki-Maori Classic and $1M Aotearoa Classic. With $2.740,000 in Stake earnings, the powerful mare retires as one of the stables most successful racehorses. Add to that the fact Orchestral's yearling sister was sold for a New Zealand record $2.4 million at the Karaka sales in January 2025 and Orchestral is almost too valuable to continue racing, with broodmare potential written all over her. 

We look forward to witnessing further success from the high calibre Waikato training team and it wouldn't be as strong without the hard work of stable foreperson Michaela Sobieska and handler Dorian Kos, who care for the horses like their own children with plenty of love and affection as they accompany them around the country. Michaela spent time working for Michael Costa Racing on the Gold Coast after travelling from her Czech Republic home, before interviewing with Roger and Robert, but she much prefers to stay out of the limelight on race day. Dorian was originally with trainer Kevin Philippart de Foy at Newmarket in England, then the Goff UK horse sales team in Doncaster until 2023, and also brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the stable. It is wonderful to observe the positivity this team brings to the industry, and it is anticipated that many more successes are on the horizon.

It may be time for the NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS to conclude their NRL Premiership drought after three decades of striving for their inaugural title, however, each year it consistently appears to be beyond their reach. The Warriors enter their 32nd season in the competition with an undeniable chance to deliver a maiden premiership to their passionate fans. Since their last grand final appearance in 2011, the Warriors have played finals just three times, two of those coming in 2023 and 2025.

For the upcoming 2026 season, the Warriors present themselves as a team deserving of close attention, especially due to a fairly decent schedule. While New Zealand's sole representative team has yet to secure a championship, there is a discernible momentum building, particularly following a promising 2025 season that was unfortunately cut short by significant injuries to halfback Luke Metcalf and forward leader and captain, Mitch Barnett. With a favourable draw in 2026, their last bye comes before Origin III and is followed by a run home that features only the Bulldogs, Panthers and Broncos from last year’s top eight in the final nine weeks of the regular season.

Following a remarkable ascent in 2023, the subsequent season presented a period of adjustment and some disappointing results that were hard to wear. However, Andrew Webster's team once again demonstrated their formidable capabilities, introducing both emerging and revitalised talents such as Leka Halasima and Erin Clark to the competition. Despite facing adversity, they successfully advanced to the finals; however, a decline in their performance during the final weeks of the regular season proved detrimental, resulting in the forfeiture of a top four position and the double chance advantage in the finals series.

The foundations have been laid, the roster is stacked, the time is now. With James Fisher-Harris, Leka Halasima, Erin Clark, Jackson Ford and Demitric Vaimauga leading the way up front and a star-studded backline ready to capitalise on their work, the Warriors can take down any rival on their day. Star playmaker Luke Metcalf led the Dally M Medal count halfway through 2025, but his season was cut short by an ACL injury in Round 17 and the Warriors won just four of 10 from that point on.

The Warriors have the weapons to challenge for that long-awaited title, but they must apply themselves as a cohesive unit from early on and press hard throughout the middle section of the season - although minimising injuries will be critical to success. "Up the Wahs" will once again be the rallying cry as Mount Smart Go Media Stadium becomes an impenetrable fortress. A top four finish is highly likely this season, as they possess the potential to achieve anything in the finals. Maybe this is the Warriors year.

2026 NRL Premiership - Round 1

Friday, March 6

Warriors v Roosters @ Go Media Stadium 6:00pm (AEST) 8:00pm (local time)

Bred and owned by Ron and Judi Wanless, ROAD TO PARIS is out of the four-time winning Savabeel mare SPIRIT OF HEAVEN, who is a three-quarter sister to Gr.1 Schweppes Oaks (2000m) winner LIGHTS OF HEAVEN.

Road To Paris is by Windsor Park Stud’s promising young sire CIRCUS MAXIMUS, a triple Group One winning European miler by GALILEO. The three-year-old gelding relished the step up to 1400m at Avondale when winning his Maiden after finishing seventh over 1200m on debut at Ellerslie in October. He then travelled to Otaki for the Group 3 Wellington Stakes, but things went horribly wrong. Looking the winner when striding away nearing the finish post, the horse ducked sideways abruptly, throwing jockey Masa Hashizume from thd saddle and onto the deck hard.

Thankly, Masa was missed by the remainder of the field as the they crossed the line, including fortuitous winner AMMIRATI (Savabeel) who strode around the fallen rider to claim a remarkable victory. It was apparent Road To Paris had shied at the finish line and veered sharply to the right, carting Ammirati sideways and all but stopped the winner in his tracks. TULSA KING and LANDMAN were both finishing strongly and almost swamped the staggering Ammirati, but he held on by the skin of his teeth to win by a nose. ROAD TO PARIS recovered to run an admirable 6th in the Gr.2 Levin Stakes (1600m) at Trentham in January, but looks likely to appreciate further distance and the team can now focus in on the 2400m New Zealand Derby in March as his main campaign goal. Based on his charging effort to run 2nd from last in the Avondale Guineas at Ellerslie, we could see this gelding go one better up against her Yulong owned stablemate, AUTUMN GLORY.

MAKYBE DIVA has passed away On Saturday 28th February after a sudden and swift battle with colic. Any horse winning the prestigious Melbourne Cup is an amazing feat of strength, power and stamina - two is incredible, one horse winning it three times seemed impossible...READ ABOUT THE GREAT MARE

https://www.downunderpunter.com/maybke-diva?rq=Makybe