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Star-studded 10 inducted into New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame

Six people and four horses were inducted into the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame on Sunday night in a gala dinner in Hamilton.They included champion racehorses Verry Elleegant, Melody Belle and Beau Vite, leading trainers Paul O’Sullivan, Michael Moroney and George Price and outstanding jockeys Opie Bosson and Keith Voitre.Also inducted was breeder, auctioneer and administrator Ken Austin along with long-serving Wrightson Managing Director Michael Floyd.Since the inaugural New Zealand Racing ...

Hall of Fame to benefit from high-quality stallion nominations

Three stallion service nominations, including one to headlining shuttle sire Satono Aladdin, have been donated for auction at the 2023 New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame Inductee Dinner in Hamilton on Sunday, May 7.Since the inaugural NZRHOF dinner in 2006, 37 horses from racehorses to stallions and broodmares, and 47 people – including trainers, jockeys, owners, breeders and administrators – have been inducted to the elite list that honours New Zealand’s highest achievers in the thoroughbred...

Champion racemare Verry Elleegant for Hall of Fame

The roll of honour for the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame is set to be enhanced by champion racemare Verry Elleegant, who will be on the list of 2023 inductees at the Hall of Fame Dinner in Hamilton on May 7.In common with recently announced inductee Melody Belle, Verry Elleegant easily meets the Hall of Fame standard with a record of 16 wins – 11 at Group One level – and stake-earnings of A$14.8 million. Defining performances included her Melbourne Cup victory under 57kg, her Winx Stakes w...

Melody Belle to be inducted to Racing Hall of Fame

Record-breaking racemare Melody Belle will be inducted to the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame in May.On the eve of the sale she was sourced from seven years ago, it has been announced that outstanding racemare Melody Belle will be inducted to the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame.Melody Belle was sold for $57,500 at the 2016 NZB National Yearling Sale to the bid of Te Akau principal David Ellis, going on to race in the colours of the Fortuna Melody Belle Syndicate under the training of Jamie Richa...

Obituary: Sir Patrick Hogan

The thoroughbred world has bid farewell to Sir Patrick Hogan, a member of the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame who passed away after a period of ill health on January 6.From humble beginnings and with a determination shared by his wife Justine, in 1976 Sir Patrick founded Cambridge Stud, a nursery that was to reshape the bloodstock industry and draw unprecedented international attention to New Zealand.In a masterstroke that was to reap huge accolades and rewards for Cambridge Stud, he selected Si...

Obituary: Colin Jillings – Master Horseman

Colin Jillings was many things to the hugely diverse circle he moved in, but first and foremost he was a master horseman who lived for his horses.That quality was recognised for decades as the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame trainer developed the full range of high class performers – champion two and three-year-olds, great sprinters, stayers and jumpers. It was also the dominant conversation point as the racing world took time to reflect on the death at age 91 on December 23 of the man known u...

Save the date for the 2023 Inductee Dinner!

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NZ Racing Hall of Fame Melbourne Cup Carnival Success

New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame's two youngest inductees - jockey James McDonald and trainer Chris Waller - combined for historic first Melbourne Cup victories with champion New Zealand-bred racemare Verry Elleegant last week. The dynamic Kiwi duo, both based these days in Sydney, Australia not only shared Melbourne Cup glory but also swept riding and training honours over the Cup carnival with James additionally becoming the most successful jockey ever over the four-day event, compiling a reco...

Eighth Inductee Dinner - Latest Inductees

The New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame is thrilled to officially welcome nine new inductees. These new inductees were celebrated at our eighth inductee dinner held at SkyCity Hamilton on Sunday, 2nd May 2021.  A special thanks to our many sponsors of the event.  The new inductees are – Iconic broodmare Sunbride International achiever Starcraft Champion stayer Let’s Elope Super star sprinter-miler Mufhasa Breeder, owner and racing administrator Sir Peter Vela Breeder, owner and racing ...

Sunbride to join iconic broodmares in Hall of Fame

A third member of New Zealand thoroughbred breeding’s elite broodmare ranks will be honoured when Sunbride joins iconic producers Eulogy and Eight Carat in the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame. The name Sunbride will forever be connected to the Williams family’s Te Parae and Little Avondale Studs, but in particular with family matriarch Nancy Williams. It was she who made the landmark decision to purchase the young English-bred mare and then place her undying faith in her as Sunbride forged h...

International achiever Starcraft set to join Hall of Fame

All members of the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame have gained induction through their own set of unique qualities, but if there’s one amongst the equine members that stands apart it is Starcraft. During the mid-2000s the big chestnut gained fame in both hemispheres, first as the champion Australian three-year-old of 2003-04, the following year as champion sprinter in New Zealand, and his defining achievement, the first New Zealand-bred horse to win at Group One level in Europe. The Waikato St...

Champion stayer Let’s Elope for Hall of Fame induction

Let’s Elope, one of the great racemares in Melbourne Cup history, has earned induction to the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame. Already a member of the Australian Racing Hall of Fame, Let’s Elope will take her place alongside fellow New Zealand-bred greats of the turf at the Hall of Fame induction dinner in Hamilton on the evening of May 2. Previous inductees with the Melbourne Cup on their CV are Carbine (1890), Phar Lap (1930), Rising Fast (1954), Might And Power (1997) and Ethereal (2001),...

Sir James Fletcher, a gentleman of racing and breeding

One of the true gentlemen of the thoroughbred world is to be honoured with induction to the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame. Sir James Fletcher, industrialist, philanthropist, thoroughbred breeder, owner and administrator, has been acknowledged for the foresight that transcended his business career into the world of the horse.  As the son of a Scottish immigrant father of the same name who founded one of New Zealand’s iconic commercial entities in the first decade of the 20th Century, it ...

Industry loses great contributor

Chris Luoni, one of the driving forces behind the establishment of the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame and a past chairman has passed away in Hamilton overnight after a battle with illness.Luoni, an accountant by profession, had been an avid racing fan since his teenage years following the fortunes of his father George’s high-class racehorse of the 1970s, Happy Union.He experienced success as a breeder and owner with horses such as stakes winners Ma Danseuse and Oliverdance, and he also raced ...

2020 Induction Dinner Postponed

Due to the unfolding situation with COVID-19, the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame has decided to postpone their bi-annual Induction Dinner due to be held on Sunday, 3rd May 2020 at SkyCity in Hamilton. Whilst this is disappointing for our Board, our new inductees, sponsors and guests, the risks and restrictions now in place to combat COVID-19 make the event impossible to run the way we would like to at this time.  The New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame Board will reschedule the event...

More highlights ahead for Taylor

Cherry Taylor had no joy with Loire in last Saturday’s Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks, but she has plenty to look forward to within the next couple of months despite the Covid-19 travel restraints. Taylor, Chairperson of the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame (NZRHOF), and her husband, Brent, race Loire with their friend Kate Plaw and, though the filly disappointed when finishing 14th in the 2400m feature, she had already given them a major highlight when winning the Gr.1 New Zeal...

Hall of Fame Induction for Mufhasa

Mufhasa earned his stripes as a dual New Zealand Horse of the Year and multiple Champion Sprinter-Miler and now he has gained the ultimate accolade with his pending induction to the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame. The common thread running through the story of Mufhasa’s racing career is one of a tough, uncompromising and obviously talented galloper who loved nothing better than a fight. Translated into statistics, those qualities were the platform for a career spanning 62 starts over eight se...

Hall of Fame induction an honour for Karaka principal

Sir Peter Vela is set to be inducted into the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame.Amid all the action at this week’s National Yearling Sale, there was no more popular newsthan the pending Racing Hall of Fame induction of New Zealand Bloodstock principal Sir Peter Vela.Perhaps after nearly half a century’s involvement in the thoroughbred industry, it may comeas a surprise that Sir Peter is not already a member of this country’s elite racing body, but that wasfar from his own mind when he discus...

Louis Herman-Watt of Radio Sport – 2020 Leishman Media Awardee

The NZ Racing Hall of Fame Board has recognised that many mainstream media journalists and aspiring journalists do not have an awareness of the NZ racing and breeding industries, so it has set up the bi-annual Leishman Media Racing Awareness Award, which has as its objective “to improve the awareness of mainstream media people in the NZ horse breeding and racing industries”. The award provides the awardee with a practical exposure to the NZ racing and breeding industries which, will enable t...

James McDonald set for Hall of Fame history

Just 12 years after riding his first winner, James McDonald is about to become the youngest person to be inducted to the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame. When his induction takes place at the Hall of Fame gala dinner in Hamilton on May 3, the Sydney-based champion will join 16 other jockeys to have claimed their place in more than a century of New Zealand racing history. “I couldn’t believe it when I got the call, it’s a huge honour and I still get goose-bumps just talking about it,” Mc...

Inductee Horse Tail Project

The NZ Racing Hall of Fame has some wonderful equine and people inductees.The NZ Racing Hall of Fame was set up to honour horse racing and breeding’s elite performers and our mandate is to maintain a history of our inductees which is accessible to people in a digital and physical presence.A recent project has been to obtain pieces of tail from living equine inductees, outstanding progeny of equine inductees or outstanding horses trained, ridden or bred by people inductees.This project will res...

Changing of the guard at NZ Racing Hall of Fame

Chris Luoni, the driving force behind the establishment of the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame, is stepping down as Chairman after serving seven years in the post but will continue as a director.“Chris was the catalyst behind establishing the Racing Hall of Fame,” past Chairman and director Gerald Fell said.“I was the first Chairman of the Hall of Fame and between us we drove the development of it.“I retired and Chris took over, and it has just got stronger and stronger.”Luoni, an acco...

Linda Jones lends name to new retirement village

A Hamilton retirement village has been named after New Zealand’s most famous female jockey, Linda Jones MBE.The name of Ryman Healthcare’s new retirement village on River Road in Hamilton was revealed on Friday at a special event held at the Hamilton Working Men’s Club, and Jones was present for the occasion.As the first woman to be inducted in the NZ Racing Hall of Fame, Jones is a true Kiwi icon who now joins a long list of great New Zealanders whose names have been lent to Ryman re...

John Costello - Our patron and best supporter

John or Coz to his many friends sadly passed away this week. Coz was a doyen among NZ journalists and we were lucky that horse racing was his passion.Coz was the NZ Racing Hall of Fame’s best supporter and we were honoured to have him as our Patron following on from our old friend the late Don McLaren. Coz’s career was such that we inducted him into the NZ Racing Hall of Fame in 2016 in his own right and his induction ceremony is available for viewing on this channel.At our most recent induc...

Entertaining evening with Hall of Fame legends

When you get Noel Harris and Murray Baker in the same room you know there is always going to be plenty of laughter reminiscing their entwined moments in racing.That was the case at this year’s NZ Racing Hall Of Fame (NZRHOF) function at SkyCity Hamilton when the two greats of the New Zealand turf were among the latest nine inductees, which also included champion Sydney trainer Chris Waller.Internationally successful jockey Tod Hewitt and Ra Ora’s Sir Woolf Fisher were also inducted, as were ...