Foxton trainer Gail Temperton scored a popular result at Hawera on Tuesday when taking out the quinella in her local cup, the Foxton New World Foxton Cup (2100m). 

Group 3 performer Royal Flower was dropping back from stakes grade after placing in the Group 3 Manawatu Breeders’ Stakes (2050m) last month and was sent out a $4.40 second favourite at the mid-week meeting. 

She duly delivered for punters, scoring a half-length victory over stablemate Never Look Back, and Temperton was over the moon to get the quinella in the colours she inherited from her father, Norvil Temperton.

The late Norvil Temperton trained for a time in Hawke’s Bay, where he prepared a small team from Mana Lodge, before moving to Foxton. 

“It means a lot to me. My Dad trained on the Foxton track and my colours are handed down from him, so to do that and think of him means a lot to me,” Gayle Temperton said. 

Temperton added that the result was also a tonic for her partner Stanley Alexander, who she bred and races the two horses with under their Taikorea Thoroughbreds banner. 

“We bred them both and it’s terribly rewarding for Stan and I,” Temperton said. “Stan is currently a little bit disabled, having had an accident and broken a bone, but he will be thrilled about this.” 

Both horses were offered through Rich Hill Stud’s 2020 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 2 Yearling Sale draft, but were unwanted, and Temperton took great satisfaction in getting Tuesday’s result. 

“They both went to the Karaka sales and neither of them got a bid,” she said. “Royal Flower was last in Book 2, and everyone has pretty much gone home by then. To get this result when you couldn’t get a bid for two horses you bred is very rewarding.” 

Temperton has a soft spot for Royal Flower, but said she does have her quirks. 

“She is lovely,” Temperton said. “She is a handful, she always goes down early (to the start). It’s not that she’s naughty, she wants to get on with it.” 

After winning a highweight at Woodville last week, Never Look Back was destined to commence his jumping career at Wanganui this Sunday, but those plans could be shelved off the back of his current run of form. 

“He has really gone up a notch this year,” Temperton said. “I don’t know whether he will be going jumping on Sunday or not, we will have to see what he has to say about the matter.”

Get Funky’s success a boost for owner

Get Funky’s impressive win in a Rating 65 race over 1200m at Hawera on Tuesday provided her Taradale part-owner Kevin Williams with a much needed pick-me-up.

Williams, who owns a five per cent share in the Australian-bred mare, has been battling health issues over the past 18 months.

The rising 80-year-old was diagnosed with cancer of the tail bone and had a tumour surgically removed. He then spent four months in hospital and another month in rehabilitation.

Always a keen racegoer, Williams now has trouble getting around but his passion for thoroughbred racing and horses in general has never waned.

For nearly 30 years Williams had a milk-run in Taradale, using a horse and cart to make his deliveries. He was still doing the milk round when he raced his first horse in 2003.

That horse was Wharite Princess who won on debut over 1300m at Awapuni and went on to win the Group 1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham the following year, crediting trainer Lisa Latta with her first Group 1 success on her own after initially training in partnership with the late Malcolm Smith.

Williams and the other owners of Wharite Princess had ambitions of tackling major cup races in Australia with the daughter of His Royal Highness but she only had five starts for three wins, a second and a third before she died suddenly from a heart attack.

“They say that’s racing but it came as a terrible shock to us,” Williams recalled this week.

“She was going to be our Melbourne Cup horse.”

Williams has since regularly taken up shares in horses from the Latta stable, with moderate success.

“I had a share in Colonel Danske who won four races and Black Lambo was another good one. He was a big horse and won three,” Williams said.

“Pania Rose is another one I had a share in and, although she only won one race, she was placed in the top four nine times from 21 starts.”

Get Funky is the only horse Williams has a share in nowadays and her win on Tuesday was her first since she took out a 1000m three-year-old race on the Awapuni synthetic track in September 2023. She also won a maiden race over 1100m at Woodville earlier that year.

“Lisa has always had a good opinion of her (Get Funky) and put her in black type races as a three-year-old but unfortunately she has also been held up with injuries,” Williams added.

The way Get Funky won at Hawera on Tuesday suggests she could now go on to much better things.

The mare was outpaced in the early stages, in a fast run race, and was giving the leaders an eight length head start entering the final 600m. Apprentice rider Amber Riddell brought her to the centre of the track at the top of the home straight and she powered home to win by 1-3/4 lengths, under just a hands and heels ride.

A century of yearling sales

Karaka 2026 will mark the 100th anniversary of the National Yearling Sales in New Zealand, and it is set to take on a new look for its milestone year. 

Book 1 will be conducted across two full days (Sunday, January 25, and Monday, January 26), composed of approximately 580 horses, with Book 2 (Tuesday, January 27) immediately following with a further 290 yearlings the following day.  

A third session will also be re-introduced with up to 200 yearlings catalogued to sell on the Thursday (January 29), which will be known as the Karaka Summer Sale, with the day prior (January 28) to be utilised as an inspection day. 

“Our goal is to assemble the very best line-up of yearlings, validating our annual yearling harvest as the flag bearing sale for New Zealand breeders with the cream of the crop on offer,” New Zealand Bloodstock managing director Andrew Seabrook said. 

“While the condensed Book 1 and Book 2 (sessions) will be full days of selling, the format will be highly advantageous from an international buyer’s perspective. They want to be away from home for as little time as possible during what is an extremely busy sales calendar.  

“The introduction of the third session is to ensure we have a complete offering for both vendors and buyers, boosted by some attractive sales terms and a $200,000 Karaka Millions bonus.” 

“The 100-year anniversary is truly an exciting occasion. We are thrilled to be celebrating such a milestone on behalf of the wider industry and are looking forward to producing one of the best catalogues seen in New Zealand.” 

Entries for the National Yearling Sales Series open in June, while details for the National Online Yearling Sale are in discussions, with the timing of that session to be confirmed shortly. 

Campionessa retired, up for sale

Group One-winning mare Campionessa has ended her racing career and will be offered at Magic Millions’ Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale later this month.

Bred by Mapperley Stud principal Simms Davison, Campionessa was passed in as a yearling at Karaka, and again at the Magic Million Gold Coast National Yearling Sale. Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis was Johnny-on-the-spot on the Gold Coast and offered Davison $60,000 for the filly, which he duly accepted.

It would prove to be an astute purchase by Ellis, with the daughter of Contributer carrying Te Akau’s tangerine and blue silks to victory on 11 occasions, including the Group 1 Zabeel Classic (2050m), and she amassed $1.4 million in career earnings for her syndicate.

A model of consistency throughout her career, Campionessa was also Group 1 placed on three occasions, including the Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m), and twice in the Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m).

She also tested her talent in Australia, where she performed with distinction, including winning the Gr.2 Peter Young Stakes (1800m).

A daughter of three-win O’Reilly mare Bella Carolina, Campionessa is a half-sister to stakes winners Leedox and Tennessee, and hails from the family of Group 1 winners Dress Circle and Carson’s Cash.

Campionessa retires after finishing fifth in the Group 1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m), run on the inaugural Champions Day meeting at Ellerslie in March.

Mark Walker trained her in partnership with Sam Bergerson over the last couple of seasons, and he was impressed with her talent and resilient nature.

“She was a great mare, very tough, and just got better from season to season,” he said.

“She’s always been a very sound mare, very tough, and she’d be a great addition to anyone’s broodmare band.”

Campionessa won’t be the only former Te Akau Racing representative on offer on the Gold Coast, with the trans-Tasman powerhouse also offering Group 1 performer Wolverine, stakes winner Family Ties, stakes performers Sans Doute and Millefiori, two-win filly The Victress, and The Sky Above, a half-sister to Group One performer Landlock.