Cover image courtesy of Andrew Forsman
With a select hand of yearling purchases and some established, well-performed older mares, the Cambridge-based Andrew Forsman is ready to start the season strongly and hit the ground running with a handful of talented 3-year-olds running this weekend at Ruakaka and Taupo.
Andrew Forsman | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Older Horses
Positivity (NZ), 5-year-old mare (Almanzor (Fr) x Pussy O’Reilly (NZ) {O’Reilly {NZ}})
“She is a 5-year-old now, and she looks to have come back stronger. We are probably going to aim towards the mares’ races with her, she is already in Melbourne. There is a real lack of options for her in New Zealand and plenty in Melbourne.
“She may come back to New Zealand later in the season as there are some nice races for her, but if she comes back home, she needs to become a Group 1 weight-for-age mare.
Positivity (NZ) | Image courtesy of Kenton Wright (Race Images)
“She is a little while away, she will have a jump-out in early September, and we will probably kick her off at a mile somewhere. She's really aiming up for those mares' races in October and November, but she has performed well during the Melbourne spring last year.”
Mary Shan (NZ), 5-year-old mare (Almanzor (Fr) x Shanzam {High Chaparral {Ire}})
“She is a little bit in the same boat as Positivity. She is now a 5-year-old, and she looks stronger, as the Almanzors tend to do with time.
“The main aim with her is to try and make her a stakes winner as quickly as we can. She was sharp running second at her trial at Taupo, and will have another trial at Taupo this Sunday.
Mary Shan (NZ) | Image courtesy of Kenton Wright (Race Images)
“She ran some really good races last season and also had a bit of bad luck. She has come back stronger and is coming up well.”
Moonlight Magic (NZ), 5-year-old mare (Almanzor (Fr) x Japonica {Encosta De Lago})
“Moonlight Magic struggled a little bit as a 4-year-old, but that often happens with 3-year-old fillies in their 4-year-old season.
“She is another one of my Almanzors that looks like she has come back stronger, and she trialled nicely at Taupo. I think one of the key things with her is that give in the track is ideal for her. She probably had two or three last season on a firmer track, and it really got to her in the end.
Moonlight Magic (NZ) | Image courtesy of Kenton Wright (Race Images)
She has had a nice long spell, and she has come back bigger and stronger. She will be targeting those cup-type races like the Waikato Cup, etc. We will be keeping an eye on the weather patterns, the odd run on a firmer track will be okay, but we will be looking for when there is rain on the day or the day before.”
Force Of Nature (NZ) 5-year-old gelding (Savabeel x Elusive Nature (NZ) {O’Reilly {NZ}})
A horse that has come a long way quickly, Force Of Nature (NZ) (Savabeel) has now won five and placed in three of his ten starts. Unfortunately, he pulled up a little sore after finishing sixth at Te Rapa last weekend.
“Force Of Nature will have a short break now. He is much better now, which is great. He will have a short break, and we will get him back in and tick him over and work towards something.
Force Of Nature (NZ) | Image courtesy of Kenton Wright (Race Image)
“He is going to be a little bit of a tricky one to place as he isn’t going to cop the real firm ground. We will be working towards picking the right race to try and pick up some black type for Tony (Tony Rider), which would be valuable as he is breeding from that family.”
4-Year-Olds
Hinekaha (NZ), 4-year-old mare (Savabeel x Hinerangi {Fastnet Rock})
“She is a really nice horse. I think we stopped at the right time last campaign - she was still just a bit weak to be running over those longer races, and Christopher (Grace) was happy to be patient with her.
“She has had a long spell, looks great and won her trial nicely at Taupo recently. The aim with her is to get her back winning at rating level, with the aim of targeting her towards handicaps at black-type level.
Hinekaha (NZ) | Image courtesy of Kenton Wright (Race Images)
“She has plenty of ability, and I really like her. Maybe not this time in, but I think she will become a weight-for-age horse with time.”
Yaldi (NZ), 4-year-old gelding (Ardrossan x Luroel (NZ) {Per Incanto {USA}})
“Yaldi is in Melbourne. He ran some really good races there with big weights through the early winter. We chose to go that way as you are only three once, but now he can go into benchmark races and have the option of carrying a bit less.
Yaldi (NZ) | Image courtesy of Kenton Wright (Race Images)
“We are hopeful that he will be up to black-type races, and hopefully he can take advantage of the good racing and the options in the spring.”
Prochester (NZ), 4-year-old gelding (Proisir x Vanilla Chinchilla (NZ) {Reliable Man {GB}})
“He is in Melbourne. He performed really well in a couple of races at Flemington and only got nosed out in one of them, and they put a big gap on the rest. He has got the ability, but we do think he will learn more with racing and improve with age.
“But we will give him a go, and if it doesn’t work out we will give him a good break over the summer.
Prochester (NZ) | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“I think he may be better next season as an older horse as he matures. I think he could make a real nice stayer. What we saw of him as a 3-year-old was just a glimpse of his ability, he just needs to mature and strengthen up a bit.”
3-Year-Olds
Cashla Bay (NZ), 3-year-old filly (U S Navy Flag (USA) x Fastnet Lady {Fastnet Rock})
Owned and bred by The Oaks Stud
“She is very genuine, has a great constitution and heads to the Group 3 Breeders’ at Ruakaka this weekend. As a two-win horse this is the right kind of race for her and she should be a good top-three chance, and hopefully get some black type for her owners, The Oaks Stud.
Cashla Bay (NZ) | Image courtesy of Race Images
“She likes Ruakaka and won there last start, so that is a big advantage. She has got plenty of speed and probably not too much scope, so these early 3-year-old races will suit her.”
Fat Cat, 3-year-old gelding (Written Tycoon x Diamonds Galore (NZ) {Tavistock {NZ}})
Purchased by Andrew Williams Bloodstock Pty Ltd from the Carlaw Park draft at the 2024 NZB Karaka National Yearling Sale for NZ$220,000
Quondo. 3-year-old gelding (Wootton Bassett (GB) x Lazumba {Sebring})
Bred by Sunlight Services NZ Ltd and owned by The Sunlight Trust
“Fat Cat and Quondo are two 3-year-olds that I really like.
Gallery: Two horses running at Taupo on Sunday that Andrew Forsman really likes.
“They will both run at Taupo on Sunday, and they are horses that I think could be 3-year-olds to watch later in the year and into the autumn. They have both shown good amounts of ability.”
2-Year-Olds
Unnamed filly, Almanzor (Fr) x Santa Catarina (NZ) {Savabeel})
Purchased by Forsman Racing Ltd from the Elsdon Park draft at the 2025 NZB Karaka National Yearling Sale for NZ$450,000
“She’s a ripper - quite strong. She is going to be a lot more precocious than a lot of Almanzors. She might even get up and going as a 2-year-old, but she is getting close to a jump-out and may even have a trial this preparation. She is very nice.”
Almanzor (Fr) x Santa Catarina (NZ) filly | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
Unnamed colt, Savabeel x Sweepstake (NZ) {Per Incanto {USA}})
Purchased by Forsman Racing Ltd from the Little Avondale Stud draft at the 2025 NZB Karaka National Yearling Sale for NZ$210,000
“He is a beauty as well, very strong for a Savabeel. He will probably do a bit in the autumn as a 2-year-old and then be aimed at 3-year-old races.
Savabeel x Sweepstake (NZ) colt | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
Depending on how far we get with him in the autumn, but I think he has a lot of quality about him. We have already given him a couple of little run-alongs and he seems very forward and a natural really, there are still a few limited shares in him.”
Indian Ink, 2-year-old filly (Wootton Bassett (GB) x Nicoletta (NZ) {Savabeel})
Bred and raced by JML Bloodstock Ltd
“She is a lovely homebred of Elsdon Park’s, she is very nice. She has just been named Indian Ink. We haven’t done a lot with her, just a little introductory prep, but she may do something as an autumn 2-year-old. She is lovely, and a cracking type.
She is out of a nice Group 1-winning mare we had, which is also nice too.”
A Flemington base up the sleeve
Forsman also has a Flemington base, which is a useful tool for where he can place his horses. “It's nice to have the option of Flemington, horses that we send there obviously have to be good to be able to perform in Australia, it's not easy but it is an option.” Forsman said.
“It's nice to have the option of Flemington, horses that we send there obviously have to be good to be able to perform in Australia, it's not easy but it is an option.” - Andrew Forsman
“The New Zealand programme for 3-year-olds is pretty good, so we don't have to be in a rush to send horses over unless they want to get over ground quickly, but it's nice to have the option to be able to send them over when we need to.”
When asked if there were any other progeny that are showing a bit in the stable, Forsman commented that he has had a few by Windsor Park Stud's Circus Maximus (Ire) that he likes.
Circus Maximus (Ire) | Standing at Windsor Park Stud
“I have had three or four by Circus Maximus and I like them, they are good, genuine horses, we had one that we sold to Australia that we really liked (Engine Of War), but they look types that will improve with age and turn into lovely 3-year-olds.”
