Cover image courtesy of Rich Hill Stud
As the curtain comes down on another season of racing in New Zealand, it gives the chance to reflect on the champions of the 2025/26 racing season, both on and off the track.
Second Champion title for Proisir
Rich Hill Stud’s Proisir secured a second New Zealand Champion Sire title with three days of the season left to play out last week and was honoured with the Grosvenor Award at the National Breeding Awards last weekend.
He held a NZ$450,000 earnings lead over the late champion Savabeel to finish the season on a total of NZ$4,487,647 from 50 winners, with a seasonal strike rate of 43.1%. The margin between Savabeel and the third-placed El Roca was over NZ$500,000.
Proisir | Standing at Rich Hill Stud
Only Time Test (GB) and Belardo (Ire) sent out more Kiwi winners than Proisir, with 52 each, and the only stallion other than Proisir to produce a seven-figure earner for the season was Written Tycoon, courtesy of his unbeaten daughter Well Written.
Proisir’s top performer of the season was the ever consistent Legarto (NZ), who signed off on her career on a high with back to back top flight wins in the G1 Herbie Dyke Stakes and G1 Bonecrusher Stakes. The four-time Group 1 winner sold to the Devil Night Syndicate for AU$2.8 million at this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale.
His three other stakes winners for the season were Waitak (NZ), who notched a top flight double in the G1 Howden Insurance Mile and the G1 Livamol Classic, G3 Desert Gold Stakes winner Fairy Dream (NZ), and Listed Opunake Cup winner Prioress (NZ).
Legarto (NZ) | Image courtesy of Kenton Wright (Race Images)
Little Avondale Stud’s Per Incanto (USA) received two honours at the awards evening last week as well, receiving the Dewar Award, for highest Australian earnings by a New Zealand-based sire, and the Centaine Award, for total worldwide earnings.
Trans Tasman titles for Home Affairs
Just as he was the clear leader on home soil, Coolmore Stud’s Home Affairs was far and away the Champion First Season Sire on New Zealand soil as well, with over NZ$115,000 between him and the second place finisher, Sword Of State.
Home Affairs finished the New Zealand season with NZ$368,885 in progeny earnings and three winners from nine runners. He was the only first season sire to produce more than one stakes winner. Kinnaird got on the board early for his sire with a win in the G2 Eclipse Stakes and Miss Janet added to that with her win in the Listed Star Way Stakes in April.
Home Affairs | Standing at Coolmore Stud
His third winner on Kiwi soil has also been a black-type performer; Harvey Wallbanger helped secure his sire the quinella in the Eclipse when running second, and he also chalked up seconds in the G3 Colin Jillings 2YO Classic and the Listed Counties Challenge Stakes.
Home Affairs’ second crop of 141 2-year-olds are making their way to the track this season and at least a handful will be on New Zealand soil, with David Ellis CNZM (BAFNZ) purchasing his top lot at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale when paying NZ$475,000 for a colt out of Special Memories (Fastnet Rock), a stakes-performed full sister to G1 Australian Oaks victress Unforgotten.
Hello Youmzain maintains second season momentum
The 2024/25 Champion First Season Sire Hello Youmzain (Fr) picked up second season honours in 2025/26 as one of two second season sires to crack seven figures in progeny earnings for the year.
He finished the season on NZ$1,410,457 with 23 winners from 51 runners and five individual stakes winners, ahead of Circus Maximus (Ire) with NZ$1,316,420 in progeny earnings and 10 winners from 39 runners, two at stakes level.
Hello Youmzain (Fr) | Standing at Cambridge Stud
The top earner of that number was dual stakes winner Helly Hayley (NZ), winner of the Listed Dunedin Guineas and the Listed Southland Guineas, who stands alongside G3 Cambridge Breeders' Stakes victress Drops Of God (NZ). Juvenile Enchantment (NZ) added to the haul with the Listed Welcome Stakes.
At the close of the season, Hello Youmzain snuck in one more stakes winner when then 2-year-old Back of The Bus (NZ) scored in the Listed Ryder Stakes. The same race was won last year by the stallion’s daughter Platinum Diamond (NZ), who opened the 2025/26 season by winning the Listed Wanganui Guineas.
Russian Revolution and Written Tycoon claim titles with unbeaten fillies
Australian sires Russian Revolution and Written Tycoon cleaned up the Champion 2YO and Champion 3YO Sire titles, each having their flag flown by an unbeatable filly.
Despite having just three runners in New Zealand last season, Newgate Farm’s Russian Revolution only needed to rely on one; Lara Antipova secured all but NZ$13,000 of his NZ$569,900 to carry him to victory past El Roca, who was equally well represented by Dream Roca (NZ).
Lara Antipova was flawless in four starts in the late summer and early autumn, winning her maiden in December by eight lengths, before taking out the G2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes, the G2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes, and the G1 Sistema Stakes for the Te Akau Racing team. She has headed across the Tasman in search of lucrative spring riches in Australia.
Russian Revolution | Standing at Newgate Farm
Written Tycoon produced three winners last season from five runners, and his NZ$2,666,420 is largely thanks to the unbeaten Well Written. Debuting a winner in September, Well Written has likewise been terrific across six starts, jumping up to stakes level at her second start.
She was truly uncatchable in the G2 Soliloquy Stakes, winning by six and three quarter lengths, before winning the G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas by another comfortable margin. After Christmas, she won the G2 Auckland Guineas, before digging deep to win the R. Listed Karaka Millions 3YO and the R. Listed NZB Kiwi. Yulong, who stand Written Tycoon, were understandably keen to join her ownership in October after her Soliloquy victory.
Well Written’s trainer Stephen Marsh has circled the G1 Proisir Plate on September 5 as the mare’s kick-off before she also departs for Australia with the intention of heading towards the G1 Golden Eagle.
Written Tycoon | Standing at Yulong Stud
Hello Youmzain was the leading sire of 3-year-olds by individual winners for the season, with 21 winners to his credit - eight more than the next most productive sire. Home Affairs and Ardrossan tied for most 2-year-old winners, with three each.
O’Reilly honoured with another broodmare sire title
Twelve years after his passing, O’Reilly (NZ) clinched a seventh Champion Broodmare Sire title, going back to back after winning the title in 2024/25 as well. The 84 winners from his daughters produced an untouchable NZ$5,713,917 in earnings, more than NZ$1.1 million than runner-up Savabeel.
The offspring of O’Reilly’s daughters were busier than those of any other sire; those 84 winners hit the board 114 times and an incredible 12 of them were individual stakes winners this season.
O'Reilly (NZ) | Image courtesy of Waikato Stud
His leading earner was the now 5-year-old Tuxedo (NZ) (Tivaci), who was prepared by Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray to win the G3 Aotearoa Classic, adding to two Group wins in his 3-year-old season.
He also ran second in the G2 J Swap Sprint behind subsequent dual Group 1 winner First Five (NZ) (Almanzor {Fr}) and third in Legarto’s Bonecrusher swansong. His NZ$668,950 in seasonal earnings took his career total into seven figures.
Seven straight premierships for Te Akau
The tangerine powerhouse team of Te Akau Racing’s Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson concluded the season with an assailable lead of 135 wins, 19 of which had been at stakes level. They took home NZ$8,287,740 in prize money across the past 12 months and sent out three individual Group 1 winners; Lara Antipova, Quintessa (NZ) (Shamus Award) in the G1 Proisir Plate, and G1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes winner Seize The Day (I Am Invincible).
Dual Group 1 winner Quintessa’s racing chapter came to a close at the Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale, where she was bought for AU$800,000 by Sheng Geng on behalf of Yulong.
Quintessa (NZ) | Image courtesy of Kenton Wright (Race Images)
Seize The Day has been exported to join Lara Antipova for the Australian spring carnivals, and Te Akau’s presence on Australian shores is only growing stronger. Their 2025/26 Australian season was highlighted by Belle Cheval’s (NZ) (Savabeel) victory in the G1 Vinery Stud Stakes and multiple Group performances by Damask Rose (NZ) (Savabeel), who has returned to New Zealand for the spring.
None of it would be possible without the man behind Te Akau, and Sir David Ellis’s achievements were recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours last month, when he was appointed a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
Seize The Day | Image courtesy of Peter Rubery (Race Images)
Back to back premierships for Grylls
Matamata-based Craig Grylls notched up back to back jockeys’ premierships as it proved simply impossible for anyone to catch him. The 36-year-old hoop scored 140 wins, 47 more than runner-up Samantha Collett, and brought home NZ$5,751,783 in prize money, just shy of NZ$2 million more than second place. It was remarkably just one less win than the career high that Grylls managed in the previous season.
Amongst his wins were 11 at stakes level, highlighted by steering Waitak to victory in the G1 Howden Insurance Mile and the G1 Livamol Classic. He also partnered Champion 2YO La Dorada (NZ) (Super Seth) to win the G2 Levin Classic and Hinekaha (NZ) (Savabeel) in her G2 Cal Isuzu Stakes victory.
Craig Grylls | Image courtesy of Kenton Wright (Race Images)
Apprentice jockey Amber Riddell finished third in the general jockeys’ premiership with 80 wins and NZ$2,308,262 in earnings, scooping her first Listed victory in the Listed Gore Guineas with Better Shared (NZ) (Overshare). The apprentice jockeys’ premiership had been hers a long way out, with a 20-win gap between her and runner-up Elen Nicholas, who finished just inside the nationwide top 10.
Sixth top breeder honour for Cambridge Stud
Cambridge Stud received the Sir Patrick and Justine Lady Hogan New Zealand Breeder of the Year award for the sixth time at last week’s National Breeding Awards, and it was a particular landmark occasion for Sir Brendan and Lady Jo Lindsay as it was the first time the stud has received the award under their ownership.
Sir Brendan and Lady Jo Lindsay | Image courtesy of Cambridge Stud
The stud produced 105 individual winning graduates in the 2025/26 season, including five stakes winners and a further nine black-type performers. Two of those stakes winners scored at the top level; Ceolwulf (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) won both the G1 Champions Mile and the G1 King Charles III Stakes, while on home turf, Jaarffi (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}) won the G1 Otaki-Maori WFA Classic.
The farm was also the leading vendors at the 2026 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale, the 100th iteration of NZB’s flagship yearling sale, with an aggregate of more than NZ$11.8 million. They also sold the sale-topping lot, a Sword Of State half-brother to Ceolwulf, for NZ$1.1 million to Sanxiong Gao and Ciaron Maher Bloodstock.
