First WINNER for Warhorse (NZ)

Bombora Downs stallion Warhorse (NZ), has his first winner. Toots Is Tops, a 3yo brown filly, a winner over 1300m at Ballina during the week.

The winning filly is a homebred for Greg and Amanda Nash of Alfred Lodge. Greg’s comments after the race: “We now have Warhorse on the board as a winning sire. A modest start, yes, but she won with authority despite doing all the hard work from a wide barrier and still being quite green. She still has a lot of growing to do. Lots of upside. And we have the full younger sister in the paddock at home.”

Warhorse (NZ) was a precocious and champion 2-year-old, winning the Group 3 Eclipse Stakes (Ellerslie) at his third start and then saluting two runs later in the 2012 Group 1 Diamond Stakes (also at Ellerslie), both over 1200m. He finished his 2-year-old year with 2 wins, a second and 2 thirds from 6 starts, 5 of which were at Group level. Warhorse (NZ) was voted Champion 2-year-old of the 2011/12 season by New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing.

Greg’s reasoning behind sending his mare Train Wreck (by Honours List IRE)) to Warhorse (NZ): “The main reason was that all my broodmares are Danehill stock and the outcross to Warhorse held strong appeal. This was a major feature in Christoph’s Bombora Downs Warhorse stallion brochure. We are very proud to have bred Warhorse’s first racetrack winner”.

Toots Is Tops is trained at Ballina by Stephen Lee and his partner Amanda Stewart, who rides Toots in all her trackwork. Another in the stable is Nashville Star (also bred and owned by Alfred Lodge) which trialled well the same day and will start in a 1200m race shortly with an eye to a 1400m win thereafter.

Warhorse (NZ) was an outstanding 2-year-old, a Classic performed 3-year-old and then went on to be a proven Group Class weight-for-age performer. He performed at Group level from 2 to 5 years and was an outstanding sprinter. He not only offers breeders an outcross pedigree that is a perfect match with Danehill line mares, but he is an ideal fit for Victoria’s Super VOBIS bonus scheme. Warhorse (NZ), is near black, is correct, retired sound and is a commercial proposition.