Stradbroke hero heads another big day for Kiwi-breds in Brisbane
Richard Edmunds - Raceform • June 19th, 2025 5:00 PM • 5 min read
Three of the biggest Group One prizes of the Queensland Winter Carnival have been won by horses carrying the (NZ) suffix, including a poignant and super-impressive win by War Machine in last Saturday’s Stradbroke Handicap.
The carnival had already got off to a stellar start for Kiwi-breds, courtesy of victories by Antino in the Doomben Cup on May 24 and Maison Louis in the Queensland Derby on June 7. War Machine joined that Group One list in style on Saturday, and in doing so he honoured the memory of a pair of greatly missed Michaels.
It came less than a week after the sudden loss of internationally respected bloodstock agent Michael Wallace, who sourced War Machine’s dam Caserta on behalf of his family. War Machine was bred by the Wallace family’s MDJ Bloodstock and was offered by Ardsley Stud at both the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales and the Ready To Run Sale, but failed to reach his $100,000 reserve on both occasions.
War Machine went on to make the first 10 appearances of his exciting career from the stable of Hall of Fame horseman Mike Moroney, who was another sad loss to the Australasian industry earlier this year. War Machine is now trained by Ben, Will and JD Hayes.
Moroney’s brother Paul had conflicting feelings on Saturday as he watched War Machine burst out of the pack and live up to his $3.20 favouritism with a three-quarter-length defeat of the strong-finishing Yellow Brick.
“Many and mixed emotions about the result of the Stradbroke Handicap, with the favourite War Machine beating longshot Yellow Brick,” Moroney said on Facebook.
“War Machine was formerly trained by my late brother Mike and was bought for his stable by our good mate Steven Pinfold. Steven purchased War Machine off the Wallace family of Ardsley Stud, who retained a share. Last weekend, the Wallace family suffered a huge loss too, with the passing in America of fellow bloodstock agent Michael Wallace. Stradbroke-winning jockey Tim Clark wore a black armband in respect of both Michaels – Moroney and Wallace. ‘Pinny’ wore one of my brother's ties.
“The runner-up Yellow Brick is, along with Catheryne Bruggeman, our current main flagbearer. We selected him as a yearling for just A$20,000 and he has now won more than A$2.4 million for Sears Racing.
“I didn't really know who to yell for, but congratulations to Lindsay Park Racing and the War Machine team, and I hope today's win can slightly ease the pain for Ardsley Stud and the Wallace family.”
With six victories and four placings from 13 starts, War Machine has amassed A$2.48 million in prize-money. War Machine’s two-year-old half-brother by Darci Brahma, named Vanvitelli, was also the winner of a recent trial at Waipukurau and has subsequently been sold to clients of the Hayes team.
War Machine is by the Darley shuttle stallion Harry Angel, who has stamped his mark on this part of the world through the deeds of multiple Group One winner Tom Kitten and the undefeated Gr. 1 Galaxy winner Private Harry. Harry Angel is by Dark Angel, whose multiple Group Two-winning son Alflaila will take up duties at White Robe Lodge this spring at a $7,000 service fee.
War Machine headlined a quartet of New Zealand-bred stakes winners on Saturday’s Eagle Farm card.
The A$1.2 million Gr. 2 HKJC World Pool Q22 marked a welcome return to winning form for Kovalica, who launched a relentless finish from the back of the field to edge out New Endeavour and Fawkner Park in a three-way photo finish. It was Kovalica’s first win since the 2023 Queensland Derby, but in between times he ran second in the Gr. 1 Epsom Handicap and Gr. 2 Hill Stakes, third in the Gr. 1 Doomben Cup, Gr. 2 Tramway Stakes and two editions of the Gr. 2 Hollindale Stakes, fourth in another Epsom Handicap, fifth in the Gr. 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes and King Charles III Stakes, and sixth in the Gr. 1 Cox Plate (2040m).
Kovalica is by Ocean Park out of the Makfi mare Vitesse, who is a half-sister to triple Group One winner Bostonian and Group Three winner Cheval D’Or. Kovalica was bred by Nearco Stud and offered by Curraghmore at Karaka 2021, where Mulcaster Bloodstock bought him for $110,000. He has now earned A$4.18 million.
The Gr. 2 Brisbane Cup was the latest chapter in the remarkable rise of Campaldino. A highweight winner at Taupo around this time last year for Cody Cole, the Ghibellines gelding is now trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott and has strung together four increasingly impressive wins – the Orange Cup, a 2400-metre handicap on Randwick’s Kensington track, the Gr. 3 Premier’s Cup and the Brisbane Cup. Waterhouse and Bott now have their sights set on the Melbourne Cup.
Campaldino was bred by the Ricky and Anna Rhodes Partnership and is out of the Shocking mare Zuzana – a half-sister to the top-flight hurdler Laekeeper.
One of the highlights of the day from a New Zealand point of view was the three-length runaway by Pier in the Listed Wayne Wilson. It was the first black-type success since the 2022 Gr. 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas for the Proisir gelding, and unlikely to be his last on that side of the Tasman.
Pier is trained, co-owned and co-bred by Matamata’s Weatherley family, who sent him over to Brisbane for a shot at the Stradbroke. He was balloted out of that A$3 million feature, but the Wayne Wilson was a satisfying consolation prize.
“He’s achieved what I expected he would,” Darryn Weatherley said. “I truly believe he would have been a force to be reckoned with in the Straddie, but maybe next year.”
The Gr. 1 JJ Atkins Stakes capped an incredible coming-of-age carnival for Cool Archie, who came into it as a maiden but has now won five in a row including the JJ Atkins, Gr. 2 Sires’ Produce Stakes, Gr. 2 Spirit Of Boom Classic and Listed Dalrello Stakes.
While the Kiwi industry is unable to claim a direct connection to Cool Archie, he comes from the first crop of Savabeel stallion Cool Aza Beel, who was New Zealand’s champion two-year-old in 2019-20 and carried the Te Akau Racing colours to victories in four of his six starts including the Gr. 1 Sistema Stakes and the Karaka Millions 2YO. He now stands at Newhaven Park in New South Wales.
The JJ Atkins runner-up Hidden Achievement was bred by Jomara Bloodstock and is out of their homebred Gr. 1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes winner Luna Rossa. Hidden Achievement was offered by KB Bloodstock at last year’s Ready to Run Sale at Karaka, where Yulong bought him for $675,000.
