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Deal reached for talented filly Matchmaker; Ballymore surpasses $6m season mark

Deal reached for talented filly Matchmaker

Impressive Riccarton debut winner Matchmaker will continue her career in Sydney this spring after breeder-owners Gus and Bianca Wigley reached a deal to sell a half-share in the filly.

The Nick Wigley and Kayla Milnes-trained filly triumphed by 3-1/4 lengths in two-year-old company at Riccarton last month, with Wigley revealing there had been plenty of interest in the filly after she won a Rangiora trial 11 days earlier.

The deal results in Gus and Bianca Wigley retaining a half-share in the Makfi filly with new owner Manoj Wanzare and Matchmaker will remain in the Wigley-Milnes stable till after the Gr.1 1000 Guineas (1600m) in November, when she will transfer to Sydney trainer Chris Waller.

"We were reluctant to sell because we wanted to target the 1000 Guineas. (Bloodstock agent) Andy Williams put a very good offer together on behalf of Manoj Wanzare, a client of Chris Waller," Gus Wigley said.

"The arrangement has seen Manoj purchase half of the filly from us with her to stay in training with us here until New Zealand Cup week with the aim of getting her to the 1000 Guineas. She will then transfer to Chis Waller where we'll race her with Manoj. It's a great deal that sees everyone win and is pretty exciting."

Matchmaker will have her next start at Riccarton next Saturday.

Ballymore surpasses $6m season mark

Trans-Tasman trainer Michael Moroney had a season to remember last term, capped by She's A Thief s win at Caulfield last Saturday, taking the stable past the $6 million threshold for the season.

"She's A Thief is a good example of how we operate," Michael Moroney said. "Purchased for $30,000 as a yearling at the New Zealand Bloodstock Sales at Karaka by Paul Moroney (brother and bloodstock agent), she won at Group level as a two-year-old in New Zealand and her earnings now exceed $275,000 and she has more than one friend."

Fellow Kiwi-bred Tofane completed her early education at Ballymore's Matamata barn with New Zealand co-trainer Pam Gerard before transferring to Australia and going on to win the Gr.1 All Aged Stakes (1400m).

"Pam identified pretty early on that Tofane had talent and her judgement was spot on with the mare eventually getting the breaks at the highest level in the All Aged Stakes at Randwick after some unlucky runs in Group One races and we are hopeful of adding more feature races to her record later this year," Moroney said.

"Apart from supporting racing in New Zealand, one of the advantages of having the base there is that we are able to identify these type of horses and then nurture them into stakes performers.

"Harlech is a Group winning example of this and the now four-year-old son of Darci Brahma is training well at Flemington and preparing for the rich spring races.

The opportunities to exploit the two stables is one Moroney is keen to expand.

"We have the opportunity to start horses off in New Zealand and then filter them in to Flemington if they warrant the trip," Moroney said.

"We've always been big buyers of yearlings in New Zealand and we look forward to continued and new support from New Zealand owners and breeders as we aim to exploit the Australian prizemoney