Supera pictured winning last year's Group 2 Travis Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa.
Two of last year's star gallopers from the Matamata stable of Ken and Bev Kelso have been earmarked for early Group 1 races at this year's Bostock New Zealand Hawke's Bay spring carnival before both are retired to stud.
Princess Kereru and Supera, who have both performed creditably at Group 1 level, have been back in work for some time and Ken Kelso said plans are to give them a trial at Taupo on August 12 before kicking off their final campaigns in the Group 2 Foxbridge Plate (1200m) at Te Rapa on September 5.
"Princess Kereru will then head to the Group 1 Tarzino Trophy on the first day at Hastings while Supera will miss that one in favour of the Group 1 Windsor Park Plate (1600m) on the second day," Kelso said.
Both mares will be mated during the spring but will, hopefully, be able to race on until the early summer.
Kelso said he hoped to get Princess Kereru through to the Group 1 Railway Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie on New Year's Day for her final race while Supera's swansong is likely to be the Group 1 Zabeel Classic (2000m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day.
Princess Kereru boasts a record of seven wins, six seconds and four thirds from 29 starts.
She won the Group 3 Waikato Stud Plate (1200m) at Ellerslie and the Listed NZB Finance Sprint (1200m) at Hastings last year and also finished a close second to Santa Monica in the Group 1 Sistema Railway Sprint (1200m).
Supera has had 18 starts for eight wins, three seconds and two thirds. Her victories last year included the Group 3 Anniversary Handicap (1600m) at Trentham, the Group 2 Travis Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa and the Group 2 Tauranga Stakes (1600m).
She also finished third in the Group 1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie in March of this year.
Dylan Johnson, who has played a major role in promoting one of Hawke's Bay Racing's major sponsors in Westbury Stud, is establishing his own bloodstock consultancy but will be retained as the sales agent for the stud.
Johnson has established himself as a popular and respected figure in the industry since joining the Gerry Harvey owned breeding operation in 2016.
In his position as the farm's Business Development Manager he has played a key role in the development of the farm's stallion ranks, with the successful launch of exciting stallions Tarzino and Telperion being central to his achievements.
Westbury Stud has been one of Hawke's Bay Racing's major sponsors since 2011 when they took over the sponsorship of the Group 1 race on the first day of the spring carnival.
It was called the Makfi Challenge Stakes until 2017 when, after that shuttle stallion was no longer returning to New Zealand, it was changed to the Tarzino Trophy in honour of the stud's current resident stallion.
The weight-for-age 1400m event will be run at Hastings on September 19 this year.
"Operating my own business allows me the opportunity to form a wider scope, focusing on different aspects of the industry," Johnson said.
"I have a long-held passion for the sport of racing and I am excited at the prospect of being able to work with a different group of clients who have a large emphasis on their racing and trade stock."
The move will see Johnson remain with Westbury Stud as their dedicated sales agent, focusing on stallion nominations throughout the breeding season and representing the stud at the annual yearling sales.
"I am incredibly grateful to Russell Warwick, Gerry Harvey and the team at Westbury Stud for providing me with the platform to launch this new venture," Johnson said.
"I have tremendous belief in the stallion roster at Westbury Stud and the opportunity to remain involved in what promises to be an exciting period for the farm is a real privilege."
Westbury Stud's General Manager Russell Warwick was pleased to be able to support Johnson's transition.
"Dylan has developed an excellent rapport with a number of our clients over the past three years and the timing is perfect for him to branch out into a more independent role within the industry, yet still retaining his relationship with Westbury and our ongoing business," Warwick said.
"In many ways, nothing has changed, and we look forward to Dylan continuing to promote the Westbury business while he forges new relationships with varied roles in the thoroughbred industry under his Dylan Johnson Bloodstock title."
Rock 'N' Pop, who stood his first season at Hawke's Bay's Okawa Stud last season, was represented with a winner in Hong Kong last Sunday when Super Oasis took out a 1400m race at Shatin.
Super Oasis had previously raced as Surely Sacred in New Zealand, where he had six starts for three wins, a second and two fifths.
His wins included the Group 2 Auckland Guineas (1600m) and Group 2 Avondale Guineas (1600m) before he went to Australia and finished third behind Angel of Truth and Madison County in last year's Group 1 ATC Derby (2400m).
Rock 'N' Pop is a son of Fastnet Rock out of the Group 1 New Zealand Derby winner Popsy and was bred by Hawke's Bay's Sam Kelt.
He was sold at the 2010 Karaka premier sale for $1million and went on to be a Group 1 winner himself, taking out the New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton as a 3-year-old.
He also finished second to Silent Achiever in that season's Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) and was third in the Group 1 International Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa.
"We will be standing him at a fee of $2000 plus GST and if breeders want to send two mares, and they both get in foal, we will only charge $1000 plus GST for each one," Lowry said. He added that there is no live foal guarantee.
Formerly standing at Waikato Stud, Rock 'N' Pop has shown versatility in his progeny from notable five-time winner sprinter Rock 'n' Affair to Derby placed Surely Sacred and The Lord Mayor, who is the winner of seven races up to 2400m.
Rock 'N' Pop is enjoying his new surroundings at the historical Okawa Stud, established by the Lowry family in the early part of last century and now operated by a third generation of Tom Lowrys.
He stands at a fee of $2000 plus GST.
Promising young apprentice rider Callum Jones is making every post a winner in the early stages of his career, chalking up six winners in less than a month.
Jones, who is attached to the Pukekohe stable of former top jockey Nigel Tiley, scored aboard two horses prepared by his boss, in Diogenes and Double Happy, on his first official day of race riding on June 20.
The same combination was to the fore at Ellerslie last Saturday where Jones guided Macushla and Gorgeous Geisha to victory in consecutive races for his boss before adding a third aboard the Tiley-trained Lupelani.
They were at it again at Wednesday's Counties meeting at Pukekohe where Jones posted another win aboard Diogenes in a Rating 65 race over 1300m.
The winning treble at Ellerslie last Saturday provided Jones with a perfect early birthday present as he turned 18 the following day.
Tiley has the utmost respect for his young prodigy, saying he is a good kid who listens really well and is keen to learn.
"He soaks up information and has the talent to go out and use it when required," Tiley said.
Tiley was pleased with Jones' effort aboard Macushla, who got back beyond midfield from an awkward barrier in an 880m maiden, before storming home wide out to break through for a maiden win at just her second start.
"Callum came back in and said she got back a bit further than he wanted but she was travelling easily enough," Tiley said.
"He didn't want to push her hard around the corner so that shows he is thinking about what he is doing."