Almanzor mare stakes her claim

Qali Al Farrasha ended a frustrating run of feature race placings when the Almanzor five-year-old strode to an emphatic victory in the G2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes at Pukekohe Park.

The Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson-trained mare had been given a let-up following unplaced runs in the first two legs of the Group 1 Triple Crown Series and returned with a bounce in her step to coast home over 1400 metres.

“It’s fantastic to see her back and we weren’t quite happy with her before the Livamol, so we freshened her up,” Bergerson said.

“Hopefully, she is in for an exciting summer and the Cal Isuzu Stakes is probably the next logical step.

Qali Al Farrasha was a deserved winner after bagging three previous Group 1 placings, finishing runner-up in both the Otaki Maori WFA Classic and Thorndon Mile and was also third in the New Zealand Oaks during her Classic campaign.

At Pukekohe, she lobbed along in sixth spot under rider Wiremu Pinn before hitting the front 250 metres from home and surged clear to win impressively with our own Jaarffi doing her best work late from the back for third.

“I thought the 1400 metres would have been too short, but she proved me wrong and it was a very good training effort by Mark and Sam,” Pinn said. “The further she goes, the better she’ll be.”

Raced by co-breeders Te Akau Stud and Westonlea Bloodstock, Qali Al Farrasha is a sister to stakes winner Nucleozor.

Their dam is the Burgundy mare Nucleonic and she is a half-sister to the G2 Bill Stutt Stakes winner Tijuana, their mother being the champion Singapore two and three-year-old Mexican Rose.

Nucleonic’s colt by Hello Youmzain sold to Hong Kong’s Tartan Meadow Bloodstock for $375,000 at the 2025 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale.

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