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Fastnet Rock mare Orphea has done a grand job for us with a perfect record at stud.

Her latest success story is Divine Secrets who broke her maiden over 1200 metres at Canberra at just her fourth outing for multiple Group 1-winning trainer Peter Snowden.

Orphea is also the dam of the G2 Manawatu Classic victor Outovstock, a son of Tavistock, while his half-brother by Too Darn Hot is Wukong Jewellery, a winner in Australia and Hong Kong.

A A$100,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast buy for Capri Racing & Syndication, Divine Secrets was resuming after a year off the scene when she came off a handy sit for the first winning strike of her career under rider Andrew Atkins.

Trusted bloodstock agent John Foote secured Orphea on our behalf for A$300,000 at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale and the sister to G1 Australian Guineas hero Rock Classic was twice successful before her retirement.

In foal to Castelvecchio, Orphea’s Savabeel colt sold for A$250,000 to Newgate and Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott at the Gold Coast in 2025 and her son of Dundeel was recently bought for $150,000 by Kingmakers Syndications and Leighton Howl at Karaka.

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Kingsford continued his impressive progression through the Victorian staying ranks with a stellar staying performance at Colac to add to his tidy record.

The Matthew Williams-trained son of Almanzor overcame a torrid run to waltz home over 2000 metres.

We bred Kingsford who was sold through our 2023 draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale for $60,000 to Cody Cole and finished runner-up in his Otaki debut before his purchase by OTI Racing and partners.

The four-year-old has since won two of his eight starts and his latest victory was a positive sign of his ability to match it in far stronger company.

He was caught wide in midfield before rider Dean Yendall circled the field 700 metres from home to hit the front and the gelding held a strong gallop to have three and three-quarter lengths on his closest rival at the post.

Kingsford is a son of the unraced Lonhro mare Fearless Choice, who is in foal to Armory, and she is a sister to the G2 Silver Slipper Stakes winner Amelia’s Choice.

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Emerging filly Ultimate Habit credited our resident stallion Embellish with his fifth individual stakes winner when she triumphed in style at Trentham.

She produced a stirring finish from well back in the field to land the G2 Lowland Stakes and bookmakers reacted by slashing her G1 New Zealand Oaks odds to $11.

“We are definitely going to go to the Oaks on that, it is going to be a lot trickier going the other way around at Ellerslie, but she is such a laidback filly,” Patterson said.

Bred and part-owned by Isabelle Roddick of Rough Habit fame, Ultimate Habit placed in her first two starts before an encouraging effort to run sixth in the G3 Desert Gold Stakes.

“I wasn’t disappointed with her at all the other day, she just got stuck on the inside on a tricky track, and I knew she was a good filly,” Patterson said.

“The two runs at home before that, the way she got home she was unlucky so she should have won her maiden.”

Ultimate Habit settled well off a genuine pace at Trentham before picking up ground across the top and rounded off strongly in the run home.

“There was good speed and she cruised into it at the right time,” rider Craig Grylls said.

“She’s still a bit new and green, but she did it pretty comfortably in the end.”

Ultimate Habit is the first winner for the Bachelor Duke mare Queens Habit who is out of a half-sister to the multiple Group 1 winner and two-time New Zealand Horse of the Year Rough Habit.

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Manzor Blue turned the form book upside down to produce a boilover Trentham in the G3 Wellington Cup.

The daughter of our resident stallion Almanzor had only won two of her previous 20 starts but rose to the challenge and her deep reserves of stamina saw her score at odds of 85 to one in the hands of Kate Hercock.

“She only ran sixth here a fortnight ago and I said to Kate should we press on to the Wellington Cup,” Latta said.

“Kate said press on, I think she is back. At that time, it didn’t even look like she would make the field. Good on Kate, she deserved it, she pinched runs and got there.”

Manzor Blue drifted well back in the field and overcame trouble across the top to launch a resolute finish.

“I said Lisa if she gets back, we’ll ride her for luck. From about the half mile, we were getting in more carnage, at the 600m we were in a lot more carnage and then I rolled back to the inside, and she has got such a phenomenal turn of foot on her day.”

Manzor Blue was bred by Tony Rider and was bought out of his Milan Park draft at Karaka by Albert Bosma’s Go Racing for $130,000.

“Go Racing have been so loyal to me and do a fantastic job syndicating their horses,” Latta said.

Mazor Blue is a daughter of the Zabeel mare Turquoise Coast who is a descendant of the Eight Carat family.

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Lance Noble has a family double in his sights with Liguria after our homebred and raced daughter of Snitzel produced a determined display at Ellerslie to claim an early black-type victory.

Pre-race confidence in the filly, who had finished a meritorious fourth on debut, was repaid when she claimed top honours in the G3 Colin Jillings Classic.

“She’s bred to be good and I trained her mother Vernazza to win the Matamata Breeders’ Stakes, so we’ll look to that with this one as well,” Noble said.

Liguria was given an economical run behind the pace by Waren Kennedy before they were into the clear turning for home and the juvenile knuckled down strongly in the closing 100 metres.

“She’s not very big, but she’s extremely athletic with a will to win,” Noble said.

“I’m thrilled to keep the run going for Cambridge Stud after such a great sale.”

Liguria is the first foal of More Than Ready’s late daughter Vernazza, who also showed her quality during a brief racing when career when runner-up in he G1 Diamond Stakes.

Vernazza was a half-sister to Zonza, whose son Zivou won for us at Waverley, and sadly passed away but we do also have a yearling filly out of her by Proisir.

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The Tony Gollan-trained Livalittle completed a notable hat-trick of wins when he continued his impressive progress at Doomben.

Our homebred and raced son of The Autumn Sun has been well-placed by the Eagle Farm trainer to advance his record to four wins and four top three placings from 10 appearances.

Livalittle had been successful over 1800 metres at the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast and barely broke a sweat when successful this time over 2050 metres.

Ridden by apprentice Jai Williams, the chestnut settled back of midfield before improving across the top and exploded clear in the straight to have six lengths on his closest challenger.

The four-year-old Livalittle is out of the Thorn Park mare Hayley Grace, who is half-sister to G2 Waikato Gold Cup winner Bak Da Chief, the dam of two-time Group 1 winner Te Akau Shark and also the family of the G1 Easter Handicap winner Pondarosa Miss.

Hayley Grace is also the dam of the promising Hello Youmzain filly Hello Hayley, a winner from a handful of starts who will bid for black type next time out in the Listed Gore Guineas.

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Zivou continued his education with a trip south to Waverley where the well-bred three-year-old proved in a league of his own.

Rider Bruno Querioz had an easy time in the saddle aboard our homebred and raced son of Bivouac who has now gone back-to-back for trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood.

Zivou had broken his maiden at Ruakaka at his previous appearance and again put his older rivals to the sword over 1200 metres.

He loped along in third spot to the turn and powered clear in the run home to win by a soft two and a-half lengths.

Zivou is out of our Zabeel mare Zonza, a broodmare gem whose progeny features G1 Queensland Derby winner Pinarello, G2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes winner Vernazza and Listed Counties Challenge Stakes winner Bavella.

Zonza was a gifted performer whose five wins included the G3 Ladies’ Day Vase and produced a filly by Chaldean last season.

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Buyer demand for the progeny of our stallion star Sword Of State continued through Book 2 of New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale to complete a memorable centenary auction.

We were leading vendors of the Book 1 Sale and also held that mantle in Book 2, clearing all but one of our16-strong draft.

Sword Of State was again hugely popular while associate sire Embellish provided the Book 2 sale-topper, Lot 601, with Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young signing for our filly out of Queen Of Wizardry for $200,000.

“It’s always great to be able to buy one from Cambridge Stud, who have presented a terrific line-up of horses this week and we’re delighted to get her,” Busuttin said.

The dam is a half-sister by Not A Single Doubt to the G1 South Australian Derby winner Coco Lane with former champion Hong Kong stayer Liberator featuring on the page.

With 24 lots selling for a total of $2,278,000 at an average of $95,000, Sword Of State was the highest-grossing sire in a strong day of trade

Two youngsters sold up to $170,000 with multiple Group 1-winning duo of Roger James and Robert Wellwood securing Lot 657 from the draft of Landsdowne Park and Riversley Park and De Burgh Equine purchasing Lot 838 from Leanach Lodge.

We enjoyed a quartet of six figure sale from our own consignment and led by Lot 607, the Sword Of State colt who was purchased by trainer Johno Benner.

He is a son of the Stravinsky mare Red Melody, a three-quarter sister to the G2 Reisling Stakes winner Hip’s Don’t Lie.

Lot 816 went to the $130,000 bid of Sydney trainers Richard and Will Freedman and is from the I Am Invincible mare La Tardigrada with international Group 1 winners Etoile Montante, Obligatory and Country Grammer featuring the pedigree page.

Awapuni conditioner Mike Breslin has won five races with Ima Brazen One and he went to $120,000 for her half-sister Lot 782, whose second dam is the G1 Railway Handicap winner Imananabaa.

Lot 644 will be heading to Victoria after he sold to Lindsay Park and Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock for $110,000. The colt is out of Showcasing’s daughter Taroni, who placed in the Karaka Million 2YO.

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