WS NEWS | On A Roll

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Where is the year going? 

As we kick off in December, we reflect on a month that delivered both in the breeding shed and on the racetrack.

Our sires continue to have a strong season, and we are seeing an increase in mares bred compared to the same period last year in both New Zealand and Australia, an encouraging sign of the confidence breeders have in the results our stallions are achieving on the track.

With around two months remaining in the breeding season, there is still plenty of time to breed your mare(s). If you haven’t yet started, or if your mare is not having success elsewhere, now is also an ideal time to consider a stallion change. We offer five exceptional and highly fertile stallions, all based in New Zealand, with fresh chilled semen shipped across both New Zealand and Australia.

If you need further convincing, the results from our stallions throughout 2025 speak for themselves:

Bettor’s Delight continues to produce elite progeny and remains the leading sire in New Zealand. Downbytheseaside is enjoying his best season yet, particularly with his standout 2-year-olds lighting up tracks across both hemispheres. Sweet Lou remains a prolific sire of feature-race winners at all ages. Lather Up is leaving serious speed and stamina, with progeny that rarely miss the top three. And Speeding Spur, despite smaller crops, continues to deliver tough, talented and eye-catching performers.

This strength was again highlighted last week with a fresh run of outstanding results.

Photo: Sweet Lou

ON A SWEET ROLL

The outcross sire taking the harness racing world by storm, Sweet Lou, continues to prove why he is one of the most influential sires of this generation, not just here, but globally. He has now sired 650 individual winners across Australasia, and counting!

Last week he added more feature-race success when his brilliant daughter LET HER ROLL (Rocknroll Heaven dam) captured the South Australian Oaks. Bred by the Cameron family, she has now had 20 starts for 10 wins and 6 seconds, banking $172,000.

His son CHEERSTOLOU (Bettor’s Delight dam) also impressed with two wins in five days, taking both the heat and final of the Peak to Creek in Queensland. Bred by Farquharson Pty Ltd, he stopped the clock in 1:48.9 in his heat and then dominated the Listed Final by 7.6 metres in 1:49.9. It was his 11th and 12th career wins, both in career-best times.

Sweet Lou also recorded doubles at Pinjarra, Alexandra Park and Albion Park, plus a new 2-year-old winner with COCO’S DESIRE (Real Desire dam) scoring at Penrith in 1:56.6 at just her second start.

Sweet Lou remains the leading all-age sire in both Australia and North America with under one month remaining. His progeny have amassed an incredible $30.4 million in stakes across Australia, New Zealand and North America in 2025 alone.

He has been the most in-demand stallion in Australasia for the past two seasons. His Australian book is full and closed, with limited availability still remaining in New Zealand.

Photo: Downbytheseaside

A TIDE OF JUVENILE SUCCESS

Emerging sire Downbytheseaside is enjoying a career best season, with his progeny, particularly his 2-year-olds, standing tall.

He leads all sires across Australasia with 55 individual 2-year-old winners in 2025, a strong margin over next best in Bettor’s Delight (49). Last week he added two new maiden 2-year-old winners:

The highlight however, was his exciting 2-year-old son SHOWMETHETANLINES (He’s Watching dam), who won the Listed Tatlow Stakes at Menangle on Saturday. Bred by Dancingonmoonlight Farm, he now has 3 wins and a third from 4 starts, pacing a career-best 1:51.1.

Downbytheseaside is the leading 2-year-old sire by stakes in North America and sits second only to Bettor’s Delight in New Zealand and Australia.

He is extremely fertile and has limited spaces remaining in both his New Zealand and Australian books.

Photo: Lather Up

THE ONLY WAY IS (LATHER) UP

A sire firmly on the rise, Lather Up continues to attract the attention of trainers across the country. With limited opportunities so far in the breeding shed, his progeny are delivering big results.

His talented son HUXTON (Changeover dam) contested both the heat and final of the Peak to Creek in Queensland last week, winning his heat impressively in 1:50.7 and then running a brave fourth in the final after sitting parked in 1:49.9.

He also picked up a new winner with GOTTA LATHER UP (Gotta Go Cullect dam), a well-deserved victory at Oamaru on Wednesday for co-breeder/co-owner/trainer Wendy Stevenson.
To round out the week, DO YOU WANNA DANCE (American Ideal dam) scored his second career win, this time on the grass at Methven on Sunday.

Lather Up represents outstanding value this season. A dual World Champion who defeated some of the best horses of his era, he broke two world records and seven track records during his career. 

His fertility this season has been exceptional, and he is a superb option for breeders seeking a last-minute stallion change or an affordable fresh-chilled choice with proven speed and durability.

­Photo: Black Beauty as a yearling

ALWAYS BETTOR

Bettor’s Delight is having another strong season in the barn, with excellent motility rates and steady demand. He continues to be the benchmark sire in global harness racing and, although his crops are naturally getting smaller, his results remain just as powerful.

Last week he notched 18 winners across Australasia, including:
MY BETTOR HALF (Always A Virgin) who captured the Final of the South Australia BOTRA Southern Stars.

Two standout 2-year-old winners that were bred and/or raised here at Woodlands:
• BETTOR JAX, who produced slick sectionals to score his maiden win at Wagga on Friday.
• BLACK BEAUTY, bred by our very own Office Manager Anne-Marie and sold as a yearling, who was impressive winning at Alexandra Park on Friday night.

Bettor’s Delight remains the leading All Age sire in New Zealand and dominates multiple age categories around the world. 

We hope he has more seasons ahead in the breeding shed, but there are no guarantees. If you’re considering breeding to him, now is the time to make the most of the opportunity while he is still available.

­Photo: Jolimont as a yearling - sold for $31,000 to Arna Donnelly and now the winner of 11 races and over $264k

WOODLANDS BRED SUCCESS

With the 2026 NZB National Yearling Sale catalogues landing in mailboxes this week, the timing couldn’t be better for Woodlands-bred and raised progeny to be standing tall on the track. 

After a terrific fortnight across the Cup Week carnival that included three Group 1 winners from the farm, Freeze Frame, Arafura and All Of Me, we added another 12 winners last week across both sides of the Tasman. It’s the perfect incentive to highlight your own Woodlands yearlings heading into the 2026 yearling sales.

Last week's Woodlands highlight performers included:

Four Woodlands bred and/or raised winners at Alexandra Park on Friday night: Blue Chip Lou, Jolimont, and Johnny Who, all bred by Woodlands Stud, and Black Beauty, bred by our Office Manager Anne-Marie Luxton.

HI HOPES (Downbytheseaside) making it two in a row at Methven on Sunday. Purchased as a $2,200 weanling, he has now won nine races and over $88,000.

FAT LOUIE (Sweet Lou), who continued his remarkable consistency with another win at Gloucester Park on Friday. From 12 starts he now boasts 5 wins, 5 placings and a fourth.

Woodlands Stud-bred and raised horses continue to feature prominently in some of the best races across Australasia. We are incredibly proud of the horses that fly our flag and deeply grateful to the owners and horsemen and women who educate and prepare them for race track success once leaving our care.

In 2026 we will present 32 yearlings at the NZB National Yearling Sales, all by world-class sires and out of some of Australasia’s strongest families. Raised on rolling pasture and given the best possible early development, this year’s draft is one we are excited to showcase.

The Woodlands Stud draft goes under the hammer at Karaka on Monday, 16 February 2025. More information will follow over the coming weeks and months.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE DRAFT

With two months still to go, there’s plenty happening on the track and in the shed. If we can help you with any breeding decisions or queries, we’re only a message or phone call away.

  When you breed with Woodlands, you’re not just breeding a horse, you’re choosing the best chance of success.

 Contact our friendly team today:

 

Cameron Grant (NZ): +64 22 096 1897 or cameron@woodlandsstud.co.nz

Mark Hughes (AU): +61 451 650 707 or mark@woodlandsstud.co.nz

Office: +64 9 292 8250 or office@woodlandsstud.co.nz