Waikato Stud stallion Noverre was represented by his first winner when two-year-old gelding Hailstones ran out a strong winner of a maiden handicap (1300m) at Scone on Tuesday for Annabel and Rob Archibald.
Ridden by Braith Nock, Hailstones sat outside the leader before hitting the front soon after straightening and proved too good for his older rivals as he withstood the late challenge of race favourite Leovanni.
“He has always shown something from day one, but it was nice to see him put it together on debut,” Rob Archibald said.
“He is a lovely athletic type of horse and he’s got plenty of scope, so you’d like to think there is plenty of improvement to come and whatever we are seeing now is a bonus.
“He is just a really athletic good moving horse on the up, so it’s nice to start his racing career like that and hopefully there is plenty more to come.
“I suspect we will probably give him one more run as a two-year-old and then put him away and he will come back and make a very nice three-year-old and probably get out over a little bit of ground.”
Hailstones is by Savabeel’s son Noverre, the winner of the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m).
The two-year-old is out of the stakes winning One Cool Cat mare Cool Storm, making him a half-brother to Gr.1 Auckland Cup (3200m) winner Ocean Billy.
The Archibalds, in partnership with Will Johnson Bloodstock, went to $150,000 to secure the youngster from the draft of Waikato Stud at the 2025 Book 1 Yearling Sale at Karaka.
With nine runners to date, Noverre has also been represented by stakes-placed juvenile Bella Bonita, who caught the eye when third in the Listed Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Ellerslie.
Archibald said Hailstones isn’t the only progeny by the first-season sire that had made a positive impression in the stable.
“I haven’t seen Noverre in the flesh, but they tell me he is a magnificent individual,” Archibald said.
“We have another one by him that we really like as well, a filly out of Candelabra called Chatoyer.
“She’s a little bit more temperamental than he is, but she looks to have plenty of ability and she’s just taking that little bit longer and is another one to look out for.” – NZ Racing Desk
