Woodlands Stud NZ

14/06/2026

This will give you goosebumps! 🤩

The fastest 2-year-old filly of all time, LOUA DIPA (Pet Rock dam), is now rewriting the record books at three.

On North America Cup Day at Woodbine Mohawk Park, the daughter of SWEET LOU captured the Group 1 $420,000 Fan Hanover Final, producing a breathtaking performance to defeat the previously unbeaten favourite in a stakes, track and Canadian record time of 1:48.1.

Now the winner of 11 of 16 starts and more than $1.3 million in stakes, her connections were full of praise:

Ronnie Wrenn Jr. (Driver):
“She’s a true champion. I was very confident in her, she’s as tough as nails. She knows where the wire is and dug in late.”

Ron Burke (Trainer):
“She’s special. She does things other horses can’t do. I think we’ve yet to see even the best of what she can do.”

Sweet Lou continues to cement his reputation as one of the world’s elite sires, and we’re incredibly fortunate to have access to him fresh here in Australasia ⭐️

💬 Quotes from Standardbred Canada

13/06/2026

28 years young and still setting the standard 👑

BETTOR’S DELIGHT continues to dominate on both sides of the Tasman, currently leading SIX of the eight major sires premierships across New Zealand and Australia and sitting second in another.

🏆 NZ All Age Sire
🏆 AU All Age Sire
🏆 NZ 2YO Sire
🏆 AU 3YO Sire
🏆 NZ 4YO Sire
🏆 NZ 5YO+ Sire
🥈 NZ 3YO Sire

A true breed-shaping stallion whose influence remains as strong as ever.

10/06/2026

We are proud to support such a great cause! 🩵

Contact the team today if you are interested in using Catwalk Stud's SWEET LOU service!

Sweet Lou’s known as the speed machine! Producing more than 600 winners across Australasia, Sweet Lou is a leading sire in harness racing. And he’s on CatWalk Stud! 🐎

Woodlands Stud NZ, Founding Members of CatWalk Stud, are generously donating the value of a service to champion sire Sweet Lou.

“Woodlands Stud jumped at the opportunity to support CatWalk because it is a cause that resonates deeply within the wider equine and racing community,” says CatWalk Stud donor, Stacey White.

“The incredible work CatWalk is doing to fund groundbreaking spinal cord injury research is both inspiring and incredibly important. The racing industry has always rallied behind causes that make a genuine difference, and CatWalk is one that unites people right across the equine world. We’re honoured to play a small part in supporting such a worthwhile initiative.”

Every service donated to the CatWalk Stud helps fund world-leading research to cure spinal cord injury. Thanks, Woodlands Stud 💜

➡ Read more: www.catwalk.org.nz/catwalk-stud/

10/06/2026

A fantastic breeding, ownership and training achievement by Charlene Gusman last week at Kilmore!

Charlene prepared a training double with CLIVES GIRL and ROM BARO, but the story goes even deeper. She also bred and owns both winners, with the pair being out of her remarkable Art Major mare, SHES NORMA JEANE.

Even more impressively, SHES NORMA JEANE remains a 100% producer, and both winners were proudly Woodlands Stud Sired:
⭐ Clives Girl (Bettor's Delight)
⭐ Rom Baro (Sweet Lou)

Charlene has been a loyal supporter of Woodlands Stud and our stallions for many years, so it was especially pleasing to see her enjoy this well-deserved success. Breeding, owning and training a double with homebred horses is a tremendous achievement and one she can be immensely proud of.

Congratulations to Charlene on a memorable result and we look forward to following the continued success of this outstanding family!

04/06/2026

We are still buzzing! 🤩

🔥 What a day at Ashburton for Woodlands Stud NZ !

Filly Nella Keenan (Downbytheseaside) stole the show, capturing the Group 3 Helen Pope Memorial in a new New Zealand record of 1:58.9 for 1700m (1:52.5 mile rate). A breathtaking performance from a breathtaking filly.

And the story gets even better. Nella Keenan is out of She's No Lady (Sweet Lou), herself a Woodlands-bred star and New Zealand's 2020 2YO Filly of the Year. The apple certainly hasn't fallen far from the tree. 🍎

Meanwhile, Cherish Me continued to add another chapter to one of the most successful maternal families in modern NZ harness racing, with Woodlands co-principals Paul and Mary Kenny once again striking gold from the extraordinary Adore Me (Bettor's Delight).

Four Woodlands-bred and raised winners on the day. Five Woodlands-sired winners across the programme. And a notable treble to Downbytheseaside. 👏

Congratulations to Steven Reid, Ricky May, and all the connections behind a truly memorable day for one of New Zealand's premier breeding operations.

02/06/2026

Woodlands Winners! ✨

02/06/2026

JOB OPPORTUNITY - NIGHT FOAL WATCH 🌙

Experienced and reliable night staff required for the upcoming foaling season at Woodlands Stud in Clevedon, Auckland.

Fixed Term - Mid August through to late December 2026.

Full Details: https://tinyurl.com/w7ddhybr

01/06/2026

🚨 NZ RECORD 🚨

What a day to remember! 💫

Our own filly NELLA KEENAN (by Downbytheseaside) made history at Ashburton on Sunday, capturing the Group 3 Helen Pope Memorial in a blistering New Zealand record time of 1:58.9 for 1700m (1:52.5 MR)! 🔥

The highlights didn’t stop there:
✨ 4 Woodlands bred/raised winners – Nella Keenan, Cherish Me, Freeze Frame & Cracker Opie
✨ A treble for Downbytheseaside
✨ Five Woodlands-sired winners on the card

A big thank you to Steven Reid and Ricky May for their efforts with Nellie and congratulations to the rest of the winners.

We’re incredibly proud of the horses we breed and the stallions we stand. Days like this reinforce our commitment to producing elite standardbreds and helping drive our industry forward.

📸: Race Images

31/05/2026

A terrific result all round! 👏🏻

✔️ Woodlands Sponsored
✔️ Bettor’s Delight Sired
✔️ Loyal Client Bred

27/05/2026

MASTER MCGOOGAN is quickly emerging as one of New Zealand’s most exciting young trotters after another impressive victory at Addington Raceway on Friday night 🔥

The son of WHAT THE HILL made it two wins from just three starts when he captured the Group 3 2YO Trotting Stakes at Addington.

After suffering an early check, he had to make up ground on a talented field and showed plenty of toughness and ability to score.

Congratulations to trainer-driver Matty Williamson and all of the connections of this exciting young trotter!

📸: What The Hill