Well Bred Debutantes Begin Year on Winning Note
- Rob Courtney - The Breeders
- Jan 8
- 2 min read
Excerpt from The Latest Breeding News in The Breeders News (NZ Standardbred Breeders Association)
2026 rolled in and it didn’t take long for some well-bred stock to begin their racing careers on a winning note, much to the delight of the committed breeders who have patiently waited for these moments to arrive.
One race later on the same card, (at Rangiora) Ninth Wave Arden justified his short-priced favouritism in the hands of Blair Orange, producing a remarkably similar performance in transit. After sitting parked over the final lap, the three-year-old gelding proved too tough on debut to score convincingly.
Bred by well-known Southern breeder John Stiven and raced by the Ninth Wave Arden syndicate, managed by Stiven himself, the gelding brings a pedigree that suggests his winning debut is merely a starting point.
By Downbytheseaside from the Artsplace mare Ardenart, Ninth Wave Arden became the sixth winner produced by his dam. He is a half-brother to the smart Stellar Arden, a seven-time winner who paced 1:52.2, and Liberal Arden, a five-race winner in his own right.
Second dam Arden’s Dream left nine winners, including Arden Tetrick (eight wins), Fantastic Dream (five New Zealand wins) and Achieve A Dream, with the latter two recording sub-1:54 performances in the United States, highlighting the international depth of the family.
Stiven will offer a half-brother to Ninth Wave Arden at the upcoming Christchurch Yearling Sales, with Lot 219 by Stay Hungry catalogued under the Arden Lodge banner.
Meanwhile, Stellar Arden will have a three-quarter brother by Downbytheseaside selling slightly earlier as Lot 171.
The timing of Ninth Wave Arden’s debut victory was ideal, and the manner in which he achieved it strongly suggested that further wins are not far away.
Comments