Riverrock Farm

12/11/2025

11/11/2025

Sales Day is here!

It’s always a big day — equal parts excitement and emotion!

There’s pride in seeing our horses step out ready for their next chapter… and a few hard goodbyes too.

Huge thanks to our sales team for the effort and attention behind every detail, our team at home for keeping things running, and to our owners for trusting us with your horses nothing is possible without your trust and support.

Here’s to a smooth, successful day for all.

10/11/2025

09/11/2025

This horse is not one to be overlooked.

Lot 13 — Hello Youmzain x O’Gio — is the kind that leaves an impression on anyone who’s had a sit on him.

Big-striding, athletic, and all class.
Chad describes him as “talented, big-striding, with a great attitude — highly trainable and would suit any environment.”

He breezed up in fine style, stopping the clock at 10.56 — and he did it with plenty still in the tank.

By Hello Youmzain, Europe’s sprinting superstar and Leading First Season Sire in NZ (2024–25) — this gelding has both pedigree and ability on his side.

💥 Huge stride. Huge heart. Huge future.
📍 Lot 13 — Riverrock Farm.

07/11/2025

🎥 Hear it straight from Chad himself…

Why these five horses?

Because there’s more to them than good breeding or looks — there’s something Chad calls the 5 S’s.

It’s his way of explaining what separates an average horse from one that’s truly built to go the distance.

In this video, Chad breaks down exactly why these five stand out — and why, if you’re thinking about buying or just want to see what makes a real Riverrock horse, you’ll want to come have a look.

🎬 Tap to watch — and see if you can guess the 5 S’s before he tells you.
Stud.

07/11/2025

Coming to NZ looking for genuine NZ horsepower — the kind that has been shinning on the big stage? 🇳🇿🐎

From the Karaka breeze-ups to Group 1 glory, NZ-breds have made a name for themselves for all the right reasons: sound, genuine, and bred to handle pressure.

Think Antino, Feroce, Mr Brightside, Ceolwulf, War Machine, Gringotts, Pulchritudinous ….the list goes on— all NZ-bred, all proof that when it comes to developing world-class racehorses, this little country punches well above its weight.

It’s no coincidence.

It’s the New Zealand way — green grass, time, and horsemanship that puts the horse first.

At Riverrock, we have a number of lots that offer just this! NZ-bred horsepower that ticks every box — type, temperament, and toughness — ready to go from sale ring to winner’s circle.

📍 Check out the photos below of some of our 2025 Riverrock Ready to Run draft — genuine NZ horsepower, built to last.

06/11/2025

Give it up for the ladies. 💃🐎

We might only have two fillies in this year’s New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run draft — but they’re two very fine fillies.

Both bred for type, temperament, and talent — the kind that turn heads for all the right reasons.

💜 Lot 319 – Alabama Express x Empress Zhao breezed up in 10:69

A fast, eye-catching filly with the look of a natural athlete.

By Alabama Express (by Redoute’s Choice) — sire of early standouts Shangri La Express, Karavas, Treasurethe Moment, and the promising Alabama Lass — she’s stamped with the same quality and scope.

Out of Empress Zhao (by Swiss Ace), a sister to Listed winner East Asia and half-sister to G3 winner Ho Ho Khan, from the Royal Descent / Mulan Princess family — a proven female line of class and depth.

Check out more about her here: https://www.nzb.co.nz/sales/25rtr/319

💜 Lot 120 – Ribchester x Soltina breezed up in 10:72

From a Soliloquy Lodge family we know very well — and for good reason. Every one of them can gallop, and this filly looks no different.

By Ribchester out of Soltina — a half-sister to G1 winner Captivate — this filly is a half-sister to:
• Sakura Girl (Iffraaj) – G3 Sunline Vase winner, multiple G2 placings.
• Knight Mariner (Tavistock) – G3 Winx Guineas placegetter.
• Liberated Girl (Iffraaj) – multiple Melbourne winner.

She’s every inch an Oaks-type — elegant, athletic, and purposeful. There hasn’t been one from this family that wasn’t talented, and we can’t see how she’ll be any different.

To see further videos and photos of her go here https://www.nzb.co.nz/sales/25rtr/120

06/11/2025

Lot 9 – Sword of State x O’Carol C**t

He’s the kind of c**t that makes you look twice. There’s presence, balance, and that rare feel — the kind that makes good horsemen stop and take notice.

By 's Sword of State (AUS) — Champion 2YO of NZ and multiple Group winner — and out of O’Carol (by Rip Van Winkle), he’s bred on a proven cross with black-type depth right through the page.

But beyond the pedigree, it’s the feel and temperament that everyone’s talking about. Every rider who gets off him says the same thing —
“He just gives the feeling of a good horse in the making.”

He moves himself, walking with power and purpose, every step full of confidence and intent. And with one of the best natures you’ll find in a c**t, he’s as genuine and trainable as he is impressive to watch.

He oozes quality — from the way he carries himself to the way he takes everything in his stride.

See more and view his full details here 👉 https://www.nzb.co.nz/sales/25rtr/9

06/11/2025

Almanzor continues to deliver.

From Europe to Australasia, Cambridge Stud's Almanzor (FR) has proven himself as a consistent and versatile sire. His progeny keep showing up — in Group races on the biggest stages.

His 2024–2025 record speaks volumes:
🏆 Circle Of Fire — Gr.1 Sydney Cup 2024
🏆 Positivity — Gr.3 Sunline Vase & SA Fillies Classic 2024
🏆 Moonlight Magic — Gr.3 Championship Stakes 2024
🏆 Sudbina — Gr.3 Desert Stakes 2024
🏆 Trav — Gr.2 Auckland Cup 2025
🏆 Molveno — Gr.2 Derby Italiano 2025
🏆 Gezora — Gr.1 Prix de Diane 2025
plus Listed-level performers like Ahuriri, Keeneland, and Rise At Dawn.

That brings his current record to:
• 26 Stakes Winners
• 15 Group 1 Performers
• 57 Stakes Performers

And we have a gelding that could very well add to Almanzor's accolades list. Lot 444 (pictured) of the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run sale, is by Almanzor (FR) and out of Madam Woo (Fastnet Rock) — a pedigree that blends stamina, athleticism, and mental composure. With Galileo and Rainbow Quest anchoring his female line, he’s bred to stay. Add Almanzor’s current momentum and the fact he was bred and raised by Milan Park Stud — a nursery renowned for producing elite racehorses that perform at the top level, and you’ve got serious potential wrapped in a brown coat!

Make sure you come and view him at Karaka from Monday next week.

05/11/2025

Episode 3 — Ready the Riverrock Way- Our Advantage 🐎

At Riverrock, we don’t pretend to have all the answers.

What we do have is time in the saddle, lessons learned the hard way, and a deep respect for every horse that comes through our gates.

Because Chad has been on both sides — as a Group 1-winning jockey and trainer, horse educator and sales vendor— so he understands the kind of education a horse needs to give its best.

That’s why you’ll often see him riding the breeze-ups himself. From the saddle, you can feel things a stopwatch can’t — balance, rhythm, focus, confidence.

We pair that instinct with Equimetre data, using the numbers to support what we already feel. It helps us understand each horse’s physical development — heart rate, recovery, stride, effort — and build a complete picture of where they are, and where they might go.

As a result, when we share feedback, it’s honest and based of feel and evidence taking into account;
How they look.
How they feel.
How that lines up with their pedigree and potential.

We’re proud of the times our horses run, but we don’t chase records — we chase consistency.
Because real speed often comes later, and our goal is for every horse to have a long, sound career.
Some can set the track alight at this stage, and some can’t — but that doesn’t mean they won’t be champions in their own time.

🎥 Watch Episode 3 of “Ready the Riverrock Way” — and hear we we can offer potential buyers.

03/11/2025

Episode 2 — Ready the Riverrock Way: The Process 🐎
"Excellence is built quietly — one good day at a time."

At Riverrock, being better isn’t about big leaps — it’s about small steps, taken with care and consistency.
Every day, we look for ways to improve — to be a little calmer, a little sharper, a little more thoughtful — for the horses and the people who trust us with them.

That mindset runs through everything we do, right down to the way our farm was designed.
Every paddock, every lane, every quiet corner was planned with purpose — to give each horse the best chance to learn, grow, and thrive.

In the process, c**ts stand beside fillies, just as they do in the starting gates — learning to stay composed and confident.

And Chad takes a hands-on role in every stage — not just watching from the ground, but getting on himself to make sure how a horse feels matches how it looks.

Because real horsemanship isn’t about speed — it’s about intuition, feel, and learning to read the horse.
Patience, presence, and respect for the process — that’s what guides everything we do here.

🎥 Watch Episode 2 of “Getting Horses Ready the Riverrock Way” to hear the story behind our philosophy — and what it really means to prepare a horse the Riverrock way.