First broodmare proves a hit for Petra

By Peter Wharton

The Art Major mare It’s All On, the dam of the impressive Gloucester Park feature winner Hugotastic (by Sweet Lou), is the first broodmare owned by well known Auckland veterinarian Dr Petra Hazlitt.

Dr Petra Stegehuis BVSc

The winner of two races, It’s All On was gifted to Hazlitt by respected Hamilton breeder-owner-trainer Brian Macey (of Homin Hosed fame) almost a decade ago.

“Brian gave her to me when I first started working at Woodlands Stud. He was getting on in years and wanted to stop breeding but he wanted the family to do well and he knew I was going to put her to a good stallion,” Petra said.

“Bettor Get It On was the first one that I bred from her.”

By Bettor’s Delight, Bettor Get It On totted up 11 wins including the $50,000 WA Empress Stakes and The Coulson and $191,675 in stakes.

Next, to the cover again of Bettor’s Delight, she produced Mr Fantastic, a Group 3 winner of 14 races to date including five at Gloucester Park and $156,207.

Hugotastic, a five-year-old gelding, is her third foal.

“We took him to the yearling sales but his leg was slightly offset and he didn’t make a lot of money,” Petra said.

Hugotastic as a yearling

Hugotastic won three races at three and four at Auckland before being sold to a Western Australian syndicate. The gelding has won his first two starts in his adopted country in the Autumn Series heat and final by open lengths and looks capable of quickly progressing through the grades.

Driver Gary Hall Jnr said: “He’s got a few gears, but has a little bit to learn on his tractability. It’s only minor stuff, and he should go a long way.”

Narobi and Beetastic – both winners and both sired by Bettor’s Delight – were the next two progeny of It’s All Alone.

Beetastic won two of her first three starts highlighted by the Group 1 $102,124 Caduceus Club 2YO Fillies Classic at Alexandra Park beating Always B Magic and Without You. She finished third in the Group 2 $66,000 Ladyship Stakes in March.

“I sold It’s All Alone in foal to Downbytheseaside to WA through Peter Lagan,” Petra stated.

She subsequently produced a filly for Serpentine vet Dr Trevor Lindsay and his wife Colleen, who sold her for $30,000 at the Australian Pacing Gold Perth yearling sale in February.

Its All On and Narobi

It’s All On was served by Bettor’s Delight in 2023 but unfortunately died from a snake bite during the pregnancy.

“She is the one and only broodmare I’ve owned,” Hazlitt said. “It was a shame to sell her. I would have loved to have got the breeding rights back for one of her fillies but no one wanted them at the sales.”

Hazlitt, who lives in Karaka, is a director of Auckland Equine Performance Vets, one of the first equine veterinary hospitals in NZ, and is employed at Woodlands during the breeding season. She has an extensive background in equine reproduction, having worked in this field in the UK, North America and Australia.