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Rae celebrates perfect plan with Irish Girl

Trainer Ken Rae admits it’s not often a plan comes together perfectly, but that was the case on Saturday when Irish Girl proved too tough for her rivals in the Gr.3 Valachi Downs South Island Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) at Riccarton. Rae prepares the rugged five-year-old daughter of El Roca in partnership with his daughter Krystal Williams-Tuhoro, who had accompanied the mare south from their Ruakaka base earlier in the week. Rae had pencilled in the Group Three feature for his charge some time...

Memories of training legend to the fore at Tauranga

Underrated galloper Gino Severini provided a fitting tribute to his part-owner, the late Ray Wallace, when he produced a fighting performance to take out the Gr.2 Ultimate Mazda Japan Trophy (1600m) at Tauranga on Saturday. One of the most familiar names in the New Zealand training ranks for over fourty years, Wallace passed away recently at the ripe old age of 92. Sporting the well-known blue and white colours of the Wallace family, Gino Severini overcame a wide run for rider Andrew Calder to o...

Brand new Karaka hotel opens this weekend

A smart new addition to the Karaka countryside is set to open its doors this Saturday with the official opening of New Zealand Bloodstock’s DoubleTree by Hilton Karaka Hotel. Set amid the beautiful grounds of NZB’s iconic horse auction and stabling facilities, the Hotel is just a couple of minutes’ walk from the main sales auditorium, 30 minutes from Auckland city, and just 20 minutes from the airport. Exuding five-star quality and elegance, the 122-room property boasts a pool and gym, it...

Windsor Park celebrate winning roll

Windsor Park Stud proprietor Rodney Schick is delighted but not surprised by the recent deeds of resident stallion Turn Me Loose (Iffraaj [IRE] – Indominable [GB]). In the space of three weeks Turn Me Loose, whose oldest progeny are only three, has had four stakes winners, with three occurring within six days. The run started with Alabama Gold (ex Attalla) winning the Gr.3 Fairview Matamata Slipper Stakes on February 26, then on March 15 Lickety Split (ex She’s Slinky) took out the Gr.1 ATR ...

NZB Confirms Karaka 2023 Sale Date

After careful thought and consideration, New Zealand Bloodstock has decided to stage its Karaka 2023 National Yearling Sales Series in the traditional selling month of January.  After analysing feedback received from both vendors and buyers, NZB Managing Director Andrew Seabrook said January stood out as the obvious time to sell. “Thought had been given to making the move to March permanent, however it is such a congested time of the year with Australian sales and racing.” “A post-sal...

Group One double a special result for Richards

Jamie Richards made the penultimate weekend of his current training stint in New Zealand a memorable one when he produced a Group One winning double at Trentham on Saturday. Richards, who will enter the next stage of his storied career when he makes the move to Hong Kong in May, will prepare his last runners in New Zealand this coming weekend and made sure he took the opportunity to sign off his local Group One achievements in spectacular style. After kicking off the day with a stakes victory fo...

Group Three breakthrough for No Compromise

Five-year-old gelding No Compromise ran out a game winner of the Gr.3 Queen’s Cup (2400m) at Rosehill on Saturday as the former Kiwi gears up for a tilt at the Gr.1 Sydney Cup (3200m). The son of Pins, who began his career with Waverley trainer Bill Thurlow before transferring to Chris Waller, was ridden a lot handier to the speed than usual by jockey Jay Ford and kicked gamely to defeat stablemates Surefire and Chalk Stream by half a length. It was a black-type breakthrough for the impeccabl...

Southern bonds to the fore in Oaks triumph

With three premierships, countless big-race triumphs, more than $30 million in prize-money and Hong Kong beckoning, Jamie Richards has come a long way since taking out his training licence in 2015 – but it was a nod to his southern roots that played a big part in landing Saturday’s Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham with Belle En Rouge. The least-fancied of three runners in the prestigious classic for Richards and the all-conquering Te Akau Racing team, Belle ...

Dazzling Imperatriz heads Levin Classic sweep for Richards

Jamie Richards’ relentless dominance of New Zealand racing keeps rolling on into his final few weeks on these shores, saddling all of the first four placegetters in Saturday’s Gr.1 Wellington Seamarket Levin Classic (1600m) at Trentham – the second time he has achieved that remarkable feat this season alone. Richards – who will head to Hong Kong later in the autumn as just the second New Zealander (after Paul O’Sullivan) invited to join their red-hot training ranks – had five runners...

Lowry and Cullen mare answers punters prayers at Trentham

Underrated sprinter Can I Get An Amen justified some inspired support at Trentham on Saturday when she captured the Listed Race A Horse With Te Akau NZ’s No. 1 Stable Lightning Handicap (1200m). The Guy Lowry and Grant Cullen-trained five-year-old brought an impeccable form reference into the race having finished fourth behind Levante and Roch ‘N’ Horse in the Gr.1 Telegraph (1200m) at the venue back in January. After Roch ‘N’ Horse and Levante finished first and fourth respectively in...

Group One target for Yonce

The stunning inaugural campaign of unbeaten mare Yonce will culminate in a tilt at the Gr.1 Queen of the Turf Stakes (1600m) at Randwick in three weeks’ time after yet another facile victory at Flemington. The daughter of Proisir comfortably accounted for her opposition when winning the G.H. Mumm Mystic Journey (2000m) at the Melbourne premier track on Saturday to extend her winning sequence to six victories from six starts. Jockey John Allan has ridden Yonce to five of her six wins and rode ...

Leaderboard too tough in St Leger

Enigmatic performer Leaderboard put his best foot forward when he produced a superior staying effort to take out the Listed Barneswood Farm New Zealand St Leger (2600m) at Trentham. The former European stayer, who won once in his homeland before being purchased out of a UK sale for owners the Fortuna Leaderboard Syndicate, had won on four occasions in New Zealand before his victory on Saturday, but had largely failed to deliver on his early promise. The seven-year-old son of Street Cry showed al...

Sinarahma prevails in desperate finish to Cuddle Stakes

A well-timed run that saw her thrust her head in front just two strides prior to the winning post ensured rugged mare Sinarahma took victory in the Gr.3 Wentwood Grange Cuddle Stakes (1600m) on Saturday. The Allan Sharrock-trained seven-year-old was given a perfect trip in transit as she tracked race favourite Mai Tai ($4.20) throughout before peeling off her back early in the run home. Mai Tai and Samiam Seussie had looked likely to fight out the finish at the 250m, however rider Lisa Allpress ...

Turn Me Loose colt wins Alister Clark

Three-year-old colt Prix de Turn relished being ridden closer to the speed when comfortably taking out the Gr.2 Alister Clark Stakes (2040m) at Moonee Valley on Friday night for young Cranbourne trainer Matthew Brown. Sent out a $26 chance, Prix de Turn swept to the lead under Beau Mertens and powered away to win by one and a quarter lengths ahead of second placed Can’t Go Wong with a further half-length back to War Eternal as New Zealand-breds provided the Group Two trifecta. Brown has long ...

Pearl Series continues to be profitable

The NZB Insurance Pearl Series was struck twice at Pukekohe last Saturday, with one of the winners collecting her third bonus from the series. The Joan Egan bred and raced Splash of Red (Reliable Man x Penny Bright) took out the first Pearl Series contest on the card, capitalising on a good run of form to win the 1200m event. Later that afternoon the Debbie Sweeney-trained Clever Ruds (El Roca x Madam Kirk) picked up her third Pearl Series bonus when winning the R65 Fillies and Mares contest ove...

Hawkins and Hewson realise Group One dream

When Dean Hawkins and Nick Hewson forged a friendship some 20 years ago, as all youngsters involved in the breeding industry do they dreamt of their own Group One winner, and last Saturday at Ellerslie that dream became reality when Lickety Split won the Sistema Stakes. The filly, bred and part-owned by the Cambridge mates, fought hard to hold off the Karaka Million winner Dynastic by a nose in the prestigious two-year-old race. According to Hewson it was a massive thrill getting a Group One win...

Ellis retains Karaka crown

Te Akau principal David Ellis retained his crown as the leading buyer at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale for the 17th consecutive year at Karaka last week. “We have grown accustomed to expecting that David is going to be the leading buyer each year, but we certainly don’t take it for granted,” New Zealand Bloodstock Managing Director Andrew Seabrook said. “The contribution he makes year on year is significant and the industry would be a lot poorer without him. I rue the...

Planning and faith lead to massive upset in Newmarket

Winning major races is very much about backing your judgement and following through on a well-laid plan. That premise came through loud and clear on Saturday when Roch ’N’ Horse delivered one of the biggest ever upsets in an Australian feature race with victory at triple-figure odds in Flemington’s premier sprint, the Gr. 1 Newmarket Handicap. The home-bred daughter of Little Avondale stallion Per Incanto was held in high regard by her trainers Mike Moroney and Pam Gerard well before her ...

Lickety Split scores gutsy Group One triumph

Quality two-year-old filly Lickety Split (Turn Me Loose x She's Slinky) refused to yield to a sustained challenge when narrowly taking out the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie on Sunday. The Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman-trained daughter of Turn Me Loose had scored impressively at the Auckland course on debut last month but was the most inexperienced runner in the seven-horse field. Lickety Split ($10.80) was sent out as the punter’s third-elect behind last-start Karaka Million 2YO (...

Coventina Bay in Ellerslie first for Patterson

Classy mare Coventina Bay (Shamexpress x Coventina) was up to all of her cantankerous tricks in the pre-race buildup to Sunday’s Gr.1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie, but when it came time for business she was at her professional best as she claimed her second Group One victory. The Robbie Patterson-trained six-year-old had threatened to win at the highest level for quite some time and achieved that goal when she downed race rivals Vernanme and The Chosen One in the Gr.1 He...

Pinn claims Auckland Cup aboard Uareastar

Apprentice Wiremu Pinn added another highlight to his burgeoning riding career when he produced a daring ride aboard Marton visitor Uareastar (Jakkalberry x Enchanteress) to take out the Gr.2 Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup (3200m) at Ellerslie. Pinn, who has had a chequered-start to his apprenticeship and only recently returned from a lengthy suspension, had registered his first Group One victory just last month when guiding Mascarpone to victory in the Gr.1 El Cheapo Cars WFA Classic (1600m) a...

Mascot continues to fly

Trainer Tom Dabernig will play the patient game with in-form mare Flying Mascot (Tavistock x Lucky Mascot) who scored yet another impressive win at Flemington on Saturday. The four-year-old daughter of Tavistock landed her third win at Group Three level when she took out the Matron Stakes (1600m) on Saturday to go with her victory second-up in the Mannerism Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 26. Given a perfect ride by Blaike McDougall, Flying Mascot scored a widening two length win from G...

Stockman scores Sky High Stakes

While the NZ suffix was dominating the Flemington card on Saturday, Stockman (Tavistock x Crimson) made sure there was plenty of Kiwi flavour at Rosehill when winning the Gr.3 Sky High Stakes (2000m). The widest on the track turning for home, Stockman was able to rally and wear down his rivals and kicked on for a half-length victory over Mount Popa (Maxios), with a further 2-1/4 lengths back to Great House (Galileo) in third. The Heavy9 track conditions suited the wet track specialist down ...

Roch ’N’ Horse stuns in Newmarket triumph

Kiwi raider Roch ’N’ Horse (Per Incanto x Rochfort) made a mockery of those who dismissed the form of New Zealand sprinters, getting under punters’ guards in her stunning 100-1 victory in the Gr.1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington on Saturday. Sporting the colours of Little Avondale Stud, the lightly-raced daughter of Per Incanto had raced without luck in a pair of recent New Zealand Group One assignments and the trans-Tasman stable of Michael Moroney and Matamata training partner P...

Moroney pleased with Book 2 purchases

International bloodstock agent Paul Moroney was unable to attend last year’s New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale in the flesh, but he was pleased to be back this year as the border opened up to Kiwis returning home. After purchasing 11 yearlings out of the Book 1 session, Moroney was active again in the Book 2 session on Thursday, securing a handful of yearlings, including two six-figure purchases. Moroney went to $110,000 to purchase lot 690, the Time Test colt out of HGT Bloodstock...