New Zealand
Drakaina’s commanding victory in Saturday’s Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes (1400m) at Wingatui completed a remarkable rise to prominence for a filly that was bought for just $3,000. The daughter of Ace High caught the eye of her trainer and part-owner Ebony Turner on Gavelhouse last year. She
New Zealand
Roger James is now the most successful trainer in the history of the Gr.1 Trackside New Zealand Derby (2400m), but even that enormous achievement was overshadowed at Ellerslie on Saturday by the new superstar of his Cambridge stable. Orchestral became the sixth Derby winner for James, following on from
New Zealand
Te Akau Racing’s former trainer Jamie Richards had a stranglehold on the Mufhasa Stakes (1400m) on New Zealand Derby Day, and his successors Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson continued that tradition at Ellerslie on Saturday. The runaway premiership leaders won the Mainstream Plumbing-sponsored Group Three feature with classy Waikato
New Zealand
Two breakthrough performers from November’s New Zealand Cup Carnival will line up alongside a pair of promising staying three-year-olds in a talented team for New Plymouth trainer John Wheeler at Ellerslie on Saturday. The Hall of Fame horseman’s first runner will be Oso Savvy in the $90,000
New Zealand
Seven years after settling for second in their last raid on New Zealand’s premier classic, expat trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young are resigned to running into one better again when Interlinked contests the Gr.1 Trackside New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie on Saturday. Busuttin and Young tackled
New Zealand
Breakthrough performer Pericles will be out to continue a remarkable summer for his part-owners Hugh Fletcher and Dame Sian Elias when he lines up in the Gr.3 Mainstream Plumbing Mufhasa Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie on Saturday. The pair’s familiar Fletcher tartan colours have been carried to eight wins
New Zealand
Wexford Stables look to have a strong hand in the Gr.3 Haunui Farm King’s Plate (1200m) at Ellerslie on Saturday where they will be represented by Group One winner Waitak (NZ) (Proisir) and Group One performer Dragon Leap (Pierro). Waitak will be seeking to return to his winning
New Zealand
Cambridge trainer Andrew Forsman will be looking to secure his first Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) in his own right at Ellerslie on Saturday when First Innings contests the Trackside-sponsored feature. Forsman has won the Classic on two previous occasions when training in partnership with Murray Baker, securing his
Australia
The Pendragon (NZ) (U S Navy Flag) will attempt to make it back-to-back wins for the Kiwis in the Gr.1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday. The three-year-old feature was won last year by the Ken and Bev Kelso-trained Legarto (NZ) (Proisir), and trainer Michael Moroney is keen
New Zealand
Up-and-coming stayer The Underbelly (NZ) (The Bold One) continued his rapid rise with a dominant front-running performance in Saturday’s New World Otaki New Zealand St Leger Trial (2300m) at Otaki, booking himself a ticket to a time-honoured feature at Trentham next month. The Robbie Patterson-trained five-year-old has now won
New Zealand
Katrina and Simon Alexander celebrated one of their most satisfying moments on a racetrack with La Crique’s (NZ) (Vadamos) triumphant turnaround in the Gr.1 Trackside Otaki-Maori WFA Classic (1600m) on Saturday. The undisputed star of the Alexanders’ Te Awamutu stable, La Crique had endured a turbulent 12 months
New Zealand
A fruitless summer saw Savaglee (NZ) (Savabeel) slip under the radar in this season’s two-year-old crop, but that all changed with a brilliant upset victory in Saturday’s Gr.3 Fairview Matamata Slipper (1200m) on his home track. The blue-blooded colt is by Savabeel out of Glee (NZ) (O’