Racing
The Waikato Stud colours were to the fore at Cranbourne on Saturday when their talented homebred mare Sun Gift scored a last-gasp win in the A$130,000 Gatorade Handicap (2025m). The Benchmark 74 handicap was the fourth win of a 20-race career for Sun Gift, who has also finished
Racing
Well-related mare Watersports (NZ) (Ocean Park) added a second win to her record with a track-record-breaking victory in the A$80,000 Big Swing Golf Handicap (1500m) at Cranbourne on Saturday. The promising four-year-old is a half-sister to Grail Seeker (NZ) (Iffraaj), the winner of last season’s Gr.1
Racing
There will be more than just the healthy $57,500 first placed cheque on the line for talented galloper Agera when he contests the Harcourts Taupo Cup (2000m) at Taupo on Sunday. The race is the last event in the newly minted Northern Cups bonus, a series where the leading
Racing
Expat Kiwi jockey Daniel Stackhouse will once again answer the call of Riccarton trainers Michael and Matthew Pitman to ride their team at Trentham next month. The Melbourne-based hoop returned to New Zealand last month to ride Mystic Park to victory in the Gr.3 TAB Mile (1600m) for the
Racing
Wexford Stables are daring to dream with their exciting juvenile filly Te Encuentro following her impressive debut victory in the SkyCity 1100 at Ellerslie on Boxing Day. The Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott-trained filly won her sole trial over 800m at Pukekohe earlier this month and the Matamata horsemen
Racing
Stakes targets are in the offing for consistent gelding Maldini after he scored the biggest win of his career when taking out the Dunstan Horsefeeds Stayers’ Championship Final (2400m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day. From his ace barrier, Maldini settled three-back on the rail for apprentice jockey Sam McNab and
Racing
An imperious performance by Rise Companions to waltz away with the prestigious Stella Artois 1500m Championship Final (1500m) has pundits questioning just where his ceiling could be. The statuesque five-year-old son of Capitalist was gunning for his third win in succession with victory in the final event on an action-packed
Racing
It was a case of mission accomplished for Australian trainer Gavin Bedggood at Ellerslie on Boxing Day. The Cranbourne horseman had previously competed at the Auckland track as a jumps jockey a decade ago and he eyed a return across the Tasman this week with his well-bred Group Three winner
Racing
Promising filly Bobby Mcgee showed she will be a force to be reckoned with against her age-group rivals over the next few months when she bounded home to take out her first victory at stakes level in the Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes (1400m) at Wingatui. The Terry Kennedy-prepared daughter of
Racing
A brilliant front-running ride from Joe Doyle saw gritty filly Tellum upset the applecart as she downed the favourites in the Gr.2 Hallmark Stud Eight Carat Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day. The Debbie Sweeney-prepared three-year-old had been thereabouts in her recent racing and with no other runners
Racing
Nerves are a rare feeling for Stephen Marsh on raceday, but he was certainly feeling them at Ellerslie on Boxing Day. The Cambridge horseman was lining up his unbeaten filly Well Written in the Gr.2 Jimmy Schick Shaw’s Auckland Guineas (1400m), and he knew the well-supported filly would
Racing
White Robe Lodge has announced the death of proven stallion Ghibellines. A son of champion sire Shamardal and the Group One-winning Elusive Quality mare Camarilla, Ghibellines’ racing highlight was his victory in the Gr.2 Todman Stakes (1200m) for trainer Peter Snowden. Retired to stud in 2016, Ghibellines sired Group