Racing
Trainer Tony Pike admitted he had a real sense of satisfaction as he watched progressive mare Churchillian return to winning form at Taupo on Friday at just her third run back from a substantial lay-off due to a hock injury she suffered late last year. It took a month for
Racing
Cambridge trainer Shaun Phelan took special satisfaction from an all-the-way win by Pacheco in the $60,000 Poverty Bay Turf Club Cup (2600m) at Taupo on Friday. The Rating 75 staying test was the fifth start in a new campaign for the Makfi gelding, who had recorded a second and
Racing
Trainers Simon and Katrina Alexander have set their sights towards summer targets with their star mare La Crique following yet another runner-up result in last month’s Gr.1 Howden Insurance Mile (1600m) at Te Rapa. La Crique has two Group One victories to her name but has earned the
Racing
Simon and Katrina Alexander came close to winning the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) a few years ago with their stable star La Crique, and now it looks like they may have another Derby prospect on their hands. Three-year-old gelding Aksil had already attracted the attention of eagle-eyed scouts
Racing
Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott got a busy weekend off to a promising start with two wins at Taupo on Friday. The Wexford Stables team won the first race on the card, the Placemakers Rotorua Maiden (1800m), with lightly raced four-year-old Gippsy God, and two hours later they saddled
Racing
Saturday looms as a special day in the careers of Shaun and Emma Clotworthy, who are the part-owners and former trainers of two horses that will chase million-dollar prizes in Australia. The couple’s Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) hero Willydoit will line up in the A$1.5
Racing
Bruce Wallbank has been on a wonderful ride since returning to the training ranks last term, with his only horse Midnight Edition rising through the ranks to become one of the favourites in Sunday’s Gr.3 Sweynesse Stakes (1400m). The 79-year-old bred the son of Wrote and after having
Racing
Promising colt El Vaquero will be out to further his Group One claims when he steps out again in age group company at Ashburton. The Michael and Matthew Pitman-trained son of Ferrando takes aim at Saturday’s Gr.3 Barneswood Farm Stakes (1400m) off the back of a last-start fifth
Racing
A nose was the difference between a $30,000 prize and a mid-week placing for Tony Pike at Avondale on Wednesday, and he hopes to continue being on the right side of the result across several venues this weekend. The Cambridge horseman eyed the NZB Mega Maiden Series bonus for
Racing
Trainer Kris Shailer’s name has been absent from the racebook for the last three years, but will make a return on Sunday at Arawa Park, albeit with a line running through it. He was set to line-up regally-bred gelding Magice in the Rotorua Racecourse’s Race For The Ladies
Racing
Wingatui trainer Shankar Muniandy is developing a knack for producing exciting three-year-olds, and he may have his hands on another in Pontoon. The Ace High gelding had the one start as a two-year-old, finishing fifth over 1000m at Riccarton in March, and he returned to the Christchurch track last month
Racing
Patience has been a key factor in the rise of Jaarffi to the elite level and she’s in good order to open her six-year-old campaign at Rotorua. The Cambridge Stud-bred and raced mare has trialled well ahead of her resuming run in Sunday’s Gr.3 Sweynesse Stakes (1215m)