Month: September 2019

Tony Pike will line-up Loire (pictured) and Kali in the Gr.3 Hawke’s Bay Breeders’ Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) at Hastings on Saturday. Photo: Trish Dunell Cambridge trainer Tony Pike is feeling double-happy leading into Saturday’s Gr.3 Hawke’s Bay Breeders’ Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) at Hastings. Pike will saddle promising fillies Kali and Loire in the three-year-old fillies sprint, both coming off terrific age-group performances on the first day of the carnival. Kali was promoted to win the 1100m three-year-old fillies race to retain her unbeaten record from two starts, while…

Melody Belle winning the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) at Hastings last month. Photo: Trish Dunell Reigning New Zealand Horse of the Year Melody Belle may have caught TAB bookmakers off-guardwhen paying $5.60 after winning the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) last month, but they have ensured that they will not be caught out again by the star mare. She went against her usual running pattern after jumping away slowly, having to make her run from the back of the field to win her seventh Group One and that has struck fear…

Trifolium will contest the Gr.3 Hawke’s Bay Breeders’ Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) at Hastings on Saturday. Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North) Marton trainer Fraser Auret has a lot of time for three-year-old filly Trifolium and is lookingforward to watching her compete in the Gr.3 Hawke’s Bay Breeders’ Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) at Hastings on Saturday. The daughter of Krupt won two races as a juvenile before a brave runner-up performance first-up inthe Listed O’Leary’s Fillies Stakes (1200m) at Wanganui earlier this month. “She is a lovely, professional type…

Off the back of a last-start win at The Valley, lightly raced Tofane is set for a return to stakes racing in the Gr.3 How Now Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield. Tofane, a New Zealand-bred daughter of Ocean Park, has been installed second favourite for Saturday’s race for mares at $7.50, with in-form Pippie the clear-cut favourite at $2.30. Tofane was runner-up in the Gr.2 Euclase Stakes (1200m) in Adelaide for three-year-olds last season at her fourth career start and Moroney has held ambitions to run her in some of the…

Caloundra trainer Stuart Kendrick put aside a disappointment early in the day to produce another promising young horse at Doomben. Kendrick got his second long-priced winner in a week when Soldiers ($21) beat Couldn’t Refuse ($1.70) by a short head in a Maiden Plate (1350m). The day started poorly for Kendrick when he had to scratch his Group One performer Eric The Eel, who had a poor blood count. “His blood indicated he might be fighting off something so we didn’t want to risk him,” Kendrick said. “He can have…

Political unrest in Hong Kong has forced officials to abandon a race meeting at Happy Valley amid concerns about public safety. The Hong Kong Jockey Club has abandoned Wednedsay night’s meeting because of “the imminent threat to the safety of racegoers, jockeys and employees, and to the welfare of racehorses”. “In organising race meetings, the club always puts safety as a top priority,” a club spokesperson said. “It is our responsibility to ensure that racehorses, racegoers, jockeys and employees are safe at all times. “The club has been monitoring the…

Soda winning at Matamata on Wednesday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) The father and son team of Darryn and Sam Weatherley combined at Matamata to record their firstwin together with Soda in the Transport Mechanical Waharoa Ltd 1400. Soda jumped from her inside barrier to settle midfield for Sam Weatherley where she remained untilshe was asked to improve at the 400m mark. She took the lead with 150m to go and didn’t look back, winning by three-quarters of a length over Palamedes, with one length back to Te Akau Dragon…

Harlech winning at Matamata on Wednesday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) There was plenty of hype surrounding Harlech heading into his raceday resumption at Matamata onWednesday and the exciting three-year-old duly delivered, taking out the Waharoa Transport CO(1995) Ltd 1200. The Michael Moroney and Pam Gerard-trained gelding settled midfield for jockey Cameron Lammasbefore looming four-wide on the turn and easily accounted for his opposition in the home straight, winning by 1-1/2 lengths over Minnallines, with 1-1/4 lengths back to Striking in third. Gerard admitted to being slightly anxious heading into…