Month: September 2019

Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) winner Probabeel. Photo credit: Trish Dunell Torrential rain in Sydney has put doubts over whether trainer Jamie Richards will startquality gallopers Probabeel and Avantage in their respective races at Randwick on Saturday. The Matamata horseman has flown over to Sydney where he will keep a close eye on track conditions (rated a Heavy 9 on Thursday) before making a final decision on whether they will start this weekend. Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) winner Probabeel is entered for the Gr.2 Tea Rose Stakes (1400m) and Richards said…

A return to middle distance racing has Matamata trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott confident that Charles Road can produce an improved performance two weeks out from his main Sydney spring target. Myboycharlie six-year-old Charles Road, who races as Sir Charles Road in Australia, steps up to 2000m in Saturday’s Gr.3 Kingston Town Stakes at Randwick after unplaced runs over shorter distances in his lead-up races. Charles Road produced an eye-catching run for seventh resuming in Sydney over 1400m before finishing last of 14 in the Gr.2 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m)…

Exciting galloper Catalyst has made the perfect start to his three-year-old season with his two stakes victories to date, and leading Australian form analyst Daniel O’Sullivan believes the son of Darci Brahma will only get better. The Clayton Chipperfield-trained gelding put in an eye-catching performance at Ruakaka on Saturday to win the Gr.3 Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) and O’Sullivan was impressed with what he saw. “It was an outstanding win in the way he overcame being held up in the straight and was then able to accelerate quickly and strongly,…

Danzdanzdance will contest the Gr.1 Colgate Optic White Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on Saturday. Photo: Trish Dunell Danzdanzdance will begin another raid on Sydney on Saturday when she lines-up in the Gr.1 ColgateOptic White Stakes (1600m) at Randwick. It will be the third trip to Sydney for the Chris Gibbs and Michelle Bradley-trained mare, with herbest result being a third placing behind Avilius in the Gr.1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill in March, and she is set to meet the gelding once again this weekend. “I thought Avilius’ first-up run…

Reliable Team has a perfect record to protect when he takes his place in section two of the Class 3 Wah Fu Handicap (1200m) at Happy Valley on Wednesday night, and Zac Purton hopes the emerging talent has enough class to overcome a number of looming obstacles, not least immaturity. “His class has got him through before and hopefully it can again,” the champion jockey said, “but last season he was in Class 4 and these Class 3 horses know what they’re doing, they’re a lot sharper, so he needs…

Pop Star Princess will likely head to Te Rapa on October 4 after her promising run at Ruakaka on Saturday Photo: Trish Dunell A win by De Koning at Ruakaka on Saturday, along with a promising run from stablemate PopStar Princess, has kept the spring in the step of Cambridge trainer FredCornege. Cornege and his wife, Lindsay, are part-owners of both five-year-olds and, along with theirregular jockey Lynsey Satherley, they weren’t surprised by the results lastweekend in which De Koning scored decisively over 1600m and Pop Star Princesskicked back strongly…

BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) winner Furore caught the eye, running on for third in a dirt track barrier trial at Sha Tin on Tuesday morning under Grant van Niekerk. Frankie Lor’s charge has not been seen in action since finishing a disappointing 10th in the Gr.1 FWD QEII Cup (2000m) in April. “I just wanted to give him a little bit of a chance and then run on,” the South African jockey said. “They went quite slow early on so he was a bit keen but he finished off…

New Zealand’s three-year-old ranks have proven to be an exciting crop to date this season and that excitement could enhance at Matamata on Wednesday when promising galloper Harlech kicks-off his spring campaign. Local trainers Pam Gerard and Michael Moroney have a lot of time for the son of Darci Brahma who had two starts as a juvenile, including a placing, before impressing with his 1020m trial win at Te Teko last month. “I do like the horse,” Gerard said. “We had a high opinion of him even as a two-year-old.…

New Zealand Bloodstock’s Managing Director Andrew Seabrook has announced three new Triple Crown Series, each comprising of a $100,000 bonus Photo: Supplied New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance, in association with New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing, has announced three new Triple Crown Series for the 2019-20 New Zealand racing season. Each series comprises three prestigious Group races, and each series will carry a bonus of $100,000 for any horse that can win all three races. The new initiative includes a weight-for-age, sprint, and fillies and mares series. The Weight-For-Age Triple Crown begins with…

Keith and Faith Taylor Equine Scholarship recipient Hannah Airey Photo: Supplied Three young women working in the thoroughbred industry are heading overseas early next year to enhance their careers thanks to scholarships promoted by the NZTBA Sunline Education Trust. The Sunline International Management Scholarship has been awarded to Kyla Robb, and due to the high calibre of applicants and the generosity of the Keith and Faith Taylor Family both HannahAirey and Laura Macnab will study at the Irish National Stud. According to previous International Management Scholarship winner and now NZTBA…