Month: September 2019

Riccarton trainer Andrew Carston is expecting a bold showing fresh-up from multiple stakes winner Miss Federer, as the well-named daughter of Swiss Ace commences a spring campaign on her home track on Saturday in the NZ Bloodstock Three-Year-Old (1000m). The Christchurch-horseman, who won 21 races last season, cautioned that Miss Federer would be entering the event without a trial.  “I’m as happy as I can be,” Carston said. “She hasn’t trialled and that’s purely because in the South Island we don’t have our raceday barrier attendants at the trials, which…

Three-year-old gelding Caithness Kid will get his first opportunity at stakes level when he lines-up in the Listed HS Dyke Wanganui Guineas (1340m) on Saturday. The son of Keeper put in an eye-catching run late to win his first-up run at Matamata last week although trainer Karen Nicholson believes he still has a bit to learn. “I felt he was still a little bit green and a little bit hesitant,” she said. “I thought they would be a bit quick for him, but he just settles naturally. It’s quite uncanny…

Exciting New Zealand galloper Te Akau Shark will kick-off his spring campaign in Australia on Saturday where he will contest the Gr.2 Tramway Stakes (1400m) at Randwick in front of some of his local owners, including Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks Captain Paul Gallen. The five-year-old son of Rip Van Winkle pleased connections with his runner-up performance in the Gr.2 Foxbridge Plate (1200m) at Te Rapa last month and trainer Jamie Richards said he has settled in well to his new surroundings in Sydney. “He has travelled over in good order and he’s…

New Zealand Bloodstock is excited to enter a partnership with the Newcastle Jockey Club, sponsoring the A$160,000 Group 3 New Zealand Bloodstock Spring Stakes (1600m) on November 16. First run in 1987, the three-year-old feature has been won by subsequent Group 1 stars such as Ebony Grosve (NZ) (Grosvenor), Dracula (Quest For Fame), Shogun Lodge (Grand Lodge), Universal Prince (Scenic), Lotteria (Redoute’s Choice) and Hotel Grand (Grand Lodge). Recent winners Sweynesse (Lonhro) and Proisir (Choisir) have since retired to stud in New Zealand and have been well received, boosting the…

Just like most Kranji racegoers on hand three weeks ago, trainer Desmond Koh was suitably impressed by New Zealand-bred Coming Through’s emphatic debut win, but remained realistic it may not be the same one-way traffic second-up this Friday. The Singaporean handler couldn’t fault the way Coming Through has trained on since that first win, which came in a 1100m race in Open Maiden company on August 16, but the S$75,000 Novice race over 1200m – on Polytrack again – will be a different kettle of fish, he said. “It’s much…

Cambridge trainers Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman kicked-off their Australian spring in the best possible fashion on Saturday with Quick Thinker taking out the Gr.3 Ming Dynasty Quality (1400m) at Rosehill and the champion trainers will turn their attention to Victoria later this week as their next wave of spring hopefuls step out for the first time. “We have got three in Melbourne that flew over on Sunday morning,” Baker said. “Long Jack races at Ballarat on Friday in a 1400m maiden and will be ridden by Damian Lane. He…

Surprise Baby, a $NZ5,500 purchase off gavelhouse.com, will kick-off his Melbourne Cup campaign at Moonee Valley on Saturday when he contests the Gr.2 John F. Feehan Stakes (1600m). The surprise package has now won four of his eight starts since being purchased off the online auction website, including victory in the Gr.2 Adelaide Cup (3200m). The Paul Preusker-trained five-year-old hasn’t raced since finishing a narrow second in the Listed Andrew Ramsden Stakes (2800m), a race that would have automatically qualified him for the Melbourne Cup. Preusker believes the gelding is…

Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh stepped out stable stars Vernanme and Crown Prosecutor for the first time this season at Ruakaka on Saturday and he was pleased with what he saw. Group One performer Vernanme finished runner-up to Mac Attacka in the Harcourts Just Rentals (1400m) and Marsh said he will take a lot of benefit from the run. “I was really happy with Vernanme, 1400m was always going to be short of his best,” Marsh said. “He took a little while to win as a maiden, so as a rating…

If you don’t go, you won’t know. That’s the mindset South Auckland trainer Allan Morley is taking with Melbourne Cup aspirant Blue Breeze as he prepares to kick-off his spring campaign in Australia on Friday. The six-year-old stayer will contest the Listed Wyong Gold Cup (2100m), the first of four lead-up races to his ultimate goal, the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) in November. The gelding, who placed in three stakes races last term including the Gr.1 Auckland Cup (3200m), has pleased Morley with how he has settled into his new…