Month: October 2019

Lys Gracieux’s trainer hopes to return

AAP

Trainer of Cox Plate winner Lys Gracieux, Yoshito Yahagi, says he wants to return to Australia. Having won the Cox Plate for the first time, Japanese trainer Yoshito Yahagi is keen to return for another Melbourne spring carnival. The Yahagi-trained Lys Gracieux, a dual Group One-winning mare in Japan, showed her class in Saturday’s Group One weight-for-age Cox Plate (2040m) at The Valley to win by 1-1/2-lengths. Her win came a week after fellow Japanese horse, the Hisashi Shimizu-trained Mer De Glace, won the Caulfield Cup . The Cox Plate…

Sagwitch eyes another country cup 

NZHarnessNews

By Jonny Turner Eastern Southland pacer Sagwitch will return to his happy place to contest Sunday’s Tuapeka Cup. The Syd Breen-trained 6yr-old returns to racing in the 2700m feature at Forbury Park after a mild ailment ended any chance of him heading towards the New Zealand Cup. Sagwitch was among several southerners rushed off their feet in the Hannon Memorial at Oamaru on September 22 when Spankem ran a blistering 53.3sec last 800m to win. Sagwitch picked up a minor bug in the days after the Hannon and has not…

The Shark – Best at Forbury on Sunday

NZHarnessNews

The Shark heads down to Forbury for the annual Tuapeka Harness Racing Club meeting in search of winners. For more punting information head to The Punters Lounge  Race 1 7 Orlando Magic: Took a strong effort to get the better of him two starts back. Repeat of that here is a win. 6 Hawaiian Hula: Looks to have a bit to work with judging by workouts and trials. Respect stable immensely. 5 Tommy Tiddler: Fair effort for sixth fresh up. Likely to do things right and shouldn’t be too far away.…

Spankem the one to beat

NZHarnessNews

By Michael Guerin Spankem remains pacing’s top seed and the horse to beat in all the feature races — until at least 4.40pm today.  Because even his trainer and driver Mark Purdon admits the chasing pack, many of them also trained by him, are closing in on the Horse of the Year as they clash in today’s $50,000 Flying Stakes at Ashburton.  As the Miracle Mile, Taylor Mile and Messenger winner Spankem was always going to start the season as the New Zealand Cup favourite and some key withdrawals, Tiger…

O’Reilly to handle Cruz Bromac

NZHarnessNews

By Jonny Turner Rakaia reinsman Gerard O’Reilly has been gifted a pleasant surprise for Monady’s Ashburton Flying Stakes in the form of New Zealand Cup contender Cruz Bromac. The driver has watched much of the build-up to the New Zealand Cup from the sidelines, but that will change dramatically when the tapes fly for today’s 2400m feature. O’Reilly will find himself driving a genuine New Zealand Cup hope in the race regarded as the most important leadup to the 3200m classic. “It was a bit of a surprise. I certainly…

The Shark – Best at Ashburton on Monday

NZHarnessNews

The Shark heads to Ashburton for Labour Day Monday in search of winners on Ashburton Flying Stakes Day.  For more punting information head to The Punters Lounge  Race 1 2 Prospect Park: Two cracking runs to open the career. Maiden grade won’t hold for much longer and should leave today. 6 The Guild: Consistently running good races but not just not quite grabbing the victory. Another good chance here though. 8 Just Michael: Finds more bad luck than you’d like but is racing better than a maiden and has raced well…

High school sweethearts vying for first stakes win

AAP

Trainers Sarah and Matthew Smith with Diorissimo. Photo: Wild Range Photography A pair of bargain buys at the New Zealand Bloodstock May Sale in 2014 could lead to the biggest day in racing for Ashburton trainers Sarah and Matthew Smith. The husband and wife team headed north to Karaka five years ago to acquire some future racing stock and came home with Diorissimo and Splendior, who they purchased for $1300 and $300 respectively. “I had marked Splendior in the book, I liked that family and I liked her,” Sarah Smith…

Irish horse syndicate under investigation

AAP

Cheltenham Gold Cup favourite Kemboy could be barred from racing for the foreseeable future following a ban on entries from syndicator, the Supreme Horse Racing Club. The syndicate, which has all its horses with Irish trainer Willie Mullins, hit the last headlines last season through the exploits of Kemboy, who was last seen winning the Punchestown Gold Cup in May. Horse Racing Ireland has requested answers from Supreme in relation to what the governing body described as “a number of queries and concerns”, and said it has so far received…

Pressure on for Bad To The Bone

NZHarnessNews

By Michael Guerin A rare set of results have put the pressure on talented three-year-old Bad To The Bone at Alexandra Park tonight. And that could force driver Zachary Butcher’s hand from his second line draw in the $22,000 Sires’ Stakes heat. Bad To The Bone was one of the better juveniles in the country last season and trainer Barry Purdon, who looks set for a huge night tonight, wants him in the Sires’ Stakes Final at Addington on November 12. But Bad To The Bone’s problems are two-fold. Firstly…

The Shark – Best at Addington Friday

NZHarnessNews

The Shark heads to Addington Raceway where some of the up and coming stars step out to play for Friday night harness racing action. For more punting information head to The Punters Lounge Race 1 8 Jaimes Bad Boy: Smashed them at Forbury last week after blowing it at Timaru the week before. Enigmatic, but talented. Right lady in the bike to win again. 13 Highland Reign: Class performer of the field here, but often disappointing when off the grass tracks. Should step up but the jury is out at this…