Year: 2019

Zareeba winning at New Plymouth on Thursday. Photo: Race Images The recently established association between Valachi Downs and newly retained rider Craig Grylls got off to a winning start at New Plymouth on Thursday, courtesy of Zareeba (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle) in the Epsom & Ascot With George & Wheels Maiden (2000m). “Craig Grylls has been contracted to ride for Valachi, which means his priority is to our horses but obviously he can ride for other trainers as well on race days,” Valachi Downs Manager Jonathan Scully said. “It’s a…

New Zealand’s two highest-rated horses, 10-time Group One winner Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands) and Gr.1 Cox Plate (2040m) placegetter Te Akau Shark (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle), have joined fellow Kiwi, Catalyst (NZ) (Darci Brahma), in the nominations list for the second edition of The A$5 million All-Star Mile (1600m). The trio will cross the Tasman in the new year and spend their autumn campaigns in Australia, where connections are hopeful of securing a start in the world’s richest mile race at Caulfield on Saturday, March 14. With New Zealand residents…

The revelation that is Canterbury apprentice Kozzi Asano continued his winning roll at Riverton on Wednesday, riding five winners on the eight-race card. The Japanese 24-year-old has rocketed to the top of the New Zealand Jockeys’ Premiership after his haul of five, with four of those wins for the father-daughter training partnership of Kelvin and Aimee Tyler. “Kelvin and Aimee Tyler are good trainers and I knew my horses had a good chance, but I didn’t expect to be riding five winners,” Asano said. “As I rode each winner, I…

The connections of talented three-year-old Catalyst (NZ) (Darci Brahma) have identified two major assignments for last start Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) winner in the new year. Owner Dick Karreman, his racing manager Rick Williams, and trainer Clayton Chipperfield,have circled the Gr.1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on February 29 and the A$5 million All-Star Mile (1600m) at Caulfield on March 14, however, they remain uncertain about his path towards those targets. “We are still working out a couple of lead-up races, whether he has them back here in…

High-class mare Supera (NZ) (Savabeel) is likely to start a short-priced favourite to win her maiden Group One when she contests the Rydges Wellington Captain Cook Stakes (1600m) at Trentham on Saturday. The Ken and Bev Kelso-trained five-year-old has compiled an impressive CV, with seven wins and four minor placings from just 15 starts. The patiently handled daughter of Savabeel finished runner up in the Gr.1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) towards the end of her last campaign, before landing the Gr.2 Travis Stakes (2000m). She looks in ominous…

Expat New Zealand jockey James McDonald will represent Australia at the International Jockeys’ Challenge (IJC) in Hong Kong next month The in-form hoop has been based in Sydney for several years and has won the premiership on three occasions. The IJC is scheduled to be held at Happy Valley racecourse on December 4, but two meetings have already been cancelled at the track in recent weeks amid concerns over the unrest in Hong Kong. Happy Valley is on Hong Kong Island close to the issues, while the other racecourse, Sha…

Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman will be hoping 10 is their lucky number this weekend. The Cambridge training partnership have drawn the outside gate with Unition (Fastnet Rock) and True Enough (NZ) (Nom du Jeu) in their respective 10-horse stakes fields at Trentham on Saturday and they believe they will need every ounce of luck they can get with those gates. Promising juvenile Unition will line-up in the Gr.2 Platinum Homes Taranaki Wakefield ChallengeStakes (1100m) and he will be vying to maintain his winning record after taking out the Listed…