Year: 2019

McCarroll maintaining good strike rate

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Trainer Ross McCarroll Photo: Race Images Ross McCarroll may have retired his two most proven gallopers, but he showed at Rotorua last Saturday he has another round of ammunition to ensure he maintains a good strike-rate. The Cambridge trainer operates a boutique stable of no more than a dozen horses and maintains an impressive strike-rate. Four seasons ago he recorded 11 wins from just 36 starters and last season he again had 11 wins on the board from 63 starters. From just 13 starters this term, he has recorded two…

Riccarton return for Shadows Cast

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Group One-winning miler Shadows Cast Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North) Awapuni trainer Mark Oulaghan will once again return to New Zealand Cup week at Riccarton next month with Group One winner Shadows Cast (NZ) (Per Incanto). The son of Per Incanto will have his third tilt at the Gr.2 Coupland’s Bakeries Mile (1600m), a race that has held mixed fortunes for the seven-year-old. “It has been a bit of a mixed bag,” Oulaghan said. “He won it two years ago (when dead-heating with Son of Maher) and last…

New baby-sitter Spalato laps up good life in Australia

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Spalato (right) still knows where the camera is! The 2014 Singapore Derby winner is seen here baby-sitting a group of fillies (photo courtesy of Jo Griffin). Former Singapore Derby winner Spalato (NZ) (Elusive City) is enjoying his new life as a “nanny” in Australia. Owners Graham Mackie and Trish Dunell retired their champion earlier in the year, even if his last start dated as far back as September 2016. For two years, the Mackies and trainer John O’Hara tried to fix his legs with all manners of treatment in the…

Bivouac draws barrier one in Manikato

AAP

Favourite Bivouac has drawn the inside gate for the Group One Manikato Stakes at The Valley. The Godolphin-owned colt has fellow three-year-old Loving Gaby in the gate next to him in the field of 11. Bivouac has two recent wins against Yes Yes Yes who won the $14 million Everest on Saturday. The third of the three-year-olds in the Manikato, filly Anaheed, has drawn the outside. Bivouac dominates betting at $1.80 ahead of older sprinter The Bostonian at $7 with Trope and Loving Gaby at $8.

Avilius passes crucial Flemington gallop

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Godolphin’s Cox Plate contender Avilius has been cleared to run after passing a crucial gallop at Flemington. Racing Victoria stewards ordered Avilius to gallop over at least 1000m after trainer James Cummings reported the gelding had blood in one nostril after a work-out at The Valley on Saturday. Chief steward Robert Cram said Avilius had been ticked off by one of his panel at Flemington on Tuesday morning and had cleared a vet’s examination post the gallop. The Godolphin-owned Avilius finished fourth in last year’s Cox Plate won for the…

Eighteen horses paid up for Cox Plate

AAP

The Cox Plate will have a full field of 14 plus four emergencies with eighteen horses paid up for the $5 million race. The decision which horses make the field will be decided by the committee of the Moonee Valley Racing Club on Tuesday morning. Winx has won the past four Cox Plates with her first in 2015 the only one with a full field. Connections of several well-performed horses, including New Zealand star Te Akau Shark and three-year-old Castelvecchio, have an anxious wait to find out if their contenders…

Day One a Breeze for Quality 2YO’s

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Lot 159 Breezes up with the fastest time of the day. Photo: Trish Dunell Day One of the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale Breeze Ups saw 188 two-year-olds charge down the final straight of Te Rapa Racecourse. View today’s Breeze Up times here. This morning’s track conditions were recorded as a Dead 5, which remained consistent throughout the day. The fastest Breeze Up of the day was Heat 22 from Sam Beatson’s Riversley Park draft. A Showcasing colt (Lot 159) out of four time-winning Zabeel mare in Saheel had the quicker time of…

Nicoletta retired

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Nicoletta returns to scale after her win in the Gr.1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) Photo: Trish Dunell Group One winner Nicoletta (NZ) (Savabeel) has been retired to stud following her unplaced run in the Gr.3 Taranaki Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) at Hawera earlier this month. The daughter of Savabeel, who is owned by Lib Petagna’s JML Bloodstock, won five of her 32 career starts, including the Gr.1 New Zeland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m), Gr.3 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m), and Gr.3 Taranaki Breeders’ Stakes (1400m). The Murray Baker and Andrew…