By Jonny Turner Beaudiene Hustler’s victory at Addington on Friday night continued the recent run of good news breeding giant Alabar has been enjoying. The A Rocknroll Dance 3yr-old finally delivered on the promise he had previously shown with a front-running victory for trainers Cran Dalgety and Nathan Purdon and driver Sarah O’Reilly. Beaudiene Hustler had cost himself in the lead up to his maiden win in race 3 by hanging in his previous runs. The Dalgety-Purdon team worked to iron out those issues and it paid off for his…
Month: July 2020
Three’s the charm for Team Delbridge
Mark and Lisa Delbridge are on the ride of lives with last start Group 2 McKenna Memorial winner Christo Bale. After a brilliant display of natural strength in his first Group race win at Sandown Park, it is onto the next task for the youngster – heats of the Group 1 KCR Pet Transport Maturity Classic at The Meadows. Drawn in heat three of the 525m event, Christo Bale will jump from box two. “We are happy with the box,” co-trainer Lisa Delbridge told Troy Iwanyk and Jack Heverin on…
Thompson confident in dynamic duo
Hooked On Scotch stepping out over 595m for the first time is shaping as one of the most anticipated debuts over the Sandown Park middle distance.
Sir Truculent’s baptism of Fireball
Steve White is hoping his great success with South Australian greyhounds will continue on Saturday night when Sir Truculent makes his Victorian debut in the heats of the Group Listed Fireball (725m). White has guided SA imports Sennachie and Tauwitchere to Group glory in recent times and now the Festival State’s number one stayer Sir Truculent will add enormous interest to Saturday’s bumper Meadows meeting, headlined by the Group 1 Maturity heats. Sir Truculent, a son of another star South Australian in Worm Burner, has been virtually unbeatable at Angle…
Michael House hits 500
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk When Opawa Mach won the second at Invercargill yesterday it gave Michael House a milestone that’s been 22 years in the making. It was triumph number 500 for the Canterbury-based trainer and his “Red Army”. Driven by Sam Ottley Opawa Mach ($10.30 and $3) was three back the fence most of the trip only for the gaps to open on the final bend. The seven year old Mach Three mare then slipped up the passing lane to win by half a head. While…
Maximus Prost impresses on debut
By Jonny Turner Strike-rate trainer Lauren Pearson rolled out another smart type at Ascot Park on Thursday in debut winner Maximus Prost. The 3yr-old came in to his debut after bolting-in in a recent workout by a massive ten lengths. Punters did not miss that performance and his backers got paid when he took full advantage of a perfect cart in to race 7 delivered by driver Brent Barclay. “He did go really good at the workouts and he had been working well at home,” Pearson said. The victory was…
Kiwi-bred scores in Macau
Chi Chai Sin Sang (NZ) (Per Incanto) brought up his second career win in Macau on Saturday. The son of Per Incanto gave first season trainer Wayne Smith his eighth winner for the season with an impressive win in a Class 4 over 1200m, and giving apprentice Eric Cheung two winners for the weekend. In a race run at good speed, Cheung was content to cross over from gate seven and park Chi Chai Sin Sang off the speed in the run. Eased into the clear on straightening the four-year-old…
Solid debut expected from regally bred gelding
Cambridge trainer Martin Da Cruz has taken a patient approach with regally-bred gelding Solid Contact (NZ) (Savabeel) who will make his debut at Pukekohe on Wednesday. The three-year-old gelding will contest the Earle Adlington’s Gone Fishin’ 1600 and while Cruz has been pleased with his progress at the trials he has reserved expectations with his charge’s debut run. The son of Champion New Zealand sire Savabeel and Group One-winning mare I Do has had two trials this preparation, including placing in his 1400m heat at Te Aroha last week, and…
Tavirun primed ahead of Saturday
Tavirun (NZ) (Tavistock) may be having his fifth start this preparation at Flemington on Saturday, but it will be the first time his trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young have been satisfied with his fitness level this campaign. The son of Tavistock finished last over 1600m first-up at Flemington in May but has made steady progress and finished runner-up over 2100m at Sandown earlier this month. His trainers are pleased with him heading into the Happy Retirement Pat Hyland (2000m) and they expect him to be competitive this weekend. “He…
Rock ‘N’ Pop enjoying new surroundings
Standing his first season at Okawa Stud in Hastings, Rock ‘N’ Pop was represented by Super Oasis (NZ) winning over 1400m on Sunday in Hong Kong. Super Oasis had raced previously as Surely Sacred in New Zealand, winning three of his eight starts including the Gr.2 Auckland Guineas (1600m) and Gr.2 Avondale Guineas (2100m) before finishing third in the GR.1 ATC Derby (2400m) at Randwick. Group One winner Rock ‘N’ Pop was purchased out of Esker Lodge’s 2010 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale draft for $1 million. Formerly standing…