Trainer Kim Waugh cannot fault Trumbull (NZ) (Darci Brahma) as she prepares the last-start Civic Stakes winner to chase another feature race victory at Rosehill this winter. Trumbull snapped a frustrating run when he began well under jockey Tommy Berry and then raced away in the straight to win the Listed Civic Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill on June 27, his first black-type victory and sixth win from 18 career starts. The four-year-old gelding is the early favourite to add another Listed race win in Saturday’s Winter Stakes (1400m). “I couldn’t…
Month: July 2020
Raceform returns in new season
The wait for a weekly racing news and form publication will soon be over with confirmation that RaceForm is set to return in time for the new racing season. RaceForm, incorporating the TAB’s Best Bets, quickly established its place in the form guide market when it was introduced late last year. Covid-19 lockdown forced it out of production, however, ongoing work with fields and form data has been completed and RaceForm is scheduled to be back on sale on Thursday July 30. As well as full fields and form for…
Marsh team ramping up
Stephen Marsh has his bases covered this weekend as the only trainer in the country to have runners at all three galloping meetings. The Cambridge trainer has two maidens engaged at Wanganui on Friday, six in action at Riccarton on Saturday and four runners accepted for the return to racing at Ellerslie on Saturday, placing him in a unique position among New Zealand trainers. “Hopefully that’s not the only prize we get this weekend,” Marsh quipped. Marsh, currently second on the national trainers’ premiership with 73 wins this season, is…
Distance test for regally-bred filly
Waikato Stud bred and owned filly Grand de Flora (NZ) (Savabeel) will step up to 2000m for the first time at Caulfield on Saturday. The daughter of Champion New Zealand sire Savabeel, and triple Group One winner Daffodil, will be vying for her third straight victory in the race. She won one of her three starts in New Zealand for former trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood before she was transferred to the care of Flemington trainer Danny O’Brien. The three-year-old filly has subsequently won three of her four starts…
Winsloe changes tack with stable trio
Gore trainer Ellis Winsloe thought he would have a couple of nice chances in the Grand National Steeplechase (5600m) this year, however, its absence as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic has forced him to change tack. Irish Excuse (NZ) (No Excuse Needed), Nomen Ludi (NZ) (Nom du Jeu), and Tai Ho (NZ) (Winning Boy), were all earmarked for the South Island feature, but now Winsloe has been forced to eye some other targets for the trio. “The plan for the whole three was the Grand National,” Winsloe said. “At…
Dez out to defend crown
Waipukurau trainer Simon Wilson has welcomed the announcement that the Gr.3 Winter Cup (1600m) will take place next month. Wilson trains reigning race victor Dez (NZ) (Zed), who also placed in the mile feature in 2018. “It is good to see that the Winter Cup is back,” Wilson said. “I will just have to see how the first couple of races go to see if we can get him to hit some form. “We will play each start as it comes, but if we can get there that would be…
Pagan’s $101 bolter placed
AFL legend Denis Pagan made an immediate impact with his first metropolitan runner as a trainer when his juvenile horse Johnny Get Angry (NZ) (Tavistock) ran third as a $101 chance at Flemington on Saturday. “You can’t beat good luck, can you,” Pagan observed after the two-year-old gelding he trains and owns ran on for third in the Listed Taj Rossi Series Final (1600m). “Running third, you don’t want to get too carried away but it’s just exciting first runner at Flemington,” Pagan told Racing.com. “It’s just like playing my…
NZ Racing and Breeding News – 05 July 2020
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Strong results at Hong Kong International Sale
All 19 lots offered at the Hong Kong International Sale sold for an aggregate of HK$74.3 at the auction held at Sha Tin racecourse on Friday. The top lot was an I Am Invincible half-brother to Group One winner Volatile Mix and was knocked down for HK$7.2 million to Sze-to Kin Sun. Wong Kwong Miu, whose red and black silks have been carried previously by the talented galloper Divine Ten, brought the auctioneer’s hammer down at HK$6.5 million for Lot 14, a Zoustar gelding out of a half-sister to multiple…
Vile delighted with local double
Trainer Gary Vile was to the fore on his home turf at Awapuni on Saturday, picking up a pair of wins from the team of six runners he had entered for the meeting. Vile was quickly on the board with promising three-year-old filly Hydroexpress successful in race three before Fattore Otto doubled his tally with a game victory in the sixth event on the card. Vile had been confident of a good performance from Hydroexpress and the win gave him additional satisfaction as he co-bred the daughter of Shamexpress with…