Promising stayer Five Princes (NZ) (Red Giant) made it three wins from just five starts in his latest campaign when he produced a last-to-first performance to take out the rating 99 2000m event at Riccarton on Saturday. The former North Island galloper has been a revelation since racing returned in June after a COVID-19 enforced stand-down period, with trainer Centaine Spittle confident there is more to come from the five-year-old. Five Princes had his first start for Spittles in August last year after doing his initial racing from the Stephen Marsh…
Month: August 2020
Gravy pours on the pressure in classic Waterloo Cup
The 2020 Waterloo Cup was taken out by Making Gravy today in what could be described as the ultimate reward for consistency. After two consecutive days of coursing up the Lang Lang straight, the Adele Powell-trained greyhound emerged as the only undefeated contender throughout the time-honoured Waterloo Cup series. Pure Magic (red collar) and Making Gravy (white collar) battled it out in the final, with the latter the only one of the two with previous coursing experience under his belt, and he proved too strong. Handler Michael Ryan said Adele…
‘Pork’ and ‘Pilsner’
Rowsley trainer Anthony Azzopardi was celebrating with ‘Pork’ and ‘Pilsner’ at Healesville today. He now has a dual chance for back-to-back Group 3 TAB Healesville Cups (350m) courtesy of Short Pork and Aston Pilsner following their outstanding heat wins today. Azzopardi won last year’s Healesville Cup with Myrniong And All. Short Pork ($5.70) clocked 18.97sec, while Aston Pilsner ($2.80F) semaphored 19.06sec. A G1 Harrison-Dawson finalist, Short Pork recorded his 20th win from 46 starts. He has either won or been placed at his past eight starts. Aston Pilsner recorded his…
NZ Racing and Breeding News – 30 August 2020
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Sky Punch scores stakes win
Sky Punch (NZ) (Alamosa) upstaged odds-on favourite Dalasan (Dalakhani) at Morphettville Parks on Saturday to take out the feature event. The Listed Leon Macdonald Stakes (1400m), formerly known as the Penny Edition Stakes, saw Dalasan sent out $1.40 favourite for Leon Macdonald and his training partner Andrew Gluyas. However, the four-year-old Dalakhani entire settled in the second half of the field under Jason Holder and struggled to settle into a rhythm in the slowly run race. Sky Punch, ridden by apprentice Jessica Eaton, dictated the pace of the race and…
VGAs go ‘virtual’ on greyhound racing’s ‘Super Sunday’
Victorian greyhound racing’s night of nights – the Victorian Greyhound Awards – will be open to all racing fans on Sunday 30 August from 8pm in what will be a celebration of the 2019-20 Racing Year. The ‘virtual’ event will be compacted into a 75-minute production beamed into Greyhound Racing Victoria’s Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/GRVictoria Viewers are encouraged to refresh the page regularly throughout the coverage to share in the joy of announcements as they unfold, including: – Victorian Greyhound of the Year– Victorian Sprinter of the Year– Victorian Stayer of…
A further cancellation at Sandown Park
Due to further remedial works to the track at Sandown Park the following race meeting has been cancelled: Sandown Park Thursday 3 September Consequently, the following meeting has been added to the Racing Calendar: The Meadows (Twilight) Thursday 3 September (Metropolitan meeting) Nominations close Monday 31 August at 12.00pm. Trainers are advised that Grade 5 600m Heats and a 725m Special Event have been added to the program. Please visit fasttrack.grv.org.au for regular updates.
Carson River heads local double for Pitman team
Capable galloper Carson River (NZ) (Swiss Ace) provided the second leg of a winning double for the Michael and Matthew Pitman training partnership at Riccarton on Saturday. The Pitman team are always well represented at their home meetings and along with wins by Carson River and maiden galloper Heartoheart (NZ) (Swiss Ace), they went agonisingly close to victory on several other occasions during the day. Swiss Ace gelding Carson River had put the writing on the wall that a win was close at hand when he stormed home for second…
Audio: Chad Ormsby
Andrew Bensley talks to Chad Ormsby after his success on Divine Dive at Tauranga on Saturday, his first winner since returning to the jockey ranks this year.
Pike and Ormsby combination back in winning groove
Trainer Tony Pike was delighted to pick up a victory with his only runner at Tauranga on Saturday but it was made even more special by the winning rider he had aboard. Four-year-old Sacred Falls gelding Divine Dive (NZ) made it two wins from his last five starts under the stewardship of Chad Ormsby, a late replacement on the day for Michael McNab who had to forego the mount due to weight issues. Ormsby has made a comeback to riding in June following the COVID-19 lockdown after giving it away…