Month: August 2020

Southland trainer Lisa Vaughan is on the hunt this season to secure an elusive stakes victory with seven-year-old mare Shirley Maude (NZ) (Fully Fledged). The daughter of Fully Fledged placed in the Listed Champagne Stakes (1200m) at just her second career start and finished runner-up in the Gr.3 White Robe Lodge Weight For Age (1600m) in February, and Vaughan would dearly love to go one better this season. “Each year she has just gone from strength-to-strength, we have been really lucky with her,” Vaughan said. “Hopefully this season she will…

Shaune Ritchie was beaming after Jennifer Eccles’ (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle) 1050m trial at Ruakaka on Tuesday. He was delighted to see last season’s Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) winner relax in her heat and run on well to finish fourth against a quality line-up. “We are delighted with her,” said Ritchie, who trains in partnership with Colm Murray. “Jason (Waddell, jockey) is at his getting ready weight, so the mare was probably giving a little weight away to some key horses. “The Bostonian is a genuine Group One sprinter…

Former Kiwi three-year-old Wertheimer (NZ) (Tavistock) didn’t take long to make his presence felt across the Tasman. The son of Tavistock won first-up over 1300m at Cranbourne on Wednesday for trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young and they were fairly confident heading into his fresh-up assignment. “He has come over from Andrew Campbell and has been here a few weeks,” Young told Racing.com. “He has adapted really well and he worked really nicely the other day with Savvy Lad. “We thought he would go a great race today. He hasn’t…

Group One winner Wyndspelle will be on parade at the Hawera racecourse on Saturday ahead of his debut season at stud. The son of Iffraaj will be on show to the public between races two and three, with breeders encouraged to speak with Grangewilliam Stud Principal Marc Corcoran on the day about the discounted fee on offer and the limited number of lifetime breeding rights available. A winner of the Gr.1 Captain Cook Stakes (1600m), Wyndspelle competed in top-flight races across five seasons, performing with distinction in both Australia and…

Trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young are looking forward to lining up Savvy Lad in the Rubaroc Handicap (1410m) at Flemington on Saturday after his pleasing first-up run at Caulfield last month. The Savabeel four-year-old finished third behind Mystery Shot and Wicklow Town over 1400m and his connections are hoping he can break through for his first win in Australia this weekend.  “Savvy Lad was unlucky first-up, he got beaten by a couple of smart horses, but he ran third after copping a severe check at the 600m and was…

Trainer Lee Freedman sent an ominous warning when he said that Mr Malek (NZ) (Swiss Ace) is among the horses who have thrived at his stables during the lockdown. To think the Swiss Ace four-year-old had been among the most progressive horses at Kranji before the coronavirus brought the curtains down for three months, fans can look forward to more sparks at his racing comeback in Saturday’s S$70,000 Class 3 Division 1 race over 1200m. Oscar Racing Stable’s rising star reeled off a four-in-a-row from Restricted Maiden class to Class…