Star Kiwi mare Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands) is returning home after finishing an inconclusive 11th in Saturday’s Gr.1 Winx Stakes (1400m) after enduring a troubled passage. While the second-up run failed to provide a true guide as to how the Jamie Richards-trained mare has returned, the 34-strong syndicate that race the dual New Zealand Horse of the Year are keen to enjoy their pride and joy in the flesh as opposed to watching her on TV from afar. “She’s booked to come home on Sunday,” Fortuna Syndications Director John Galvin…
Month: August 2020
Sacred Capital Defends Macau Gold Cup Crown
Karaka graduate and elite Macau galloper Sacred Capital (NZ) (O’Reilly) has gone back-to-back in the M$800,000 Macau Gold Cup (1800m), repeating his emphatic victory in the same race 12 months ago. It was Sacred Capital’s fifth win at black-type level, and his career earnings have now swelled beyond M$5 million – the equivalent of NZ$955,000. He was a $580,000 purchase from the draft of breeder Waikato Stud at the 2016 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale at Karaka. Sacred Capital had to overcome a wide draw on Sunday, but jockey Peter…
Caulfield Cup path for Zebrowski
One of the numerous eye-catching runs in the Gr.1 Winx Stakes (1400m) on Saturday was the Team Hawkes-trained Zebrowski (NZ) (Savabeel). The son of Savabeel closed well to finish 4.7 lengths from impressive winner Verry Elleegant and will be set on a path towards the Gr.1 Caulfield Cup (2400m). The Gr.1 Australian Derby (2400m) runner-up was bred by Windsor Park Stud, who retain an interest in the four-year-old gelding, who is a sibling to Hawkes-trained Group winners Leebaz, Polish Knight and Euro Angel. “He ran super, we’ve just got to…
Guineas goal for Only Words
Te Awamutu trainer Clint Isdale has stakes goals in mind for smart three-year-old Only Words (NZ) (Sweynesse), an impressive winner at Taupo last week. Isdale has long had a good opinion of the Sweynesse filly, who raced in strong company as a two-year-old but has improved physically and mentally into the new season, with her Taupo victory preceded by a trial win at Rotorua. The Listed HS Dyke Wanganui Guineas (1200m) on Saturday week is a likely target for Only Words, who covered plenty of ground when winning over 1100m…
Karaka grad on Derby path
Let’s Karaka Deel (NZ) (Dundeel) will be put on a Derby path after winning as a short-priced favourite at Swan Hill on Monday. But exactly which Derby remains to be determined. The first Group One Derby of the season is the 2500-metre Victoria Derby, at Flemington on October 31, and co-trainer David Eustace said he’ll be given his chance to be a part of that. “He’s a horse that could end up in a Derby, but which one, time will tell,” Eustace said. “Whether it is this spring, we’ll give…
Babylon Berlin to make much anticipated debut at Rotorua
There will be plenty of interest in the opening race at Rotorua on Wednesday where multiple trials winner Babylon Berlin (All Too Hard) is set to make her raceday debut. The Ben Foote-trained three-year-old filly has won three of her four trials and meets a competitive field in the MacMillan Accountants 3YO (1100m), where among her rivals is the Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman-trained Francesca (NZ) (Iffraaj), who caught the eye with a strong fourth on debut at Taupo. “I was going to run Babylon Berlin at Taupo last week,…
Irish celebrations after Drummond double
Long-time owner-breeders Frank and Faye Drummond gave a couple of Irish horsemen their first wins in their new roles when celebrating a double last weekend. The Drummonds own, bred and co-race Country Bumpkin (NZ) (St Reims), who credited Niall Quinn with his first training success when making an impressive 15 and a half-length winning debut over the bigger fences in the Cody Singer Memorial Steeplechase (3200m) at Awapuni last Saturday, while a day later the couple were cheering on El Disparo (NZ) (El Hermano), a horse they bred and race…
Date change for Singapore Derby
The Singapore Turf Club have announced the Singapore Derby (1800m) will be brought forward a day and run on September 5. Originally scheduled for September 6, the reschedule takes into consideration regional changes by the Hong Kong Jockey Club with races now on 6 September 2020. The Singapore Derby is the final leg of the Singapore Four-Year-Old Challenge and carries a purse of S$1m.
First NZ Foal for Ace High
Rich Hill Stud reports that their first NZ-born foal by their magnificent dual Group 1 winner Ace High (High Chaparral) made her arrival at the stud on Saturday. The filly is from Gold Rose, a two-times winning daughter of Pentire from the family of dual Oaks winner Domino. “She is a well-balanced quality filly with her father’s lovely head and colouring,” commented Rich Hill stud-master John Thompson. “She is the second foal by Ace High. The first was born at Andrew Ferguson’s Bell River property in Australia which was very appropriate…
Deauville Group One results a boost for Cambridge Stud
Significant international results have been welcomed by Cambridge Stud with Group One outcomes to savour. At Deauville Racecourse in France a two-year-old quinella was posted by Kodiac in the Gr.1 Prix Morny while a daughter of Wootton Bassett won the Gr.1 Prix Jean Romanet. Kodiac is the sire of the part Cambridge Stud-owned dual Group One-winning sprinter Hello Youmzain, who will go to stud next year. The Stonestreet Stables-raced filly Campanelle got the better of the colt Nando Parrado to claim top honours in the Prix Morny by two lengths.…