Oceanex (NZ) (Ocean Park) is continuing to please trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr ahead of the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) in November. The daughter of Ocean Park guaranteed her spot in the great race after winning the Listed The Andrew Ramsden (2800m) at Flemington in May. The five-year-old mare has finished towards the tail of the field in her two assignments this prep, but her trainers have been happy with her runs. “Last start she really ran on well,” Kent said. “She ran home in a pretty slick…
Month: September 2020
Trials and preludes await Kiwis
The classic seasons for a couple of Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr’s runners will start to ramp up this week. The Caulfield trainers will line-up Kiwi-breds Bak Da Man (NZ) (Reliable Man) and Dalgarno (NZ) (Dalghar) in the Victoria Derby Trial (1800m) at Flemington on Wednesday. Bak Da Man recorded his maiden victory at the second time of asking at Sale last month and his connections are hoping he can run his way into Gr.1 Victoria Derby (2500m) contention. “You had to like the way he won his maiden,”…
Deerfield to resurface on final day
The Chrissy Bambry-trained Deerfield (NZ) (Falkirk) will be back at Hastings on the third day of the spring carnival after a brave performance when fifth in the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) on Saturday. Bambry was delighted with the run of the seven-year-old, who led the quality field after crossing from barrier 12 and finished just 2.3 lengths in arrears of surprise winner Callsign Mav (NZ) (Atlante). “He is just so tough,” Bambry said. “If he had drawn easier and maybe got an easier sectional when The Mitigator took us on,…
Purvis bags first ever treble
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk After landing his first ever hat-trick of wins in one day, North Canterbury trainer Matt Purvis succinctly summed up his Sunday at Oamaru. “To have three winners and two fourths from five starters you couldn’t be disappointed.” Confident he was going to have a good day it started perfectly and a little surprisingly with Rockngoodtime winning the first after the two favourites Mossdale Mac and Simply Shaz botched the start. Driven by John Dunn it was the first win for the son of…
More races means more opportunities for our greyhounds
GRV’s General Manager of Racing, Greg Kerr, provides an update on some of the current topics from around the racetrack. Q. The number of Victorian greyhound race meetings has recently risen from 23 to 26 each week. What does this mean for the racing program? Greg Kerr: The idea behind the extra meetings has always been to give more dogs the opportunity to gain a start, and a change in the way we grade some of these meetings means we are able to target dogs in a bottom-up style. This…
Sires Stakes Series Updates
NZ Sires Stakes Series ‘Road to the Final’ updates below: Magness Benrow 2YO Fillies Series, latest results after heat 3 was run at Addington on Thursday, September 17. Garrard’s Horse & Hound 2YO C & G Series Garrard’s Sires Stakes Final was run at Alexandra Park on Friday, September 18. The final was won by American Dealer. Click here to read the article. Nevele R Fillies Series 42, next heat to run at Auckland on Thursday, October 8.
Motukarara days away from season opener
Following on from Methven’s first grass track meeting of the new season, this weekend is Motukarara’s turn. This time though there will be crowds allowed, with the country, excluding Auckland, now back at Level One. The Methven meeting on September 13 was open to essential staff and owners only. In preparation for this weekend racecourse inspector John Denton went on to course to ensure everything is as it should be. Motukarara will host six meetings this season.
Cup week bookie update with Matt Peden
By Michael Guerin New Zealand Cup favourite Copy That faces another new challenge on his road to the great race at Alexandra Park this Friday. The four-year-old finds himself in the almost unfathomable position as $2.50 favourite for the NZ Cup after entries closed last week and then things started to get bumpy for Self Assured. The long-time NZ Cup favourite and his stablemate Spankem both missed the Hannon Memorial on Sunday with hoof issues caused by a hard training track and one thing punters don’t like is uncertainty. But…
NZERF Spring Equine Bulletin
The New Zealand Equine Research Foundation have released their Spring Equine Bulletin. A copy can be viewed here. This is an interactive PDF so you can click on the page numbers in the contents list and it will take you to that page. Happy reading.
Short-Course options for Mascarpone
Talented galloper Mascarpone (NZ) (Shooting To Win) was back in the winner’s circle at Hawke’s Bay on Saturday when winning over 1200m and the four-year-old is likely to remain at sprint distances in the near future. “It was a terrific win and he will go to an Open Handicap 1200m race on the second day of the Hawke’s Bay Carnival,” said Graeme Rogerson, who trains in partnership with wife Debbie. “I think we will keep him to sprinting and he will go to Christchurch for the Stewards (Gr.3, 1200m).” Meanwhile,…