Month: September 2020

TOFANE GAINS AN EVEREST SLOT

NZRacingDesk

Group One winning mare Tofane (NZ) (Ocean Park) has secured a slot to run in the $15 million The Everest next month. Tofane will run in the 1200m sprint partnered with Yulong and Ballymore Stable’s Mike Moroney is excited at the opportunity to run in the richest race in the world on turf. “It’s a big thrill for us to partner with Yulong on this,” Moroney said. “Mr Zhang purchased our Group One winner Alabama Express (Redoute’s Choice) earlier this year and he is just starting his stud career for…

National Breeding Awards cancelled

NZRacingDesk

The 2020 Ebbett VW National Breeding Awards has been cancelled due to the constraints and complications of holding a large event during the current COVID-19 situation. “We are all disappointed the event could not go ahead but we were left with little choice for obvious reasons,” NZTBA council member Shannon Taylor said. “The organising committee had been trying to work around the different alert level scenarios. We’d already had a change of date and venue, but for the event to go ahead at the standard it deserved, we just couldn’t…

Hayes camp pleased with Beauty Generation ahead of return

NZRacingDesk

Beauty Generation’s (NZ) (Road To Rock) campaign ramped up a notch on Tuesday at Sha Tin with a 1000m turf barrier trial that connections hope will lead to a fourth consecutive win in the Gr.3 Celebration Cup Handicap (1400m) in a fortnight’s time. “He’s come out of it well,” trainer David Hayes said. “He was beaten a bit for speed in the middle stages, but I thought through the line was pretty strong and more importantly Zac said he felt like his old self.” The Road To Rock gelding returns…

Inferno smouldering ahead of Guineas

NZRacingDesk

Exciting three-year-old Inferno (Holy Roman Emperor) has pleased connections with a barrier trial this week ahead of a tilt at the S$400,000 Singapore Guineas (1600m) on September 26. Inferno posted a dominant win at his last start in the Singapore Classic (1400m) and with a gap of one month between runs, trainer Cliff Brown decided a barrier trial wouldn’t do Inferno any harm ahead of his grand final next week. “There is a month between runs,” Brown said. “As he is a lazy trackworker, I thought he’d get more out…

All you need to know about Speed Star night at The Meadows

Editor BOAY

Sky Racing and TAB have you covered for all things Speed Star tonight at The Meadows. To kick things off Sky Racing 2 has comprehensive Speed Star coverage with Jason Lincoln in studio along with Jason Adams and Gareth Hall trackside starting from 6.20pm. During the coverage you will not only hear from the racing experts themselves but the trainers as well. And for the first time, viewers will get to see each greyhounds real time speed on the screens thanks to Brooks Timing for Iso Lynx. What markets TAB…

Speed Star: We all have our favourites, even Mick Floyd

Editor BOAY

By Mick Floyd. If ever there was a greyhound built to thrive in the one-on-one match race format, Houdini Boy is it. I first met Houdini Boy as an unraced pup early in 2020 when he hand slipped around Sandown Park in 22.90. That is quick – very quick in fact – and has gone quicker since. I was excited to find out more but trainer Kel Greenough didn’t share my enthusiasm. “He’s got ability, but he’s the worst box dog I’ve ever had,” he said. And he was right…

The Mitigator chasing further Group One success

NZRacingDesk

Matamata trainer Peter McKay recites the old adage that it’s tough at the top as he prepares Group One winner The Mitigator for Saturday’s Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) at Hastings. But he’s well aware that his Gr.1 Thorndon Mile (1600m) winner is himself a tough customer well capable of making his presence felt in the first Group One of the New Zealand racing season. “It was good to get the Group One win last year and a Group Three with him but once you are at that level, it’s hard…