Month: September 2020

Chris Waller has gone back to the drawing board with Kolding (NZ) (Ocean Park) and it has delivered the champion trainer an important epiphany. A perfectionist by nature, Waller was perturbed by the gelding’s loss of form during the autumn when he failed to place in five starts and again when he resumed to finish down the track behind Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed) in the Winx Stakes. Just six months earlier, Kolding had been one of the stars of the Sydney carnival with wins in the Group One Epsom Handicap…

Group One performer Kelly Renee (NZ) (Vespa) will be looking to secure her maiden victory at Te Rapa on Thursday when she contests the SVS 3YO 1200. The Stephen Autridge and Kris Shailer-trained filly placed in four of her five starts as a juvenile, including the Gr.2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) and Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m). Autridge said she has matured as a three-year-old and he is expecting the daughter of Vespa to improve from her first-up fourth placing last month. “She has matured a little bit,” he said. “Every…

Group One performer Melt (NZ) (Iffraaj) will kick-off her spring campaign in the Harcourts Tai Tokerau Trophy (1200m) at Ruakaka on Saturday. The daughter of Iffraaj hasn’t been seen on raceday since her runner-up effort over 1200m at Tauranga last November and trainer Nigel Tiley is looking forward to her return. “Melt had a nice break,” he said. “She came back from Sydney and we gave her one start just to make sure she was happy. “We put her aside while the tracks were a bit firmer. She was ready…

Frankie Lor’s exciting sprinter Winning Dreamer (NZ) (Deep Field) returns this Sunday at Sha Tin as one of 12 entries in Sunday’s Class 3 sprint over 1200m. The exciting sprinter is unbeaten across two outings and has copped a 20-point ratings rise since his debut win but will go around a bend for the first time.  “He will race this Sunday at Sha Tin, Class 3 over 1200 metres,” Lor said. The exciting sprinter crossed the line second in a recent trial over 1050m on the dirt at Sha Tin…

Saturday’s Gr.1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) favourite Showmanship (NZ) (Showcasing) is out for the spring with a tendon injury that has halted an exciting run of six-straight victories. Owner-breeder Bob Peters said from Western Australia on Tuesday evening that it was difficult to gauge how bad the injury was and how long the horse will need to recuperate. “Every tendon is bad,” Peters lamented. “It’s a bit of a different one. One tendon is a lot thicker than the other one. “I haven’t experienced one of these before. I’ve…

New Zealand-bred gelding Mr Malek (NZ) (Swiss Ace) raced into Singapore Guineas (1600m) contention with an impressive win at Kranji on Saturday. It was the first time the son of Swiss Ace had been tested over a mile and he passed with flying colours. “He needed to win to progress to the Guineas and he’s done just that,” trainer Lee Freedman said. “If he didn’t run well, we could have gone back to sprints and pressed towards the Lion City Cup (1200m) instead. “When you know you’re going to bump…

The talented but injury plagued Demonetization (All Too Hard) has been ruled out of Saturday’s Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) at Hastings. The Group Two winner looked to be back to his best with two wins this preparation before an eye-catching fourth-placing in the Gr.2 Foxbridge Plate (1200m) last start, however, a bruised heel has halted his Group One aspirations this weekend. “Unfortunately he bruised a heel and I think his chances of making the race were slightly less than 50-50,” trainer Nigel Tiley said. “We have to take the shoe…