The potent combination of trainer Jamie Richards and rider Opie Bosson were back doing what they do best on Saturday — winning Group One races — as they combined to guide Kahma Lass to victory in the Gr.1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton. Wearing the colours of Cambridge Stud proprietors Brendan and Jo Lindsay, Bosson produced a masterclass to weave the Darci Brahma filly between runners in the home straight before striking the front with 100m to run. Kahma Lass had hinted she would lap up…
Month: November 2020
Avonallo turns tables in Welcome Stakes
In a battle that most pundits expected, speedy two-year-old Avonallo turned the tables on rival Follow Your Dreams to take out Saturday’s Listed Frantic Bloodstock Welcome Stakes (1000m) at Riccarton. The pair had met on two occasions previously over 800m where Follow Your Dreams had the edge on Avonallo, however a rise in distance to 1000m and the addition of top rider Opie Bosson aboard the Jamie-Richards-trained Belardo colt turned the tables in his favour. Bosson had Avonallo away nicely from a handy barrier, where he sat outside Follow Your…
Savabeel filly provides connections with Twilight Glow
Well-related filly Hindaam (NZ) (Savabeel) bolstered her residual value for owners Shadwell Stud when winning the Listed Twilight Glow Stakes (1400m) at Sandown on Saturday. The Tom Dabernig and Ben Hayes-trained three-year-old came with a well-timed run under Daniel Stackhouse to come from the rear of the field and defeat La Mexicana and Star Of Uma. “She looked the winner a long way from home,” Hayes said. “It was really exciting to be able to get some black-type in the family. She’s well-related, being out of a sister to Merchant…
Local trainer keeping the faith
By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Winton trainer Chelsea Faithful will be throwing everything at her local meeting on Sunday when she lines-up her entire team. While it may only be three runners, Faithful is hopeful of taking home a few cheques at the end of the day, particularly in the New Zealand Bloodstock Junior Drivers Mobile Pace (2400m) where she will line-up last start winners Tartan Roxy and Pay Me Speedy. Pay Me Speedy won on debut in January and Faithful said the four-year-old mare has the ability to…
Hard Style Rico is ready for the Shootout at Sandown
Trainer Luckie Karabitsakos has declared his star sprinter Hard Style Rico capable of bettering the magical 29-second barrier in Thursday night’s Group 3 Shootout (515m) at Sandown Park.
Victory was on the cards for Expensive Crumpet
By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Cambridge trainer Ross Paynter took two horses north to Alexandra Park’s meeting on Friday night and he almost went home with the perfect result. Expensive Crumpet started the night in perfect fashion when winning the Dunstan Speedfeed Summer Series Trot (2200m). The daughter of Quaker Jet made a slow but solid start and driver David Butcher was able to find a handy position four back on the fence before securing the one-one behind Tobruk. Butcher asked her to improve three-wide turning for home and…
Tonk ‘Tigger happy’ in Shootout?
Correy Grenfell, 26, is chasing his second Group 3 Shootout (515m) in three years at Sandown Park on Thursday night. Grenfell won the second version of two Shootouts held in 2018 with Orson Allen – a superstar who put him on the map in the sport. And now he’ll rug the ultimate professional, Tiggerlong Tonk (Box 5), who is the outsider of the four-dog field in the $25,000 winner-take-all match race. “Orson Allen went to a new level after his Shootout win, but there’s nothing between him and Tiggerlong Tonk,”…
Spankem serves speedy reminder in FFA
By Jonny Turner Spankem’s dished up a powerful reminder of his status as the country’s leading short-course pacer when calling on his sensational speed to win the New Zealand Free-For-All at Addington on Friday. The first 100m of the 1980m group 1 feature proved as vital as its last furlong after driver Natalie Rasmussen made Spankem’s rivals pay when controlling the race in front. Rasmussen used the All Stars’ pacer’s speed to cross to the lead early, which proved the key to her six-year-old getting a deserved victory after having…
Son shines brightly in Dominion
By Jonny Turner Sundees Son shone brightly at Addington on Friday, leaving his rivals chasing his shadow when he won the fastest ever running of the Dominion with perfect poise. The Robert Dunn trained trotter produced one of the most polished performances of his career to show New Zealand Cup week fans exactly how good he is when bolting away with the 3200m feature by nearly four lengths. The scare Sundees Son put into his legion of backers and that camp that prepares when galloping in his last start at…
Star performances by Spankem and Sundees Son
Spankem too good in Free-For-All Spankem improved on his second in the New Zealand Cup on Tuesday with a dominant win in today’s Free For All at Addington. Natalie Rasmussen rated the star pacer to perfection to wrestle the lead and then hold on for win number 18 from start 44. His earnings now surpass $1.5m. In a blanket finish for the minors Thefixer ($3.20) and Ashley Locaz ($2.30) just edged out Classie Brigade. Amazing Dream , who was drawn behind Classie Brigade, had no chance after being trapped…