The Barree Stable colours flew high for the second year running in the Singapore Golden Horseshoe (1200m) when Boomba (NZ) (Showcasing) came with a grinding run to claim top prize right on the line. Last year, the Australian outfit headed by Glenn Whittenbury were successful with their stable superstar Inferno (Holy Roman Emperor). As it has been across the board on the racing calendar, COVID-19 has turned the juvenile series upside down this year – no lead-up races (Legs), only one race and downgraded, prizemoney halved to S$125,000, and probably…
Month: December 2020
‘Pirate’ poised to pillage Ballarat Cup
Meet greyhound racing’s latest ‘sprinting swashbuckler’ – Pirate Pete. Last week, the plundering Pirate Pete pillaged Ballarat’s 450-metre track record with a scintillating 24.70sec display. Utilising his speedy legs as a ‘cutlass’, Pirate Pete sliced 0.05sec (almost one length) off superstar Shima Shine’s previous mark of 24.75sec, set on August 28 last year. It was no mean feat, given Shima Shine recently won the invitation-only Group 1 Topgun (525m) at The Meadows during the prestigious Metro Festival of Racing. WATCH: Plundering Pirate Pete (8) ‘steals’ Shima Shine’s 450m track record,…
She’s Alight shines brightly at Ascot
Five-year-old mare She’s Alight (NZ) (Tavistock) picked up some valuable black-type for connections when winning the Listed Jungle Dawn Classic (1400m) at Ascot in Perth on Saturday. The Alan Mathews-trained mare pushed forward to trail the leader Sophie’s Song (Rogano) and took the lead early in the straight before staving off her rivals to deny Special Choice (Redoute’s Choice) and Chantrea (Puissance de Lune) in a blanket finish. Purchased by bloodstock agent John Chalmers for $65,000 out of the Cambridge Stud draft at the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling…
Whistle signals late rally for Khoo
The well-backed Whistle Grand (NZ) (Coats Choice) recorded a hard-fought win in the Lim’s Racer 2016 Stakes (1400m) in Singapore on Saturday. Vastly-improved since donning blinkers three runs back when victorious (for his second career win) in Class 5 company, the Coats Choice five-year-old again emerged as a serious threat when he was set alight the widest upon straightening. Race-leader Lucky Imperator (Holy Roman Emperor) was making every post a winning one at the 300m, but Whistle Grand ($37) would not let him give the slip as he loomed upsides.…
Zygarde clears maiden ranks
Getting to know a horse better as a team was the key ingredient towards Zygarde (NZ) (Atlante) finally showing his true colours on Saturday. Since his encouraging debut third almost a year ago, the son of Atlante named after a Pokemon dragon had not quite fulfilled that early promise with runs ending closer to the rear than at the other end. Trainer Tan Kah Soon was a little befuddled by this reversal of fortunes, but remained confident that potential could not have just vanished. Immaturity was to the Malaysian conditioner…
Zachaz relishes roomy Pakenham circuit
The former Allan Sharrock-trained galloper Zachaz (NZ) (Coats Choice) relished the wide open spaces at the Pakenham standalone metropolitan meeting on Saturday, showing his staying prowess to land the Iron Jack Australian Lagers BM78 Handicap (2000m) in emphatic fashion. The six-year-old has won three of his nine starts since joining the stable of Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, having won two of his first four starts under New Plymouth trainer Sharrock. Sent out a $3.80 favourite, Zachaz was perfectly ridden by Clayton Douglas and had 1¼ lengths to spare over…
Luck finally goes the way of Tavidance
Caulfield trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr can start making bigger plans for their promising galloper Tavidance (NZ) (Tavistock) after his easy win in the David Bourke Memorial Handicap (1600m) at Pakenham. Jockey Damien Oliver took bad luck out of the equation as he steered the $2.10 favourite to the front with 300 metres to go and the horse cruised home to win by 3-1/4 lengths over Night’s Watch (NZ) (Redwood) with Safin (Snitzel) another three-quarters of a length away third. Price said the five-year-old gelding would have one…
Opalescence upsets in Ellerslie feature
Underrated filly Opalescence dented several reputations when she swept to victory in Saturday’s Gr.3 Mitchell Family Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie. The Jenna Mahoney-trained three-year-old started at odds of nearly $13 despite being a last-start winner as punters set their sights on Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) placegetter Moana and two-race winner Jason Belltree as their preferred candidates for the Group Three feature. Ridden by Jasmine Fawcett, Opalescence took a sit behind pacemaker Explosively for much of the race and found the lead inside the final furlong before holding out…
Family affair as Rock On Wood claims Group One
Quality galloper Rock On Wood (NZ) (Redwood) shed the tag of a Group One winner in waiting in emphatic fashion when he dashed home to take out the Gr.1 Rydges Wellington Captain Cook Stakes (1600m) at Trentham. The Leanne Elliot-trained six-year-old had promised plenty at the highest level without being able to convert that into a Group One victory having finished third and fourth, twice, in four prior attempts. The patiently-handled son of Redwood has made good improvement in his last two campaigns and finally struck the racing luck he…
Favourite delivers in Trentham two-year-old feature
Flashy chestnut colt Stormy (NZ) (Telperion) repaid the faith of punters who installed him as a $1.50 favourite as he powered to victory in the Gr.2 Pete’s Joinery, Precise Design & Build Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m) at Trentham. The Tony Pike-trained Telperion colt was the only race winner in the nine-horse field after impressing on debut at Awapuni last month. Expected to race handy from an inside draw, rider Lisa Allpress followed the script to perfection as she bounced her charge out well before controlling a steady pace throughout. In…