Wellwood still coming to terms with first Group One

While his training partner is an old hand when it comes to producing winners at the elite level, Robert Wellwood was an uncapped novice until just after 5pm at Ellerslie on Saturday. In front of a massive crowd, Savabeel six-year-old Concert Hall (NZ) dashed home out wide to take out the Gr.1 Cambridge Stud Zabeel Classic (2000m) and credit Wellwood with his inaugural Group One victory in just his third year in partnership with master horseman Roger James, a feat that Wellwood had been thinking about since the day the…

Leading riders to the fore on Boxing Day

A quick glance at the results from day one of the Ellerslie Christmas carnival reveals the remarkable fact that if your surname wasn’t Richards, Bosson or Johnson you struggled to make much of an impact on one of the biggest days on the New Zealand racing calendar. Matamata’s Jamie Richards dominated the training ranks as he produced an unprecedented six winners on the card including taking out three of the four stakes races on offer while going close to a fourth when In A Twinkling (Fastnet Rock) was collared late…

Selections | Gore December 27

Selections for Gore today BETTING JACKPOT : All First4s $10,000 guaranteed… Head to www.tab.co.nz to place your bet! RaceTime JUSTIN EVANSCommentator Race 11.37pm 2 Jannah Jaccka17 Shandon Bells8 Emdeegee14 Mitre Peak16 Superfast Kiwi Race 22.13pm 14 Rocket Boy(AUS)2 Leconte1 Rock To The Boss9 Lynryd Skynryd6 Beta Than Love Race 32.48pm 15 Miss Bamboocha2 Horse Of Course8 Playboy’s Brother5 Sunnivue Phileah10 Zealous Spur Race 43.23pm 5 Swift Robyn1 Man I’m Good9 Tad Lincoln13 Pete’s Dash14 The Night Watchman Race 53.58pm 10 Shards Fury1 Stars N Bars7 Mach Quillan13 Magic Mike15 Franco Jordan Race 64.33pm…

Smokey Mac a surprise package 

By Jonny Turner Trainer-driver John Morrison admits he does not know quite what to expect from his grass track specialist Smokey Mac at Gore on Sunday. The seven-year-old starts for the first time this season from the 30m mark in a 2700m feature that is packed full of winning chances. Class combined with his two wins and two placings from just six starts on grass mean the Canterbury raider is among the strongest of those hopes. But circumstances have led to Smokey Mac having just one workout to prepare for…

Greyhound racing 2021 – Building track superstars

Greyhound Clubs Victoria and GRV have announced a new program “Building track superstars” to commence early in 2021. Kicking off 2021 Victorian Greyhound Clubs will employ trainees from their local communities.  The students will complete a Certificate 3 in Sports Turf Management over a 4-year period.  The students will experience an industry that races 26 times a week over 13 locations.  They will work together, sharing their experiences, with mentors at each club to guide them along their journey. Greyhound racing is a large employer, employing 4300, most in regional…

Hope rides shock winner at Caulfield

Comeback jockey Tahlia Hope rewarded the faith trainer Patrick Payne places in her when they combined for the biggest win in her career when she won the Listed Lord Stakes (1700m) on outsider Defibrillate (NZ) (Shocking). Hope only returned to riding in March this year, after being side-lined for nine months after she suffered a bout of viral meningitis. 22 year-old Hope said it was the biggest win of her career as it was her first Listed win. “I can’t believe it. It’s a massive thrill,” Hope said. “With my…

Amarelinha the latest bright young talent in tangerine

Champion trainer Jamie Richards and the Te Akau team have sent out an abundance of talent this season, and a remarkable performance in Saturday’s Gr.2 Jamieson Park Eight Carat Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie may have moved Amarelinha towards the top of the list. Along with Melody Belle’s Group One Hawke’s Bay heroics, a five-win haul on New Zealand Cup day at Riccarton and now a sensational six on Boxing Day, Richards has been responsible for a seemingly endless production line of two-year-old and three-year-old winners. He has saddled eight individual…

Concert Hall gets maiden Group One success

Versatile mare Concert Hall bagged the Group One victory she richly deserved when she stormed home out wide to snatch victory in the Gr.1 Cambridge Stud Zabeel Classic (2000m) at Ellerslie. Prepared for owner and breeder Joan Egan by Roger James and Robert Wellwood, Concert Hall had looked a Group One winner in waiting throughout her career having won four individual stakes races before her success on Saturday, while she had been runner-up to race rival Rock On Wood in the Gr.1 Captain Cook Stakes (1600m) at Trentham earlier in…