Group Three performer Irish Girl (NZ) (El Roca) will be looking to extend her impressive run of form at Tauranga on Saturday when she contests the Mills Reef Winery 1200. Trainers Ken Rae and Krystal Williams-Tuhoro have been pleased with the way she has returned after her summer spell, but they do hold concerns about her rapid rise through the grades. The daughter of El Roca won her maiden at Timaru last September before winning her next two starts at Ashburton, and then placed behind Aimee’s Jewel (NZ) (Proisir) in…
Month: March 2021
Thompson’s Thief set to steal Cup
Superstar acquisition Catch The Thief is poised to give champion trainer Jason Thompson a fifth Group 2 Shepparton Cup victory on Saturday night. Catch The Thief, a 10-time Group finalist and winner of the Group 2 WA Derby and Group 3 Warragul St Leger, is set to start favourite after an ultra-impressive debut for the powerful Thompson kennel in Monday night’s Cup heats. Making his first appearance since the Warragul Cup final on January 16, Catch The Thief overcame an extremely limited preparation to win his heat in 25.01sec, improving…
O’Reilly brings up 600
By Michael Guerin As happy as Gerard O’Reilly was to bring up his 600th career win at Addington on Wednesday it wasn’t even the highlight of his season. Because the popular horseman admits these days his biggest thrills in harness racing come from the success of his driver daughter Sarah. O’Reilly reined win 600 when Immer Besser recorded the second win of her career for trainer Kevin Townley in race two on Wednesday. The 56-year-old O’Reilly’s drives have won over $5.7million in stakes, with 131 of those 600 wins coming…
ROCKET MAN!
The Watchdog had a ‘vice grip’ on the money, returning ‘Daily Mail’ devotees a 105% profit yesterday. And the form expert is now selecting a ‘rocket’ to ‘lift off’ in a Launching Pad heat at Sandown Park. He’s won five races from eight starts and was only 2L off The Meadows 525m track record claiming the Country Championship on Australian Cup night. Who is this ‘Rocket Man’? You’ll find out by clicking on today’s ‘Daily Mail’.
Benchester back in Shepp spotlight
Record-breaking speedster Benchester will contest his second consecutive Group 2 CKH Painting Shepparton Cup final (450m) on Saturday night. But unfortunately for trainer Mark Morrissey history has also repeated with the box draw. In 2020, Benchester, which holds Shepparton’s 385m record, had box four when he ran fourth to Hard Style Rico in the Cup final and after drawing four again, he’s the outsider of the field at $26. “Two years in a row and the same box again,” Morrissey offered ruefully. “It doesn’t help at all.” The winner of…
Rowe in high spirits after 100th win
By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Wairarapa dairy farmer Glen Rowe celebrated his 100th win as an owner when Spirit Of Anzac won at Cambridge last week. “It was awesome,” Rowe said. “Every race is huge, I just love the sport.” Rowe has been a long-time supporter of Cambridge trainer Mike Berger, with all his wins coming in the veteran horseman’s silks. Their association spans nearly 40 years and was instigated by Rowe’s friendship with Berger’s brother, Laurie. “Mike’s brother Laurie and I are good mates and he decided we…
‘Speedy’ veteran showing no signs of slowing down
An incredible 102 starts ago, Speed Star (Fernando Bale x White Spyro) leapt out of the boxes to pounce on the lead in his first race, with noticeable alacrity over 400 metres at Geelong. And, although Speed Star would go on to finish third, his racing aptitude was clearly evident at such an early stage of his development. From a maiden win two starts later, the Andrea Dailly-trained began an incredible race record that continues today, with more victories than wonder mare Winx. With no signs of slowing down, Speed Star’s…
Chapada aims for Caulfield Cup start at Mornington
Chapada will start in the Listed Mornington Cup (2400m) on Saturday. Now a fully furnished five-year-old, trainer Mike Moroney says it is time for Chapada to be competitive in the bigger spring races at years end. In a bid to short-circuit the rush of qualifying for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups, Chapada will attempt to win a ballot exemption for those races in upcoming starts. First-up is the Listed Mornington Cup (2400m) on Saturday and a possible start in the Caulfield Cup while the way into the Melbourne Cup is…
September Run set to bounce back in William Reid
September Run to bounce back in the William Reid Stakes at The Valley. September Run has been afforded every chance to return to winning form in the Group 1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) at The Valley on Friday night. The William Reid is the final Group 1 race in Melbourne for the season and the Chris Waller-trained filly has had two gallops at The Valley to prepare for the assignment. Craig Williams was disappointed in September Run’s tenth as $2.80 favourite in the Newmarket Handicap (1200m) after running second to…
Karis Teetan excited by Russian Emperor’s Hong Kong Derby prospects
Russian Emperor (left) has had just the three starts in Hong Kong. Seeking his first Hong Kong Derby (2000m) triumph, Karis Teetan believes impeccably-bred Russian Emperor is capable of delivering breakthrough success at Sha Tin on Sunday (21 March). By Irish super sire Galileo out of champion Australian mare Atlantic Jewel, Russian Emperor charged to the line when second over 1800m in the Hong Kong Classic Cup behind Healthy Happy on 21 February, fuelling Teetan’s belief the Ascot Group 3 winner is ready to fire. “I’m looking forward to the…