Month: March 2021

Champagne popping again for Krug

NZHarnessNews

By Michael Guerin Different Krug, same result That was the tale of Friday night’s Vero Flying Stakes at Addington when the country’s best three-year-old destroyed the best of the rest in the $50,000 lead-up to the NZ Derby in two weeks time. That Krug won is no surprise, he was favourite after all following his stunning Woodlands Northern Derby win three weeks earlier and while both wins were achieved from in front, how different they were. In the Derby, Krug famously over-raced to the point he shouldn’t have been still…

Tony Herlihy goes 1000 as trainer

NZHarnessNews

By Michael Guerin It would be so easy to suggest Tony Herlihy’s 1000th New Zealand training winner came an hour too soon. But not to the man himself who joined the exclusive club when Lord Verde won at Alexandra Park on Friday night. He becomes just the second New Zealander to have 1000 winners as both a driver and a trainer, joining brother-in-law Mark Purdon.  Yes, Alexandra Park is Herlihy’s home track so would seem a natural fit for his milestone win but an hour later he drove of the…

Cup Treble in the offing for She’s Tough

NZHarnessNews

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Cup queen She’s Tough will be vying for her third consecutive cup victory when she tackles the Whitestone Livestock Ltd Waimate Cup (3000m) on Sunday. The four-year-old mare has won the Hororata Cup and Waikouaiti Cup in her last two starts, both over 3000m, and trainer Brad Mowbray is hoping for a repeat result this weekend. “She seems to have found her niche with her good standing start manners and following the speed, she is quite happy,” Mowbray said. “We were thrilled to get…

Updated 2021 Golden Slipper Field & Betting Odds: Punters on Profiteer

AAP

The punters will not shy away from a return to winning form by the Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr-trained Profiteer who is the clear favourite and market mover for Saturday’s rescheduled Group 1 $3.5 million Longines Golden Slipper (1200m). Profiteer remains favourite in markets for the postponed 2021 Golden Slipper Stakes. Photo: Steve Hart. After last Saturday’s abandoned meeting, the postponed Slipper Day card runs this weekend at Rosehill Gardens on a likely Heavy (8) track with the actioned headlined by the two-year-olds doing battle in the Golden Slipper…

O’Shea hoping lightning can strike twice

NZRacingDesk

John O’Shea is hoping it will be a case of like father, like son when Lion’s Roar (NZ) (Contributer) chases a Group One, 2000 metre target on Golden Slipper day.  The three-year-old will bid to add Saturday’s Gr.1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) to his victory in the Randwick classic, six years after his sire Contributer – who O’Shea also trained – won the Gr.1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) over the same course and distance on the corresponding program.  “We can only hope,” O’Shea said.  “I’m happy with where we’re at. I wouldn’t change anything and the horse is in good order…

Probabeel to Sydney

NZRacingDesk

Triple Group One winner Probabeel (NZ) (Savabeel) has settled into her new environment in Sydney following her unplaced run in the A$5 million All-Star Mile (1600m) where her chances were dashed by an unsuitable wet track. The Jamie Richards-prepared four-year-old mare spent a couple of days in the paddock at Mornington before transferring to Randwick where she will build up towards another Group One target. Raced by Brendan and Jo Lindsay of Cambridge Stud, Probabeel is penciled in to trial at Randwick on April 8 in preparation for the Gr.1…

Pitman Magic on show at Riccarton

NZRacingDesk

Trainers Michael & Matthew Pitman are pleased with the condition of stakes winning mare All About Magic (NZ) (Showcasing) as she looks to land the spoils for the home team in the Gr.3 Valachi Downs South Island Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) at Riccarton on Saturday. While conceding rival Belle Fascino (NZ) (Per Incanto)will be hard to topple, Michael Pitman believes there are plenty of things in his charge’s favour. “Belle Fascino is the one to be beat, she is racing really well and has got the runs on the board,”…

Pike juvenile all class at New Plymouth

NZRacingDesk

The Tony Pike-trained Rangi Toa was an impressive debut winner of the Kasa Bloodstock 2YO (1100m) at New Plymouth on Friday, and has the makings of a horse with plenty of ability. The son of Shamexpress was sent out favourite on the back of an impressive trial victory at Rotorua but was caught deep throughout after drawing the outside barrier, yet still proved too good under rider Michael McNab.  “We didn’t really want to start from gate nine, but there weren’t many options coming up to kick his career off,”…

Calder in search of more Tauranga success

NZRacingDesk

South Auckland jockey Andrew Calder landed a winning double at Tauranga last Saturday and will be hoping for more of the same when he returns to the Bay of Plenty course tomorrow. The 38-year-old rider has gradually re-established relationships since returning from a seven-year stint in Macau in 2018 with wife Natasha and their young family, and will have six rides at Tauranga for five different trainers. “I have always been associated with one or two stables throughout my career. I am attached to a smaller stable now with Richard…

Colourful Pomare riding crest of a wave

NZRacingDesk

Trainer Bill Pomare won’t be the least bit surprised if his stable star Ocean Billy does the almost unthinkable and wins tomorrow’s Gr.2 Ultimate Mazda Japan Trophy (1600m). The last start Gr.1 Auckland Cup (3200m) winner lines up as topweight in the Tauranga feature with conventional wisdom having the free-running stayer only just starting to warm up at the business end of the contest but Pomare is having none of it.  “He is a very versatile horse and that Auckland Cup run didn’t really take that much out of him,”…