Month: April 2021

Ancestry set to rebound at Caulfield

AAP

Ancestry wins the Abell Stakes at Moonee Valley. (Pat Scala/Racing Photos) Trainer Phillip Stokes has learned from his mistake of backing up Ancestry and is expecting an improved effort from the sprinter at Caulfield. Ancestry is back to one of his favourite courses on Saturday, looking to add the Listed Bel Esprit Stakes (1100m) to his record. After a scintillating victory in the Listed Abell Stakes (1200m) at The Valley on March 13, Ancestry returned to the racetrack the following Saturday to contest the Listed Hareeba Stakes (1200m) at Mornington.…

Kah key in getting La Mexicana back to best

AAP

Jamie Kah returns to the mounting yard aboard La Mexicana after winning Kevin Hayes Stakes at Caulfield. (/Racing Photos) Sam Freedman is banking on Jamie Kah being back aboard La Mexicana proving pivotal to the chances of the filly at Caulfield. La Mexicana runs in the VOBIS Gold Dash (1100m) on Saturday, her first run following an unsuccessful trip to Sydney for the Group 1 Surround Stakes (1400m) at Randwick in February. After successive wins at Caulfield with Kah aboard, Tom Marquand had the ride in Sydney when La Mexicana…

Tonk’s “nasty” Perth Cup draw

Editor BOAY

It’s been said – and proven – on countless occasions that box draws are absolutely everything in big races. Nobody is more aware of that fact than young Anakie trainer Correy Grenfell, 27, who has his fingers crossed star sprinter Tiggerlong Tonk can overcome another nightmare draw in Saturday night’s Perth Cup final to break his Group 1 hoodoo. Tiggerlong Tonk is lining up in his 10th G1 event, having finished in the minor placings on five occasions, but his horror run of feature race alleys has continued, with the…

Superstar pacers set to make Rangiora Classic a cracker

NZHarnessNews

The Rangiora Harness Racing Club’s richest race of the season, the $30,000 Rangiora Classic, is set to be a cracker again this year with two superstar, millionaire pacers in hot form included in the field. Self Assured and Spankem quinellaed Addington’s big feature races, the New Zealand Trotting Cup and the Easter Cup, this season and the Hayden Cullen-trained stablemates will certainly be the ones to beat again in the Rangiora Classic this Sunday. The Group Three free-for-all mobile pace is the feature race at the meeting, starting at noon…

New chair of interim TAB NZ Board appointed

NZRacingDesk

Racing Minister Grant Robertson has announced he is appointing Elizabeth Dawson as the Chair of the interim TAB NZ Board.  Liz Dawson is an existing Board Director of the interim TAB NZ Board and Chair of the TAB NZ Board Selection Panel and will continue in her role as Chair of the selection panel to see through the recommendations to the Minister. The Interim Board is responsible for the governance of TAB New Zealand until the substantive Board of Directors of TAB NZ is appointed.   Dawson replaces Dean McKenzie, who…

Riddell excited to ride in Group One for great mate

NZRacingDesk

Jonathan Riddell would love nothing more than to ride a Group One winner for his great mate Ben Foote. He will get his chance in Saturday’s Fiber Fresh New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) at Te Rapa aboard the Foote-trained Travelling Light (NZ) (El Roca). Riddell and Foote were among the best jumps jockeys of their era nearly 20 years ago, diverging paths as Riddell focused his riding to flat racing and Foote turning to training and ready-to-run sales preparations. “Us old jumps jockeys hang out together. I’m living at…

McDonald ready for round two

NZRacingDesk

Leading Sydney jockey James McDonald can’t wait to hop back aboard Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed) and act out their revenge against Addeybb (Pivotal) in the Gr.1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on Saturday. The pair finished second to the European import in the Gr.1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) and Queen Elizabeth last year, and while Verry Elleegant was able to reverse the tables when winning the Ranvet Stakes last month, McDonald is keen to complete the set and even the scores this weekend. “Addeybb has beaten her twice, but I…

Phelan taking a step back from riding

NZRacingDesk

Heading across the Tasman to join his good mate Aaron Kuru to ride in Australia is very tempting for jumps jockey Shaun Phelan, but he has elected to stay in Cambridge and focus on building his training business. Phelan, who trains in partnership with his father Craig, will also take a step back from his riding commitments this year to concentrate on his burgeoning business. “I am going to keep that (riding) pretty quiet for the next couple of months,” he said. “We are really busy at the moment with…