New Zealand-bred horses took out the two feature races at Sha Tin on Monday. Mighty Giant (NZ) (Power) scored an all-the-way victory in the Gr.2 Chairman’s Trophy (1600m) to land the HK$4.5 million contest under a daring front-running ride by jockey Neil Callan. The Power gelding rolled to the front at the 1100m mark and from there the five-year-old was never headed on his way to a gritty half-length success. “At the corner, I just took a little tug on him and I knew he was going to give me…
Month: April 2021
Burn Time ‘rockets’ into Sydney
Pearcedale owner/trainers Keith and Lisa Hellmuth are optimistic their feature race affinity with NSW will continue when barnstorming heat winner Burn Time lines up in the Group 1 Association Cup (720m) this Saturday night. The Hellmuths celebrated their first Group 1 victory when underrated sprinter Peter Rocket, the sire of Burn Time, won the Dapto Megastar in 2013 and then in 2019 they won the Group 1 Peter Mosman Opal at Wentworth Park with Start A Riot. Their other Group 1 celebration came via Rockoon, another son of Peter Rocket,…
Searching for Answers
Few greyhounds have posted the sort of times Earn The Answers has on both Melbourne tracks at such a young age. By the time he was 23 months old, Lyn Smith’s speedster had notched electrifying PBs at both The Meadows (29.62sec) and Sandown Park (29.26sec). Still only 25 months, Earn The Answers is winless in his past six starts, the result of racing in elite company for much of his career. However, tonight at Warragul he appears to have his chance to turn the tables. That is unless the likes…
Easter maiden victories for sisters
A pair of sisters recorded their respective maiden wins on Easter Monday, but at opposite ends of the country. The Jamie Richards-trained Charmaine’s Dream (NZ) (Charm Spirit) was the first sister on the board, winning over 1200m at Tauranga. Two hours later her year older full-sister, Sacred Kitty (NZ) (Charm Spirit), cleared maiden ranks with a half-head victory over 1200m at Riverton for owner-trainer Kalai Selvan. The pair were bred by a partnership including Windsor Park Stud, who stand their shuttle stallion sire Charm Spirit. They are out of Scattercat,…
NZB weanling catalogue online
The catalogue for New Zealand Bloodstock’s 2021 National Weanling Sale, due to take place at Karaka on Friday 14 May, is now online. The dedicated weanling only session, to be hosted as a physical sale at the Karaka Sales Centre, features a 114-lot catalogue. Showcasing high quality weanlings by more than 40 sires, including the first opportunity to secure progeny by eight freshmen Australasian stallions such as Ace High, Embellish, Eminent, and U S Navy Flag. NZB’s weanling graduates have recorded eight Group One wins and 59 stakes wins in…
Top mares retired, stud beckons
Group Two winning Savabeel mare Yearn (NZ) has been retired and is likely to be sold as a broodmare prospect in the coming months. Prepared by Karen Fursdon for the majority of her career, Yearn’s biggest win came when landing the Gr.2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) in late 2019, while she also boasts a Group One placing in the Thorndon Mile (1600m) and multiple Group Two placings. Part-owner Mark Lupton, who trained Yearn in the early part of her career, said the next phase of life beckoned the seven-time…
Sydney sojourn for Bosson
Star filly Amarelinha (NZ) (Savabeel) has given champion jockey Opie Bosson just the confidence boost he was looking for ahead of a trip to Sydney to partner her in Saturday week’s A$1 million Gr.1 Australian Oaks (2400m) at Randwick. Bosson rode Amarelinha in a 1200m open trial at Ellerslie on Tuesday and was delighted with the Savabeel filly’s effort as she ran out an easy winner. Amarelinha missed away but Bosson was keen to make sure she had a strong hit-out and looped the field, hitting the front soon after…
Cambridge trainers chasing Doncaster-Derby double
Cambridge trainers Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman will get two chances at Group One glory at Randwick on Saturday on the opening day of The Championships. The Frontman (NZ) (Makfi) will contest the A$2 million Gr.1 Australian Derby (2400m), while Aegon (NZ) (Sacred Falls) will be looking to regain winning form in the A$3 million Gr.1 Doncaster Mile (1600m). Undefeated in four starts in New Zealand, Group One winner Aegon was an impressive winner of the Gr.2 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at his first start across the Tasman, however, his winning…
Potential wet conditions a concern for exciting mare
What initially proved to be a massive headache for Robbie Patterson has proven to be one of the highlights of his training career. Exciting mare Coventina Bay (NZ) (Shamexpress) came into the Taranaki conditioner’s care with a few quirky traits, but she has matured with time and is now giving him the ride of his life. Not meeting her $20,000 reserve at New Zealand Bloodstock’s 2017 Select Yearling Sale, Coventina Bay found her way down to Patterson’s grazing block in Taranaki and he decided to take a chance on the…
Anthony Butt gets more Group glory
The Anthony Butt juggernaut continues to rise. Butt and fiancé Sonya Smith further underlined the remarkable success of their move to Victoria last October with feature wins in two different states yesterday (Sunday). Stable star Wolf Stride snared his third Group 1 win – and this second this campaign – when he did all the work and dug deep for a mighty win in the inaugural $100,000 Riverina 4&5YO Championship at Wagga. A little earlier, former Victoria and NSW placegetter Perfect Stride scored his most important open-class win when he…