Month: April 2021

Awapuni has been the happiest of hunting grounds for Beauden (NZ) (Bullbars), who returned to his favourite track on Saturday for a career-best victory in the Gr.2 City of Palmerston North Awapuni Gold Cup (2000m). It was the 11th win of a 36-start career for the Bullbars gelding, who has been near-unbeatable at Awapuni – eight of his victories have come from only 10 appearances at the Palmerston North track, including the last two editions of the Listed Marton Cup (2200m). Saturday’s win was the best of the lot. Up…

Andrew Bensley talks with Awapuni trainer Mark Oulaghan after Shadows Cast won the Listed Bramco Granite & Marble Flying Stakes on his home track on Saturday.

Jamie Richards and Te Akau Racing’s total dominance of New Zealand two-year-old racing rolled on with a richly deserved Group One triumph for On the Bubbles (Brazen Beau) in Saturday’s Courtesy Ford Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m). The Awapuni feature was the 21st juvenile win of the season for Richards and the Te Akau team, with seven of those coming at black-type level. They have now won the Sires’ Produce Stakes four times in a row, with On the Bubbles following in the footsteps of Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands), Avantage…

Venerable eight-year-old Shadows Cast (NZ) (Per Incanto) turned back the clock as he gave his rivals weight and a beating when taking out the Listed Bramco Granite & Marble Flying Stakes (1400m) at Awapuni. The Mark Oulaghan-trained gelding has been a consistent performer at the highest level over the past five years, having collected eleven career victories prior to Saturday including the Gr.2 Coupland’s Bakeries Mile (1600m), the Gr.2 Manawatu Challenge Stakes (1400m) and the Gr.1 Thorndon Mile (1600m). Despite finishing a tidy fourth behind Avantage (Fastnet Rock) at Group…

A thrilling four-way finish to Saturday’s Gr.3 Higgins Concrete Manawatu Classic (2000m) at Awapuni was settled in favour of Cambridge filly Joy Alone (NZ) (Roc de Cambes), courtesy of a powerful staying performance. The Roc De Cambes three-year-old looked a forlorn hope with 600m to run, with rider Wiremu Pinn taking her wide to make a searching run around the field as the leaders began to wilt on the tricky Slow8 surface. Just as Pinn was winding his mount up for a final charge in the home straight, stablemate Daqiansweet…