Month: May 2021

It was a case of pure elation for Dr Chris Phillips at Eagle Farm on Saturday as the respected equine veterinarian watched on as three-year-old Kukeracha, a horse he bred, triumphed in the Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m). The Englishman, who is the veterinarian at Waikato Stud, was ecstatic as the Chris Waller-trained son of Night Of Thunder nosed out stablemate Senor Toba in a epic finish. Phillips purchased Kukeracha’s dam Portrait Of A Lady in foal to Night Of Thunder and sold him at Karaka through Waikato Stud’s draft as…

Albury trainer Mitch Beer was unable to be on hand at Randwick on Saturday to see his Kiwi import Swagger (NZ) (Postponed) land the TAB Highway (1400m), but he had more than able deputies to fill the void. Sister Ash stepped into the hands-on breach, while Beer’s cousin Jordan Mallyon was in the saddle to provide the five-year-old with a perfect ride. Ash Beer was quick to report in to her brother, who watched the narrow victory from his Albury base, unable to venture from the New South Wales town…

Riot And Rose (NZ) (Pins) has extended his undefeated sequence to three with a comfortable victory at Caulfield.  Success in Saturday’s Neds Toolbox Handicap (1600m) followed victories at Moe and on the synthetic surface at Pakenham.  Sent out the $2.60 favourite under Damien Oliver, Riot And Rose defeated Rathlin by 2-¼ lengths with Zoutellus a short-half-head off in third place.  Trainer Peter Moody described the win as pleasing and predicts there is more to come from the unbeaten three-year-old, who transferred to the stable from New Zealand last year after winning a Te Rapa trial for Paul Pertab.…

The Chris Waller-trained Kukeracha (NZ) (Night Of Thunder) prevailed in a driving finish to the Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m) to down stablemate Senor Toba with triple Derby hero Explosive Jack finishing a game third.  Bred in New Zealand by Dr Chris Phillips, who is the resident vet at Waikato Stud, Kukeracha came from midfield under a well-timed James McDonald ride to land the spoils in the colours of proud Queenslander Neville Morgan.  The three-year-old son of Night Of Thunder has now won three of his 13 starts, with a further…

Andrew Bensley speaks with Carl Henderson after he produced Atullibigeal to win the Listed Mainland Auckland Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie.

Underrated winter galloper Collinstreet went one better than his trainer expected when he powered to a narrow but convincing victory over 1400m at Trentham. The Allan Sharrock-trained six-year-old thrives on heavy winter footing and got conditions to suit when the Trentham surface came up a Heavy10 for Saturday’s racemeeting. Sharrock felt he had his charge ready to go a good race but thought he might find fellow Taranaki galloper Rosewood too tough to beat over a distance short of his best. Rider Callum Jones and Collinstreet had other ideas as…

Promising galloper Dawn Parade showed he will be a force to be reckoned with next season when he downed a handy field of three-year-olds over 1400m at Ellerslie on Saturday. The Tony Pike-trained son of Dawn Approach has taken his time to get his head around the racing game but has now put together back-to-back victories that indicate he is starting to get the hang of it all. Ridden cold at the rear of the nine-horse field by in-form jockey Michael McNab, Dawn Parade was spotting pacemakers Bari and Illumination…

Strapping two-year-old Atullibigeal gained revenge on his last start conqueror when he strode clear in the closing stages to take out the Listed Mainland Auckland Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie. The Carl Henderson-trained son of Street Boss had been narrowly defeated by talented filly Lady Maroal when the pair clashed in the Listed Champagne Stakes (1600m) at the venue last month. On that occasion Atullibigeal had led and been run down by the Nigel Tiley-trained filly, but this time around the race tactics were turned upside down as both well…