Month: May 2021

Another Kiwi duo will go down in racing folklore after their herculean battle at Warrnambool on Thursday. In Bonecrusher versus Our Waverley Star fashion, New Zealand-bred jumpers Zed Em (NZ) (Zed) and Gold Medals (NZ) (Elvstroem) went toe-to-toe from the 600m in the Grand Annual Steeplechase (5500m) and left their younger rivals in their wake. The evergreen gallopers were inseparable going over the last fence, but Gold Medals was able to eke out a length lead on the flat, which he was able to maintain despite the rallying efforts of…

Kiwi stayer Platinum Invador (NZ) (Redwood) has plenty of lucrative targets in Queensland in the coming months after a strong performance to be beaten just over a length into second when lumping 61kg topweight over 1815m at Eagle Farm last Saturday. It was the five-year-old gelding’s first run for local horseman Barry Lockwood, having transferred from Lisa Latta’s yard after finishing fourth in the Gr.1 Auckland Cup (3200m). The son of Redwood will contest the Gr.3 JRA Chairman’s Trophy (2000m) on May 15 at Doomben and the Gr.3 Premier’s Cup…

Promising three-year-old Tony Be (More Than Ready) will continue his racing career in Australia. The son of More Than Ready won two of his 10 races in New Zealand for former trainer Steven Cole, and put in solid performances when running fifth in the Gr.3 Manawatu Classic (2000m) and Gr.2 Championship Stakes (2100m) in his last two starts. “He showed plenty of ability and in all fairness I think he probably should have won one of those races,” Cole said. “He is heading over to Australia after he has a…

New South Wales trainer John O’Shea has had mixed fortunes in the barrier draw for Saturday’s A$500,000 The Coast 3 & 4YO Quality (1600m) at Gosford. O’Shea lines up two New Zealand-bred daughters of Sacred Falls, with All Saints’ Eve faring better than full sister All Hallows’ Eve when allocated gate one in the 13-horse field. “We are very happy with All Saints’ Eve, she has drawn one so is obviously going to map very well,” O’Shea said. “Sam (Clipperton, jockey) will have to be a little positive to hold…

The catalogue for New Zealand Bloodstock’s 2021 National Weanling Sale at Karaka features progeny by an outstanding range of stallions, including rising stars whose early sons and daughters are set to shine in the coming seasons, superior performers with limited chances remaining to access their progeny, and everything in between. Proven Sires Contributer (IRE) A multiple Group One-winning son of High Chaparral, Contributer stands at Mapperley Stud for a 2021 service fee of $22,000 – more than double his $10,000 service fee last spring.  From just 41 runners, Contributer has so far had…

Terri Rae will do her best to transform a couple of North Island imports into stakes winners at Riccarton on Saturday. The Riccarton trainer will produce Scarfi (NZ) (Makfi) and She’s A Lady (NZ) (Swiss Ace) in the Listed Daphne Bannon Memorial Great Easter Handicap (1400m), both bringing strong leadup form. Scarfi resumed with a luckless second to Khimar War (NZ) (Sweet Orange), a race rival again on Saturday, at Riccarton last month, while She’s A Lady made a successful South Island debut in Rating 74 company at Wingatui last…

One of the most exciting weeks of jumps racing is coming to a close at Warrnambool, but things are only just starting to ramp up on the New Zealand jumps scene. Te Rapa will play host to their first jumps meeting of the year on Saturday and local trainer Mark Brooks is looking forward to lining up a couple of horses he has big aspirations with this season. Promising jumper El Disparo (NZ) (El Hermano) will take on a small but select field in the Ken & Roger Browne Memorial…

Wet track conditions hold the biggest concern for trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott ahead of Force Of Will’s (NZ) (Power) tilt at the Listed Gold Coast Bracelet (1800m) at the Gold Coast on Saturday. The sunshine state has been under a rain cloud this week, but is starting to fine up, and O’Sullivan is hoping for some improvement in the track, which was rated a Heavy9 on Thursday. “Her biggest problem is that we want some pretty good ground for her and they have had a lot of rain…