Electric Belle heading to Sandown

Electric Belle (NZ) (Power) will be out to get back into winning form on Saturday when she lines up at Sandown. The Alexander Rae-trained three-year-old caused an upset when she made her previous visit to the track on May 1 two starts ago, incredibly swooping from last to score by a length as a $41 chance. The New Zealand-bred daughter of Power then wasn’t on her best behaviour at her next start, racing too keenly when eighth behind Standoff in a three-year-old fillies handicap (1400m) at Flemington on May 22.…

Tofane on song ahead of Stradbroke

Michael Moroney believes Tofane (NZ) (Ocean Park) is back to her best and he is hoping she can show that in the Gr.1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday. The daughter of Ocean Park ran back into form when runner-up the Gr.3 BRC Sprint (1350m) at Doomben last month, with 60kg on her back, and Moroney said she has worked well since then. “I think she has trained on to her best,” he told SENTrack. “Our foreman, Olivia Miller, who was with her in Sydney when she won…

Racing Integrity Board members announced

The new Racing Integrity Board will be up and running from July 1 to ensure high standards of animal welfare, integrity and professionalism in the racing industry. Racing Minister Grant Robertson today announced the appointments to the new Board: ·         Sir Bruce Robertson KNZM – Chair ·         Kristy McDonald ONZM QC ·         Penelope Mudford ONZM ·         Dr Patricia Pearce ·         Brent Williams. “Our racing industry relies on the highest standards of ethics and animal welfare in all three racing codes,” Robertson said. “This requires constant vigilance, which is why the new Racing Integrity Board is…

The Watchdog goes for the Dr!

Form analyst The Watchdog has cast an expert eye over the stellar field to contest the inaugural running of The Horizon and believes it will be a local celebration in Sale GRC’s exciting new feature on Sunday evening at 6.59pm. All-conquering provincial superstar Ferdinand Boy (box 2) is $1.85 favourite with TAB to add the Horizon to a resume that already includes the G2 Ballarat Cup, G2 Shepparton Cup, Shepparton Classic and Warrnambool Derby. Click HERE  for TAB’s Horizon market Ferdinand Boy, trained by Lara mentor David Geall, produced the…

DM: Winter warms up

It’s an early start to the day at Ballarat as the rich Pink Diamond Maiden series continues featuring a number of impeccably bred youngsters. Feature racing then moves to Cranbourne this evening with four high quality heats of the Winter Cup (520m) highlighted by Kuro Kismet’s clash with Immunity. The first two placegetters in each heat will qualify for next Saturday’s $20,000 to-the-winner final.  READ MORE At The Meadows, superstar Christo Bale will be aiming for five straight in tonight’s $21,000 Gr8 Eight (525m), but he’ll need to overcome a…

Johnny thinks jumping caper is Arite

Auckland horseman Johnny Williams has been nothing if not patient with Arite Guru (NZ) (Gallant Guru), who he variously describes as “grumpy” and “cheeky”. It’s not often a horse earns his biggest cheque at its 90th start, but that’s what Arite Guru achieved at Ellerslie on Monday, racing home to a nine-length victory for jockey Hamish McNeill in the KS Browne Hurdle (3350m), a prestige jumping race. For breeder and part-owner Williams, the victory was a culmination of an association with the gelding’s family for more than 20 years. “I…

Promising filly to step up at Te Rapa

Promising filly Tevere (NZ) (Contributer) will step-up to 1400m for the first time at Te Rapa this weekend. The daughter of Contributer has pleased in her previous two starts over 1200m, culminating in a last start win at Te Rapa last month, and her connections believe she will appreciate the step up in distance on Saturday. Pam Gerard, who trains Tevere in partnership with Michael Moroney, has been impressed with the three-year-old from the outset and was pleased she was able to break maiden ranks at the second time of…

Novara Park announce service fees

Off the back of a strong season on the track in Australasia, Novara Park stallion Sweynesse’s service fee will rise to $9,000+GST for the forthcoming breeding season. Sweynesse was New Zealand’s leading first season sire on stakes-winners, winners, and earnings for the 2019-2020 season, and his progeny have continued to excel at the top level. In New Zealand, Brix provided Sweynesse with another two-year-old stakes-winner when taking out the Listed Fasttrack Insurance Stakes (1100m), and Group performer Explosively was the subject of multiple offers before being sold to Hong Kong, while Dragon Queen also…

Kouta has the Kama

Every trainer remembers the first winner, and Ibrahim ‘Kouta’ Kama has managed this feat in only his first few months with that title. It’s a promising start for Kouta, on his first start with his most recent charge, Go Twenty Two (Cosmic Rumble – Laura Allen), but he told SEN Track’s Thrill of the Chase the 425m win at Bendigo on May 15 wasn’t without a healthy dose of nerves. “Walking to the boxes I started shivering a bit, but after I put him in the box I just thought…

Christo Bale’s drive for five

Six-time Group 1 finalist Christo Bale is poised to continue his brilliant return from injury and trainer Mark Delbridge’s fantastic recent run when he takes aim at a fifth straight victory on Saturday night at The Meadows. Delbridge and wife Lisa have enjoyed a fortnight to remember, with the ‘other’ star of their Balliang kennel, Zipping Rambo, winning the G1 Sandown Cup (715m), followed by the G3 Racecallers Speed Star series (595m) on Wednesday. It will be Christo Bale’s turn to take centre stage in the GR8 Eight Special Event…