Month: July 2021

Daily Mail: Immunity chasing Bendigo boost

Editor BOAY

Trainer Jason Thompson had planned for classy sprinter Immunity to be in Queensland this week, lining up in last night’s G1 Brisbane Cup final alongside brother Equalizer, who won the race.  Watch But a minor setback kept Immunity (15 from 21) at home and she’ll be one of Friday’s headline runners when she contests the Vic Bred Grade 5 Final over 500m at Bendigo, drawing a close to the club’s Winter Carnival. Immunity has box four to contend with, along with key rivals Daph’s Ascend (2 from 4 Box 1)…

Consistent mare keeps good form rolling

NZHarnessNews

By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk A decision to send Rocknroll Mama north to Cambridge in May has proven to be a masterstroke by trainer Matt Purvis. In her seven subsequent starts she has placed on five occasions, including the Gr.1 4YO Diamond (1609m) last month, and won at Addington Raceway on Friday night. “She has really developed with the trip away,” Purvis said. “A lot of credit has to go to Mike Berger and Luke Whittaker, they really looked after her up there. “The Jewels was probably the best…

Northern Education Co-ordinator

NZHarnessNews

Exciting opportunity in the racing industry Auckland or Waikato based Permanent – part time role (25 hours per week) Harness Racing New Zealand exists to work with industry stakeholders to promote and regulate a thriving and positive harness racing industry in NZ. We require an enthusiastic person who can work remotely, to support and educate our trainees. The key objective of this position is to provide on and off job training for harness racing industry participants within the NZQA framework. We require a highly motivated and driven person with a…

Vincent Ho steels himself for Jerry Chau challenge

AAP

Vincent Ho hopes to repel Jerry Chau’s advance. Hong Kong’s most successful Group 1 jockey in 2020/21, Vincent Ho is determined to add further lustre to an outstanding season by finishing the term as leading homegrown rider as apprentice jockey Jerry Chau continues an audacious bid to claim the Tony Cruz Award. Leading Chau 58-56 in the race for the Tony Cruz Award – the trophy for the most wins in a season by a homegrown rider – Ho has a full book of 11 rides at the final Sha…

Falconer hoping to upset the apple cart

NZRacingDesk

Cambridge trainer Margaret Falconer is hoping to upset the apple cart when she lines-up Wordsworth (NZ) (Makfi) in the SVS Starting Gates Mile (1600m) at Te Rapa on Saturday. TAB bookmakers have installed promising three-year-old Bankers Choice as a $2.20 favourite for the opening race of the card, with last start winner Wordsworth the second favourite at $7. Wordsworth won first-up over 1400m in April but had put in three unplaced runs before winning over 1600m at Ellerslie last month, pleasing his trainer with his return to form. “We thought…

NZB Ready To Run Sale entries open

NZRacingDesk

Entries for the number one sale of its kind, New Zealand Bloodstock’s 2021 Ready to Run Sale of Two-Year-Olds are now open, with the Sale taking place at the Karaka Sales Centre on 17 and 18 November.  Breeze Ups will be held on 11 and 12 October at Te Rapa racecourse. Known as the leading horses in training sale globally, NZB’s Ready to Run Sale has built a reputation for integrity and success making it the preferred auction for buyers to secure Australasia’s top level juveniles.  In six seasons, NZB’s…

Invisible Spirit to further enhance Otaki trainers’ impressive season

NZRacingDesk

Three-year-old Invisible Spirit looks well placed heading into Saturday’s J&J Walter Ltd 3YO (1550m) at Awapuni on Saturday, with trainers Johno Benner & Hollie Wynyard confident the gelding has taken good improvement from his fresh-up performance at the Palmerston North track last month.  The son of Charm Spirit, who was fifth in the Gr.1 Levin Classic (1600m) won by then stablemate Bonham, resumed from a spell with a second placing to older mare Eagle County over 1200m on a Heavy 11 track.  With the Awapuni track an improving Heavy10, Benner…

Powerful backing for Not Usual Glorious

NZRacingDesk

After three wins on trot since arriving in Australia, Not Usual Glorious will not only carry the heaviest weight of his racing career this weekend, but the weight of expectation from the ‘Free Money Saturdays’ syndicate. Made up by current and former Port Adelaide Power players Tom Rockliff, John Butcher, Ollie Wines, Darcy Byrne Jones and Tom Clurey, Free Money Saturdays is hoping this horse is the one which finally lifts them from the ownership feed bin. “We’d be coming up four years that we’ve been in, and we haven’t…

Parkes excited for raceday return

NZRacingDesk

Star Central Districts jockey Johnathan Parkes is happy to be back. The 32-year-old Wanganui rider had been off the scene since he broke his collarbone when his mount Cutting Up Rough was brought down at Te Rapa on May 8. Parkes took four rides at Waverley on Friday and has three rides at Awapuni on Saturday. “I’ve just taken a few heavier rides but I was just wanting to get back out there and build fitness for next season,” Parkes said. “I rode at the trials on Tuesday and my…

Banker presents itself early at Te Rapa

NZRacingDesk

Plenty of punters will be looking to race one at Te Rapa on Saturday for their banker of the day. Trainer Stephen Marsh will line-up in-form gelding Bankers Choice in the SVS Starting Gates Mile (1600m), with the son of Mongolian Khan vying for his third successive win. “I think he will be the banker for them (punters) and I hope he does reward them and get the punters off to a good start,” Marsh said. “He is going really well, I can’t fault him at all.” While Marsh believes…