Month: August 2021

Waikato Stud stallion Tivaci is on the board following the debut success in Australia this afternoon of his three-year-old son Celevacci (NZ). The youthful Tivaci had sired four previous placegetters from a handful of representatives before Celevacci, who had been a lead-up trial winner, was victorious at the first time of asking over 1400m at Belmont in Western Australia for part-owner and trainer Adam Durrant. “It’s really great news and I’ve been saying all along that Tivaci’s progeny will be typically like him, he won his first race as a…

It has been baby steps on the country circuit for trainer Cliff Brown since his return from Singapore. But on Saturday at Caulfield, Brown will unveil the best horse in his stable when The Inferno (Holy Roman Emperor) runs in the Listed Regal Roller Stakes (1200m). How the form from Singapore translates to Australia is something Brown is keen to learn, although he has noted previously former Singapore horses are a rung or two below their Australian counterparts. But The Inferno is a winner of eight of his nine starts…

Pakenham-based trainer Andrea Leek is keeping alive the dream of Heir To The Throne (NZ) (Pentire) following in the footsteps of his older brother Prince Of Penzance (NZ). Leek registered her first metropolitan success when Heir To The Throne took out the Ladbroke It! Handicap (2400m) at Sandown on Wednesday and disclosed post-race the stayer holds a nomination for the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington in November. Prince Of Penzance raced into history when he won the Cup in 2015 with Michelle Payne aboard, who became the first female…

Kiwi import Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) recorded his third win in four starts in Australia for the Lindsay Park team of Ben and JD Hayes when scoring at Sandown on Wednesday over 1600m. The four-year-old gelding was initially trained in New Zealand by Ralph Manning for whom he ran fifth in his sole New Zealand start before crossing the Tasman. The son of Bullbars was ridden by Craig Williams, who waited for the narrowest of gaps when the frontrunner rolled off the fence, and the progressive galloper, who has been…

Inspirational Girl (NZ) (Reliable Man) was dominant in her home state of Western Australia last spring and now owner Bob Peters is looking to plunder some Victorian spoils with the New Zealand-bred mare. The daughter of Reliable Man won five of her seven starts in her last preparation, including the Gr.1 Railway Stakes (1600m) and Gr.3 Asian Beau Stakes (1400m), and was runner-up in the Gr.1 Kingston Town Classic (1800m) last start. With a view to tackling the Victoria Spring Carnival, Peters has transferred Inspirational Girl to Danny O’Brien’s Barwon…

Cambridge trainer David Browne has arrived in Victoria ahead of a spring campaign with a trio of promising gallopers, but has had to wait a little longer than anticipated for the horseflesh to arrive from New Zealand. Browne, who trains in partnership with wife Emma-Lee, was expecting his stable stars to be in Melbourne on Wednesday morning, but with a postponed flight out of Auckland, he hopes to greet unbeaten five-year-old Elephant (NZ) (Shocking) and promising three-year-olds Bifrost (NZ) (Turn Me Loose) and Rhinoceros (NZ) (Vadamos) on Wednesday evening. “I…

Prominent jumps trainer Paul Nelson has had plenty of top-class hurdlers pass through his care over the years but he labelled The Cossack (NZ) (Mastercraftsman) as the best after his dominant win in the Hospitality New Zealand Canterbury 131st Grand National Hurdles (4200m) at Riccarton on Wednesday. His 12-1/2 length victory was his fourth prestige jumps race triumph, adding to victories in the Waikato Hurdle (3200m), Wellington Hurdle (3100m), and Great Northern Hurdle (4190m) at Ellerslie last year. “It’s incredible,” said Nelson, who trains in partnership with Corrina McDougal. “It…