Year: 2021

Bright Blue Sky steps out in 2YO trial at Rosehill

AAP

New Zealand filly Bright Blue Sky stepped out for the first time on an Australian racetrack on Tuesday morning in a 900m 2YO Fillies trial at Rosehill Gardens. The daughter of Fastnet Rock was a $600,000 purchase at the 2021 Gold Coast Magic Millions Yearling Sale by New Zealand’s David Ellis and Andrew Williams Bloodstock. Bright Blue Sky has only had one career start to date, claiming a dominant 2.3-length win at Te Rapa on November 20 over 1100m in the Listed Fasttrack Insurance 2YO Stakes. BRIGHT BLUE SKY is…

Odeon looks to pass $1m mark

NZRacingDesk

Odeon (NZ) (Zacinto) will start his 10th racing campaign in search of breaking the million-dollar barrier at Flemington on Saturday. The son of Zacinto has been a wonderful servant for Simon Zahra, who purchased Odeon for approximately $100,000 after failing to meet his NZ$120,000 reserve at the 2015 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale. The eight-year-old gelding has collected $951,035 in prizemoney for connections, winning seven races from 51 starts from 1400 to 2000 metres, with his two most recent victories at Listed level. “We’ll hopefully get him past…

Date set for Laurie Laxon Celebration of Life

NZRacingDesk

A date for family and friends to gather and celebrate the life of New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame trainer Laurie Laxon has been set for late February. The Melbourne Cup-winning trainer passed away in July, however, due to COVID lockdown restrictions there has been no opportunity to mark his passing appropriately. The venue for the commemoration at 3.30pm on February 24, the Sir Don Rowlands Centre overlooking the Waikato River at 601 Maungatautari Rd, Karapiro, could not be more fitting. Laxon’s career began from stables on the banks of…

Auckland to welcome back racing

NZRacingDesk

Auckland’s move to the government’s COVID-19 Orange traffic light setting means spectators can enjoy a big day out at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day. Auckland hasn’t held any racedays since the Delta lockdown began in August, save an Auckland-only meeting at Pukekohe in November. But the lifting of travel restrictions on December 15 means the course will host its usual Zabeel Classic raceday on Boxing Day, though the fact Auckland will remain under the Red setting until December 31 means spectator numbers will be extremely limited. But with the movement…

NZ return for Coventina Bay

NZRacingDesk

Taranaki mare Coventina Bay (NZ) (Shamexpress) will make her New Zealand return at Awapuni on Saturday where she will line-up in the Gr.2 Carters Manawatu Challenge Stakes (1400m). The daughter of Shamexpress had three unplaced runs in Queensland following her runner-up result behind Avantage in the Gr.1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) in April. She enjoyed a few months break lapping up the sun across the ditch following her Queensland sojourn before returning home, readying for a summer campaign. “She spent two months off at a place called Wishbone…

Ipswich racing tips & quaddie picks | Wednesday, December 15

AAP

What Ipswich Races Where Ipswich Turf Club – 219 Brisbane Road, Bundamba QLD 4304 When Wednesday, December 15, 2021 First Race 1:35pm AEST Watch Live Streaming Live at Sportsbet Metropolitan racing heads to Ipswich this Wednesday, and HorseBetting’s Queensland tipster brings you his best bets and quaddie numbers for the eight-race card. The track is rated a Soft 5 and the rail is out 8m for the entire course, which could play into on-pace runners’ hands. The first race of the day is set to jump at 1:35pm AEST. Ipswich…

True Collinda a Phoenix fairy tale

Editor BOAY

By her own admission, Steph Tyler was a “blubbering mess” the day she handed proudly homebred TAB Phoenix contender True Collinda over to champion trainer Jason Thompson. Young mother Steph, husband Sam and children Henry, 3 ½, and Davey, 10 months, could well be shedding tears of a different kind at The Meadows on Saturday night if True Collinda can win the inaugural Phoenix and its life-altering $750,000 winner’s purse. “The day I dropped True Collinda, along with Collinda Patty and Collinda Beast, at Jason’s place I was just sobbing,”…

‘Wow’ factor!

Editor BOAY

Highly respected Pearcedale trainer Kelvyn Greenough tired of the working ‘9 to 5’ syndrome with Australia Post (formerly PMG) in the mid-1980s. Life is a gamble and Greenough, a hobby greyhound trainer at the time, plunged head-first into professional ranks. It’s said, “the greatest risk to take is to take no risk at all”, and Greenough’s decision has delivered in spades. Yes, the ‘work hours’ are longer these days. But ‘what a way to make a living’! Greenough and his wife, Jacqueline, have been associated with myriad stars of the…

Invictus ‘Rising’ to Sale challenge

Editor BOAY

Garry Selkrig’s sensational recent run continued on Sunday night when versatile star Invictus Rising completed an impressive build-up to this weekend’s Group 1 Sale Cup heats in the Rotti Security Sale Distance Championship (650m). In completing a Sale 650m hat-trick in the $10,000 to-the-winner Sale Cup lead-up, Invictus Rising incredibly gave Devon Meadows-based Selkrig eight winners from his last nine starters. After a near-record 36.72sec heat victory, Jarick Bale (Box 1), trained by Mark Delbridge, was a dominant $1.60 favourite in the Distance decider, with Invictus Rising (Box 6), which…

Racing Queensland boosts prizemoney for 2022 Winter Carnival

AAP

Racing Queensland (RQ) has increased prizemoney for eight races over the Queensland Winter Carnival, meaning there are now seven $1 million events to be run and won each year in the Sunshine State. Increases to both the Group 1 Doomben Cup (2000m) and Group 1 Queensland Derby (2400m) will mean that there are five $1 million races during the Winter Carnival, with those two races joining the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m), Group 1 Doomben 10,000 (1200m) and The Q22 (2200m). While those two Group 1 races are boosted significantly…