Year: 2021

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Five-year-old mare Charmmebaby (NZ) came from last to land the Listed Brisbane Handicap (1640m) at Doomben on Friday evening to become the 12th individual stakes winner for her sire Charm Spirit. Ridden by Taylor Marshall, the Kiwi-bred mare finished a quarter of a length ahead of the runner-up Niccanova (Nicconi) with Kubrick (Shooting To Win) two lengths behind the winner in third. After being moderately into stride, Charmmebaby was detached from the remainder of the field early in the piece but gathered momentum early in the home straight and powered…

Kiwi import Lightning Jack (NZ) (Per Incanto) made an immediate impression when winning the Catanach’s Handicap (1600m) at Randwick in his first start for trainer Annabel Neasham, 12 days after arriving in Sydney. A dual stakes winner in New Zealand for Riverton trainers Kelvin and Aimee Tyler, the five-year-old son of Per Incanto was sent across the Tasman in a bid to bank some lucrative prizemoney. Raced by Allan and Marie Tyler, Lightning Jack was sent out a $21 outsider and the gelding travelled sweetly throughout under three-kilo claiming apprentice…

Consistent mare East Asia (NZ) (Swiss Ace) landed the most important win of her career when getting up late to score in the Listed Just Now Handicap (1300m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday for trainer Robert Heathcote. The five-year-old daughter of Swiss Ace was on the quick back-up having finished a close-up eighth in the Listed Tatts Classic (1200m) a week prior and came from well back to score in the final bound under Ron Stewart. “The black-type is the most important thing I said to the owner,” Heathcote said…

Belle En Rouge (NZ) (Burgundy) bucked recent history when she headed to Awapuni and capped a consistent spring with a deserved victory in Saturday’s Gr.3 LawnMaster Eulogy Stakes (1600m). The Burgundy filly been a black-type placegetter in both of her last two starts, including a close third in last month’s Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m). On Saturday she became the first filly in almost a decade to win the Eulogy after contesting the Riccarton classic. The last to achieve that feat was Soriano (NZ) (Savabeel) in 2012, who had…

Cambridge trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood capped an already stellar day at Te Rapa on Saturday when Two Illicit (NZ) (Jimmy Choux) strode clear of her rivals to claim the Gr.1 Rydges Wellington Captain Cook Stakes (1600m), the first elite-level success of her career. The Cambridge conditioners had earlier secured a stakes double with Concert Hall (NZ) (Savabeel) in the Gr.2 Cal Isuzu Stakes (1600m), closely followed by Cheaperthandivorce (NZ) (Savabeel) taking out the Gr.3 SKYCITY Hamilton Waikato Cup (2400m). Carrying the familiar Trelawney Stud colours of the Taylor…

Four-year-old Savabeel gelding Mightybeel (NZ) has enjoyed a fruitful campaign that has netted four wins from seven starts, including Saturday’s Listed Christmas Cup (2400m) at Randwick. Sporting the colours of Kiwi syndicators Go Racing, Mightybeel is yet another New Zealand-bred stayer that has benefited from the patient handling of champion trainer Chris Waller. The progressive stayer was ridden perfectly by Hugh Bowman, who bided his time before pouncing on race favourite Herman Hesse (Frankel) inside the final furlong, to score a comfortable 1¼ length victory, with the pair a further…

Something about the start of summer brings the very best out of Concert Hall (NZ) (Savabeel), who broke an 11-month win drought with a superb victory in Saturday’s Gr.2 Cal Isuzu Stakes (1600m) at Te Rapa. The $110,000 fillies and mares’ showpiece was the 10th win of a 29-start career for the high-class daughter of Savabeel, and it was the third time she has won a Group race in the month of December – following on from her victories in the Gr.3 Manawatu Cup (2300m) in 2019 and the Gr.1…

Ever consistent sprinter Packing Rockstar (Fastnet Rock) displayed all his fighting qualities when he downed a high-quality field of sprinters in the Gr.3 J Swap Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa. Despite carrying the topweight of 60kgs, the six-year-old son of Fastnet Rock dictated affairs at the head of the field for rider Leith Innes and looked to be full of running turning for home. Maintaining a strong gallop, the Lauren Brennan-trained galloper refused to yield as he defeated Providenceprovides (Real Impact) and Dragon Leap (Pierro) to register his sixth career…