Year: 2021

John Size is optimistic Courier Wonder can banish memories of luckless first-up defeat with a strong performance against accomplished, older rivals in the G2 BOCHK Private Banking Jockey Club Sprint (1200m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (21 November). Courier Wonder struggled for clear running in the straight when a three and a quarter length fifth to Lucky Patch when resuming in the G2 Premier Bowl Handicap (1200m) at Sha Tin on 17 October. Unbeaten in five starts last season to secure acclaim as Hong Kong’s Most Improved Horse, while rising from…

The Simon Miller-trained Angelic Miss (NZ) (Savabeel) landed her first black-type success when closing well to win the Listed Jungle Mist Classic (1200m) at Ascot in Perth on Saturday. The five-year-old mare by Savabeel relished the hot tempo, sitting worse than midfield under jockey Chris Parnham before pouncing late as the leaders compounded to win by just over a length.  The victory was a satisfying one for Miller, who had sent out the runner-up in three stakes races earlier on the card but always maintained Angelic Miss was the best…

The combination of trainers Grant and Alana Williams, jockey William Pike and leviathan owners Bob and Sandra Peters were to the fore again in this year’s Gr.1 Railway Stakes (1600m) when Western Empire became the fourth successive winner of the famed Perth race for the unstoppable partnership. The classy New Zealand bred four-year-old stalked the speed and enjoyed a trouble-free passage under Pike and blew his rivals away when asked for an effort, cruising to the line a four-length winner from Comfort Me, with Kissonallforcheeks third. The arrogance of the…

Five-year-old mare Zayydani has been one of the flagbearers for the training talents of Ben and JD Hayes, and the daughter of Savabeel continued her winning ways when a gritty winner of the A$500,000 Listed Ballarat Cup (2000m) on Saturday. The Hayes brothers, who are forging a career in their own right after their father David relocated to Hong Kong and former training partner Tom Dabernig went solo, have a soft spot for the mare, who was the first winner for the partnership and also the first stakes winner. Having…

Andrew Bensley speaks with Opie Bosson about his stakes race double at Te Rapa

Another magical ride by Opie Bosson saw gritty mare Showoroses secure her third career stakes victory when she held out all challengers to win the Gr.2 Dunstan Feeds Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) at Te Rapa. The Joanne Surgenor-trained five-year-old had enjoyed a purple patch of form at this time of the season last year, finishing second in the 2020 edition of the race before going on to win the Gr.2 Cal Isuzu Stakes (1600m) and Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m) at her next two starts. A handy run in…

Local trainer David Greene experienced a wonderful moment at Te Rapa on Saturday when he provided the quinella in the Gr.3 Franklin Auctions Counties Cup (2100m). Greene went into the race confident that he had two strong chances and so it proved as his former Gr.3 Waikato Cup (2400m) winner Justamaiz held out stablemate Judy’s Song and race favourite Cheaperthandivorce to capture his second stakes victory. Seven-year-old Guillotine gelding Justamaiz had looked a forlorn chance when he was well back in the early running for rider Michael McNab, an unusual…