One star female leaves Nathan Purdon’s barn and another keeps stepping-up. There is no replacing a champion like Amazing Dream, but Purdon still has two outstanding girls in Spellbound and Amore Vita. Both will be chasing Group 1 glory at Menangle next Saturday night. Spellbound goes to the $200,000 Group 1 Ladyship Mile and a clash with Stylish Memphis. Amore Vita looks as big a chance as any in the $200,000 Group 1 NSW Oaks after the heats were run last night. A few months ago Purdon touted the former…
Month: February 2022
Krug fifth in Chariots of Fire
By Adam Hamilton That was a Chariots Of Fire we won’t forget in a long time. Menangle is often criticised for boring, one-dimensional racing, but last night’s $250,000 Group 1 Chariots Of Fire was anything but. And it started from the first few strides. Emerging Victorian Bettor Call Me shocked a few when driver Sofia Arvidsson blasted him off the gate in a quest to get across Kiwi star Krug. Bettor Call Me eventually got there, but it took most of the first quarter when they ran in a head-spinning…
McIlwrick ready to rock Gore
By Jonny Turner Rory McIlwrick has the right book of drives to make an impact as harness racing returns to Gore on Sunday. McIlwrick combines with a strong line up of horses at the Gore Summer Cup meeting and may have to wait until the last of 11 races for the best of them. Peroni returned to racing after a freshen up with a powerful win at Ascot Park last week and looks a huge chance of going back-to-back in race 11. “Peroni certainly did a good job the other…
Wide gate no issue for Golden Sixty and Vincent Ho
Golden Sixty is out to rebound on Sunday. Vincent Ho has downplayed Golden Sixty’s outside draw as Blake Shinn plots the champion’s downfall aboard Russian Emperor in the HKD$12 million Group 1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (20 February). Stung by Golden Sixty’s first defeat in 17 starts when second to Waikuku in last month’s Group 1 Stewards’ Cup (1600m), Ho has no plans to dwell on the upset – nor the navigational challenges posed from barrier 10 in the short run to the…
Selections | Gore – Today
Racing journalist Jonny Turner’s selections for the Gore meeting today – Feb 20. Head to www.tab.co.nz to place your bet! Race Jonny TurnerRacing Journalist Race 112.00pm 1 The Jafa Exoress4 Viburnum5 Mahindi9 Tigers Watching Race 212.25pm 6 Streaming Live3 In The Groove10 Bacardi Pride1 The Power Broker Race 312.55pm 3 One Hopeful Dream11 Livy Desma2 Seventh Heaven9 Princess Popsicle Race 41.26pm 2 Donald Trot10 The Mighty Mondo1 Art Profile6 Ngaroma Race 51.51pm 6 Fast Whispering2 Miss Bamboocha5 Foreigner13 Danangus Fella Race 62.16pm 6 Lou’s Deal4 Arl Maguire1…
NZ Racing and Breeding News – 20 February 2022
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD NEWSLETTER
Dailly’s ‘Fab Four’ in Australian Cup
Andrea Dailly has dominated the Group 1 TAB Australian Cup in recent years and will have numbers on her side as she chases a remarkable sixth victory since 2010 in next weekend’s $300,000 to-the-winner Cup final at The Meadows. Eight ‘sudden death’ heats were conducted on Saturday night and Team Dailly will supply half the field for the final after incredibly training four winners; homebred quartet Lala Kiwi (29.61sec), Zippy Tesla (29.75sec), Daph’s Ascend (29.80sec) and Gypsy Bun (29.83sec). Lala Kiwi, runner-up in the G1 Melbourne Cup in November, produced…
Ruby’s a super staying ‘gem’
Staying queen Mepunga Ruby was ‘dazzling’ in tonight’s Group 1 TAB Fanta Bale Super Stayers heats (725m) at The Meadows. Trained at Anakie by Jeff Britton, Mepunga Ruby – now a five-time G1 finalist – ‘sparkled’ with a powerful 42.45sec (Best) win in Heat 4. Installed as TAB’s $3.50 ‘All In’ favourite prior to the heats, Mepunga Ruby – which has competed in six Group race finals at her past 13 starts – notched her 18th win from 31 races. And it was her fourth win from seven outings over…
Last race Bjorn does it again
Warwick Farm trainer Bjorn Baker has continued his uncanny knack of winning the last race in Sydney when War Eternal (NZ) (Pierro) proved too strong when winning the XXXX Handicap (1400m) at Rosehill on Saturday. The Pierro three-year-old has now won two of his eight starts, with a further two placings and has netted A$218,350 in prizemoney to date. Ridden by Jason Collett, War Eternal came off the back of favourite Dajraan and went straight past him to win by more than two lengths from Tamerlane, with Dajraan back in…
Mightybeel dominant in Parramatta Cup
Chris Waller-trained stayers were to the fore in the Listed Parramatta Cup (1900m) at Rosehill on Saturday with the master-trainer sending out six of the first eight, including the New Zealand-bred trifecta, but it was all about the winner Mightybeel (NZ) (Savabeel). The four-year-old Savabeel gelding had a little freshen-up after winning the Listed Christmas Cup (2400m) at Randwick in early December and is on-track to raise the bar further this preparation. Sporting the colours of Kiwi syndicators Go Racing, Mightybeel has benefited from patient handling and derived good improvement…