Apprentice Tommy Sherry has celebrated his most significant win with a well-judged ride aboard New Zealand-bred mare Expat (NZ) (Makfi) in the Gr.2 Millie Fox Stakes (1300m) for his boss Mark Newnham. The Makfi mare had to do some work early to get to the front but she relaxed beautifully once there and was able to lift when challenged late by Per Incanto mare Belluci Babe (NZ) to post her eighth win from 13 starts. A previous Group Three winner, it was both horse and rider’s first win at Group…
Month: February 2022
Hometown glory for McKay and Palmetto
Local trainer Sally McKay got the win she has long desired when progressive three-year-old Palmetto (NZ) (Ghibellines) proved to good for his rivals as he strode clear to take out the Listed ILT Ascot Park Hotel Southland Guineas (1600m) at Invercargill. McKay, who prepares a small team from her Ascot Park base had made it clear in the build-up to the feature race at the Invercargill meeting that this was the race she had always wanted to win and had the belief that the leggy son of Ghibellines was just…
Strong Flemington win for unbeaten Yonce
Kiwi import Yonce (NZ) (Proisir) has kept her unblemished record intact with a last-to-first victory over 1600m in the Vale Jack Styring Trophy at Flemington on Saturday. The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained daughter of Proisir has now won all four of her starts since being privately purchased off a trial placing in New Zealand. The four-year-old mare settled towards the rear of the field under John Allen and made a long sustained run to defeat her rivals, with three-quarters of a length to spare from runner-up Groovy Kinda Love…
Pinarello stakes late Derby claim
Just as pundits were set to talk of the Gr.1 Vodafone New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie on March 5 as a one-horse race following La Crique’s (NZ) (Vadamos) dominant victory in the Gr.2 AJC Avondale Guineas (2100m), late-bloomer Pinarello (NZ) (Tavistock) added another layer to the million dollar feature. The well-bred son of Tavistock landed a Rating 65 event, the Ecochill 2100 in impressive fashion and despite a stop-start four-race preparation for Roger James and Robert Wellwood, has a sense of timing heading into the blue-riband event. Having missed…
Hobartville Stakes Winner 2022: Anamoe Narrowly Denies Hilal
Anamoe returned to winning form with the famous Royal Blue silks of Godolphin flashing across the line first in a tight finish to the Group 2 $400,000 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill Gardens. Anamoe is onto the Group 1 Randwick Guineas after a close win for the punters in the 2022 Hobartville Stakes at Rosehill. Photo: Steve Hart. After a first-up third in the Expressway, James Cummings’ Caulfield Guineas hero and narrow Cox Plate runner-up from the spring saluted for the punters in his second run of the autumn. Hugh…
2022 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes Results: Home Affairs Upsets Nature Strip
Chris Waller’s returning three-year-old Home Affairs was strong against a field of older starts first-up at weight-for-age with an upset victory over his star stablemate Nature Strip who missed the kick in the Group 1 $1 million Black Caviar Lightning (1000m). Home Affairs (inside) beat home Nature Strip in an all-Waller 2022 Black Caviar Lightning quinella. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos. Winner of the $15 million The Everest last spring, seven-year-old Nature Strip was the horse to beat in the Black Caviar Lightning after his victory in the same autumn campaign…
Pinstriped flies late to claim C.S. Hayes Stakes
Pinstriped ridden by Michael Dee wins the CS Hayes Stakes at Flemington Racecourse on February 19, 2022 in Flemington, Australia. (Jay Town/Racing Photos) The Enver Jusufovic-trained Pinstriped has made it a hat-trick of wins to claim the Group 3 C.S. Hayes Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on Saturday. The unbeaten gelding started favourite for the event after pre-race favourite Lightsaber was scratched at the barriers. This came after the Peter Moody-trained Lightsaber missed the start badly in last week’s Group 1 C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield. Jockey Michael Dee had…
Home Affairs edges out Nature Strip in Lightning Stakes classic
Home Affairs (inside) ridden by James McDonald wins the Black Caviar Lightning at Flemington Racecourse on February 19, 2022 in Flemington, Australia. (Pat Scala/Racing Photos) The Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes was built up to be one of the best sprint races of the year and the race lived up to all expectations with Home Affairs edging out Nature Strip in a dramatic affair. James McDonald’s decision to take the ride on Home Affairs rather than resume is amazing relationship with Nature Strip was vindicated, with the Coolmore Stud…
La Crique stamps Derby credentials with Avondale Guineas victory
If there were any doubts about exciting three-year-old filly La Crique’s (NZ) (Vadamos) claims as a contender for top honours in next month’s Gr.1 Vodafone New Zealand Derby (2400m), they were well and truly quelled as she decimated her rivals when winning the Gr.2 AJC Avondale Guineas (2100m) at Ellerslie on Saturday. The Simon and Katrina Alexander-trained daughter of Rich Hill Stud stallion Vadamos was coming into the race off the back of a stunning four-length victory in the Gr.3 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) at Trentham and was sent out…
Hinepara upsets in Avondale Cup
Ashvin Goindasamy loves upsetting in big races at Ellerslie and he did it again on Saturday when guiding Levin visitor Hinepara (NZ) (Darci Brahma) to victory in the Gr.2 Wallen Concreting Avondale Cup (2400m). Goindasamy had registered his biggest career win aboard Tiptronic in the Gr.1 Zabeel Classic (2000m) at the venue on Boxing Day and added a Group Two victory to his resume’ on the Josh Shaw-trained Darci Brahma mare. Betting in the race was dominated by Gr.2 Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup (3200m) contenders Concert Hall (NZ) (Savabeel)…