Month: March 2022

Tarzino three-year-old Jungle Magnate was the promoted winner of the A$150,000 Mornington Guineas (1600m) on Saturday. The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained three-year-old, ridden by Damien Oliver, was second across the line, a short-head behind the Julius Sandhu-trained Sharp Response which was partnered by Beau Mertens. However, Stewards awarded the race to Jungle Magnate after the progressive stayer was accidently struck across the nose with the whip by Mertens as he was making his challenge 150m from home.  Damien Oliver rightfully argued his case in the Stewards Room and…

Flemington trainer Michael Moroney enjoyed further success with a Kiwi sprinter when four-year-old Not An Option took out Saturday’s Listed Hareeba Stakes (1200m) at Mornington.  The stable, which recently sent out New Zealand arrival Roch ‘N’ Horse to win the Gr.1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m), received Not An Option as a tried horse from the Tony Pike stable.  After a disappointing effort when ninth in his only start for Moroney last spring, the son of Not A Single Doubt returned to winning form after the tough decision was made to geld…

Trainer Ken Rae admits it’s not often a plan comes together perfectly, but that was the case on Saturday when Irish Girl proved too tough for her rivals in the Gr.3 Valachi Downs South Island Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) at Riccarton. Rae prepares the rugged five-year-old daughter of El Roca in partnership with his daughter Krystal Williams-Tuhoro, who had accompanied the mare south from their Ruakaka base earlier in the week. Rae had pencilled in the Group Three feature for his charge some time ago but planning a path to Riccarton…

The confidence Kyneton trainer Liam Howley has in Virtuous Circle was vindicated when the two-year-old Almanzor colt relished the step up to 1500m in the A$130,000 Cleanaway Sustainability Sires at Mornington on Saturday.  Sent out a $61 chance on the back of finishing ninth at his first start at Pakenham over 1200m, the quality colt came from last to score under Fred Kersley, narrowly defeating $2.20 favourite Do It La.  For good measure, Howley saddled stablemate Highland Harley to finish third. Howley, who prepared Homesman to win the Gr.1 Underwood…

Trainer Kelvin Tyler cut a satisfied figure at Riccarton on Saturday after Tobilicious made a return to winning form following twelve months off the scene due to a suspensory injury suffered when finishing fourth behind Melody Belle in the Gr.1 Thorndon Mile (1600m) at Trentham in January last year. The grey six-year-old gelding had established himself as one of the South Island’s leading performers during his five-year-old season where he finished second in the Gr.2 Coupland’s Bakeries Mile (1600m) at Riccarton along with his gallant performance at Trentham. With the…

Underrated galloper Gino Severini provided a fitting tribute to his part-owner, the late Ray Wallace, when he produced a fighting performance to take out the Gr.2 Ultimate Mazda Japan Trophy (1600m) at Tauranga on Saturday. One of the most familiar names in the New Zealand training ranks for over fourty years, Wallace passed away recently at the ripe old age of 92. Sporting the well-known blue and white colours of the Wallace family, Gino Severini overcame a wide run for rider Andrew Calder to out-finish Hypnos and Cheval Prometteur in…

Lynsey Satherley admitted to having a tear in her eye as she made her way back into the Tauranga birdcage following the running of the fourth race on the card on Saturday. The popular Cambridge jockey wasn’t alone in that respect after riding the Debbie Sweeney-trained Clever Ruds to victory, sparking an outpouring of emotion from the racing fraternity in attendance following the tragic death of Sweeney’s brother Mark Sanders in a boating accident last Sunday. Sporting a black armband in tribute to Sanders, Satherley raised her whip to the…