By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Waikato horseman Matthew White is hoping Thee Old Bomb can make it back-to-back wins in the City Of Palmerston North Festival Cup (2500m) at Manawatu Raceway on Thursday. The four-year-old gelding was rewarded for his consistency with victory at Alexandra Park earlier this month, having placed in five of his previous seven starts. However, he didn’t come out of the run unscathed, having to be treated by a veterinarian following the race for a small wound the near fore fetlock. White said the son…
Month: March 2022
Wellington ready to soar ahead of Chairman’s Sprint Prize defence
Wellington claims the Group 1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m). Wellington banished early season setbacks with a classy win in last month’s Group 1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m) and, this Sunday (3 April) at Sha Tin, the talented bay tackles the Group 2 Sprint Cup (1200m) as he gears up for his shot at joining elite company with the defence of his Group 1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m) crown next month. Six horses have retained their Chairman’s Sprint Prize mantle since the race’s inception in 1979: Semper Laetus (1981…
Kersley lands Doncaster mount on Icebath
It took some last-minute shuffling but Hawkesbury trainer Brad Widdup has engaged Victorian hoop Fred Kersley to ride Icebath (NZ) (Sacred Falls) in this Saturday’s Gr.1 Doncaster Handicap (1600m) at Randwick. With a suspension to previously booked jockey Kerrin Mcevoy, Widdup had to scramble to find someone who could ride close to the assigned 51.5kgs and wanted a pilot that had already had a sit on his Sacred Falls mare. Kersley was on board last time out when Icebath finished ninth in the All Star Mile (1600m) at Flemington on March 19. “Fred Kersley will ride her, he rode her in Melbourne the…
Halston breaks maidens at Matamata
Halston (NZ) (Reliable Man) was rewarded for his consistency with his maiden victory in the Matamata Function Centre 1600 on Wednesday. Placed in four of his previous six starts, Halston was pressed forward early by late replacement jockey Sam Spratt from their wide gate to sit second. Halston travelled well approaching the home turn and kept lengthening when asked to respond. “He quickened a bit off a strong pace, but is pretty one paced,” Spratt said. “The leader didn’t really give us a drag into it for very long and…
Halston breaks maiden at Matamata
Halston winning at Matamata on Wednesday. Photo: Trish Dunell Halston was rewarded for his consistency with his maiden victory in the Matamata Function Centre 1600 on Wednesday. Placed in four of his previous six starts, Halston was pressed forward early by late replacement jockey Sam Spratt from their wide gate to sit second. Halston travelled well approaching the home turn and kept lengthening when asked to respond. “He quickened a bit off a strong pace, but is pretty one paced,” Spratt said. “The leader didn’t really give us a drag…
Richards signs off a winner
Ragamuffin winning at Matamata on Wednesday. Photo: Trish Dunell Te Akau trainer Jamie Richards went out in style when three-year-old gelding Ragamuffin won a Rating 65 Benchmark over 1400m at Matamata, with the race fittingly named the Good Luck Hong Kong Bound Jamie Richards. With three-kilogram claiming Te Akau apprentice Niranjan Parmar aboard, Ragamuffin, a son of Haunui Farm stallion Belardo, produced big late bounds after seizing a rails run in the straight to score narrowly in the colours of Fortuna Racing. Richards, 32, was saddling horses for the last…
Yozo Bale’s Ballarat party
Dual country cups champion Yozo Bale celebrated his fourth birthday on Monday, but trainer Correy Grenfell says the resurgent speedster is primed for his third crack at the Group 2 SJC Concreting Ballarat Cup (450m) on Friday night. The 89-start veteran won the Ballarat and Bendigo Cups (defeating star kennelmate Tiggerlong Tonk) in 2020 and then won last year’s Ballarat Cup Consolation after running third in his heat, beaten only a length. Yozo Bale also won last year’s Wagga Cup and was runner-up in both the Warrnambool and Geelong Cups,…
Fireburn Dominates 2022 Inglis Sires’ Field & Odds
Gary Portelli’s Golden Slipper winning filly Fireburn is the two-year-old to beat again on another bottomless Sydney track when she steps out as favourite in the Group 1 $1 million Inglis Sires’ (1400m) on Day 1 of The Championships. Golden Slipper winning filly Fireburn is the two-year-old to beat again in Saturday’s 2022 Inglis Sires’. Photo: Steve Hart. The flying daughter of Rebel Dane has been faultless this prep and chases a fifth consecutive victory in Saturday’s Inglis Sires’ over 1400m. Her two most recent lead-ups have produced impressive victories…
TJ Smith Stakes 2022 Field & Odds: Nature Strip Favourite to Emulate Chautauqua
Chris Waller’s $16 million earner Nature Strip will look to further cement his spot in the history books out to emulate Chautauqua and complete a three-peat in Saturday’s Group 1 $2.5 million TJ Smith Stakes (1200m). Dual defending champion Nature Strip heads the 2022 TJ Smith Stakes field and odds for this weekend. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos. The dual defending champion gets to join the ‘Grey Flash’ as a three-time TJ Smith Stakes champion, Chautauqua having done so in 2015-18. Things haven’t quite gone to plan for the Nicconi seven-year-old…
Trial for The Race contenders confirmed for Friday
A trial will be held on Friday night after what was to have been the final lead-up to The Race was canned at Alexandra Park. Purdon and training partner Hayden Cullen were hoping to start Self Assured, Spankem and Mach Dan in the proposed open class pace but when the only other entry was Hot And Treacherous the race was scrapped. Purdon was disappointed by the decision, believing a one-off exception should have been made to let Friday’s race be run even it it only had four starters because of…