Month: July 2022

At the famous Melbourne racecourse where his sire made his name, talented New Zealand-bred gelding Horrifying produced a dominant front-running performance to claim the biggest win of his career to date in Saturday’s A$175,000 Flemington Cup 1849 (2800m). The Mark and Levi Kavanagh-trained four-year-old is a son of Shocking, who won the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) and Gr.1 Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington before embarking on his successful stallion career at Rich Hill Stud. Horrifying was previously a placegetter in Flemington’s Gr.3 Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) as a three-year-old while…

Champion expat New Zealand trainer Chris Waller enjoyed a highly successful afternoon at Rosehill on Saturday, saddling four winners and reaching 150 city wins for the season, and two of his victories came with impressive performances from New Zealand-breds Lord Ardmore and Bold Mac. Lord Ardmore headed a Waller trifecta in the A$150,000 Vale Nick Moraitis Handicap (1800m), leading all the way and kicking clear for a commanding two-length victory over Francesco Guardi and Mubariz. Both the first and third placegetters race in the blue and white colours of prominent…

Promising three-year-old Turn the Ace showed he won’t be fazed by the longer distances as he matures into his imposing frame after winning nicely over 1600m at Ruakaka on Saturday. The leggy son of Turn Me Loose had to carry topweight of 59.5kgs under rider Craig Grylls and proved too strong for his opposition when winning the ITM/GIB 3YO Winter Championship Series Final (1600m). At his last start the Andrew Forsman-trained gelding had been caught late over 1400m when feeling the effects of lumping a similar impost on a very…

Rising hurdling star Nedwin remained unbeaten over the hurdles this winter when he took out the Hydra Cell Wellington Hurdles (3400m) at Trentham. A canny ride by Shaun Phelan saw him keep the warm $1.80 favourite out wide in better ground throughout the gruelling 3400m journey on the Heavy10 surface as the seven-year-old Niagara gelding made light of his 69kg to win comfortably. Phelan and Nedwin never put a foot wrong as they jumped cleanly throughout in midfield before issuing their challenge at the 800m mark. Second favourite Mizzena joined…

Cambridge trainer Tony Pike picked up a winning double at Te Rapa last Saturday and he was at it again at Ruakaka just seven days later where he produced tough two-year-old filly Pacific Dragon and veteran River Run for a similar result. Well credentialled Charm Spirit filly Pacific Dragon showed her undoubted class as she overcame the outside barrier (11) to lead throughout in the final of the ITM/GIB Two-year-old Winter Championship series. Rider Michael McNab pushed the button on the filly after she dwelt slightly as the gates opened…