Month: August 2022

The New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association will hold a function next Friday to celebrate the breeders of Group One winners during the 2020-21 season. COVID-19 put a halt to the New Zealand Breeding Awards function last year and the NZTBA would like to acknowledge the achievements of those Group One breeders who did not receive their award. The function will be held at the Boatshed Karapiro on August 19, the evening prior to the gavelhouse.com sponsored Waikato Stallion Parade weekend. Tickets include dinner and bubbles on arrival.   Tickets: $60pp Where: The…

After nine months on the sidelines, Tralee Rose (NZ) (Tavistock) makes her long awaited return to the racetrack on Saturday in the Michael Grumley Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield. Not seen at the races since last year’s Melbourne Cup, trainer Symon Wilde says despite being well short of her preferred trip, the six-year-old can again be affective fresh over the mile, after finishing third in last year’s Heatherlie Stakes (1700m) when first-up. “It wouldn’t surprise me to see her run a bold race fresh, that’s exactly what she did last year,”…

A jumping future is beckoning The Bambino but trainer and part-owner Ben Foote is hoping to score a win on the flat with the gelding before then. The Rock ‘N’ Pop gelding will make his fifth raceday appearance in the iLine Carpenters 2100 at Tauranga on Saturday where he will try and improve off his last start third placing at Avondale. “He’s a horse we are getting ready for a jumping future. He has been schooling in-between his races and he just keeps on improving. It is taking a bit…

Group Three winner No Compromise is set to kick-off his preparation at Rosehill on Sunday over 1400m. The son of Pins has a liking for the Sydney track, having won three and placed in three of his six runs on the surface. He resumes after a pleasing autumn preparation which resulted in winning the Gr.3 Queen’s Cup (2400m) and placing in the Listed Parramata Cup (1900m). Trainer Chris Waller has been pleased with the way the gelding has returned from his spell and he is expecting a strong run first-up.…

Peter and Shaun McKay have combined their Group One-winning talents in a new training partnership and have targeted the Hawke’s Bay spring carnival to saddle their first runners. The father and son team joined forces for the start of the current season with a mix of proven and untried horses in their Matamata stable. McKay senior has been training for more than three decades and most notably guided the large majority of the career of the multiple Group One winner Alamosa before his retirement to stud. He shared in the…

An association with Hong Kong bloodstock agent Paul Chow continues to reap rewards for Stephen Marsh’s stable. Chow, who operates under his Tartan Meadow Bloodstock banner, and the Cambridge trainer have formed a rewarding alliance with the well-travelled Summer Festival and Winning For All their latest success stories. Summer Festival will run in Saturday’s Heatstore Open Handicap (1800m) at Riccarton off the back of a gallant last-start second in the Gr.3 Winter Cup (1600m) on the opening day of the Grand National Meeting. That performance continued a good run of…