Month: September 2022

Cambridge horseman Tony Pike is keeping a close watch on the Hawke’s Bay forecast for Saturday week for his Gr.1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m) contender Field Of Gold. “He needs a decent track and he travelled like the winner at Te Rapa last time before he copped a fair bit of kick back,” he said. “He just dropped the bridle and lost his action for 100m, a few horses were doing that. “He is going well and we’ll have to see if he heads to Hastings, he won’t go if…

New Zealand-bred mare Icebath has been in great form this preparation with back-to-back Group placings and trainer Brad Widdup is hoping she can go one better at Randwick next week. The six-year-old was runner-up in the Gr.2 Tramway Stakes (1400m) behind Zaaki before posting the same result behind Anamoe in the Gr.1 George Main Stakes (1600m) last weekend. While Icebath recorded similar results in autumn when placing in the Gr.1 Doncaster Mile (1600m), Gr.1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m), and Gr.3 JRA Plate (2000m), Widdup said her preparation was…

Tony Pike’s bid to win a second Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) rests on the shoulders of Slipper Island, who will open his campaign at Ruakaka on Saturday. The Cambridge trainer had until recently a trio of hopefuls in the running for the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai-sponsored feature, but the weather has derailed the preparations of two of them. “I turned out Dimaggio and Rudyard for a fortnight, they are hopeless in wet ground,” Pike said. “I couldn’t see the point in carrying on so they’re having a short…

The hopes of securing the Hastings triple crown with Dark Destroyer this year are now over. The connections of the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) winner have decided to play it safe with their gelding and have given him a break following an elevated temperature following his victory on a Heavy10 track. “He won’t be heading to the Arrowfield (Stud Plate, 1600m),” said Andrew Scott, who trains the four-year-old in partnership with Lance O’Sullivan. “He just had a wee temperature last week. The tough conditions and the long trip there and…

Exciting gelding Mr Brightside could extend his winning run to four at Sandown on Sunday when he lines-up in a competitive-looking Gr.1 Underwood Stakes (1800m). It will be the first time the son of Bullbars will be tested over further than a mile, but the increase in trip poses no concerns for trainers Ben and JD Hayes. The brothers have always had time for the five-year-old who they believe has gone to another level this spring after winning both of his outings – the Gr.2 Lawrence Stakes (1400m) and Gr.2…

Gore Guineas runner-up Ruby’s Lad will return to the scene of his career-best performance to kick off a preparation aimed at some of the South Island’s best races this season. The Brian and Shane Anderton-trained Ghibellines four-year-old will resume in the Grant Farming Partnership 1355 at Gore on Friday, a starting point that could see him on the path to races such as the Gr.3 Lindauer Stewards Stakes (1200m) at Riccarton on November 12 and the Gr.3 White Robe Lodge (1600m) at Wingatui on February 4. A winner of three…