Month: September 2022

Trainer Andrew Forsman has managed to find a Victoria Derby runner in Mr Maestro (NZ) (Savabeel), only five months after branching out on his own as a trainer. Ridden by Damian Lane, Mr Maestro came with a barnstorming finish to defeat the Kermadec colt Kapakiri by one and three-quarter lengths in Sunday’s Penfolds Victoria Derby Preview (1800m) at Flemington. The favourite Major Beel (NZ) (Savabeel) was a further one and a quarter length back in third. It was the third Australian start for Mr Maestro, who won over 1300m at…

Randwick trainer John Sargent has built a reputation as a trainer of Oaks fillies, and he’s got another headed to the VRC Oaks in So Dazzling (NZ) (So You Think) who took out the Kennedy Oaks Preview on Sunday (1800m). So Dazzling, who is guaranteed a start in the VRC Oaks after the win and was installed as the favourite after the race, continued a great vein of success for Sargent at Flemington with his three-year-old fillies. In 2013 Sargent trained Kirramosa (NZ) (Alamosa) to win both the Wakeful Stakes…

Kiddo, a horse written off all of four years ago and recently on the verge of retirement, completed what can only be described as the greatest of comebacks in the Ben Foote Racing Great Northern Steeplechase (6500m) at Te Rapa on Sunday. The “old firm” of master Wanganui horseman Kevin Myers and leading jumps jockey Shaun Fannin, who joined forces in the country’s premier jumps event with Kick Back in 2016, were back in business as they combined with Kiddo (NZ) (Istidaad) for an emphatic victory. Kiddo took Myers’ Great…

An aggressive Hamish McNeill ride laid the platform for an upset as $29 shot Abu Dhabi (NZ) (Haradasun) carried a set of famous colours to victory in the $150,000 Peter Kelly – Bayleys Great Northern Hurdle at Te Rapa on Sunday. Discussions leading into the 4200m marathon centred on the topweights Nedwin and Kajino, who had fought out the finish of the Pakuranga Hurdle at the same track two weeks earlier, when Abu Dhabi had been a well beaten fifth. The confidence levels of McNeill and co-trainers Shaun and Emma…

Hawke’s Bay trainer John Bary was proud as punch watching on from afar as his former three-time Group One winning sprinter-miler Callsign Mav (NZ) (Atlante) made his elite-level breakthrough in Australia at Caulfield on Saturday. Having his sixth start under Victorian trainer Danny O’Brien, Callsign Mav was galvanised under a perfect Jamie Mott ride to score a determined victory in the Gr.1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m). Bary remains in the ownership of the son of Atlante, who cost just $3,000 as a Karaka weanling from the draft of Windsor…

Broodmare gem Opulence has passed away after foaling a healthy filly foal at Grangewilliam Stud on Saturday. The 17-year-old Danroad mare was crowned New Zealand Broodmare of the Year for the second consecutive season at the New Zealand Breeding Awards last month after the deeds of her 11-time Group One-winning daughter Verry Elleegant and stakes-winning son Verry Flash. Grangewilliam Stud has been home to Opulence for the last decade and she has brought much acclaim to the South Taranaki farm through her lucrative matings with resident stallion Zed. She has…

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