Shaun Phelan will gain an extra dose of satisfaction if he can guide the in-form Kajino (NZ) (Raise The Flag) to victory in Sunday’s Great Northern Hurdle (4200m) at Te Rapa. The top jumps jockey played a significant role in owner-trainer Diana Kennedy securing the eight-year-old, who will face the sternest test of his burgeoning career in the Peter Kelly Bayleys-sponsored feature. The Cambridge horsewoman was on the lookout last year for a potential jumper and Phelan recommended she contact the horse’s retiring trainer Ernie Griffiths with a purchase agreement…
Month: September 2022
Kiwi-breds to the fore at Geelong
New Zealand-breds featured prominently at Geelong on Thursday, scoring a treble courtesy of St Lawrence (NZ) (Redwood), Notabadbuy (NZ) (The Bold One), and Captain Envious (NZ) (Savabeel). St Lawrence was making his Australian debut over 1325m, and despite showing signs of greenness, he posted a one length victory for new trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace. Jockey Mark Zahra said he had to keep the Redwood gelding up to task and said there is plenty of improvement left in the four-year-old. “He is still quite green and was having a…
Miss Take ready for black-type test
Three weeks on from a spectacular debut on Riccarton’s synthetic track, exciting local filly Miss Take is switching to the turf and stepping up to stakes class for Saturday’s Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m). The Terri Rae-trained filly headed into her first start on August 25 with a reputation and red-hot $1.20 favouritism, having won two trials by a combined margin of more than a dozen lengths. It was more of the same on raceday as the daughter of Inglewood Stud stallion War Decree dominated from the…
Nature Strip set to shine in $1 million Randwick feature
Nature Strip pictured winning the King’s Stand at Royal Ascot on June 14. Picture: Dan Abraham/focusonracing.com. Is it possible for Nature Strip to continue getting better? It certainly appears so given how good the champion sprinter has looked in trackwork ahead of Saturday’s $1 million Shorts (1100m) at Randwick. Chris Waller’s seven-year-old looks in prime condition after a three-month spell following his incredible 4 ½-length triumph in the King’s Stand at Royal Ascot on June 14. Nature Strip’s confidence right now is sky-high, and he has shown no ill-effects from…
The Stir Up featuring Yahiro Bale, Plaintiff and Wow She’s Fast
GRV’s Gerard Guthrie and Trent Langskaill provide their thoughts on some of the star greyhounds racing in Victoria. Keep an eye on these, they are worth saving in your WatchDog Blackbook! Gerard What an amazing win by Yahiro Bale in last night’s Group 3 SA Oaks Final at Angle Park. Even though Quilts is having a couple of weeks off, I’m sure he didn’t miss that run. Trent The great start to the career of Deadly Class continued in the SA Derby Final as well. Three Group 3…
‘Class’ prevails in SA features
Victorians celebrated a Group 3 double at Angle Park on Thursday night, as Yahiro Bale produced an incredible come-from-behind performance to win the South Australian Oaks and Deadly Class claimed a thrilling victory in the SA Derby. Yahiro Bale (Box 5) started $2.50 favourite in the Oaks after a dominant 30.42sec heat victory; however, Daniel Gibbons’ well-documented Group race ‘hoodoo’ looked to have struck again when she missed the start badly. But the daughter of Feral Franky and Dyna Zesty staged a remarkable recovery, showing great field sense to move…
Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes 2022 Field & Betting Update
The Group 1 $1 million Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) headlines the racing action in Melbourne on the weekend, and there is a star-studded field of spring gallopers gathered for the event. First-up Show County Quality winner Showmanship races second-up in the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes this weekend. Photo: Steve Hart. The Caulfield feature drew a capacity field full of both last-start winners and resuming runners including the Danny O’Brien-trained Showmanship. The Kiwi-bred son of Showcasing may be a seven-year-old but he remains very lightly raced having had…
Zaaki Heads 2022 George Main Stakes Final Field
Last year’s Cox Plate hard-luck story, Zaaki, gets his chance to atone and keep the spring wins going in the Group 1 $1 million George Main Stakes (1600m) in Sydney on Saturday. Zaaki is second-up in the 2022 George Main Stakes in Sydney this weekend. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos. Annabel Neasham’s star import was scratched from the Group 1 $5 million Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) last spring on race morning as the pre-race favourite. It was a definite blow for connections of the British-bred gelding, but Zaaki collected a consolation…
Aysar looks to step up with the elite in Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes
Aysar ridden by Michael Dee wins the Strathmore Community Bendigo Bank Chautauqua Stakes at Moonee Valley Racecourse on September 03, 2022 in Moonee Ponds, Australia. (Photo by George Sal/Racing Photos) Sometimes, all it takes is a win for a horse to snap out of its bad habits. And Ben Hayes is confident that is the case with Aysar heading into the $1 million Sir Rupert Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday. The five-year-old recorded an impressive one-length victory last start in the Chautauqua Stakes over 1200m at Moonee Valley on September…
Punt Drunk: Bring on Zaaki v Anamoe at Randwick
Spring is well and truly in the air and the fields for the weekend of racing has us raring to go for a big weekend on the punt. Throw in the AFL & NRL Finals, a few coldies and it is a genuinely elite weekend coming up. On Friday’s edition of Punt Drunk, we look back at one of the all-time clashes in the George Main Stakes, before current day superstars Anamoe and Zaaki go toe-too-toe. Whilst punters have dipped into to help a jockey recovery from a serious injury…