Month: March 2023

Connections of high-class two-year-old Ulanova will look forward to next season, with news that the Stephen Marsh-trained Group Three winner has gone for a break. Runner-up in last Saturday’s Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) behind Tokyo Tycoon, the daughter of Santos has won two of her six starts at two, including the Gr.3 Taranaki 2YO Classic (1200m). Ulanova was bred by Ancroft Stud and sold through Kilgravin Lodge’s draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sales to expatriate New Zealand agent Michael Wallace for $150,000. Wallace’s Lexington-based Telluride Agency races the…

Injury has halted the autumn campaign of dual stakes winning three-year-old Mr Maestro. He had galloped well at The Valley on Tuesday ahead of Saturday’s Gr.2 Alister Clark Stakes (2040m), but a tendon issue was found on Wednesday morning. “He had a bit of thickening there and we scanned it. It’s not a major but enough to suggest we don’t push on and risk further damage,” trainer Andrew Forsman said. “He should be okay longer term and he’ll probably stay in Melbourne to do his rehab and then go back…

Well-related two-year-old filly Aprilia turned her form around at Matamata on Wednesday after a below expectation debut performance on the Cambridge synthetic when beaten into third as an odds-on favourite. The filly jumped well to sit outside the leader in the Tokoroa Cosmopolitan 2YO (1200m) and kicked strongly in the run home to score under the urgings of Kozzi Asano, defeating well-supported Te Akau pair Fiore Di Campo and The Princie One. Aprilia is a half-sister by U S Navy Flag to the Gr.1 Diamond Stakes (1200m) and Karaka Million…

Bruce Wallace and Grant Cooksley are gearing up for what could be a big day for their stable at Rosehill on Saturday. The Byerley Park training partnership will line-up talented three-year-old Sacred Satono in the Listed Munro Stakes (1200m) and they are expecting a positive result after drawing barrier two with their colt. “He has got a good draw and should be sitting in the first four or five and we will see what happens after that,” Cooksley said. “There are a couple of others that go alright in it.”…

Group One-winning mare Coventina Bay (NZ) (Shamexpress) has been retired and is now destined to head across the Tasman in preparation for the next stage of her career. The daughter of Shamexpress won 11 of her 31 starts for trainer Robbie Patterson, including the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m), Gr.1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m), Gr.2 Manawatu Challenge Stakes (1400m), Gr.3 J Swap Sprint (1400m) and Gr.3 Cuddle Stakes (1600m). The curtain was drawn on her racing career following her sixth place run in the Herbie Dyke Stakes last month…

Sakura Girl (NZ) (Iffraaj) will chase the first leg of a major trans-Tasman double for Cambridge trainer Ben Foote at Trentham on Saturday. The in-form daughter of Iffraaj is the pre-post favourite for the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) while stablemate Babylon Berlin (All Too Hard) is in Melbourne to prepare for Friday week’s Gr.1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley. Sakura Girl has enjoyed a trouble-free build-up and jumped to the top of the Oaks market following a decisive front-running victory in the Gr.3…