CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD NEWSLETTER
Month: May 2023
Rakalou big chance in King Charles Coronation at Rangiora
By Jonny Turner Peter Hunter has been around horses long enough to know you don’t just show up in Canterbury and win. On paper, the Southland trainer-driver’s two-year-old filly Rakalou looks well capable of doing exactly that in the King Charles III Coronation 2YO Fillies Mobile at Rangiora on Sunday. Rakalou could barely have been more impressive in her first start at the races. After trialling well, she beat home several of her male rivals when running third behind the smart All Stars pairing of Vessem and Major Hot in…
Unbeaten Globe heads trainers’ Kiwi-bred double
Trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr celebrated a race-to-race double with New Zealand-breds at Sandown on Saturday afternoon, headed by the unbeaten Globe (NZ) (Charm Spirit) in the A$150,000 King’s Coronation Cup (1800m). It was the fourth win in as many starts for the four-year-old Charm Spirit gelding, who had previously scored victories at Pakenham on March 16 and March 30, then at Sandown on April 19. Backed into $1.80 favouritism on Saturday for the toughest test of his career to date, Globe dominated the race from the front.…
Black-type success for Essonne
Promising New Zealand-bred mare Essonne (Reliable Man) picked up the sixth and most significant win of her career with a barnstorming finish in Saturday’s Listed Attwood Marshall Lawyers Silk Stocking (1400m) at the Sunshine Coast. Trained by Richard Litt for owner-breeder Gerry Harvey, the daughter of Reliable Man had shown promise with wins from five of her first nine starts, but none had been above Benchmark 72 level. Essonne was then unplaced in her next two appearances, finishing well back in the Provincial Championships Final (1400m) at Randwick before an…
Ruthless Dame soars to Sangster triumph
The Group One gold rush for New Zealand-bred horses in Australia this autumn kept on rolling with three-year-old filly Ruthless Dame (NZ) (Tavistock) conquering an elite field of older mares in Saturday’s A$500,000 Furphy Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville. The daughter of Tavistock recorded the 10th elite-level victory for a New Zealand-bred since the start of April, following on from Militarize (NZ) (Dundeel) in the Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) and Champagne Stakes (1600m), I Wish I Win (NZ) (Savabeel) in the TJ Smith Stakes (1200m), Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars)…
Palmetto powers to Coast success
Palmetto (NZ) (Ghibellines) had to wait seven starts for his first win in Australia, but the second came much more quickly – and in a race worth A$500,000. A dual Guineas winner in the South Island of New Zealand, the Ghibellines gelding found his winning groove across the Tasman with a victory at Hawkesbury on April 22. That was a springboard to even bigger and better things two weeks later, playing a starring role in Saturday’s The Coast (1600m) at Gosford. After enjoying a smooth run in fourth and one…
Zaaki proves a class above in strong Hollindale Stakes victory
Zaaki packed plenty late to run away with a third straight Hollindale Stakes. Photo: Racing Queensland All eyes were on the Annabel Neasham-trained Zaaki in the Group 2 A.D. Hollindale Stakes, as the eight-year-old gelding was aiming to bring up his third straight victory in the race, and that is exactly what he did. James McDonald had to make up his mind rather quickly on the odds-on favourite with online bookmakers, as he had to jump from barrier eight of 10, and he chose to push forward and although he…
Yellow Brick proves too good for rivals in Gold Coast Guineas
Yellow Brick runs away with the Group 2 Gold Coast Guineas. Photo: Racing Queensland Tony & Maddysen Sears have won their first Group 3 Gold Coast Guineas with their star gelding Yellow Brick overcoming a torrid three-wide run to show his quality and run away with a dominant 1.3 length victory when first-up for his third racing preparation. The three-year-old gelding has now taken his career record to seven wins from nine starts, and his prize money earnings to just under $1.5 million, with a bright future ahead of him.…
Ruthless Dame claims Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes
John Allen celebrates aboard Ruthless Dame having won the Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes. Photo: Racing SA Ciaron Maher & David Eustace have taken out the Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes, however, it was with the third pick in the market, their three-year-old filly Ruthless Dame, as she produced a booming finish to run over the top of the leaders and record her maiden Group 1 victory at her sixth start. After winning the Sangster Stakes aboard Ruthless Dame, John Allen has now won all four of the Group 1’s…
Renaissance Woman sparkles in Bracelet
New Zealand-bred filly Renaissance Woman (NZ) (Reliable Man) burst into contention for next month’s Gr.1 Queensland Oaks (2200m) with an outstanding come-from-behind victory in Saturday’s Listed Aquis Stallions Gold Coast Bracelet (1800m) on the Sunshine Coast. This was the first race outside Group company this season for Renaissance Woman, who began her three-year-old campaign with a couple of eye-catching efforts for sixth in the Gr.2 Tea Rose Stakes (1400m) and seventh in the Gr.1 Flight Stakes (1600m). The Bjorn Baker-trained filly then rose to prominence with an impressive victory in…