Sandown has brought the very best out of New Zealand-bred mare Unusual Culture (NZ) (Unusual Suspect) this autumn, and that formula proved to be a winner again in Saturday’s JRA Handicap (1600m) on the Hillside track. The A$130,000 race was the third win from the last four starts for the four-year-old mare, with all of those victories coming at Sandown on March 1, April 10 and on Saturday. Apprentice jockey Carleen Hefel has been in the saddle for those two most recent appearances, and she positioned Unusual Culture in fourth…
Month: May 2023
Team Tyler make lightning strike at Riccarton
The father and daughter training partnership of Kelvin and Aimee Tyler were to the fore at Riccarton on Saturday when they produced class performer Lightning Jack (NZ) (Per Incanto) to win the Listed Daphne Bannan Memorial Great Easter Stakes (1400m). The consistent six-year-old son of Per Incanto had been hinting his next win wasn’t far away and he chose the perfect opportunity to return to his best as he lumped 60kgs to a comprehensive two-length victory in the hands of Krishna Mudhoo. Mudhoo had his charge trucking along nicely against…
Le Zebra adds to Brownes’ family affinity
Expat New Zealand trainers Emma-Lee and David Browne are dipping their toes into breeding with the purchase of a familiar broodmare on gavelhouse.com last month, and their investment quickly paid off with a win at Sandown on Saturday. The Brownes’ promising two-year-old Le Zebra (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle) led all the way in the A$150,000 Ian Miller Handicap (1300m) and scored by three-quarters of a length. Saturday’s win came in the third start of his career, having previously finished fourth at Moonee Valley in January and third at Mornington two…
Solidify all class in Te Rapa feature
While comparisons with his older stablemate Sharp ‘N’ Smart (NZ) are inevitable, promising two-year-old colt Solidify (NZ) is the son of Redwood currently in the limelight after adding his first win at stakes level to a burgeoning career when taking out the Listed Waikato Equine Veterinary Services 2YO Stakes (1200m) at Te Rapa. Solidify and multiple Group One winner Sharp ‘N’ Smart share the same sire in the Westbury Stud-based Redwood and it looks like lightning may have struck twice for trainers Team Rogerson with both horses having picked up…
Flying northern filly takes juvenile honours at Riccarton
Speedy North Island visitor Illicit Dreams (NZ) (Vancouver) proved too fleet of foot for her two-year-old rivals when she took out the Listed Berkley Stud Champagne Stakes (1200m) at Riccarton. The Ken Rae and Krystal Williams-trained daughter of Vancouver had two of her first three starts at Riccarton back in the spring before going for a summer break after finishing beyond midfield in the Listed Welcome Stakes (1000m) during the Christchurch Cup Week carnival. Illicit Dreams resumed with a strong effort to win over 1300m on her home track at…
Caste takes out the Group 2 Queen Of The South in fine style
Caste got her head down to claim the Group 2 Queen Of The South Stakes. Photo: Atkins Photography After taking out the Listed Nitschke Stakes last start, Caste for Ben & JD Hayes has brought up her maiden Group 2 victory, with a very impressive win in the Queen Of The South Stakes, defeating Foxy Frida and Waltz On By. The three-year-old filly settled near the rear of the field, much like she has at all of her starts to date, and even though Foxy Frida exploded out of the…
$12K donation to provide food, shelter and psychological support for displaced Ukrainians
GRV will donate $12,000 to support Ukrainians in need of humanitarian aid due to the current Russian invasion. A partnership struck with the Association of Ukrainians in Victoria (AUV) some weeks ago saw GRV pledge $400 to the cause every time the blue number 4 greyhound and yellow number 5 greyhound ran first and second in the same race in Victoria, in any order. Blue and yellow are the colours of the Ukrainian flag. The month-long fundraiser fittingly began on 6 April – International Day of Sport for Development and…
Russian Alliance records stirring Ken Russell Memorial Classic victory
Russian Alliance got the better of Abounding in the Group 3 Ken Russell Memorial. Photo: Racing Queensland Russian Alliance and Abounding have produced a thrilling ding-dong battle down the Sunshine Coast straight, with the former and Kevin Kemp-trained filly getting her head down and holding a small margin on the line to take out the Group 3 Ken Russell Memorial Classic. The winner has now extended her winning streak to five straight, after taking out the Group 3 two-year-old feature, defeating Abounding by a flared nostril and Trifling her finished…
Savatoxl staves off rivals in tough D C McKay Stakes win
Will Savage’s Savatoxl couldn’t be caught in the D C McKay Stakes. After taking winning the race in 2021 and finishing as the runner-up last year, Savatoxl has returned to Adelaide to take out his second D C McKay Stakes, leading from barrier to winning post and surviving a late challenge by Larimer Street in the final strides. The seven-year-old son of Kuroshio was sent back to Will Savage earlier this year, and he took out his first-up start in Alice Springs, before Savage chose to bring him down to…
200 win milestone for Team Dunn
by Jonny Turner John Dunn let Dance Til Dawn run and she did exactly that when powering a front-running victory in the Rico Lodge Listed Uncut Gems Mares Classic on a big night of racing at Addington. Dunn hustled the four-year-old forward in a hotly contested battle for the early lead and though the mare cut out solid early fractions it took no toll on her as she ran to a stakes race victory. A Group 1 placegetter as a two-year-old, Dance Til Dawn was spelled at the end of…