With the welcome return of New Zealand Bloodstock’s popular winter mixed sale format, along with the prospect of a rejuvenated New Zealand racing industry on the back of the TAB’s deal with global wagering giant Entain, weanling vendors are in a positive frame of mind leading into Friday’s National Weanling & Broodmare Sale at Karaka. The one-day sale will be the first physical sale of its kind at Karaka in four years. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the 2020 sale, replaced by a digital weanling sale on Gavelhouse…
Month: June 2023
Orgullo opens account at Cambridge
Local filly Orgullo (Pride of Dubai) continued her strong polytrack form at Cambridge on Wednesday when taking out the NZB Insurance Pearl Series Maiden 2YO (1300m). In-form senior hoop Sam Spratt had the Pride of Dubai filly tracking runner-up Heading to Noosa one off the fence throughout and fought hard in the straight, eventually pulling away towards the line to score by 1-3/4 lengths. While it was Orgullo’s first win, she had been tested at stakes level in all but one of her previous seven starts and she appreciated the…
Geelong races preview & quaddie tips | Friday, June 16
What Geelong Races Where Geelong Racecourse – 99 Breakwater Rd, Breakwater VIC 3219 When Friday, June 16, 2023 First Race 11:45am AEST Visit Ladbrokes Racing heads to Geelong Racecourse on Friday afternoon for a competitive nine-race card on a track rated a Soft 6. With a top of 18 degrees forecast, we might see an upgrade to a Soft 5 at some point in the card, but it would take a near-miracle for us to be racing on anything firmer. The rail comes out 5m from the 1700m-800m, while it…
Orgullo breaks maiden in style
Orgullo winning at Cambridge on Wednesday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Local filly Orgullo continued her strong polytrack form at Cambridge on Wednesday. In-form senior hoop Sam Spratt had the Pride of Dubai filly tracking runner-up Heading to Noosa one off the fence throughout and fought hard in the straight, eventually pulling away towards the line to score by 1.75 lengths. While it was Orgullo’s first win, she had been tested at stakes level in all but one of her previous seven starts and she appreciated the drop in class…
Pitman’s poised to strike on Riccarton Synthetic
Leading South Island trainer Michael Pitman. Photo: Trish Dunell Local trainers Michael and Matthew Pitman are hoping they can put some breathing room between themselves and Andrew Carston in the race to the South Island Trainers’ Premiership when they head to Riccarton’s synthetic meeting on Thursday. “We are one in front of Andrew Carston, but whether we can stay there is another thing,” Michael Pitman said. “We are both doing our best to try and win the South Island premiership.” The father-and-son duo will take a team of nine to…
Proisir’s Coeur Volante an impressive juvenile winner
Smart two-year-old Coeur Volante was an impressive winner at Sandown on Wednesday. Photo: Pat Scala-Racing Photos There is more in store for Coeur Volante, who showed an impressive turn of foot to easily account for her rivals in the opening race at Sandown on Wednesday. The Proisir filly, who is trained by Mike Moroney, settled towards the rear of the small field but was always travelling and put her rivals to bed to win the 1300m contest for two-year-old fillies by just shy of two lengths under the guidance of…
Dark Destroyer primed for Ipswich Cup tilt
Dark Destroyer will contest the Listed Ipswich Cup (2150m) on Saturday. Photo: Trish Dunell Dark Destroyer will be back in action in Queensland on Saturday and is expected to appreciate a step up in distance in the Listed Ipswich Cup (2150m). The Proisir four-year-old is open to improvement over ground following an unplaced first-up effort at Doomben and then finished in behind the major players in the Listed The Wayne Wilson (1600m) at Eagle Farm last weekend. “He’s going to back up in the Cup and he should run well…
Jay Ford hunting more WJ McKell Cup success
The 61st running of the Listed $160,000 WJ McKell Cup highlights the racing program at Rosehill Gardens this Saturday. Jockey Jay Ford is the only jockey to have won the race twice in the past decade and rides Esti Feny on Saturday. Warwick Farm trainer Joe Pride will be the trainer to keep an eye on, having won the race three times in the past 10 years and he has Mach Schnell (to be ridden by Tyler Shiller) entered this time around. Pride has won the race three times in…
Dave Branch decides against trans-Tasman move
Leading administrator Dave Branch has decided his immediate future will be in New Zealand. The chief executive of Cambridge Raceway and the key figure behind the $1m Race by Grins had been “seriously considering” a move to Australia. He’d been linked to a high profile job in Queensland he called “tempting”. “But in the end I feel there is a job that’s only been half done at Cambridge and I feel a lot of loyalty to the team there.” “We are on the cusp of a really exciting milestone in…
News Briefs : June 14
Ottley and Tritton lead the way on big weekend On the same weekend that Sam Ottley became the most successful female driver in this country with her 678th win at Addington ex-pat Australian Lauren Tritton has made history in North America. She became the first woman to not only start in the Battle of Lake Erie at Northfield Park, Ohio but she also won it with millionaire pacer Lochinvar Art. Compatriot Kerryn Manning, a celebrated trainer-driver, was also made a member in the General Division of the Order of Australia…