Month: July 2023

The Chris Waller-trained Bold Mac (NZ) (The Bold One) ran out a strong winner of the Robrick Lodge Eremein Handicap (1800m) at Randwick on Saturday under a confident ride by apprentice Zac Lloyd. The former Kiwi galloper sat in midfield and when presented at the top of the straight found a good kick to score by half a length. The son of The Bold One led home a New Zealand-bred trifecta, with Mach Schnell (NZ) (Zacinto) and King Of The Castle (NZ) (Castledale) filling the placings. The winner of three…

Multiple Group One performer Young Werther (NZ) (Tavistock) notched the second victory of his career when prevailing in a close finish at Flemington on Saturday over 2000m for trainer Danny O’Brien under a well-timed Billy Egan ride as he claimed runner-up Milford (NZ) (Savabeel) on the line. The son of Tavistock won on debut over 1500m at Geelong in September 2020, but despite a slew of honest performances had failed to weigh-in first until start 23. Group One placed in both the VRC Derby (2500m) and Australian Derby (2400m), Young Werther…

A brave performance by Millefiori (NZ) (Iffraaj) to take out the final race on the card at Ruakaka on Saturday, the ITM/GIB Winter Sprinters’ Championship Final (1400m) has edged trainer Mark Walker even closer to the magical 200-win mark for the 2022/23 racing season. Walker is now just a tantalising four victories away from achieving the milestone and become the first New Zealand trainer to do so although he is philosophical about reaching the target with just two weeks left in the season. “We are getting very close and the…

Local trainer Michelle Bradley was on cloud nine as she celebrated taking out two of the feature events on the card at Ruakaka on Saturday. Bradley produced lightly raced four-year-old mare Sulabella (NZ) (Proisir) to score a convincing victory in the ITM/GIB Progressive Winter Championship Final (1600m) in the hands of Warren Kennedy, before Sam Spratt lifted Pentire gelding Bosch (NZ) off the canvas to defeat the Chris Gibbs-trained pair of Chevron (NZ) (El Roca) and Cruisy Lass (NZ) (Super Easy) in the ITM/GIB Whangarei Gold Cup Stayers Final (2100m). Bradley, who…

A perfectly judged ride by Shaun Fannin helped pave the way for West Coast (NZ) (Mettre En Jeu) to add another feature steeplechasing event to his blossoming career record when the pair took out the Grant Plumbing Wellington Steeplechase (5500m) at Trentham. In an exciting display of jumping set up by tearaway pacemaker Izymydaad (NZ) (Istidaad), Fannin and second favourite West Coast ($2.50) sat back in the field of six as they covered all the moves of topweight and race favourite The Cossack (NZ) (Mastercraftsman) ($2). With 1000m to run Izymydaad…

Golden Sixty’s record-breaking performance during the 2022/23 racing season saw Hong Kong’s champion earn the Horse of the Year title for a third consecutive year at a special presentation in Hong Kong on Friday night. As such, the Karaka graduate becomes the first horse in the history of Hong Kong racing to annex three consecutive Horse of the Year crowns. The Francis Lui-trained seven-year-old’s efforts this season also secured a third straight Champion Miler title with his string of outstanding performances in Group One mile events. Golden Sixty had five…