Month: July 2023

The Hong Kong Thoroughbred Breeders’ Alliance (HKTBA) was officially established on June 5th, 2023, and the inauguration ceremony of the first executive committee was held on July 12th. The main goal of HKTBA is to promote and strengthen the understanding and knowledge of thoroughbred breeding among Hong Kong Jockey Club horse owners. At the same time, it aims to develop relations between global, international, and mainland breeders and different breeding management organizations around the world and to make contribution to the global thoroughbred breeding industry. The first chairman of HKTBA…

New Zealand-bred filly Dolphin Skin (NZ) (Telperion) will be vying to seal a spot in the Gr.1 Victoria Oaks (2500m) at Flemington in November when she heads to the Melbourne track on Saturday. The daughter of Telperion will contest the Byerley Handicap (1800m), with the winner qualifying for either the Oaks or Derby later this year. The juvenile filly has shown plenty of ability to date, highlighted by her victory in the Listed Taj Rossi Series Final (1600m) at Flemington last start, with expat Kiwi apprentice jockey Wiremu Pinn in the…

Trainer Peter Moody will break new ground with one of his two-year-olds at Flemington. Zed Or Alive (NZ) (Zed) makes his debut in the Byerley Handicap (1800m) on Saturday where he will be joined by stablemate Line ‘Em Up Loui (Dissident) who has a win and two seconds to his name from three starts. A son of Zed, the sire of Melbourne Cup winner Verry Elleegant (NZ), Zed Or Alive had been entered for a 1400m race at Pakenham last Sunday, but Moody thought that trip may be too short.…

Cambridge trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood are happy to take their shot at a rare winter feature race double. The Kingsclere Stables training partnership will head to Ruakaka with two runners on Saturday, with Urban Myth (NZ) (Vadamos) in the ITM/Gib Progressive Winter Championship Final (1600m) and Tough Test Harry (NZ) (Time Test) in the ITM/Gib 3YO Winter Championship Final (1600m), both as TAB favourites. It’s a stable that doesn’t have a lot of runners through winter, perhaps best illustrated by the number of heavy track starters in the…

JJ Rayner will head to Trentham with two strong chances and events on Saturday will determine whether she ventures further afield with the pair next month. The Wanganui trainer will be represented by pre-post favourite Hacksaw Ridge (NZ) (Power) in the Novara Park Whyte Handicap (1600m) and Lord Spencer (NZ) (Zed), who also heads the early market for the Cody Singer Memorial Maiden Hurdle (2500m). The sparingly raced Hacksaw Ridge holds a nomination for the Gr.3 Winning Edge Presentations Winter Cup (1600m) at Riccarton on August 5 and a decision…

Hurry Cane (NZ) (Nom Du Jeu) tested his jumping talents against the best in Australia earlier this year and he has returned to New Zealand in search of an elusive prestige jumps scalp. Trainer Raymond Connors transferred the Group Three performer to the care of Warrnambool conditioner Symon Wilde in April for whom he had mixed results in his four starts across the Tasman. The 10-year-old gelding won second-up at Pakenham in a two-mile steeplechase before running sixth in the Grand Annual Steeplechase (5500m) at Warrnambool in May. “It was good…

The legacy of the late Peter Setchell had a fitting final flourish on Wednesday night, producing the sale-topping lot in the 2023 National Online Breeding Stock Sale on Gavelhouse Plus. Group Three-winning mare Ticket To Ride was the final horse to ever be sold from the estate of the respected breeder, who bred a remarkable number of top-line performers including Australian Horse of the Year Red Anchor and fellow multiple Group One winner Oopik. Offered in foal to this season’s leading New Zealand sire Proisir, Ticket To Ride, a daughter of…