Month: August 2023

Te Akau made their presence known in the south on Thursday, with the Matamata operation’s southern-based horses claiming a hat-trick on the seven-race card at Riccarton Park Synthetic. Sam Bergerson, who trains in partnership with Mark Walker, travelled to Christchurch to oversee the Te Akau runners which are among 10 based in their Riccarton barn, a figure Te Akau principal David Ellis CNZM said will be added to as spring racing and New Zealand Cup week approach in November. Navalha (Sebring) kicked off Te Akau’s hat-trick in the CJC Stallion…

Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott are hoping an improved track and an impressive first-up victory will see their classy galloper Dragon Leap (Pierro) add the Gr.2 Waikato Stud Foxbridge Plate (100m) to his record on Saturday at Te Rapa. The O’Sullivan/Scott partnership have made a scorching start to the new season, recording four wins from just six race-day starts and their talented gelding currently leads the favouritism with Skew Wiff (NZ) (Savabeel) ($4.80) with TAB bookmakers for the feature event. The well-travelled seven-year-old has made several trips across the Tasman…

Mike Moroney admits the 1000-metre dash around Moonee Valley for Saturday’s Listed Carylon Stakes may be a tad sharp for Group Three-winning sprinter Snapper but says the now six-year-old is ready to make an impact this spring. Four of Snapper’s six wins have come at The Valley but none of those victories have come at a distance shorter than six furlongs. “The distance will be the question with him, but he is going well,” Moroney said. “For a horse of his age he’s fairly lightly raced so that’s on our…

Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh goes into Saturday’s Gr.2 Waikato Stud Foxbridge Plate (1200m) at Te Rapa quietly confident he can spring a surprise with his runners El Vencedor and Jodelin Gal. Neither of Marsh’s horses have found favour with TAB bookmakers, who are offering $15 on El Vencedor and $31 on Jodelin Gal in a market headed by Dragon Leap and Skew Wiff at $4.80. But buoyed by smart trackwork gallops in the past week, Marsh goes into the race with a fair degree of confidence. El Vencedor and Jodelin…

Tavi Mac’s little sister is poised to confirm her place as best racehorse of the family. A winner of 11 of her 17 starts, including a treble of Group wins late last year, Darci La Bella may have already surpassed the feats of Tavi Mac, the diminutive star galloper New Plymouth trainer referred to as “Frodo”. Tavi Mac won 12 of his 26 starts, including the 2020 Gr.2 Manawatu Challenge Stakes (1400m) at Awapuni.  But having also won the Manawatu Challenge Stakes last year to complete a treble that began…