Month: September 2023

Tim and Margaret Carter’s stable star Johny Johny continues to deliver for his Cambridge trainers, completing a hat-trick of Open Handicap sprint victories at Te Rapa on Sunday. Johny Johny flew from barrier eight and a patient Jim Chung took his time crossing the field to take up the pace in the gelding’s signature front-running style, a hot tempo leaving the 12-strong field strung out in his wake heading to the home turn. Race favourite Sacred Satono was fresh-up from an Autumn campaign in Sydney and looked a threat to…

Stakes performer Luberon (NZ) (Embellish) booked her ticket to Riccarton later this spring with a convincing win in the Riverbank Chambers (1200m) at Te Rapa on Sunday. The daughter of Embellish readied for her first assignment of the season with an 850m trial at Te Awamutu last month where she finished runner-up behind Group Three winner Devastate, and trainer Lance Noble was pleased with his charge heading into the weekend. Luberon jumped well and settled handy for jockey Warren Kennedy and tracked Screamin Eagle throughout. Kennedy produced his filly into…

It was a memorable day for Ryan Foote at Te Rapa on Sunday, with the Cambridge horseman recording his first training win courtesy of The Bambino in the Holah Homes Hurdle (2800m). Foote joined his father Ben in training partnership at the start of the season and he was delighted to get off the mark on Sunday. “I am pretty stoked. It is good to put the work in and get the rewards, especially on a day like today,” he said. “We have had a few seconds and been a…

The rise to prominence of Viva Vienna has been of no surprise to Westbury Stud general manager Russell Warwick, who formed a strong early opinion of the filly. The daughter of All Too Hard was bred by farm principal Gerry Harvey and sold through the Karaka nursery’s draft to Te Akau chief David Ellis for $100,000 at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale. Viva Vienna has won four of her seven starts, including success in Saturday’s Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) for trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson at Riccarton…

The phenomenal rise of Pasir Pinji (NZ) (Nadeem), named after a new village in Ipoh, will forever earn a place in the annals of horse racing in Malaysia. The New Zealand bred gelding arrived from Singapore with just one win in an Open Maiden in 18 starts at Kranji. A year ago this month, the son of Nadeem made a winning start to his Malaysian campaign, winning a Class 5B race. He swiftly made progress with eight wins in 10 more starts but was still a Class 4 horse last…