By Jonny Turner Despite being training partners and husband and wife, Colin and Julie DeFilippi will go head to head in the Rangiora Summer Cup on Sunday. The DeFilippi stable will have a big hand in the grass track feature when starting the favourite Here’s Herbie and the well-supported Heza Sport. As well as training the pair, the DeFilippis also own their two starters, with Julie the owner of Here’s Herbie while Colin races Heza Sport. Here’s Herbie was a runaway winner of the recent Geraldine Cup, and he looks…
Year: 2023
NZ Racing and Breeding News – 17 December 2023
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Grebeni continues winning march
Smart four-year-old gelding Grebeni (Ocean Park) recorded his sixth career victory when running out a strong winner of the Cactus Imaging Handicap (1600m) at Randwick on Saturday. The Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou-trained son of Ocean Park had previously finished midfield in the Festival Stakes (1500m) a fortnight ago and bounced back with a gritty performance on Saturday. Ridden by Kerrin McEvoy, Grebeni carried 53kgs to victory as he came from midfield to defeat Glory Daze (Cotai Glory) and King Of The Castle (NZ) (Castledale), in a field that featured…
STUART HALE MEMORIAL YEARLING TOUR 2024 January 7th – 12th 2024
This tour offers a unique opportunity to view almost 750 yearlings heading to Karaka 2024 on their farms. Taking place over six days, the tour is open to both industry participants and the general public. There is no fee to attend the tour and bus transport, kindly sponsored by New Zealand Bloodstock, is available, departing from and returning to Cambridge BP daily. A number of stud farms will also kindly sponsor refreshments (breakfast, lunch, dinner). The tour is open to everybody but registration is required, please contact Ed Stapleton on…
Smart filly Bangon in Eulogy
Under-rated filly Still Bangon (NZ) (Satono Aladdin) stepped up to stakes class and prevailed in a nail-biting finish to the Gr.3 LawnMaster Eulogy Stakes (1600m) at Trentham on Saturday. Trained by Stephen Autridge for owner-breeders Paul and Maureen Guise, the daughter of Satono Aladdin came into Saturday’s black-type debut with a win, three placings and a fourth to her name from her seven previous career starts. That included a relegation to second after being first past the post in a maiden race at Taupo in September. The beneficiary of that…
Is It Me cruises to Caulfield success
Is It Me (Iffraaj) posted a dominant win at Caulfield on Saturday, backing up his impressive last-start victory and giving Celine Gaudray an early treble at Caulfield. Prepared by Daniel Bowman, the gelding, who has only finished out of the placings twice from nine starts, was subject to heavy market support prior to the 1200m Benchmark 70 and started a $2.70 favourite. Jumping from the middle alley, Gaudray positioned the four-year-old son of Iffraaj three wide with cover down the side of the course, stalking third-elect Pink Beau Ty (Brazen…
Dionysus lifts stable spirits with Waikato Cup victory
Consistent stayer Dionysus (NZ) (Ocean Park) provided Roger James and Robert Wellwood with a positive end to a tough week when scoring a fighting victory in the Gr.3 SkyCity Hamilton Waikato Cup (2400m) on Saturday at Te Rapa. The Cambridge training partners announced the retirement of superstar mare Prowess (NZ) (Proisir) earlier in the week, but were back at the fore on Friday at Tauranga with Hastobeawinner (NZ) (Vadamos) victorious over 1400m, and headed to Te Rapa with the Cup favourite on Saturday. With the scratching of well-fancied runner Aromatic…
Commander Harry back in winner’s circle
Handy stayer Commander Harry (NZ) (Reliable Man) returned to the winner’s circle for the first time in more than 800 days when winning the Quayclean Handicap (2000m) at Caulfield under a perfect Jamie Mott ride. These days prepared by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, the five-year-old gelding hadn’t won since breaking maiden ranks over 1450m at Kilmore in September 2021 when trained by Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young. The son of Reliable Man finished runner-up in the Gr.2 Moonee Valley Vase (2040m) won by Forgot You (NZ) (Savabeel) and campaigned…
Group Two win sets Campionessa up for Group One goal
A commanding victory in Saturday’s Gr.2 Cal Isuzu Stakes (1600m) at Te Rapa completed a rare fillies and mares’ feature double for Campionessa (NZ) (Contributer). The Te Akau Racing mare became only the fourth horse to win the Gr.2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) and the Cal Isuzu in the same season, joining Just Apollo (1995), Calveen (2004) and Ruud Van Slaats (2008). Campionessa was bought by David Ellis in Australia as a yearling in 2019, and her 26-start career has now produced nine wins, eight placings and more than…
Caulfield triumph for well-travelled Piaggio
Six-year-old gelding Piaggio (NZ) (Vespa) landed a breakthrough metropolitan victory for trainer Greg Eurell when successful at Caulfield on Saturday in the Millennium Services Group Handicap (1600m). Ridden by Celine Gaudray, Piaggio sat outside eventual runner-up Montather (Dubawi) for the majority of the contest, before pulling away from his rivals inside the final furlong to score by half a length. A son of Vespa, Piaggio commenced his career with trainers Johno Benner and Hollie Wynyard in New Zealand, where he placed in the Gr.3 Taranaki Classic (1200m) as a two-year-old…