By Jonny Turner Cran Dalgety hopes All You Need Is Me can show her speed rather than her sass in her debut at Nelson on Friday. The royally bred daughter of leading sire Captaintreacherous and the superstar racemare Adore Me will make her debut in race 5 with Carter Dalgety in the sulky. While she has plenty to live up to, All You Need Is Me has shown her share of her family’s ability in her recent trial outings. Cran Dalgety just wants to see the filly concentrating on the…
Month: January 2024
Ascot races postponed due to warm weather
The nine-race program set down for decision at Ascot Racecourse in Western Australia has been postponed owing to soaring temperatures. Announced on the social media platform ‘X’, the official twitter account for The Races WA confirmed the news. “Please be advised that the meeting scheduled for Ascot on Saturday 13/1 will not proceed due to the extreme heat forecast,” the message read. “Advice from BOM is that the forecast is now 41 and will endure at that temperature until the evening. Racing WA is currently working through contingency plans for…
Feedback sought on big shake up to racing calendar
Submissions are now open into a proposal to increase the number of harness race meetings in this country from August this year. TAB operators Entain has floated the idea of potentially having extra meetings in the 2024/25 season with the majority of them being held early in the week, mainly on a Monday and Tuesday. “Entain’s presence opens up an opportunity to do things differently and we are excited about that but a huge amount of work is required in terms of horse numbers, race day costs and funding,” says…
Imperatriz aims for Lightning strike
Champion mare Imperatriz (I Am Invincible) has ticked the first box of her next campaign, galloping smartly at Cranbourne under the watchful eye of trainer Mark Walker on Thursday morning. A short spell followed The Te Akau mare’s infallible spring, where she claimed three Group Ones in succession, and the focus has now turned to shaping her up for the Lightning Stakes in just over a month. Imperatriz was quite fired up when heading onto the training course, but Walker was far from concerned, and rather encouraged by the feisty…
Guineas goal for Otago
Mick Price knows exactly what horse is takes to win the Gr.1 Australian Guineas (1600m) and is hopeful that Otago (NZ) (Ocean Park) can win on Saturday and put his hand up as a possible contender. Price, who now trains in partnership with Michael Kent Jnr, has won the three-year-old feature three times with Light Fantastic (Danehill Dancer) in 2008, Heart Of Dreams (Show A Heart) in 2009 and Grunt (NZ) (O’Reilly) in 2018 and says Saturday’s benchmark 70 over 1400m looks a nice test. “It could be him if…
Long association reaps Group One rewards
Group One-winning sprinter Waitak (NZ) (Proisir) is continuing a proud and successful association between veteran breeder and owner Colin Devine and the O’Sullivan family. Waitak produced a stunning performance to claim top honours in the Gr.1 Railway (1200m) at Pukekohe for Devine and trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott on New Year’s Day, and they are hoping to continue that success at Te Rapa next month. “He’ll run next in the BCD Sprint (G1, 1400m), it will be a space between runs but he won’t mind that and he does…
Savvy investment could produce Magic result
Ainsley Downs Stud’s policy of purchasing older mares in Australia has been rewarded with another feature race contender across the Tasman. The Courtney Howells-bred Vianarra (Shalaa) will take aim at The Star Gold Coast Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m) and win, lose or draw the Te Kauwhata nursery is delighted to have a representative in the A$3 million feature. “I don’t know if any New Zealand breeders have managed that and it shows that you never know where the next good one is coming from,” he said. “He’s a runner’s…
Frye chasing inter-island spoils
Danny Frye will have an eye on each of the islands on Saturday, with the Balcairn trainer set to be represented at both Trentham and Wingatui. Frye is heading north to Trentham with Our Echo (NZ) (Echoes of Heaven), who will tackle the Gr.3 Dixon & Dunlop Anniversary (1600m) ahead of a potential tilt at the Gr.1 Harcourts Thorndon Mile (1600m) a week later. “He has earned his shot to have a go at the big league. Hopefully he might get every chance on Saturday to let us know how…
Stud tour sparks successful venture
Attending a New Zealand stud tour could turn into a lucrative payday for Queensland trainers Maddysen and Tony Sears. Maddysen Sears was invited on an Australian Young Trainers Tour hosted by New Zealand Thoroughbred Marketing in December, 2022, and the trip across the Tasman was the catalyst for the pair attending New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sales a month later and purchasing $1 million TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) contender Beau Dazzler (NZ) (Ardrossan). “Dad (Tony Sears) is a Kiwi, so I have been over there quite a few times…
Mary Shan up for Group One challenge
Mary Shan (NZ) (Almanzor) is due to go one better and claim a black-type title and the gifted filly is heavily favoured to rise to the challenge in Saturday’s Gr.1 Levin Classic (1600m) at Trentham. The Andrew Forsman-trained representative is the pre-post favourite in the Cambridge Stud-sponsored feature and it would be an appropriate victory as her sire Almanzor stands at the Waikato nursery. Mary Shan has finished runner-up at Group Two level in both the Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) and the Eight Carat Classic (1600m) and in between times was…