Month: February 2024

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Tony Pike’s classy pair of Harlow Rocks and Vera Rose put their hands up for loftier targets after playing the bridesmaid role at Te Rapa on Saturday. Harlow Rocks, a daughter of Roc De Cambes, had shown early promise including a strong maiden victory in late November, before a switch to the right-handed track at Pukekohe was not to her liking in a first attempt at black-type on Boxing Day. Cambridge-based Pike opted to scratch the filly from the Listed Oaks Prelude (1800m) in deteriorating New Plymouth conditions on February…

Star sprinter Imperatriz (I Am Invincible) has had her final piece of fast work at The Valley on Monday morning ahead of her autumn return in Saturday’s A$1 million Gr.1 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m). Trainer Mark Walker was on hand to watch the gallop with in-form stablemate Sans Doute over 800 metres. The pair clocked 51.72 for the work and their last 400 metres in 23.94. Walker said despite last Monday’s underwhelming trial, it had always been the plan to bring Imperatriz to The Valley for the workout, where she…

Exciting sprinter Master Fay is set to test his talents across the Tasman, with the six-year-old gelding booked to fly to Melbourne next week to chase elite-level targets. The former Hong Kong galloper repaid the faith of owner-trainer Chad Ormsby with his dominant display when winning the Gr.3 Concorde Handicap (1200m) at Ellerslie last month, and his post-race condition has given the Matamata horseman the confidence to press on toward bigger targets. “He is a lot better now than he was before the race,” Ormsby said. “I think he has…

Scott Eagleton might not have had the best seat in the house to watch Molly Bloom’s latest success, but it didn’t detract from the satisfaction derived from the star filly’s return to winning ways. The Seaton Park principal bred and sold the high-class daughter of Ace High whose victory in Saturday’s Gr.2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic (2000m) at Te Rapa may have been her final appearance in New Zealand. “It was another huge result for the farm, even though we couldn’t get there,” Eagleton said. “We were on…

It was a day of doubles for Ballymore Stables and owner Sir Peter Vela, of Pencarrow Stud, at Tauranga on Sunday, with the pair combining to score in the Pure Lighting Maiden (1200m) with debutant Naxos. The three-year-old son of Harry Angel was having her first raceday start and first public outing since finishing third in a close three-way finish in his 850m heat at Te Awamutu in December. While he came off third best in that contest, he wasn’t to be outdone in another close finish in his first…