Month: February 2024

It was a tougher first-up that had been hoped for, but star galloper Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) appears to have come through his rousing win in the Gr.1 C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield unscathed on Sunday morning. Co-trainer Ben Hayes said on Sunday that Mr Brightside’s effort to come off the canvas and run down dual Group 1 winner Pride Of Jenni took an immediate toll, but said he was confident the run would not upset the autumn plans for his five-time Gr.1 winner of nearly $12 million in…

A first-time defeat has not deterred connections of Crocetti (NZ) (Zacinto) from a potential Melbourne raid this autumn, with next month’s Gr.1 Australian Guineas still a possible target. Crocetti won his first seven races before narrowly falling short in the Gr.1 BCD Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa on Saturday behind Bonny Lass (NZ) (Super Easy), but co-trainer Danny Walker said on Sunday that a decision remained on whether he will chase the Group One classic at Flemington. “He is a chance, but we are going to make a decision later…

It was a magical ten minutes for broodmare Geordie Girl on Saturday as two of her progeny won feature races in succession. Within moments of glamour four-year-old mare Legarto (NZ) (Proisir) taking the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa, her older half-sister Emanon (NZ) (Burgundy) put her eleventh career win on the board by claiming the C S Stevens Memorial Banks Peninsula Cup (1100m) at Riccarton. While there may not have been as much focus and hoopla around Emanon as there was for the Legarto victory, her core…

Promising southern galloper Mystic Park (NZ) (Ocean Park) set himself up for a potentially lucrative payday on his home track at Riccarton in April when bolting home in the TAB Southern Alps Golden Ticket (1400m) qualifier at the venue on Saturday. The victory makes him exempt from ballot for the rich $350,000 Southern Alps Challenge (1600m), a new innovation event from the TAB to be run at Riccarton on 13 April for horses that have their trainers operating a premises in the South Island from 1 August last year, have…

Progressive intermediate galloper Kingfisher (NZ) (Savabeel) bounced back to winning form with an impressive victory in Rating75 company over 1200m at Te Rapa on Saturday. Sporting the famous Fletcher tartan colours carried with distinction by horses of the calibre of triple Gr.1 Railway Handicap (1200m) winner Mr Tiz, the four-year-old son of Savabeel was having his third run in a summer campaign following an initial preparation that yielded three wins from just eight starts. Trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott went into the race with a high degree of confidence…

While the headliners of Te Akau Racing were chasing black-type honours at Te Rapa on Saturday, four of the first six victors at Riccarton Park donned the tangerine silks. Te Akau’s southern contingent, handled by stable foreman Hunter Durrant, got off to a flying start in the opener claiming the Riccarton Park Function Centre Maiden (1600m) with Beau Brummell (NZ) (Embellish). Sired by former Te Akau star Embellish, Beau Brummell was a strong public elect closing the $2.80 TAB favourite, and stable apprentice Niranjan Parmar found a comfortable position early…