Month: March 2024

Jimmysstar (NZ) (Per Incanto) won’t contest Saturday’s Gr.3 Shaftsbury Avenue at Flemington, with connections opting instead to head to the Gr.3 Horsepower Newcastle Stakes on Friday. Managing owner Ozzie Kheir confirmed the plans to Racing.com and said Jimmysstar will travel interstate on Wednesday evening. “The temperature expected on Saturday in Melbourne was a big consideration to the change of plans,” Kheir revealed, with a forecast of 39 degrees for the Victorian capital. Jimmysstar is a $2.20 favourite at Newcastle and had been rated a $2.30 chance at Flemington, with his…

A rising star of the three-year-old ranks and a colt that has already stamped himself among the best of his generation will clash for the first time in a tantalising rendition of the Randwick Guineas. The Group One race features a small but select field of 11 runners but it is the match-up between Hobartville Stakes winner Celestial Legend (Dundeel) and proven big race performer Militarize (NZ) (Dundeel) that has been the major pre-race talking point. Celestial Legend lived up to his promise with a stunning Hobartville Stakes (1400m) win…

Promising filly Bedtime Story (NZ) (Per Incanto) will get her opportunity at attaining black-type in next week’s Gr.2 Wellington Guineas (1400m) following her victory in the Cavallo Farm & Chris Rutten Bloodstock 3YO (1300m) at Otaki on Wednesday. It was the third victory from five starts for the daughter of Per Incanto, having placed in her other two starts. After jumping away fairly, Bedtime Story settled three back on the fence for jockey Kozzi Asano before finding herself in the trail with 500m to go after Revolt came off the…

Owners Alastair Lawrence and John Rattray, of Bonneval (NZ) (Makfi) fame, have had success sending horses to Waipukurau trainer Simon Wilson over the last few years and they are hoping that continues with their Group Three winner Marroni (NZ) (Makfi). Wilson had previously been entrusted with Scutar (NZ) (O’Reilly) and Vidiano (Pierro) for the partnership, with the former posting three of his four victories under Wilson’s care, while Vidiano also tasted success from the Central Hawke’s Bay barn. Wilson’s rural, boutique stable environment has proven to be a successful recipe…

Stephen Marsh’s immediate focus is on Ellerslie this Saturday with stable star Velocious (Written Tycoon), but he’s also got an eye on a following juvenile prize. The Cambridge trainer is upbeat about her chances in the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) and, all going well, a Central Districts venture awaits the filly, with the trip offering massive future benefits. Velocious has won three of her four starts and the precocious daughter of Written Tycoon has ticked all the boxes since her dominant victory in the Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m). “She had…