Month: March 2024

Multiple Group One winning mare Atishu has claimed a berth in the A$4 million All-Star Mile (1600m) with a strong victory in the Gr.2 Blamey Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday. The Chris Waller-trained daughter of Savabeel was ridden more forward than usual under Blake Shinn, who was aboard the six-year-old for the first time, defeating Holymanz by three-quarters of a length, with Ayrton close-up in third after being held-up for a run. “We know she is a filly that has had her share of issues in the barriers and…

Drakaina’s commanding victory in Saturday’s Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes (1400m) at Wingatui completed a remarkable rise to prominence for a filly that was bought for just $3,000. The daughter of Ace High caught the eye of her trainer and part-owner Ebony Turner on Gavelhouse last year. She was unplaced on debut at Ascot Park in November, then won at $50 odds at Gore on December 24 before finishing fourth in the Listed Gore Guineas (1335m) and second in last month’s Listed Dunedin Guineas (1400m). Drakaina stepped out as a $5.50…

Roger James is now the most successful trainer in the history of the Gr.1 Trackside New Zealand Derby (2400m), but even that enormous achievement was overshadowed at Ellerslie on Saturday by the new superstar of his Cambridge stable. Orchestral became the sixth Derby winner for James, following on from Tidal Light (1986), Roysyn (1995), Zonda (1997), Hades (1999) and Silent Achiever (2012). Saturday’s win took him one ahead of the great Colin Jillings, who had previously shared the record with five. But for James, Saturday’s $1 million classic was all…

Te Akau Racing’s former trainer Jamie Richards had a stranglehold on the Mufhasa Stakes (1400m) on New Zealand Derby Day, and his successors Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson continued that tradition at Ellerslie on Saturday. The runaway premiership leaders won the Mainstream Plumbing-sponsored Group Three feature with classy Waikato Stud homebred Certainly, who became the fourth Mufhasa Stakes winner in the last five years to come from Te Akau’s Matamata stable. Richards had previously won the race with Star Of Bombay in 2020, Need I Say More in 2021 and…

Unheralded Almanzor filly Positivity sprang an upset at Ellerslie on Saturday when she fought doggedly in the run home to take out the Gr.3 McKee Family Sunline Vase (2100m) and claim her first stakes victory. The Andrew Forsman-prepared three-year-old was having just her fifth start and had looked a likely staying prospect when breaking her maiden status over 1600m a Tauranga at just her second start. She was spotted running on nicely in two subsequent efforts in black-type company without much luck, however punters overlooked those performances as she drifted…

Underrated mare Maria Farina outsprinted several of the country’s top gallopers to secure Saturday’s Gr.3 Haunui Farm King’s Plate (1200m) at Ellerslie. The daughter of Contributer has flown relatively under the radar this season, despite having accumulated six career victories, including the Listed Lightning Handicap (1200m), and Listed Stewards Stakes (1200m) during New Zealand Cup Week in November. Maria Farina lined up in both the Gr.1 Railway (1200m) and Gr.1 Telegraph (1200m) over the summer months with regular pilot Sam Weatherley aboard, and despite finishing sixth and fifth respectively, her…