Month: April 2024

Group 3 winner Grand Impact is ready to get his career back on track in the Hareeba Stakes (1200m) at Mornington on Saturday. Grand Impact burst onto the racing scene in spring 2022, winning his first three starts including the G3 Blue Sapphire Stakes on a Heavy track at Caulfield. His co-trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr then threw him in the deep end when they ran him in the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes and he finished 12th, but only 5.25 lengths adrift of winner In Secret. He then…

Mark Walker will have at least five runners at Morphettville next Saturday as Te Akau Racing attempts to plunder the record prizemoney on offer during Adelaide’s showpiece carnival. The stable’s NZ Oaks (2400m) placegetter Qali Al Farrasha will make her Australian debut in the $1 million Group 1 Australasian Oaks (2000m), while Skew Wiff will look to add an Australian G1 win to her top-flight New Zealand success when she tackles the $1m Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m). Melbourne-based assistant trainer Ben Gleeson said Qali Al Farrasha has been in Australia…

The international and domestic buying bench went head-to-head during the 2024 National Online Yearling Sale held on Gavelhouse Plus, with top prices secured by the progeny of Ace High, King’s Legacy, Per Incanto, and Zousain just to name a few.  However, it was the renowned nursery Brighthill Farm’s, Lot 36 that came out on top. The filly by in-form sire Written Tycoon from Mozzie Monster (Sebring) was secured by Stephen Marsh and Dylan Johnson Bloodstock for $80,000.   “We love Written Tycoon as a stallion, and his fillies are like gold, they are getting harder…

A better barrier draw will keep Grid Girl at home for the Mornington Guineas. Lindsay Park trainers Ben, Will and J D Hayes have elected to keep Grid Girl (NZ) (Time Test) in Melbourne for another start before the possibility of tackling Stakes company. Grid Girl will run in the Mornington Guineas (1600m) on Saturday rather than travel to Adelaide for the Listed H C Nitschke Stakes (1400m) on the inner track at Morphettville. A better barrier draw at Mornington, four as against 14, was crucial in that decision, but…

Fresh off his rich payday after taking out last Saturday’s $350,000 TAB Southern Alps Challenge (1600m) at Riccarton, Matscot (NZ) (Haradasun) will return to the Christchurch track this weekend in search of more feature spoils. Initially set to target Saturday’s Gr.3 Coca-Cola Canterbury Gold Cup (2000m), trainer Sharon Robertson elected to make a late bid for the Southern Alps last week, which more than paid off for the local trainer. Her decision earned her and fellow part-owners $175,000, bringing Matscot’s season tally to four wins, including the Listed Spring Classic…

Fraser Auret couldn’t find any reason not to send his ultra-consistent filly Race Ace (NZ) (Swiss Ace) south to chase down a deserved black-type victory. The Marton trainer can’t fault the three-year-old, who will again be partnered by Lisa Allpress in Saturday’s Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Warstep Stakes (2000m) at Riccarton. “It’s always a case of race by race with these fillies and I was certainly mindful that she has had a big season and there’s only so many times you can ask these young girls to peak,” Auret said.…

Matamata trainers Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall were rapt with their treble at Arawa Park on Wednesday, and they are hoping they can continue that winning form into the rest of the week. Therapeutic (NZ) (Time Test) kicked off the treble when taking out the Greenlight Insurance Brokers 1560 before Confiance (NZ) (Proisir) and Darci’s Angel (NZ) (Darci Brahma) carried Social Racing’s colours to victory in the Novara Park 1560 and Campbell Infrastructure 1560 respectively. “I am absolutely over the moon,” Richardson said. “It’s good for Social Racing, Brent and…

An omen barrier may prove the key to Waitak’s (NZ) (Proisir) success in a star-studded line-up for Saturday’s A$4 million The Quokka (1200m) in Perth. The son of Proisir is trained by Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott, and the latter flew from their Matamata base to Western Australia to be present at the Breakfast With The Stars promotional event, where he drew barrier 10 for the Gr.1 Railway (1200m) winner. While the gate assists Waitak’s racing pattern of settling back and showing his sharp sprint late, it also has acted…

Up and coming staying prospect Investigate (NZ) (Dundeel) promises to give another bold account of himself at Ellerslie on Saturday in what is likely to be the final appearance of his current campaign. The Tony Pike-prepared son of Dundeel has relished the step up to middle-distance racing and appeals as a leading chance in the Gr.3 Trelawney Stud Championship Stakes (2100m). He is one of a quartet of strong black-type chances for Pike, who also has Lanikai (NZ) (Ocean Park) in the three-year-old feature while Rudyard- (NZ) (Charm Spirit) contests…