Month: April 2024

It has taken a while, but Paul Preusker says Captain Envious (NZ) (Savabeel) is now the seasoned stayer that can be targeted towards Australia’s best staying races. The Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup are on Preusker’s mind as Captain Envious heads towards start number 20 in the Listed Mornington Cup (2400m) on Saturday. Success in Saturday’s race will give Captain Envious a ballot exemption into the Caulfield Cup (2400m) in October, while Preusker is also planning to start the stayer in the Listed Andrew Ramsden Stakes (2800m) at Flemington next…

Michael Kent Jnr is eagerly looking forward to next month’s South Australian Derby with Warmonger, after his close second placing behind Air Assault in the Port Adelaide Guineas (1800m) last Saturday. The Mick Price and Kent Jnr-trained three-year-old gelding took significant ground from Air Assault over the last 200m at Morphettville, but fell short by a short half head. “Warmonger was second-up in the Port Adelaide Guineas and Air Assault, who is a smart horse, was fourth-up and he had a cushy lead,” Kent Jnr said. “I think our horse…

After spending more than two decades travelling the world as a chef, Gavin Opie returned to New Zealand 14 years ago to pursue his initial love of horses, and now he has joined the 100-win club as a trainer. He brought up the milestone at Arawa Park on Wednesday when Opaea Joe (NZ) (Puccini) got his nose in front on the line to take out the Lance Lawson 1230. “We have had a lot of seconds, so to get that off the back now is great,” Opie said. “It was…

Eudora (NZ) (Pins) has proved to be an invaluable and much-loved member of the Waikato Stud broodmare band. A racing career was never a possibility for the daughter of Pins, but she has endeared herself to the Matamata operation with her deeds at stud and a 100 percent record with all six of her foals successful. “Eudora’s a great old girl, she had an early breeding start because she’s only got one eye and didn’t race and she’s done a fantastic job,” farm principal Mark Chittick said. The star of…

A bright future is being tipped for Super Photon following his debut win in the Arawa Park Hotel 2YO 1150 at Rotorua on Wednesday. The son of Super Seth jumped away fairly from his ace barrier and took an early trail behind pacemaker Force Of Law before jockey Joe Doyle was able to navigate him into the coveted one-one position behind the regally-bred Magice. Turning for home, Super Photon peeled three-wide and quickly ranged up alongside the Magice and Force Of Law and showed his class in the concluding stages…

Good Oil (NZ) (Dalghar) has continued to impress Andrew Forsman this season and the Cambridge trainer will give the eye-catching frontrunner his first Australian test in Saturday’s Listed Mornington Cup (2400m). The son of Dalghar took time to develop, only breaking his maiden early as a four-year-old, but a season later he has rapidly stepped through the grades over middle-distance trips with 11 top-four finishes in his 13 starts this term. In his familiar pace-making role, Good Oil almost caused an upset in both the Gr.2 Avondale Cup (2400m) and…