The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained Hezashocka (NZ) (Shocking) relished the heavy track at Newcastle to break a 22-month hiatus from the winner’s stall in the Listed Gosford Gold Cup (2200m). Stable representative Ben Elam said he was delighted to see rain lashing Newcastle, knowing it would play to the strength of the six-year-old son of Shocking. “He’s a horse that, the more rain the better, so when we were sitting in the pub last night having a beer and talking about the races and the Newcastle trots got…
Month: May 2024
Boognish gets her head down in Group 3 Proud Miss Stakes
Boognish has taken out the Group 3 Proud Miss Stakes. (Photo by George Sal/Racing Photos) It was a grandstand finish in the Group 3 Proud Miss Stakes (1200m) as the Will Clarken & Niki O’Shea-trained Boognish (+1000) got the head down in a blanket finish at Morphettville on Saturday afternoon. She had it all to do from barrier 16, with local superstar jockey Jamie Kah electing to drag back towards the rear of the field, leaving the speed battle up front. Wonderful Tonight (+2000) and Tropicconi (+4000) burst clear to…
QLD Oaks target for Scarlet
Scarlet Oak is Queensland bound after a strong win at Newcastle Photo: Steve Hart Former New Zealander Scarlet Oak has rocketed to the second line of betting in the Group 1 Queensland Oaks (2200m) following an easy victory at Newcastle. Having just her second start in Australia and third overall, the three-year-old filly made light work of her opponents in Saturday’s Signarama Erina/Gosford Handicap (1600m) to all but confirm a trip north. Partnered by champion apprentice Zac Lloyd, the Chris Waller-trained Scarlet Oak ($2.30 fav) zipped through along the inside…
Positivity justifies short quote in Group 3 SA Fillies Classic
Positivity has taken out the Group 3 SA Fillies Classic at Morphettville. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) It was a one-act affair in the Group 3 SA Fillies Classic (2500m) at Morphettville on Saturday afternoon, with the Andrew Forsman-trained Positivity (+130) bolting clear to claim the $170,000 prize. She put the writing on the wall in her latest outing in the Group 1 Australasian Oaks (2000m) on April 27 and appeared to want to stretch out over further after closing off impressively. It was a patient ride by Damian Lane,…
Valuable Rotorua Cup win for Cambridge Stud homebred
Bella Waters winning the Listed Campbell Infrastructure Rotorua Cup (2200m) at Arawa Park on Saturday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Well-related Cambridge Stud mare Bella Waters was thrown in at the deep end for Saturday’s Listed Rotorua Cup (2200m), but she proved that she belonged at black-type level with a highly valuable win. Bred and raced by Brendan and Jo Lindsay, Bella Waters is by Sacred Falls out of the Irish-bred mare But Beautiful. That makes her a half-sister to Immediacy, a classy Melbourne three-year-old who won this season’s Group…
Feature double for Hashizume at Rotorua
Karman Line (inside) gets the better of La Crique in Saturday’s Group 3 Rotorua ITM Stakes (1400m) at Arawa Park. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Red-hot rider Masa Hashizume added further plaudits to an already outstanding season when he piloted Karman Line to a deserved victory in the Group 3 Rotorua ITM Stakes (1400m) on Saturday. Hashizume has already smashed his previous season’s best winning tally of 33 victories set in the 2021/2022 racing year with a current total of 53 wins at the close of play on Saturday, including…
Rocababy all the way at New Plymouth
Rocababy winning at New Plymouth on Saturday. Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North) An emphatic front-running win at New Plymouth on Saturday hinted at a lucrative winter campaign over the next few months for Rocababy. Most of the highlights of the Hawera mare’s career have come on her favoured rain-affected footing, including a victory over subsequent Group 1 winner Romancing The Moon in the Listed O’Learys Fillies’ Stakes (1200m) at Wanganui as a three-year-old. Rocababy faced only three opponents in Saturday’s The Rock (1400m), and jockey Lisa Allpress took…
Flyer bursts between runner to claim David Coles AM Stakes
Flyer winning previously at Sandown. (Pat Scala/Racing Photos) Craig Williams & Jason Warren have combined to claim the two-year-old feature at Morphettville on Saturday afternoon, as Flyer (+360) burst clear to claim victory in the Group 3 David Coles AM Stakes (1200m). The daughter of Exceedance showed a blistering turn-of-foot in the concluding stages after getting a terrific ride in transit by the star hoop, timing his run to perfection on the back of the leader. It was the Phillip Stokes-trained The Dabble Effect (+1100) attempting to make every post…
Kennedy steers Fancify to easy Caulfield triumph
Fancify cruises to victory at Caulfield under Jaylah Kennedy. Photo: Bruno Cannatelli While the feature race focus has been on Adelaide over the past few weeks, South Australian trainer Michael Hickmott sent handy four-year-old mare Fancify to Caulfield where she scored a comfortable victory in the Rod Griffiths Handicap (1400m). The daughter of Niagara was perfectly ridden by in-form apprentice Jaylah Kennedy comfortably finding the lead and controlling the tempo throughout before kicking away from her rivals in the home straight. It was the ninth metropolitan winner this season for…
Geriatrix Brisbane bound
Geriatrix winning at Arawa Park on Saturday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Wexford Stables’ Queensland contingent will receive some reinforcements in the coming weeks following Geriatrix’s win in the Van Dyk’s 3YO 1400 at Arawa Park on Saturday. The three-year-old son of Almanzor was on trial to join stablemates Molly Bloom and Tomodachi across the Tasman, and secured his plane ticket with a comfortable 1.75 length triumph. He was taken back early to settle third last for jockey Sam Spratt, who bided her time before asking her charge to improve…