Month: May 2024

Endued brought his Hong Kong future a big step closer with a four-length victory in the Rohan Mudhoo Trust 2YO (1200m) at Woodville on Friday. The son of Deep Field was a $400,000 purchase at Karaka last year by Hong Kong-based Kiwi trainer Jamie Richards in partnership with Andrew Williams Bloodstock. Richards entrusted the early stages of the gelding’s career to his Matamata-based father Paul, who held up his end of the bargain with Friday’s important win. “The horse is owned in Hong Kong (by Ben Wong) and was bought…

Te Akau Racing will be vying to score juvenile stakes titles on opposite ends of the country on Saturday. New Zealand’s leading stable will have a two-pronged attack in the Listed Berkley Stud Champagne Stakes (1200m) at Riccarton courtesy of Discretion Rules and debutant Colonel Warden, while Fortuna Syndicate’s Star Shadow will be their sole representative in the Listed Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre 2YO Stakes (1400m) at Te Rapa. Discretion Rules has been very consistent, placing in all three of his starts to date, including runner-up behind stablemate Nucleozor in…

Trainers Graeme and Debbie Rogerson are currently enjoying time in Hong Kong but will be keeping a close eye on racing at Te Rapa on Saturday where they are hopeful exciting juvenile Domain Ace can triumph in the Listed Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre 2YO Stakes (1400m). The son of Swiss Ace has been faultless in his two raceday outings to date and his trainers are hoping he can extend his winning streak to three this weekend, with TAB bookmakers favouring that outcome, with the youngster heading the market at $3.10…

For someone that won $10 million in a Lotto haul, Lou Te Keeti still rues the day he let a homebred yearling slide for $20,000. Hindsight is an amazing thing in bloodstock and the reason Te Keeti’s mind regularly returns to those lonely minutes in the COVID-affected Karaka ring in 2020 is that the horse in question turned out to be pretty good. His name is Bold Soul and, off the back of Stakes wins in the Launceston Guineas, Tasmanian Derby and Chairman’s Stakes, the three-year-old will go in search…

With the prospect of Group One glory both now and in the spring, Saturday looms as an exciting afternoon for Stephen Marsh. The Cambridge trainer will saddle Antrim Coast as a live contender for the Gr.1 South Australian Derby (2500m) at Morphettville, while the unbeaten two-year-old Super Photon can confirm his Group One credentials for next season with another bold performance in the Listed Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre 2YO Stakes (1400m) at Te Rapa. Antrim Coast will attempt to become the second Group One winner in Australia for Marsh, who…

Well-related New Zealand-bred Affluential continued his purple patch of form at Warrnambool on Thursday when taking out the Novice Hurdle (3200m). The full-brother to the ill-fated 11-time Group One winner Verry Elleegant has been in sensational form since joining Pakenham trainer John Lee Jnr’s barn, winning three and placing in three of his last six starts. The son of Zed won his maiden hurdle, over two miles, at Pakenham last month before he returned to the flat at Cranbourne a fortnight later where he won over 2520m. The Bob Peters-owned…

Wind Rush will head to Te Rapa on Saturday with the right pedigree and form to be a major player in the Listed Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre 2YO Stakes (1400m). The gelding is trained by Tony Pike and is by Almanzor out of the Fast ‘n’ Famous mare Our Famous Eve, who herself won the Gr.2 Japan Trophy (1600m) and placed at Group One level. Our Famous Eve has enjoyed further time in the spotlight recently through the deeds of Wind Rush’s full-brother Adam I Am, who showed Group One…