Month: June 2024

New Zealand-bred gelding Hard To Cross further enhanced his impressive record at Sandown with victory in Saturday’s A$130,000 Quayclean Handicap (1600m). The son of All Too Hard has had a total of 20 starts for six wins and five placings, earning A$381,055 for his big group of owners. But he saves his very best for Sandown, where his eight starts have produced five wins and two placings. A winner in Benchmark 70 and Benchmark 84 company at Sandown in his last two appearances, Hard To Cross lined up in Benchmark…

Richard Laming’s decision to scratch Name Dropper from a A$27,000 midweek race at Sale paid dividends when the Kiwi-bred gelding took on city company at Sandown on Saturday and maintained his unbeaten record. The son of Tavistock won his only previous start, which was a 1400m maiden race at Eagle Farm last August. After 10 months on the sidelines, he returned to action on Saturday, mastered the step up in class for the A$80,000 Vale Fr Brendan Dillon (1400m) and remained undefeated. Name Dropper was sent forward by jockey Ethan…

Handy galloper Blackwood Star made a welcome return to winning form when she charged home against the outside rail to take out the time-honoured Hallmark & Stone Parliamentary Handicap (2200m) at Trentham. The Dan O’Leary-trained seven-year-old had made a disappointing start to her new campaign, finishing well back in her two starts at Listed level over 1600m before tackling one of Saturday’s feature events. Rider Kate Hercock gave the daughter of Westbury Stud-based stallion Redwood plenty of opportunity to settle into a rhythm at the back of the field, before…

Under-rated mare Liffey stepped down from stakes company scored a tenacious win in the $40,000 Neteffext Payroll North Island Challenge Stakes (1300m) at Trentham on Saturday. After collecting the sixth win of her career with a stylish performance at Wanganui in early May, the six-year-old daughter of Niagara took on the big guns with a seventh in the Listed Rangitikei Gold Cup (1600m) and an eighth in the Listed AGC Training Stakes (1600m). Liffey was beaten by only 2.6 lengths by the Rangitikei Gold Cup winner Islington Lass on May…

Outstanding jumper The Cossack commenced another campaign over the fences in winning fashion as he captured Saturday’s Signature Homes Waikato Steeplechase (3900m) at Te Rapa.  Since joining the stable of Paul Nelson and Corrina McDougal in 2020, The Cossack initially fashioned an enviable record over hurdles with prestige titles at Hawke’s Bay, Waikato, Wellington alongside a Grand National and two Great Northerns. The son of Mastercraftsman finished a narrow second in the Australian Grand National Steeplechase (4500m) in 2022 and remained in the steeplechase format with success in last year’s…

Last year’s New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run sale-topper Megastar Heart secured a black-type victory in his fourth start with a relentless performance in Saturday’s A$160,000 Listed SEN Oxlade Stakes (1300m) at Eagle Farm. The two-year-old Star Turn colt was offered by KB Bloodstock at Karaka in November, where he was bought by Hong Kong’s Pato Leung for $825,000. Megastar Heart kicked off his career with a second placing at Kembla Grange in April and a win on Randwick’s Kensington track on May 15. He was thrown in at the…

Apprentice jockey Maria Sanson has been with Caitlyns Wish for almost every step of her career, and a tough front-running victory in Saturday’s Mike Stent Decorators Sprint (1200m) at Te Rapa handed them their fifth win together. The $40,000 sprint was the sixth win from 15 starts for Caitlyns Wish, who has also picked up five placings and has earned more than $124,000 for the estate of the late Stan Painton. Sanson has been in the saddle for 12 of those 15 races, winning five times and placing in another…

Berry The Cash added another dominant hurdle victory to his ever-growing list of achievements in Saturday’s Fairview Motors Waikato Hurdle (3200m) at Te Rapa. Prepared by Mark Oulaghan, Berry The Cash made a bold statement winning last year’s Grand National Hurdles (4200m) in his first season over fences, and he picked up where he left off in the hurdling role with a comfortable victory in the Awapuni Hurdle (3000m) last month. The son of Jakkalberry ventured north to Te Rapa for his next assignment as a $1.70 favourite, with his…