Month: June 2024

Vilana ridden by James McDonald takes out the Group 2 Moreton Cup at Eagle Farm. Photo: Darren Winningham James McDonald capped off an outstanding day in the Group 2 Moreton Cup, piloting Vilana (+240) to victory to claim his fifth win of the day at Eagle Farm on Saturday afternoon. Combining with James Cummings, McDonald’s mount was heavily backed before the final race of the day and the five-year-old gelding didn’t let those punters down as he strode clear to win with ease in the 1200m contest. As expected, Zarastro…

Socks Nation (inside) ridden by Ryan Maloney takes out the Group 1 Queensland Oaks at Eagle Farm. Photo: Darren Winningham Ciaron Maher and Ryan Maloney have combined with Socks Nation to cause a massive boilover in the Group 1 Queensland Oaks at Eagle Farm on Saturday afternoon. Although Maher only had the one runner in the feature race, the daughter of Sioux Nation got under the guard of most, as she was sent around as +12500 outsider with online bookmakers. With most of her rivals running in the key lead-up…

Imperialist (outer) wins the Listed The Phoenix (1500m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday in impressive fashion. Photo: Grant Peters Trainer Chris Waller has a good opinion of progressive two-year-old Imperialist, who came with a perfectly timed run under James McDonald to claim the Listed The Phoenix (1500m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday in impressive fashion. The New Zealand-bred son of Churchill notched his first win from just three starts and relished the solid tempo of the juvenile feature to close in the manner of a horse that has an exciting…

The Listed Eyeliner Stakes (1350m) is on the radar for Fancify. Photo: Bruno Cannatelli A trip to Queensland for a black-type assignment is on the agenda for South Australian galloper Fancify after her win at Flemington. The daughter of Niagara has won three of her past four starts, her last two in Melbourne, after leading throughout in a Benchmark 78 Handicap (1400m) on Saturday. Ridden by Tatum Bull, Fancify ($6) scored a 1.75-length win from Jenny Jerome ($12) with Brazen Lady ($5.50) a short-neck away third. Trainer Michael Hickmott said…

Princess Rhaenys overcame a wide run to score her fifth career victory. Photo: Grant Peters Well-related mare Princess Rhaenys has overcome a wide run to score the fifth victory of her career when landing a Benchmark 90 Handicap (1800m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday. The Tony Gollan-trained six-year-old was sent out a well-supported $2.90 favourite with James McDonald in the saddle. Sporting the colours of Linda and Graham Huddy’s Peachester Lodge, connections would have been anxious throughout as the mare travelled three-wide throughout, yet still dug deep to defeat Brookhaven…

Dan Vegas winning at Ruakaka on Saturday. Photo: Therese Davis (Race Images) Ruakaka trainers Kenny Rae and Krystal Williams unveiled a promising young talent in the Marsden Metals Group 3YO (1400m) on their home track on Saturday afternoon. First-starter Dan Vegas went into the race with eye-catching pedigree credentials, being by Per Incanto out of the Savabeel mare Miss Bluebell – dam of black-type performers Gringotts and Millefiori from her only two foals to race. Miss Bluebell’s dam Operavega is a half-sister to Vegas Showgirl, the stakes-winning dam of the…

Quality Time winning at Ruakaka on Saturday. Photo: Therese Davis (Race Images) The well-travelled Quality Time recorded his first New Zealand victory with a bold front-running performance in Saturday’s Bream Bay Cup (2100m) at Ruakaka. The six-year-old made an eye-catching New Zealand debut at Te Rapa in early May with a strong-finishing second behind Turn The Ace over 1200m, but he was tripped up by a heavy track second-up at Pukekohe on May 25 and beat only two runners home. Quality Time bounced back brilliantly on Saturday, aided by an…

Trainer Stephen Nickalls. Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North) An inch perfect front running ride by Kate Hercock paved the way for former Group 1 performer Chase to return to the winners’ enclosure at Otaki. The seven-year-old son of Zed, who has twice run third at the highest level over the 1600m distance of Saturday’s contest, hadn’t fired in the first three runs of his new campaign however a victory in a 1000m trial at Waverley trial on Tuesday indicated he may have been ready to strike form. With…

Malt Time winning at Ruakaka on Saturday. Photo: Therese Davis (Race Images) Quality mare Malt Time showed her undoubted class when she blitzed her rivals in the closing stages of the feature event at Ruakaka on Saturday, the Bream Bay Sprint (1400m). The Shaun and Emma Clotworthy-trained mare was having her second run in a new campaign and stripped a lot fitter after finishing fifth first up over 1300m at Te Rapa last month. Ridden by apprentice Ace Lawson-Carroll, who reduced her 59kgs impost down to 57kgs with his 2kg…