Day: 6 July 2024

Talented New Zealand mare Cindy Falls opened her Australian account in style with a brilliant last-to-first performance in Saturday’s A$150,000 Leilani Series Final (1400m) at Flemington. The daughter of Sacred Falls showed bright promise in her homeland with three wins from 12 starts for Cambridge trainer Jon Miller. The most recent of those victories was a barnstorming finish from the back to win a 1300m Rating 75 at Te Rapa on April 27. Owner Mark Brady subsequently sent the five-year-old across the Tasman to join the Seymour stable of Lee…

Capable flat performer Pacheco continued to make a serious impression as a jumper in the TAB Hurdle (2800m) at Te Rapa on Saturday. With the advantage of former Champion Jump’s Jockey Shaun Phelan as his trainer, Pacheco transitioned into jumps racing with ease at the venue last month when winning a maiden contest. Moving into 0-1 company, a two-horse race was tipped between Pacheco ($3.50) and fellow last-start winner Mont Ventoux ($2.50), and after jumping away well the son of Makfi settled quietly in fourth under Jay Kozaczek. Run Jakko…

Seasoned campaigner Conor O’Ceirin will head to the South Island in preparation for a feature target after a fighting victory in the UBP Te Awamutu Cup (1600m) at Te Rapa on Saturday. Conor O’Ceirin entered Robbie Patterson’s stable in late 2022 after recording four wins for the late Kevin Rohloff, and has continued to perform under the Taranaki horseman recording placings in the Gr.3 Anniversary Handicap (1600m) and Gr.3 Winter Cup (1600m) during 2023. Patterson earmarked another shot at the Winter Cup with Conor O’Ceirin this August at Riccarton Park,…

Apprentice jockey Lily Sutherland brought up the 100th win of her career with a well-timed finish aboard Aljay in Saturday’s Beard Brothers Handicap (2200m) at Hastings.  Sutherland headed to Hawke’s Bay on Saturday with 99 wins to her name, and she had a frustrating start to the day with a series of second placings on Honey Badger, Tanner and Carignan.  But the well-performed Aljay delivered the milestone for his 20-year-old jockey with an irresistible come-from-behind performance in the day’s $40,000 staying feature.  After settling in second-last behind a steady speed set…

Trainer Andrew Forsman had just one runner engaged at Hastings on Saturday which was all he needed to collect the major spoils in the feature flat event, the Valley D’Vine Restaurant Handicap (1400m).  Talented four-year-old Wessex duly rewarded the many punters who sent her out as the dominant $1.70 favourite for the open 1400m contest, off the back of a gritty performance to finish third behind Casino Princess in the Listed Tauranga Classic (1400m) at her last start.  Well handled by apprentice Rihaan Goyaram, the Turn Me Loose mare assumed…

A few days after the loss of legendary Hawke’s Bay studmaster and administrator Tom Lowry, his nephew Guy played a starring role on Saturday with Wewillrock’s scintillating victory in the Group One Turf Bar Sprint (1200m) at Te Rapa.  Tom Lowry died on Monday at the age of 88, just a day after being a special guest at the Hawke’s Bay/Poverty Bay Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association’s annual weanling walk last Sunday.  The third generation to operate Hawke’s Bay’s iconic Okawa Stud, Lowry was an enormously influential figure in the New Zealand…

Te Akau Racing mare Luxuriant is taking every opportunity with fortnightly polytrack meetings at Awapuni Synthetic, going back-to-back on Friday in the Ashhurst Deer And Duck Inn 1200. The Iffraaj six-year-old was explosive late in her victory on June 21 at the venue, and stepping into Rating 75 grade, punters were anticipating a repeat performance backing her into $1.90 ahead of Kana ($3.80) and Lincoln’s Kruz ($5). Quietly settling near the tail of the compact field under Warren Kennedy, Luxuriant allowed the speed-duel to play out in front of her…

First-season sire Ferrando was credited with his first winner when Grove Street led all the way for an upset victory in Saturday’s Sign Central 2YO (1100m) at Hastings.  Saturday’s $35,000 two-year-old sprint was the third career start and first for more than seven months for Grove Street. His previous appearances produced fifth placings behind the impressive Te Akau Racing winners About Last Night and Maracatu.  Grove Street was sent out as a $27 outsider on Saturday and dominated the race from the front.   The Team Rogerson gelding jumped quickly from…