Month: July 2024

Sprint star I Wish I Win (NZ) (Savabeel) will take a different path through the spring to last year, with two Group One races at The Valley on his agenda in September. A change to next season’s racing calendar that sees the G1 Moir Stakes (1000m) held three weeks earlier on September 7 is the catalyst for a change in plan according to trainer and part-owner Peter Moody. I Wish I Win took the unusual path 12 months ago of a first-up run in the 1400-metre Memsie Stakes six weeks…

Promising four-year-old Martell handled the step up to open grade with aplomb at Arawa Park on Thursday when beating home a handy field in the Arawa Park Hotel Rotorua 1230. The son of El Roca jumped well to sit outside leader Caitlyns Wish before getting some cover when apprentice jockey Ace Lawson-Carroll elected to push forward to sit parked with Digger. Turning for home, Martell was guided three-wide by apprentice Jessica Allen and under his featherweight of 52kg he was able to quickly draw level with leader Caitlyns Wish, with…

Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall have plenty to look forward to with Social Climber (NZ) (Contributer) after the promising filly debuted in winning fashion at Arawa Park on Wednesday.  Social Climber made a decent impression at the trials four weeks ago and was set to make her first raceday appearance last Saturday before that was briefly delayed with the Rotorua meeting moved to Thursday. One of four juveniles on debut in the Entain – NZB Insurance Pearl Series Race (1230m), Social Climber was assertive early under Jasmine Fawcett from the…

Consistent gelding Chairman (NZ) (Charm Spirit) will be looking to make it three wins from four starts on the Riccarton Synthetic when he heads to the Christchurch meeting on Friday to contest the Gift Station Rating 75 (1600m). The four-year-old son of Charm Spirit has been in outstanding form since joining trainer Richard Didham’s Aylesbury barn earlier this year, primarily on Riccarton’s polytrack, and Didham believes his charge is capable of furthering his tally on the track this week where he will be ridden by Leah Hemi. “Chairman is in…

Andrew Carston has the $100,000 Special Conditions synthetic race on his radar for Magneto (NZ) (Showcasing) in a fortnight, and he hopes to see a positive lead-in performance on Friday in the Prezzy Card Rating 75 (1200m). A winner at Group Three level as a juvenile, Magneto has shown a liking to the synthetic surface this winter with two successive victories over the past six weeks, including over capable mares Miss Nico Belle (Nicconi) and Gemma Flitz (NZ) (Telperion). “He went really well last time, he stepped up to that…

Hit The Road Jack (NZ) (Jakkalberry) has made an outstanding impression since he crossed the Tasman and further lucrative flat and jumping options await the versatile performer. The son of Jakkalberry won seven races for Cambridge trainer and part-owner Shaun Phelan before he joined Symon Wilde’s Warrnambool stable, and the recent move has already paid off in spades. Hit The Road Jack made a successful hurdling debut earlier this month on his new home turf before he won last Saturday’s Flemington Cup (2800m) to take his Australian earnings to nearly…