Month: July 2024

There is no doubting the staying credentials of Through Irish Eyes (NZ) (Tavistock), but the question remains is he ready to put his best foot forward after a long injury lay-off. The Ciaron Maher-trained galloper steps up in journey in the Deane Lester Flemington Cup (2800m) on Saturday, his third run in just under two years. Through Irish Eyes won the Listed VRC St Leger (2800m) at Flemington as a three-year-old and the following year ran second in the Group 2 Brisbane Cup (3200m) at Eagle Farm before running second…

Freshly retired from the racetrack, Te Akau Racing’s black-type winners Fashion Shoot (NZ) (Savabeel) and Viva Vienna(NZ) (All Too Hard) are available for purchase on gavelhouse.com and have the credentials to be quality young additions to any breeder’s broodmare band. The pair headline the latest fortnightly auction on gavelhouse.com, where bidding currently stands at $40,000 for Fashion Shoot and $20,000 for Viva Vienna. “They’re two really nice mares that have quality pedigrees behind them and performed very well on the track, and now we’re looking forward to seeing what they…

Emerging Waverley trainer Erin Hocquard will have her first taste of black-type racing when her stable star Spencer (NZ) (Derryn) lines up as favourite in Saturday’s Listed Sinclair Electrical & Refrigeration Opunake Cup (1400m) at New Plymouth. Hocquard has trained 13 winners since taking out her licence in the 2016-17 season. Five of those wins have come from Spencer. A maiden winner on the Opunake Cup undercard last year, Spencer added another victory to his record at Awapuni in the spring. But he has gone to a new level this…

Having already equalled his highest number of wins in a season, Cambridge trainer Clint Isdale is hoping to break new ground with one of his runners at Rotorua or New Plymouth on Saturday. Isdale has held a licence since the 2015-16 season and has trained a total of 58 winners, including 12 from his 199 runners this season. That matches his previous career-best total, which he set in 2022-23. “It’s been good to get to 12 again, and now hopefully we can pick up at least one more at some…

Local marvel Justaskme will attempt to become the first three-time winner of the Listed Sinclair Electrical & Refrigeration Opunake Cup (1400m) when he contests the $100,000 feature for the fourth time at New Plymouth on Saturday. Justaskme won the race in both 2021 and 2023, finishing fourth in between times behind Helena Baby. The Allan Sharrock-trained gelding is one of three dual winners of the Opunake Cup since it was elevated to Listed level in 2006, alongside Longchamp (2016, 2017) and Helena Baby (2019, 2022). On Saturday he will shoot…

Pam Gerard has made the most of opportunities in the South Island this year and will be well-represented on Sunday with Cork (NZ) (Complacent) contesting the Crombie & Price Ltd Oamaru Cup (1600m). The six-year-old mare has been prominent during this period over the past two seasons, placing in the Listed Opunake Cup (1400m) two years ago before narrowly missing out on top honours in last year’s Gr.3 Winter Cup (1600m) to Belardo Boy (NZ) (Belardo). On track to contest the latter again next month at Riccarton Park, Gerard opted…