Month: July 2024

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Victorian trainers Anthony and Sam Freedman sent their emerging Kiwi-bred talent Rhapsody Chic to Sydney on Saturday and came away with a stunning win in the A$160,000 TAB Handicap (1400m) at Randwick. The Benchmark 78 handicap was the third straight victory for the four-year-old gelding, who had won a Benchmark 64 at Seymour and a Benchmark 70 at Sandown in his two previous starts. The Randwick raid marked a much tougher test as he stepped up into Saturday class and lined up for his first start the Sydney way around.…

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…