Month: July 2024

Owner Tony Ottobre has clarified star mare Pride Of Jenni’s spring campaign. Ottobre said Pride Of Jenni’s two grand finals would be the King Charles III Stakes at Randwick before backing up into the Cox Plate. Where Pride Of Jenni resumes is still a little bit up in the air. “The Memsie is her first race at the moment. There’s always the possibility she may be ready early in her prep and in good order and we look to get her to the races earlier,” Ottobre said. “She may even…

Moira and Kieran Murdoch will have runners in three of the $60,000 ITM/Gib Winter Championship Finals at Ruakaka on Saturday, including a recent recruit who appears to be back on top of his game. Shamus (NZ) (Shamexpress) was previously a six-time winner up to Group Two level for New Plymouth trainer Allan Sharrock, who suggested he move to the Murdochs for a change of scenery earlier this year. Fifth and fourth in his first two appearances for his new stable, the Shamexpress gelding returned to his best form with a…

Cambridge jumper Smug (NZ) (Complacent) will be seeking his first prestige jumps scalp when he heads to Trentham on Saturday to contest the Metroclad Limited Wellington Hurdles (3200m). The six-year-old Complacent gelding has been in pleasing form over hurdles, placing in his last two starts, including runner-up to Berry The Cash (NZ) (Jakkalberry) in the Waikato Hurdle (3200m) and third behind the Awapuni jumper and Taika (NZ) (Mettre En Jeu) in the Hawke’s Bay Hurdle (3100m). Trainer Chris Wood is glad they won’t be met by Berry The Cash on…

An extraordinary performance by Sister Ping (NZ) (Street Boss) at Cambridge on Wednesday has Chad Ormsby excited about the filly’s prospects for her three-year-old season. The daughter of Street Boss made her first start for Ormsby in the Waipa Earthworks (970m). The two-year-old was sent out as a $3.30 favourite against older opposition, but she appeared to have lost all hope when she reared at the start and was languishing five lengths behind the second-last horse. Sister Ping’s recovery had to be seen to be believed. She was still at…

An online purchase of $4700 has turned into more than $63,000 in stakes with synthetic specialist Doubtful Sound (Not A Single Doubt), who played another starring role in Friday’s $32,000 Red Nose Raceday 26 July Rating 65 (1600m) at Riccarton. The son of Not a Single Doubt began his career in the Cambridge stable of Tony Pike, for whom he won his second start and later finished fourth in the Gr.3 Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m). He was subsequently sold on Gavelhouse.com and moved south to Suzy Gordon at Foxton, for…

Mitre Peak (More Than Ready) made it two wins from her last three starts on Riccarton’s Synthetic track on Friday when powering home late to capture the Speight’s Summit Ultra On Tap 3YO (1400m). The three-year-old filly was the slowest away and settled at the rear of the field for apprentice jockey Niranjan Parmar. Parmar bided his time before setting his charge alight around the final turn and the daughter of More Than Ready needed the entire length of the straight to nab Motiontime (Showtime) on the line to win…