Month: July 2024

It’s no accident that Aaron Kuru has become Australia’s most in-demand jumps jockey. The talented Kiwi is in the midst of a career-best season with 25 wins at a 25 per cent strike-rate across jumps and highweight flat races and will look to continue that form in the Thackeray Steeplechase and Kevion Lafferty Hurdle at Warrnambool on Sunday. When Kuru, New Zealand’s premier jumps rider at the time, made the move to Victoria in 2020, it wasn’t a case of a simple transition to the top. He’d built a name…

Lloyd Kennewell and Lucy Yeomans have made the best possible start with their first ‘Jenni’ runner, as two-year-old Jenni Multabella (NZ) (Ace High) won her debut impressively at Sale on Thursday. The training partnership, which commenced at the start of the 2023/24 season, was entrusted with several Tony and Lynn Ottobre-owned fillies, with Jenni Multibella the first of those to race. The daughter of Ace High sat outside leader Polyglot (Lonhro) ($6.50) for the bulk of the 1106-metre journey before looming up smartly to challenge that horse upon straightening. It…

Once touted as an Everest contender before being struck down by soundness issues, Showmanship (NZ) (Showcasing) will be looking to prove that he still packs a punch when he returns to Sydney for the first time in almost two years. The eight-year-old, who will line up in Saturday’s Listed Winter Stakes (1400m) at Randwick, has twice had his career interrupted for lengthy periods. Considered one of the rising stars of the sprinting ranks after winning seven of his first eight starts, he was in discussions for the 2020 Everest before…

Tom Lowry, an immensely influential figure in the New Zealand thoroughbred industry, passed away on Monday aged 88. He was the third generation to operate the famous Okawa Stud in Hawke’s Bay, a property first established by his grandfather and then successfully run by his father for many years. Thomas Russell Lowry was born in Hastings on April 13, 1936, and educated at Christ’s College in Christchurch and then the Royal Agricultural College in England. Like his father before him, Tom quickly became heavily involved in Hawke’s Bay thoroughbred circles,…

A spur of the moment decision to run Balzano (NZ) (Shooting To Win) at Ashburton has paid dividends for Nikki White after the underrated galloper powered to victory in the Agraforum Growing Innovation (1400m) on Thursday. Based out of Omakau in Central Otago, White had been running Balzano at Rating 65 grade including a mile contest last Sunday at Wingatui, where he finished fourth and six lengths adrift of the winner in Miss Belle (NZ) (Belardo). On the back-up, Balzano was facing a drop back in distance and a sharp…

It was a memorable day at Ashburton on Thursday for Jess Land, with the Rangiora horsewoman recording her first training win courtesy of Captain Oumuamua (NZ) (Falkirk) in the Green Fencing (1600m). The son of Falkirk was fair away from barrier two but secured the coveted trail position behind race favourite Riviera Rebel (NZ) (Pure Champion). Apprentice jockey Kendra Bakker found clear running room for Captain Oumuamua down the straight and he needed every inch of the Ashburton straight to nab Riviera Rebel on the line to score by a…

Famed Southern nursery White Robe Lodge has announced the service fees for their roster of four stallions, which features emerging young stallion Ancient Spirit ($7,000+GST) along with the proven trio of Ghibellines ($7,000+GST), Raise The Flag ($4,000+GST) and Gallant Guru ($2,000+GST). With legendary horseman Brian Anderton still in the fold, the family-run stud farm has three generations involved in the day to day operation of the Taieri Plains property. All three of White Robe Lodge’s established stallions have sired a Group One winner in Australia, while there is great anticipation…

In a quiet racing period for Cambridge trainer Andrew Forsman, he has the advantage of two quality gallopers contesting the open-class races through the winter in Turn The Ace and Wessex.   Front-running five-year-old Turn The Ace is renowned for his impeccable record at Te Rapa with seven victories from 13 starts at the venue, the most recent success coming on June 15 in heavy track conditions.   “It was another good effort, it’s never easy to get on pace and hold them off on a rain-affected track, especially when the middle…