Month: August 2024

It’s been a stellar week for Pencarrow Stud broodmare Huluava. Her progeny scored a double at Riccarton Park last Saturday courtesy of Jay Bee Gee in the Gr.3 Winter Cup (1600m) and Harmonious, while on Friday her youngest daughter, Branciforti, was victorious in the $100,000 Martin Collins Polytrack 1400m Innovation Race at Awapuni Synthetic. Trained by David Greene at Te Rapa, Branciforti has shown plenty of promise on the synthetic, having recorded three of her previous four victories on the surface, including a last start win over 1300m at Cambridge…

2022 Gr.1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) winner Smokin’ Romans (NZ) (Ghibellines) is on the eve of his best chance to win his first race since the Group One triumph, according to assistant trainer Declan Maher. The now eight-year-old put in a preparation-best performance last start at Flemington over 2000m and connections are hoping he can take that form to Moonee Valley on Saturday. “Ran well last start, he’s come on from the run again and I think he’s about spot on now and ready to go,” Maher said. “He just had…

Golden Path (NZ) (Belardo) is proving a wonderful advertisement for Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr Sydney arm and the trainers are hoping he can continue to fly the flag at Randwick. The gelding will be chasing a hat-trick of wins in Saturday’s Premier’s Cup Prelude (1800m) after following up a Randwick 2000m success in May with a dominant performance in the Listed McKell Cup (2000m) in June. He hasn’t raced since, but Price has given the horse a barrier trial to top up his fitness, albeit leaving plenty of room for improvement. “I think he’s…

Mark Oulaghan reigned supreme with his star jumpers West Coast (NZ) (Mettre en Jeu) and Berry The Cash (NZ) (Jakkalberry) during the Grand National Carnival last year, and the Awapuni horseman is back and favoured to repeat his heroics on Saturday. West Coast has won the last two editions of the Racecourse Hotel & Motor Lodge 149th Grand National Steeplechase (5600m) among a collection of other prestige titles, and he will attempt to become the first horse in history to go three-in-a-row. His southern campaign kicked off strongly winning the key…

Captains Run (NZ) (Nom du Jeu) flew under the radar in last year’s Great Northern Steeplechase (6500m) and nearly caused a big upset, and he is heading into Saturday’s Racecourse Hotel & Motor Lodge Grand National Steeplechase (5600m) with a goal of going one better. Dan O’Leary, who bred, owns and prepares Captains Run out of Marton, has quietly built the gelding’s fitness up during the jumps season this year, with a closing third behind West Coast (NZ) (Mettre en Jeu) and Country Bumpkin in the Koral Steeplechase (4250m) last…

Talented winter galloper Spencer (NZ) (Derryn) will aim to continue on his upward trajectory at Te Rapa on Saturday, lining up in the Fulton Hogan 1200. The son of Derryn has made nearly every post a winner this campaign, with three consecutive victories over 1200m culminating in a highly commendable second placing behind winter topliner Belardo Boy (NZ) (Belardo) in the Listed Opunake Cup (1400m) last month. His trainer Erin Hocquard had contemplated a trip to Riccarton Park to contest the Gr.3 Winter Cup (1600m) last Saturday, but with just…

Last year’s Tarzino Trophy Day at Hastings will live long in the memory of Sam Bergerson. Just a month into entering a training partnership with Mark Walker at Te Akau Racing, Bergerson recorded his first Group One victory courtesy of Skew Wiff in the Tarzino Trophy (1400m), while on the undercard, Tokyo Tycoon and Quintessa added to his stakes-winning haul when taking out the Listed El Roca – Sir Colin Meads Trophy (1200m) and Gr.3 Gold Trail Stakes (1400m) respectively. “It was an incredible day. We had four winners that…