Month: September 2024

Young trainer Dominic Sutton has only been training six months but is hoping to be one of the contenders during the Melbourne Spring Carnival. With five winners to his name from 47 career starters, Sutton is set to start stable favourite Feroce (NZ) (Super Seth) in the Gr.3 Guineas Prelude (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday. Feroce gave Sutton his first winner when successful at Pakenham in March and followed up the following month to provide the trainer with a city win at Caulfield. Sutton is still searching for his maiden…

Guy Heveldt, Emily Bosson and Jayne Ivil take a deep dive into the Canterbury Belle Stakes, and the Makybe Diva Stakes. Plus, take a look at the other races from around New Zealand and Australia. Weigh In September 15 (youtube.com)

A stunning come-from-behind performance carried Lord Spencer (NZ) (Zed) to a Peter Kelly – Bayleys Great Northern Hurdle (4200m) upset at Te Rapa on Sunday, handing trainer JJ Rayner and jockey Lemmy Douglas their biggest moments in jumps racing. The seven-year-old Zed gelding flew under the radar into the $150,000 feature, stepping out as a $28.60 outsider against a star-studded field. Lord Spencer had only one previous win to his name from 13 starts over hurdles, although he has made a habit this year of chasing home New Zealand’s benchmark…

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The remarkable story of Kiwi-bred champion Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) rolled into his seven-year-old season with a historic defence of his title in the A$750,000 Gr.1 Crown Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday. The Bullbars gelding became the first back-to-back winner of the weight-for-age feature since it was renamed in honour of the great Makybe Diva in 2007. Under its previous name, the Craiglee Stakes, the repeat winners were Chicquita (Commands) (1950-51) and Sailor’s Guide (1956-57). The 2024 edition of the Makybe Diva Stakes was the seventh Group…

New Zealand-bred mare Grinzinger Belle (NZ) (Shamexpress) made a bold start to her spring campaign with a commanding front-running performance in Saturday’s A$300,000 Gr.2 Furphy Let’s Elope Stakes (1400m) at Flemington. The daughter of Shamexpress led all the way for a black-type win over the same course and distance in the Gr.3 Vanity Stakes (1400m) in her first-up run in the autumn, and trainer Danny O’Brien repeated the same formula fresh up in the fillies and mares’ feature on Saturday. Urged forward in the early stages by jockey Damian Lane,…

Experienced seven-year-old Perfect Scenario (NZ) (Iffraaj)  has accumulated plenty of travelling miles under his belt since making his raceday debut in December 2019 for owners, the Te Akau Perfection Syndicate. In that time though he has built an imposing record that he added to on Saturday with a win in the Pryde’s Easifeed Open Handicap (1600m), the tenth in a 38-race career to date. Allowed to start at the generous odds of $13.40 by punters, the Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson-trained son of Iffraaj made a steady beginning from an…