Month: October 2024

Hastings trainers Guy Lowry and Leah Zydenbos made the most of an opportunity to trial several of their well-performed horses locally on Thursday at Waipukurau. Among their representatives was the promising Bedtime Story(NZ) (Per Incanto), making her first public appearance as a four-year-old in an Open 1000m trial. The daughter of Per Incanto won three of her seven starts last term, alongside a fourth placing in the Gr.2 Wellington Guineas (1400m), won by subsequent Group One-winner Grail Seeker. “She was just having a maintenance trial to keep her up to…

Joe Pride says there’s something special about winning at Flemington during Melbourne Cup Week. And that’s why Derby Day in 2010 was a memorable day for the Sydney-based trainer when wet-track specialist Sacred Choice ploughed through the rain-sodden conditions to win the Group 1 Myer Classic, now known as the Empire Rose Stakes. “It was a crack field of mares,” Pride recalled. “I got on a plane thinking she was an outside chance of running a place. I got off the plane and got to Flemington, it started raining and…

Below is a link to the full New Zealand Bloodstock Breeze Up broadcast file on Vimeo (one big video of all lots): https://vimeo.com/1024493712?share=copy#t=0 Please note, if you are downloading this file, it is about 14GB in size and 3 hours, 40 minutes in length, so will need a good internet connection. For those who wish to watch the breeze ups on WeChat, please use the QR code below:

Arjay’s Flight(NZ) (Highly Recommended) will be out to keep his perfect record intact for new trainer Shaun Phelan when he heads to Trentham on Saturday to contest the Feilding Hotel 1600.  The six-year-old gelding has won both of his starts since transferring to the Cambridge horseman’s barn, winning first-up over 1400m at Taupo last month before repeating the result over a mile at Te Rapa.  He was set to return to the Hamilton track to shoot for a third successive win, however, those plans changed after the meeting was abandoned…

Lux Libertas(NZ) (Almanzor) kicked off her campaign in July as a maidener and on Saturday she will be given the opportunity to prove herself in Open company for the first time in the Financial Services 1300. The Almanzor four-year-old has powered through the grades this preparation, winning five of her last six starts over 1200m and 1400m, including a dominant display in MAAT company at Te Rapa’s feature meeting on October 12. Andrew Scott, who trains Lux Libertas in partnership with Lance O’Sullivan, is under no illusions that Saturday’s contest…

Lightly raced mare Bella Waters (NZ) (Sacred Falls) came a long way in a short time last preparation and has impressed ahead of her return at Tauranga on Saturday. The progressive daughter of the late Sacred Falls will resume in Saturday’s Financial Services Handicap (1300m) after missing her planned kick-off date on Labour Day. “We did have her in at Te Rapa so we had to change, it is 1300m and I would have preferred 1400m, but I think she will still give a good account of herself,” said Moira…