Day: 20 October 2024

Two weeks after his brilliant Group One breakthrough in the Epsom Handicap (1600m), the New Zealand-bred rising superstar Ceolwulf (NZ) (Tavistock) conquered an even stronger line-up over the same course and distance in Saturday’s A$5 million Gr.1 King Charles III Stakes (1600m) at Randwick. Ceolwulf began his four-year-old season without any stakes wins to his name, but he hinted at a bright future at that level with runner-up finishes in the Gr.1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) and Gr.1 Australian Derby (2400m) in the autumn. The Tavistock gelding broke his black-type drought…

The Gr.3 TAB Counties Cup (2100m) and Gr.3 Skycity Hamilton Waikato Cup (2400m) are looming large on the horizon for The Odyssey (NZ) (Zacinto) after a dominant win in the Elsdon Park (2100m) at Ellerslie on Saturday. Bred and raced by Gareth Downey and Mel Gamble, the Zacinto gelding emerged on the scene with four wins from seven starts last season including the inaugural $350,000 Remutaka Classic (2100m) at Trentham in January. The early stages of The Odyssey’s 2024 spring campaign had been a story of strong finishes that were…