The super-talented Globe (NZ) (Charm Spirit) put a troubled 14 months behind him with a powerful all-the-way win in Saturday’s A$500,000 Listed Cranbourne Cup (1600m). The New Zealand-bred son of Charm Spirit had announced himself as an exciting young talent on the Australian scene with wins in all of his first four starts between March and May of 2023. He was sent out as favourite in the Gr.2 Feehan Stakes (1600m) in his next appearance in September of that year, but was beaten by more than 30 lengths and was…
Day: 24 November 2024
Gong glory for Gringotts
Gringotts (NZ) (Per Incanto) continued his coming-of-age campaign with a powerhouse front-running performance under 60kg to win Saturday’s A$1 million The Illawarra Mercury Gong (1600m) at Kembla Grange. The Per Incanto gelding continued an outstanding run in the race for New Zealand-breds, who have now won it three years in a row. Riodini (NZ) (Proisir) won The Gong in 2022, followed by Detonator Jack (NZ) (Jakkalberry) in 2023. Gringotts went into Saturday’s race on an upward trajectory. He had claimed his first black-type success in the Listed Members’ Handicap (1600m)…
La Crique wins in last-gasp triumph
La Crique (NZ) (Vadamos) sprouted wings in the Pukekohe straight on Saturday to come from a near-hopeless position and win the Gr.2 Dunstan Horsefeeds Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) in a photo finish. The Vadamos mare went into the fillies and mares’ feature as the class act of the field, having won eight races and more than $1.3 million including Group One victories in the Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m) and the Otaki-Maori WFA Classic (1600m). In her first start since taking out the A$500,000 Magic Millions National Classic (1600m) in…
I’mintowin masters big weight first-up
Talented New Zealand-bred gelding I’mintowin (NZ) (Contribuer) announced his return to racing in style at Kembla Grange on Saturday with a victory under 62kg in the A$160,000 Evergreen Turf Benchmark 78 Handicap (1400m). It was the first start since July for the Contributer gelding, whose rating of 82 made him a clear topweight. That made for a tough first-up assignment, but I’mintowin was well and truly up to the task. Rider Adam Hyeronimus drove I’mintowin forward to take the lead inside the first 100m of the race. He dominated proceedings…
Nereus successful in drama filled Counties Cup
Promising stayer Nereus (NZ) (Savabeel) put his current campaign back on track when he captured an action packed Gr.3 TAB Counties Cup (2100m) on Saturday. The field of fourteen runners was thrown into chaos after 500m when Arby (NZ) (Proisir) dropped rider Matt Cartwright after making contact with the inside running rail leaving the straight for the first time. Severely checked in the incident were Cognito (So You Think), Blue Moon (NZ) (Shocking), Sassy Lass (NZ) (Staphanos) and Ess Vee Are (NZ) (Shocking) while the rest of the field were…
Savoir Faire strikes for Te Akau at Cranbourne
Talented stayer Savoir Faire (NZ) (Savabeel) staked his claim for next month’s Listed Pakenham Cup (2500m) with a commanding victory in the A$130,000 John Duff & Co The Lester (2025m) at Cranbourne on Saturday. The Savabeel gelding began his career with nine starts in New Zealand, scoring a maiden win at Matamata and finishing third in the Gr.2 Waikato Guineas (2000m), fifth in the Listed Trevor & Corallie Eagle Memorial (1500m) and sixth in the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m). Savoir Faire has added another three wins to that record…
Johnston-Porter & Port Lockroy shine in Ascot’s Railway Stakes
Clint Johnston-Porter celebrating first Group 1 with Port Lockroy in Railway Stakes at Ascot. Photo:WesternRacepix The Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald-trained Port Lockroy ($9.00) has tasted Group 1 success for the first time, with the eastern raider claiming an impressive victory in the Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot on Saturday afternoon. It comes after an eye-catching performance in the Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill on November 2, with local Western Australian-based jockey Clint Johnston-Porter the beneficiary of being legged aboard the low weighted four-year-old. He lobbed into the…
William Pike guides Storyville to victory in Group 2 WA Guineas
William Pike guides Storyville to victory in the Group 2 WA Guineas. Photo: WesternRacepix The Grant & Alana Williams-trained Storyville ($4.20) has proven too classy in the Group 2 WA Guineas (1600m) at Ascot on Saturday afternoon, producing a stunning turn-of-foot in the concluding stages to claim the $500,000 feature. She was on the one-week backup after a dominant win in the Group 3 Champion Fillies Stakes (1600m) at the same course and distance last Saturday; however, the three-year-old was relatively unwanted late in betting with horse racing bookmakers, as…