Month: November 2024

John Sargent held Casual Connection (NZ) (Complacent) in high enough regard to contest the Gr.2 Brisbane Cup (3200m) earlier this year, and the Complacent gelding made a welcome return to form in Saturday’s A$120,000 Midway Handicap (2000m) at Rosehill. Casual Connection earned his Brisbane Cup opportunity with an impressive win over 2400m at Randwick in late May. He went on to finish ninth in the Eagle Farm feature, then had kicked off his new campaign with a 12th, an eighth, a fifth and a close last-start fifth over 2400m on…

The decision to move the Listed O’Learys Fillies’ Stakes (1340m) to a new position on the calendar has worked wonders for Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh, who has now won both December runnings of the Wanganui feature. Previously staged in September, the Fillies’ Stakes was shifted to its new date last season and Marsh won it with Glamour Tycoon (Written Tycoon). He targeted the same race again on Saturday with promising filly Hitabell (NZ) (Embellish), and again he pulled it off. “It’s been a good little race for us,” Marsh said.…

Former Irish and Hong Kong galloper Meaningful Star (Pivotal) picked up his second win from just three New Zealand starts when he came from near last to down a small but quality line-up in the Gr.3 Bayleys Great Northern Challenge Stakes (1600m) at Ellerslie. The eight-year-old son of Pivotal arrived in New Zealand in January after winning twice in his native Ireland before forging a successful career in Hong Kong, where he won on four occasions. The good-looking chestnut joined the Byerley Park stable of Bruce Wallace and Grant Cooksley…

With a well-timed finish in Saturday’s A$130,000 Vale Elvstroem (2400m) at Caulfield, talented stayer Kadavar (NZ) (Tarzino) improved his 2400m record to a perfect three-from-three. The Tarzino gelding won a Benchmark 78 in his first attempt at that distance on the Kensington track in June, then delivered a repeat result in the same grade in his most recent appearance at Rosehill on November 9. That prompted trainer Chris Waller to send the four-year-old south to make his Melbourne debut on Saturday, and it paid off in spades. Kadavar was ridden…

The race now known as the Listed Armacup 3YO Stakes (1500m) is becoming a reliable springboard to bigger and better things for Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott, and that trend looks likely to continue after a smart win by Checkmate (NZ) (Mongolian Khan) at Ellerslie on Saturday. The three-year-old feature was previously known as the Trevor and Corallie Eagle Memorial. Wexford Stables won the race in 2022 with the subsequent Gr.1 Sistema Railway (1200m) hero Waitak (NZ) (Proisir), while they finished second last year with Grail Seeker (NZ) (Iffraaj), who…

A strong late run carried consistent juvenile Toretto (NZ) (Ardrossan) to his maiden victory when he took out the Mondiale VGL (1100m) at Ellerslie. The Hollie Wynyard-trained son of Ardrossan had run into one better at his first two starts, finishing runner-up to Te Akau Racing runners at both Wanganui and Te Rapa before gaining a measure of revenge on the Matamata-based stable of Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson by downing their heavily supported representative In Haste (Snitzel) on Saturday. Rider Ryan Elliot gave Toretto plenty of time to find…

Veteran White Robe Lodge stallion Raise The Flag has been humanely euthanised after battling health issues in recent months, aged 20. The impeccably bred son of Sadler’s Wells and blue-hen mare Hasili, retired to White Robe Lodge in 2010 after injury cut short his racing career after just one start. A half-brother to a remarkable five Group One winners including Banks Hill, Intercontinental, Cacique, Heat Haze and Champs Elysees, Raise The Flag was also a half-brother to the Group Two winner Dansili, who went on to become a champion sire.…