Month: January 2025

Progressive stayer Son of Sun (NZ) (Tavistock) continued his golden run at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day when taking out the Gr.3 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2400m) in the hands of in-form hoop Matt Cartwright. The five-year-old son of Tavistock had won four of his six prior starts at the Auckland venue, including the Dunstan Horsefeeds Stayers Championship Qualifier (2100m) last month. His record on the track didn’t evade punters attention, who backed him into $5.50 favouritism for Wednesday’s staying feature. Travelling midfield for much of the journey, Son of…

Trainer Stephen Marsh believed he had two live chances going into the Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m) at Ellerslie on New Years Day, and that judgement proved spot on as his lightweight runner Bourbon Empress (NZ) (Proisir) downed a talented line-up of milers to claim victory. The four-year-old daughter of Proisir had caught the eye when finishing a hard charging second in the Stella Artois 1500 Championship Final (1500m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day, notably a race that stablemate and race rival Provence had missed in favour of a start…

Promising filly Real Class (NZ) (Vadamos) has put herself firmly into $1 million Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) calculations following her victory in the Gr.2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day. The daughter of Vadamos settled midfield for jockey Rory Hutchings, who elected to improve his filly three-wide from the 800m mark and hit the lead within 200m. Her rivals were looming on the turn, but Real Class was able to show her tenacity and repelled their advances to win by…

Waikato Stud-bred star Atishu has produced some of the highlights of her illustrious career at Flemington, and her promising full-sister Dream All Day won at the same venue in the A$65,000 Henry Byron Moore Handicap (1600m) on New Year’s Day. Dream All Day is by champion Waikato Stud stallion Savabeel out of the No Excuse Needed mare Posy. That same mating produced Atishu, the winner of 11 of her 47 races and more than A$5 million. Her three Group One triumphs include Flemington’s Champions Stakes (2000m) and Empire Rose Stakes…

Willydoit (NZ) (Tarzino) firmed up his Gr.1 Trackside New Zealand Derby (2400m) favouritism when he made it back-to-back wins at Ellerslie in the Horizon By SkyCity 1600 on New Year’s Day. From his outside gate in the eight-horse field, Willydoit settled at the back of the pack for jockey Masa Hashizume before improving to sit three-back on the fence. Turning for home he was stuck behind a wall of horses, but Hashizume kept a cool head and waited for a gap to open. When one presented, the country’s leading jockey…

Central Districts filly Too Sweet (NZ) (Satono Aladdin) lived up to punters expectations when she downed a handy field in the Gr.2 SKYCITY Eclipse Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day. Brought north by trainer Roydon Bergerson after winning on debut at Trentham back in October and then finishing second at that venue in early December, the daughter of Rich Hill Stud stallion Satono Aladdin closed as the $3 Fixed Odds favourite for the first stakes race of the New Year after some inspired late support. Rider Michael McNab…