High-flying Kiwi-bred Name Dropper continued his unbeaten summer with a record-breaking victory in Saturday’s A$130,000 Sportsbet Handicap (1400m) at Sandown. The five-year-old’s time of 1:21.74 broke the Sandown Lakeside record for 1400m, which Group One-winning sprinter Swick set back in 2006 with his time of 1:22.00. Name Dropper has a fair way to go to match the deeds of that elite performer, but Saturday’s win was his fourth from only eight career starts and took his career earnings to A$225,500. Trainer Richard Laming has previously tried Name Dropper up to…
Month: February 2025
Back-to-back wins for resurgent Grand Impact
Former quality three-year-old Grand Impact has roared back into top form as a five-year-old this summer, stringing together back-to-back wins including Saturday’s A$160,000 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale Handicap (1200m) at Rosehill. The New Zealand-bred son of Satono Aladdin made an outstanding start to his career in 2022 with victories in all of his first three starts including the Gr.3 Blue Sapphire Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill. He was plagued by soreness through the second half of his three-year-old season and an OCD (osteochondritis dissecans) in a shoulder was identified as the…
Hackett looking to continue good form at Hawera
By Mike Love Crystal Hackett will be looking to continue her good form in the cart on day two of the Hawera meeting on Sunday after driving three winners on the first day. Hackett’s winners on day one were Aradne, Herb, and Kourtney Kardash – with the latter being the only of the trio she will reunite with in Race 6, the Revital Fertilisers Taranaki Cup Mobile Pace. The five-year-old Bettor’s Delight mare, trained by Shane Butcher, has hit a purple patch of form – looking for four wins on…
El Vencedor blows rivals away in Fulton Family Stakes
El Vencedor romps to a five-length win in the Fulton Family Stakes at Ellerslie. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Despite carrying a gruelling 61kg while all but one of his rivals had 53kg, Ellerslie specialist El Vencedor was in a class of his own in Saturday’s Listed Fulton Family Stakes (1500m). A runaway victory in the $100,000 open handicap was El Vencedor’s third black-type win from only four appearances at Ellerslie. The gelding had previously scored outstanding wins in last year’s Group 1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m) and Group…
Hinekaha stamps Oaks credentials
Hinekaha scores a stylish black-type win in the Oaks Prelude. Photo: Megan Liefting (Race Images) Highly touted three-year-old Hinekaha justified some heavy support from punters as she showed her enormous promise in the Listed Oaks Prelude (1800m) at New Plymouth on Saturday. The Andrew Forsman-prepared filly has been identified as a stayer of real potential by a number of pundits and is the $5 Fixed Odds second favourite with horse racing betting sites for the Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) on March 8 behind Willydoit ($2). She also fills…
Bunker Hut breaks winless drought
Bunker Hut returns to winning form at Rosehill. Photo: bradleyphotos.com.au After seven placings in his last eight starts, Bunker Hut broke through with a dominant return to winning form at Rosehill. The Savabeel gelding has rarely run a bad race in his career, but he went into Saturday’s Benchmark 78 handicap with a win drought dating back to September of 2023. Bunker Hut’s connections kept the faith, however, and their patience was rewarded with an emphatic performance on Saturday. After taking up a handy position in third along the rails,…
Name Dropper produces record-breaking performance at Sandown
Name Dropper scores a record-breaking victory at Sandown. Photo: Bruno Cannatelli High-flying Kiwi-bred Name Dropper continued his unbeaten summer with a record-breaking victory at Sandown. The five-year-old’s time of 1:21.74 broke the Sandown Lakeside record for 1400m, which Group One-winning sprinter Swick set back in 2006 with his time of 1:22.00. Name Dropper has a fair way to go to match the deeds of that elite performer, but Saturday’s win was his fourth from only eight career starts and took his career earnings to $225,500. Trainer Richard Laming has previously…
Herbert shines in Group 3 Taranaki Cuo
Herbert scores a home-town triumph in the Taranaki Cup. Photo: Megan Liefting (Race Images) Local runner Herbert claimed the biggest win of his career to date when he raced clear in the final stages of the feature event at New Plymouth on Saturday, the Group 3 Taranaki Cup (1800m). Trainer John Wheeler has never lost faith in the four-year-old gelding, who he part-owns with a pair of fellow New Plymouth locals including former Taranaki Racing Incorporated Chief Executive Carey Hobbs, even when the son of Sweet Orange recorded five runner-up…
Grand Impact continues winning ways at Rosehill
Grand Impact strings together back-to-back wins. Photo: bradleyphotos.com.au Former quality three-year-old Grand Impact has roared back into top form as a five-year-old this summer, stringing together back-to-back wins including Saturday’s $160,000 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale Handicap (1200m) at Rosehill. The New Zealand-bred son of Satono Aladdin made an outstanding start to his career in 2022 with victories in all of his first three starts, including the Group 3 Blue Sapphire Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield. He was plagued by soreness through the second half of his three-year-old season and an OCD…
She’s Bulletproof storms clear in Geoffrey Bellmaine Stakes
She’s Bulletproof ridden by Mark Zahra wins the Geoffrey Bellmaine Stakes at Sandown Lakeside Racecourse. (Photo by George Sal/Racing Photos) Charlotte Littlefield and Mark Zahra have combined with the talented She’s Bulletproof to take out the Group 3 Geoffrey Bellmaine Stakes at Sandown on Saturday afternoon, as the four-year-old mare stormed clear in the final 300m to record a dominant 2.75-length win. The daughter of Shooting To Win was well-backed throughout betting, fighting for favouritism with Miraval Rose (+320) with Picklebet, eventually jumping as the +300 market elect. Zahra chose…