Month: February 2025

Willaidow gets head down to claim Group 3 Southern Cross Stakes

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Willaidow winning the Group 3 Southern Cross Stakes. Photo: Bradleyphotos.com.au Marc Conners & Tyler Schiller have combined with Willaidow ($4.20) to get the verdict in the Group 3 Southern Cross Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on Saturday afternoon, holding off the surging Iowna Merc ($8.00) in the shadows of the post. The son of Shamus Award put the writing on the wall last preparation when putting together back-to-back wins before being sent to the paddock, and despite giving fitness to his main rivals after a 105-day spell, the ever-improving six-year-old relished…

Sapphire Coast racing preview & best bets | Sunday, February 2

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What Sapphire Coast Races Where Sapphire Coast Turf Club – 1695 Sapphire Coast Dr, Wallagoot NSW 2550 When Sunday, February 2, 2025 First Race 1:06pm AEDT Visit Dabble Country racing returns to Sapphire Coast Turf Club on Sunday afternoon, with an ultra-competitive eight-part program lined up for Bega Showcase Cup (1600m) Day. The $80,000 feature has attracted a capacity field of 16, and with only light rainfall expected across the weekend, participants can expect the surface to be rated somewhere in the Soft range for race-day. The rail is placed…

Local victory in New Plymouth feature

NZRacingDesk

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 Gr.3 Denis Wheeler Earthmoving 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 finishes before breaking his maiden status at his eleventh trip to the…

Hinekaha all class in Oaks Prelude

NZRacingDesk

Highly touted three-year-old Hinekaha justified some heavy support from punters as she showed her enormous promise in the Listed Grangewilliam Stud 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 for the Gr.1 Trackside New Zealand Derby (2400m) on 8 March behind Willydoit ($2). She also fills the same position in the Fixed Odds market for the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks…

Topweight blows rivals away in Fulton Family Stakes

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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 Gr.1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m) and Gr.3 Balmerino Stakes (2000m). His only defeat at the Auckland track was a brave third behind Snazzytavi and La Crique in…

About Time claims third successive Ellerslie victory

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Enigmatic mare About Time continued her love affair with the new Ellerslie track as she completed a hattrick of victories when taking out the Victoria Racing Club (2200m) open contest on Saturday. The Lance Noble-trained four-year-old is well known for her dislike of the starting barriers and she was at her belligerent best as she made her rivals wait before loading away, however once into stride she left no excuses with a strong staying performance to score narrowly but well. Regular rider Warren Kennedy was quite content to let her…

Unbeaten colt conquers Group Three

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Te Akau Racing’s million-dollar colt Return To Conquer delivered again in Saturday’s Gr.3 Colin Jillings 2YO Classic (1200m) at Ellerslie, improving his unblemished record to four trials and two raceday appearances. The son of Snitzel was bought by David Ellis for A$1.3 million as a yearling on the Gold Coast in January of last year. He built up plenty of pre-debut hype with three impressive trial wins between August and October, then romped to victory by two and a half lengths as a $1.20 favourite in the Listed Counties Challenge…

Inkaruna claims Chairman’s Stakes in tight photo finish

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Inkaruna ridden by Daniel Moor wins the Chairman’s Stakes at Sandown Lakeside Racecourse. (Photo by George Sal/Racing Photos) Inkaruna and Sword Of Legacy (+260) have fought out a very tight finish in the Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes at Sandown on Saturday afternoon, with the former getting her nose down on the line to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. The Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained filly became the fifth debutant since 2011 to claim the Chairman’s Stakes. The daughter of I Am Invincible had only been seen at the jumpouts…

The Playwright fends off challengers in Group 3 Widden Stakes

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The Playwright after winning the Group 3 Widden Stakes. Photo: Bradleyphotos.com.au The Playwright ($4.00) has proven the best of the fillies in the Group 3 Widden Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill on Saturday afternoon, fending off the fast finishing Tempted ($3.40) and Snitzel Miss ($3.70) in the shadows of the post to claim the $250,000 prize. It was another superb front-running ride to secure victory, with Regan Bayliss sending the daughter of Written By straight to the top after jumping well from barrier three. The Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained filly…

Blitzburg leads all the way in Group 3 Canonbury Stakes

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Blitzburg winning the 2025 Group 3 Canonbury Stakes. Photo: Bradleyphotos.com.au The Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou-trained Blitzburg ($4.80) has claimed a dominant victory in the Group 3 Canonbury Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill on Saturday afternoon, with Tyler Schiller making every post a winner aboard the son of Snitzel in the two-year-old feature. The pair pinged the lids from barrier two and never looked in any danger of fending off his fellow colts and geldings, producing a slashing turn-of-speed to take full advantage of on-speed track conditions. The favoured pair of…