Month: February 2025

Damask Rose (inside) winning her 1100m trial at Taupo on Wednesday. Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North) Talented filly Damask Rose is set to bloom once more when she heads to Ellerslie next week to contest the inaugural $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) after winning her 1100m trial at Taupo on Wednesday. The three-year-old daughter of Savabeel has been a standout for trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson, winning three and placing in two of her six starts to date, including taking out last month’s $1.5 million Karaka Millions…

Public Attention will contest next week’s $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m). Photo: Bradleyphotos.com.au Prominent Australian owner Aziz “Ozzie” Kheir and global thoroughbred giant Coolmore won the world’s richest turf race, the A$14 million The Everest (1200m), in 2019 with Yes Yes Yes, and six years on they are teaming up once more in the hope of taking out another slot race. Last year, Kheir purchased a slot in the $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m), to be run at Ellerslie on Champions Day, March 8, in the hope of running his…

Loose Sally will contest Saturday’s Dunedin Guineas (1600m) at Wingatui. Photo: Monica Toretto Local trainer Shankar Muniandy is vying to score back-to-back victories in Saturday’s Listed Dunedin Guineas (1600m) but said manners will be key with this year’s contender. Muniandy scored a career highlight when taking out last year’s edition of the race with Collect Your Cash and he believes he has the right filly to defend the stable’s local Guineas crown in Loose Sally. The promising daughter of Turn Me Loose was victorious on debut before running third to…

Outovstock will contest Saturday’s $350,000 Wairere Falls Classic (1500m) at Matamata. Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North) Group 3-winning stayer Outovstock will use Saturday’s $350,000 Wairere Falls Classic (1500m) as a stepping stone towards a tilt at his second Manawatu feature crown. A son of Tavistock, Outovstock scored a minor upset to win last year’s Group 3 Manawatu Classic (2100m) in April, earning himself a trip across the Tasman where he finished ninth in the Group 1 South Australian Derby (2500m). As a result of his early success, Outovstock…

The Grey Goose will contest the Group 3 Weight For Age (1600m) at Wingatui on Saturday. Photo: Monica Toretto What The Grey Goose possesses in talent may be hindered in match fitness when she takes her place in Saturday’s Group 3 Weight For Age (1600m) at Wingatui. The Invercargill visitor collected a major prize at Otago’s feature meeting last year, winning the $200,000 Southern Mile Final (1600m) in what was a breakthrough season for the mare. She went on to finish fourth in the $350,000 Southern Alps Challenge (1600m), and…

Angel Capital ridden by Ben Melham winning the Autumn Stakes at Caulfield Racecourse. (Photo by Pat Scala/Racing Photos) The time-honoured Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) is the headline act at Flemington on Saturday afternoon, with a capacity field of 16 set to line-up in the three-year-old feature. Group 2 Autumn Stakes (1400m) winner Angel Capital holds the call as $4.20 favourite with horse racing bookmakers; however, it appears to be a wide-open betting race with a stack of chances throughout betting. The Bjorn Baker-trained Point And Shoot makes the trip…

Lady Shenandoah winning the Group 2 Light Fingers Stakes. Photo: Bradleyphotos.com.au The 46th running of the Group 1 Surround Stakes (1400m) shares top billing as the first of two Group 1 features at Randwick on Saturday afternoon, with a field of 15 fillies set to do battle for the $750,000 prize. The Chris Waller-trained Lady Shenandoah has been the long-standing $1.85 favourite with horse racing bookmakers for the event, and the confidence for punters will only grow after the star filly drew barrier three on Thursday morning. James McDonald gets…

Via Sistina and James McDonald returns to scale after winning the Group 1 Champions Stakes at Flemington. (Photo by Jay Town/Racing Photos) The $1 million Group 1 Verry Elleegant Stakes (1600m) headlines a bumper 10-race program at Randwick on Saturday afternoon, with a quality field of nine set to line-up in the weight-for-age classic. Despite being rolled as a short-priced favourite first-up in the Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1400m), horse racing bookmakers haven’t hesitated to install Via Sistina as $2.00 favourite once again. James McDonald reunites with the daughter of…

Autumn Glow cruising to victory in the Tea Rose Stakes. Photo: bradleyphotos.com.au Star filly Autumn Glow is set to miss this Saturday’s Group 1 Surround Stakes (1400m) at Randwick, with trainer Chris Waller confirming the daughter of The Autumn Sun is likely to resume in the Listed Darby Munro Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on March 22. Chris Waller Racing posted a statement on his behalf which read: “After giving it a lot of thought, we have decided Autumn Glow isn’t quite at her peak fitness to be running first-up in…

Tony Cruz won the 2022 Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) with California Spangle. Photo: HKJC Tony Cruz will attempt to win a third Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) at Sha Tin on Sunday when he saddles Californiatotality and Stunning Peach in the second leg of the Four-Year-Old Classic series. With 1,543 wins as a trainer after notching 946 victories as a jockey in Hong Kong, Cruz’s ambition is undiminished and he is confident Californiatotality, who will be ridden by Alexis Badel, and Stunning Peach, who will be partnered by James…