Author: NZRacingDesk

A well-related son of Harry Angel provided a late highlight in the final hour of the 2024 NZB Ready to Run Sale at Karaka on Thursday when he was knocked down to a $520,000 bid from bloodstock agent Morgan Carter. The colt was catalogued as Lot 372 and was in the draft of Ohukia Lodge, who bought him for A$300,000 as a yearling in Sydney. He is out of the Exceed and Excel mare Florabella, which makes him a full-brother to the well-performed Australian sprinter Arkansaw Kid. Previously the winner…

Foxton mare Marotiri Molly(NZ) (Per Incanto) will make her long-awaited stakes-level debut on Saturday at Pukekohe Park, taking her place in the Gr.2 Dunstan Horsefeeds Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m). The daughter of Per Incanto caught plenty of early attention when winning her first trial in dashing style as a four-year-old last April, and since then she has produced that form on the track, winning five of her 10 raceday appearances. Her trainer, Matt Dixon, was given a vote of confidence to take the step into black-type company when she…

Warrnambool hoop Harry Grace has quickly become a trans-Tasman jockey and is set to continue that role when he rides at New Plymouth and Wanganui later this week.  Grace first arrived in New Zealand in September to partner Australian raider Rolls in what was meant to be a Group One mission, and while that campaign hit a few snags, Grace has enjoyed forming relationships with local trainers and has accepted a number of invitations to continue to ride in New Zealand.  “I have been getting good support and I have…

Chad Ormsby has enjoyed plenty of racetrack success this year with pinhooks that he has been unable to sell at the Ready to Run Sale, but the multi-talented horseman had a very different outcome with the standout member of his 2024 Riverrock Farm draft at Karaka on Thursday. Ormsby trained passed-in 2022 Ready to Run lots Pulchritudinous and Outovstock to win this year’s Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) and Gr.3 Manawatu Classic (2000m) respectively, with Pulchritudinous subsequently sold to Australian-based powerhouse Yulong Investments. Rivverock Farm’s Chad Ormsby Photo: Trish Dunell…

Hong Kong bloodstock agent Willie Leung had a big hour at Karaka early on Thursday afternoon, spending more than $1 million to secure two well-credentialled colts at the NZB Ready to Run Sale. Leung paid $400,000 under his Magus Equine banner to buy Lot 271, a Russian Revolution colt from the draft of Ohukia Lodge, then followed that up with a $625,000 purchase of Lot 288. The latter colt was offered by BMD Bloodstock and is by Toronado out of the Zabeel mare Attractive, who is a half-sister to Gr.1…

The connections of the talented and patiently handled mare Imprevu(NZ) (Wrote) are aiming high this preparation with their pride and joy.  The daughter of Wrote has already acquitted herself well in black type company and will have an opportunity at Pukekohe Park on Saturday to break through ahead of a tilt at a top-flight sprinting target.  Imprevu will step out in the Gr.2 Dunstan Horsefeeds Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) following a strong performance when opening her current campaign earlier this month in the Listed Legacy Lodge Sprint (1200m).  Also…

With one of the world’s most exciting sprinters flying the flag for David Hayes in Hong Kong, it has been no surprise to see the trainer’s sons zeroing in on progeny of Windsor Park Stud stallion Shamexpress during the Ready to Run Sale at Karaka this week. Hayes trains the Shamexpress gelding Ka Ying Rising, who has made an enormous impression winning eight of his 10 starts including all of his last seven in succession. Previously the winner of the Gr.3 Sha Tin Vase (1200m) in June and the Gr.2…

The thoroughbred racing industry is in mourning following the passing of respected horseman Danny Champion. The 52-year-old, who hailed from Taranaki, was based in Hawke’s Bay with his partner Kate Hercock, having spent much of his life in Canterbury. In 22 seasons of training, much of that time in partnership with Kezia Murphy, Champion won 139 races, highlighted by victory in the 2013 edition of the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) with Orovela, who he had sourced as a weanling for just $1,200. There would be few who knew Champion…

Matamata trainer Pam Gerard will head to Pukekohe on Saturday to tackle a couple of feature targets with her emerging mares Shoes(NZ) (Derryn) and Reputation(NZ) (Iffraaj), and she is under no illusion about the size of the task ahead of them. Fresh off her first solo Group One triumph in the New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) with Savaglee, Gerard will change tack with a pair of rising talents facing sizzling fields, firstly with Shoes in the Gr.3 Haunui Farm Counties Bowl (1100m). Always a mare she rated, Shoes has come…

The Ready to Run Sale’s previous record price of $825,000 was blown out of the water at Karaka on Wednesday as Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis went to $1,650,000 to secure an I Am Invincible colt with a special connection to the stable. The standout colt was offered by Kiltannon Stables as Lot 174 and fetched the highest price ever paid for a two-year-old at a public auction in the southern hemisphere. He is out of the Savabeel mare Shillelagh, who was trained by Te Akau’s former trainer Jamie…