Author: NZRacingDesk

Otago (NZ) (Ocean Park) will make his return to racing at Bendigo this Saturday, but do not go looking for the one-time Australian Guineas favourite among the entries for the day’s features. Co-trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr have selected the $80,000 benchmark 70 as the likely kick-off point for the four-year-old, who will be having his first start in more than 13 months. It will be a return to where it all began for Otago, who created a massive boom when he won a 1300m Bendigo maiden in December 2023, and Kent said Saturday’s priority…

Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis was once again to the fore in the sales ring this week, but this time at Inglis’ Easter Yearling Sale in Sydney. On Monday he went to A$1 million to secure lot 398, the Snitzel colt out of Group One performer Harlow Gold, from the draft of Glenlogan Park. His dam was a $200,000 New Zealand Bloodstock yearling sale purchase and went on to win two races for trainers David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig, and was runner-up in the Gr.1 Victoria Oaks…

The stars in Sydney were all in alignment for Little Avondale Stud to celebrate a record auction result during the second session of the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. Sam and Catriona Williams’ Masterton nursery had high hopes on Monday for their son of Zoustar and Belluci Babe, a daughter of resident sire Per Incanto, and he surpassed all expectations. The dam is a three-quarter sister to Little Avondale graduate Evaporate (NZ) (Per Incanto) whose timely emergence further boosted the profile of her first foal. Offered as Lot 297, the…

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Te Akau jumper Leaderboard is set to head to the Warrnambool carnival later this month following his triumph in the Open Steeplechase (3250m) at Ballarat on Sunday. The 10-year-old son of Street Cry, who is raced by syndicator Fortuna, won seven races on the flat in New Zealand, including the Gr.3 Wellington Cup (3200m) and Listed New Zealand St Leger (2600m). He then transferred to Te Akau’s Cranbourne base where he has added three further wins to his tally, along with placings in last year’s Grand National Hurdle (4200m) and…

Shaun and Emma Clotworthy didn’t quite get their fairytale finish with Willydoit in Saturday’s A$2 million Gr.1 Australian Derby (2400m), but the couple walk away with plenty to look forward to in the gelding’s future across the Tasman. Willydoit triumphed in emphatic style in the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie last month, warranting a trip to take on Australia’s best staying three-year-olds on the first day of The Championships at Royal Randwick. Reuniting with Kiwi expat jockey Mick Dee, Willydoit jumped well and was handy early, eventually settling…

Ross McCarroll didn’t have to think very long or hard to name a filly he bought for loose change at Karaka in 2007. The Cambridge horseman handed over $100 for a yearling offered through Wentwood Grange’s draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s Autumn Mixed Bloodstock Sale and her subsequent moniker was apt on two fronts. “Because she was by Desert Fox, we called her Stole which is worn around your neck (often a fur), but now it’s become more the other way (price),” McCarroll said. “I watched her at Karaka and…

Rich Hill Stud principal John Thompson is no stranger to success on Australia’s biggest stage, but even he watched in awe as the filly he co-bred in Aeliana stormed away with Saturday’s $2 million Gr.1 Australian Derby (2400m). A bridesmaid in each of the Gr.1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) and Gr.1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m), Aeliana had proven she was right up with the boys and they were no match as she stepped over a mile and a half for the first time, capitalising off a perfect run in transit to power…

Nick Bishara was left pinching himself on Saturday after he watched his filly Belle Detelle breakthrough for her maiden stakes victory in the Gr.3 Adrian Knox Stakes (2000m) at Randwick. The Ardmore horseman looks to have struck gold for the second time, with Belle Detelle being a three-quarter sister to his ill-fated champion racemare Verry Elleegant, who recorded 11 Group One victories. Like Verry Elleegant, Belle Detelle is trained by leading Sydney trainer Chris Waller, and has now accrued an envious record of two wins and three placings from five…

Dan Meagher is pondering a first-up Group One tilt with Singapore pin-ups Lim’s Kosciuszko (Kermadec) and Lim’s Saltoro (NZ) (Shamexpress). The gallopers, who boast 12 Gr.1 wins in Singapore between them, have returned with Meagher to Australia and are in work at his Pakenham base. Both are slated to trial at Caulfield on Thursday, after which the trainer will make a call about whether either horse travels to Adelaide for next month’s A$1 million Gr.1 Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville. A combination of the set-weights-and-penalties conditions of the race, as well…