Author: NZRacingDesk

Feroce (NZ) (Super Seth) will ramp up for Guineas redemption later this week with the Gr.1 Caulfield Guineas runner-up set to return to the jumpouts. Trainer Dom Sutton is thrilled with the way the son of Super Seth has come back from a late-spring break and is likely to keep him in Australia. The Kiwi-bred has been heavily courted for New Zealand’s rich new slot race, which will be run at Ellerslie on March 8, but Sutton is favouring keeping him in his adopted homeland. “He’s going to trial on…

A short time ago, To Bravery Born (NZ) (Snitzel) was unlikely to get a shot at making the $1 million TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) field, but the colt took his opportunity at Ellerslie on Sunday with a commanding victory in the Trackside.co.nz (1200m). To Bravery Born was a comfortable winner of the first juvenile race back in August and was later set to run in the Listed Counties Challenge Stakes (1100m) on November 23, before an injury took him out of contention. His trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson…

Underrated sprinter The Stoney One (Pierro) picked up a deserved victory when he burst through late in the piece to claim victory in the JR & N Berkett Handicap (1100m) at Trentham.  Although racing out of his class on a 73 rating against the open sprinters, the Guy Lowry and Leah Zydenbos-prepared six-year-old hasn’t always enjoyed the best of fortune in his career and carrying just 54kgs on his back along with in-form rider Craig Grylls, he looked to be a definite threat in the contest.  Grylls had the son of…

Guy, Jayne & Emily review a quality card from Trentham highlighted by the Thorndon Mile & stunning return from Savaglee. The team also look at the time honoured Kumara Nuggets. And, we hear from Nick Johnson ahead of the all important Karaka Sales Weigh In, January 12

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Talented galloper Name Dropper notched his third victory from seven career starts when leading throughout to land the Stud and Stable Staff Awards (1400m) at Flemington on Saturday. The late-blooming son of Tavistock was perfectly rated by Blaike McDougall and comfortably held placegetters My Brothers Keeper and Impending Link. The Richard Laming-trained gelding was fourth emergency but was supported into $15, with Name Dropper unusually carrying the number 20 saddlecloth to victory at headquarters. Name Dropper was a well-backed Eagle Farm winner on debut in August 2023 and was sent…

It wasn’t pretty but talented four-year-old Bullets High scored a narrow victory in the De Bortoli Wines Benchmark 88 Handicap (2100m) at Wyong on Saturday as he repaid the faith of his many supporters. Having placed in four of his previous five starts, the Joe Pride-trained gelding was sent out the $3.20 favourite for Saturday’s contest. Jockey Alysha Collett elected to use petrol early and push forward on the son of Ace High after beginning well and despite looking under pressure entering the home straight, fought on gamely to defeat…

Talented Kiwi-bred galloper Grand Impact was back in the winner’s circle after an all-the-way victory in the Domeland Benchmark 100 Handicap (1350m) at the Wyong standalone meeting on Saturday. Ridden by Winona Costin, Grand Impact had a relatively soft lead and kicked well off the bend to deny Coastwatch by three-quarters of a length, with Strait Acer third. Prepared by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, connections of Grand Impact were rewarded for their patience with the now five-year-old, having last saluted in the Gr.3 Blue Sapphire Stakes (1200m) in…

Promising apprentice Donovan Cooper made good use of his 2kg claim as he guided the Christchurch-trained Treybon to a clear cut victory in Saturday’s Vernon & Vazey 0800 Truck Parts Kumara Gold Nuggets (1810m). Cooper who made the move south last year when transferring his apprenticeship to Treybon’s trainer Ross Beckett, has been in white hot form in recent weeks and produced a brave effort on the seven-year-old son of Sweynesse as he took the initiative at the 600m to improve quickly on the outer to be up challenging for…

Class three-year-old Savaglee stepped out for the first time since his devastating victory in the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) in November and absolutely destroyed a small but handy field in Saturday’s Gr.2 Top Kat Roofing Levin Classic (1400m) at Trentham. Confidently expected to win despite the eight week absence from race day action, the punters elect at $1.60 never looked in danger of defeat once regular pilot Sam Spratt had him away nicely from a wide barrier and trucking along in the trail behind stablemate Suit Yourself. Spratt…