Author: NZRacingDesk

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Smart three-year-old Public Attention (Written Tycoon) is on a path to the Gr.1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) after an impressive first-up victory in the Gr.3 Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday. Ridden by Chad Schofield, the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-prepared son of Written Tycoon sat just off surprise leader Linebacker (NZ) (Super Seth) and forged clear of his fellow Kiwi-bred over the concluding stages to score by just over a length. The well-related grey colt has now won two of his five starts, and previously boasted a…

Australia took the spoils in Saturday’s eagerly anticipated trans-Tasman sprint clash at Te Rapa as Here To Shock (NZ) (Shocking) and Bosustow (Blue Point) filled the quinella in the Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m). The presence of 11-race winner Here To Shock and last-start Magic Millions Guineas (1400m) hero Bosustow added international spice to an elite field of sprinters, which also featured top-flight Kiwi talent such as Grail Seeker (NZ) (Iffraaj), Savaglee (NZ) (Savabeel), Luberon (NZ) (Embellish), Waitak (NZ) (Proisir) and Babylon Berlin (All Too Hard). But in the end,…

Karaka graduate Field Of Play (Deep Field) will be a force to be reckoned with when he contests the Gr.1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) in a fortnight after posting a dominant victory in the Gr.3 Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) (1100m) at Caulfield. Prepared by Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young, the gelded son of Deep Field was a brilliant debut winner in late December and again showed his class and professionalism, proving too strong for his juvenile rivals despite going six weeks between runs. Perfectly ridden by Blake Shinn, Field Of…

Matamata visitor Harlech (NZ) (Darci Brahma) made the trip down to Wingatui on Saturday a profitable one as he blitzed his rivals by four lengths in the Listed Nellies Restaurant & Bar Hazlett Stakes (1400m). Trainer Pam Gerard sent the eight-year-old south fresh up, having last raced when fourth of nine at Otaki back in November. Placed three times at Group One level as a younger horse, the Oaks Stud-bred son of Darci Brahma hadn’t visited the winners’ enclosure since May 2024 but didn’t let that statistic faze him as…

A dominant performance in the Gr.2 Legacy Lodge Waikato Guineas (2000m) at Te Rapa on Saturday has thrust Tuxedo (NZ) (Tivaci) into the top echelon of contenders for next month’s Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m). Tuxedo had already shown plenty of promise in his four-race career, winning twice including the Gr.3 Wellington Stakes (1600m) and finishing second in both of the other two. He chased home Derby favourite Willydoit (NZ) (Tarzino) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day, then returned to the same venue for a runner-up finish behind Damask Rose…

Saturday’s Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa marked another new high point in the career of the ever-improving El Vencedor (NZ) (Shocking), who took his career earnings past $1 million with a stunning three-length runaway. The son of Shocking initially showed promise as a sprinter, winning over 1200m in both New Zealand and Australia as a three-year-old and placing in the Gr.3 Concorde Handicap (1200m) and Listed Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at four. But El Vencedor has come into his own over longer distances at the ages of five…

The Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young trained three-year-old Emphasize (NZ) (Embellish( has again flagged his staying credentials with a hard-fought victory over older horses in the Super Bowl Monday Handicap (2000m) at Caulfield. The son of Embellish cruised to victory at Sale in January and was due to step out at Sandown last week, but dislodged his rider on the way to the barriers and was duly scratched. Seven days later the gelding put up a tough performance to loop the field and stave off handy four-year-old Inevitable Award as…

Progressive mare Risque Ruler (NZ) (Mongolian Khan) produced a performance that had to be seen to be believed when taking out the second running of the Sir Patrick Hogan Karapiro Classic (1600m) at Te Rapa on Saturday. The Janelle Millar-prepared daughter of former Gr.1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) winner Mongolian Khan was a clear $3.80 favourite for the $350,000 contest when the early Fixed Odds market was released off the back of an unlucky run for second at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day, following two consecutive victories. However, after the early…

Rising star Leica Lucy (NZ) (Derryn) had to live right up to her fast-growing reputation at Te Rapa on Saturday, getting herself out of deep trouble in the straight and winning the Gr.2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic (2000m). The classy daughter of Derryn went into the $275,000 feature as the hottest favourite of the day at $1.30, having won three of her four starts including dominant recent victories in the Gr.3 Eulogy Stakes (1600m) and Gr.3 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m). Soon after rounding the home turn at Te…