Author: NZRacingDesk

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The Anthony Cummings-trained El Castello (Castelvecchio) ran out a strong winner of the Gr.1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on Saturday under a confident Josh Parr ride. El Castello worked forward under Parr, who pushed the button mid-stretch and had enough in reserve to stave off the challenge of Henlein by a neck with Firm Agreement 1-1/2 lengths away third. Runner-up to Broadsiding (Too Darn Hot) in the Listed Fernhill Handicap (1600m) during the autumn, El Castello has been a revelation this spring. Bred by Brendan and Jo Lindsay’s…

Connections of multiple Group One winner Belclare (NZ) (Per Incanto) have savoured a bumper payday as the seven-year-old daughter of Per Incanto proved too strong in the A$2 million Gr.2 The Invitation (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday. Under a positive Tyler Schiller ride, Belclare had most of her rivals gasping a fair way from home and she sailed to a comfortable length and a quarter victory as the former Kiwi saluted at her third start for Sydney trainer Bjorn Baker. “I’m very lucky to get this mare,” Baker said. “She’s…

Respected trainer Kevin Myers completed a winning treble at Riccarton on Saturday with a dominant performance by Aljay (NZ) (Rock ‘N’ Pop) in the Listed Sothys Spring Classic (2000m). Myers sent six horses south from his Wanganui base for Saturday’s meeting, and he came away with victories by Just Charlie (NZ) (Zed) in the NZB Airfreight Road to Jericho (3000m), He’s Lucid in the Gr.3 War Decree Stakes (1600m), and Aljay in the Spring Classic. He also picked up placings with Kopua (NZ) (Shocking) in the TAB Mile Trial (1400m),…

Former Irish and Hong Kong galloper Meaningful Star (Pivotal) put his first local win on the board, at just his second New Zealand start, when he downed a classy line-up in the TAB 1600 (1600m) at Ellerslie. Born in Ireland where he raced seven times for a pair of victories at the Curragh, the now eight-year-old son of Pivotal was sent to Hong Kong in 2021 where he won on another four occasions before being transferred to New Zealand in January by his Hong Kong owners. Meaningful Star entered the…

Saturday’s Gr.2 Windsor Park Stud Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) raised as many questions as it answered in terms of the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m), but the one thing the Ellerslie feature proved is the star quality of Alabama Lass (Alabama Express). Heading into this weekend, Alabama Lass was the $3 equal favourite alongside Captured By Love (Written Tycoon) for the 1000 Guineas at Riccarton on November 16. The 1600m distance was Ken and Bev Kelso’s only reservation around contesting the Christchurch classic, and the Matamata trainers hoped the step…

Promising three-year-old He’s Lucid (NZ) (Contributer) picked the ideal opportunity to break his maiden status and promote his chances for higher honours when he comfortably took out the Gr.3 War Decree Stakes (1600m) at Riccarton. The statuesque son of Contributer had been well backed in all four of his starts to date which have yielded placings on three occasions including finishing third in the Listed Castletown Stakes (1200m) at his two-year-old debut and also filling the same position two starts later in the Listed Wanganui Guineas (1200m). Trainer Kevin Myers…

Waikato Stud has made a bold statement of intent by becoming the first Slot Holder to declare their runner in the inaugural $4.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m). The powerhouse Thoroughbred nursery has announced the Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott-trained Sought After (NZ) as their representative in the Southern Hemisphere’s richest three-year-old race to be contested for the first time on the all-new Champions’ Day at Ellerslie Racecourse on 8 March 2025. Sought After is a true-blue product of the Matamata nursery as a son of Waikato Stud stallion Tivaci and…

Well-travelled warrior Perfect Scenario produced the ideal dress rehearsal for his main New Zealand Cup Week target when he dominated proceedings in Saturday’s TAB Mile Trial (1400m) at Riccarton. The Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson-prepared seven-year-old lumped topweight of 59kgs, even after having his allocation reduced by the 4kg claim of apprentice Amber Riddell, as he contested one of the major lead-up events to the Gr.3 TAB Mile (1600m), a feature event at Riccarton on 13 November. The son of Iffraaj had been an impressive first-up winner at the venue…

Tony Pike will have his two talented fillies, Raziah and Archaic Smile, chasing age-group crowns within 10 minutes of each other this Saturday at Riccarton Park and Ellerslie.  In the South Island, The Oaks Stud-owned Raziah takes her place in the Gr.3 War Decree Stakes (1600m), looking to complete a stakes-level hattrick that commenced in the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) in mid-September.  The daughter of Niagara overcame a rocky run in the Gr.3 Barneswood Farm Stakes (1400m) to go back-to-back, a performance that Pike had plenty of praise for. …