Author: NZRacingDesk

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. …

So Naive hasn’t put a foot wrong in his three-year-old campaign so far, and trainers Bruce Wallace and Grant Cooksley are hoping his purple patch of form continues at Te Rapa on Monday. The U S Navy Flag colt was a handy two-year-old, winning two his four juvenile starts, but he blossomed into a three-year-old where he won the Gr.3 Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) first-up before finishing runner-up to Savaglee in the Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m). So Naive is on a path towards the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai…

The Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) was not an easy watch for the connections of Captured By Love, and co-trainer Sam Bergerson is hoping some redemption can be served in Monday’s Gr.2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial (1400m) at Te Rapa.  The daughter of Written Tycoon was fractious in the barriers prior to the running of the transferred three-year-old feature at Matamata, giving her rivals a six-length head start before producing an enormous closing finish to come within a neck of Savaglee and So Naive.   Bergerson, who trains the filly…

Evaporate (NZ) (Per Incanto) will be one of two runners for the Lindsay Park team in the Cox Plate. The Lindsay Park team of Ben, Will and J D Hayes believe their three-year-old runner in the Cox Plate is more than just making up the numbers.  Evaporate joins his more highly-credentialled stablemate Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) in the Group 1 weight-for-age contest over 2040m at Moonee Valley on Saturday, coming off a last start third in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) on October 12.  Considered one of the outsiders in latest Cox Plate betting at $21, Evaporate is unbeaten in…

Almost 70 years after his grandmother bred the winner of the Cox Plate, Kiwi horseman Sam Williams will chase his own slice of racing history with three-year-old Evaporate(NZ) (Per Incanto) in Saturday’s weight-for-age championship at The Valley. Williams, who owns and operates Little Avondale Stud with his wife Catriona, bred, sold and retained a share in the son of his resident stallion Per Incanto, who was bought by Lindsay Park Racing for $330,000 at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. The three-year-old has won four of his nine…

Trainer John O’Shea has no distance queries with Victoria Derby aspirant King Of Thunder (NZ) (Tivaci) ahead of the gelding’s first Melbourne start at Moonee Valley. King Of Thunder, a winner of one of his four starts on the NSW provincial circuit this season, steps up to 2040m for the first time in Saturday’s Drummond Golf Vase for three-year-olds and the gelding’s breeding and style has his co-trainer adamant he will relish that distance and more. King Of Thunder is by Tivaci out of Zabeel mare Sheezababe, while his grand-dam…

Brian and Shane Anderton have designs on another trip to Riccarton Park next month, with Saturday’s feature meeting giving an indication on where their talented contingent will feature during Cup Week. The Wingatui partnership will have representatives in both the Gr.3 War Decree Stakes (1600m) and Listed Sothy’s Spring Classic (2000m), in the form of Cloche (NZ) (Ghibellines) and Mayor Of Norwood (NZ) (Ghibellines). A filly by Ghibellines, Cloche was a winner on debut at her home course in June, before making a strong account of herself behind Age Of…

Craig Williams will chase a second Moonee Valley Cup win when he partners the Graeme and Deborah Rogerson-trained Sharp ‘N’ Smart (NZ) (Redwood). Graeme Rogerson knows the feeling of big race success at Moonee Valley having saluted in the Cox Plate with three-year-old Savabeel.  He also has two Moonee Valley Cups on the mantlepiece when training for Lloyd Williams, courtesy of Zipping (2006) and Gallic (2007).  Now preparing a team of horses in New Zealand with wife Deborah, the Rogerson team will saddle Sharp ‘N’ Smart in Group 2 Moonee Valley Cup (2500m) on Friday night.  A Group 1 New Zealand Derby winner in 2023, Sharp…