Author: NZRacingDesk

Friday’s Gr.2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m) is looming as a crucial guide to New Zealand’s chances of Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) success. The Graeme and Debbie Rogerson-trained Sharp ‘N’ Smart (NZ) (Redwood) and the Andrew Forsman-trained Positivity (NZ) (Almanzor) both galloped at Tuesday morning’s Breakfast With The Best trackwork session, pleasing their connections ahead of Friday’s $A750,000 feature at The Valley. Debbie Rogerson was happy with Redwood five-year-old gelding Sharp ‘N’ Smart’s work, in which he wasn’t asked for a strong effort under raceday rider Craig Williams. “He just…

Superstar Trelawney Stud-bred mare Pride Of Jenni out ran all of her rivals in her last attempt over 2000m, and she will be out to do that on the biggest stage in Saturday’s A$5 million Gr.1 Cox Plate (2040m) at The Valley. Prior to last season, Pride Of Jenni had placed at Group One and Group Two level, but she catapulted herself into stardom with stunning front-running victories in the A$1 million Gr.1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m), A$3 million Gr.1 Champions Stakes (1600m) and A$3.7 million All Star Mile. Her…

Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) will at this stage take her place in Saturday’s Cox Plate at The Valley, with the mighty mare coming through her narrow King Charles III Stakes defeat in good order. Trainer Ciaron Maher had a close eye on the Trelawney Stud bred galloper post-race last week and said she is showing no ill-effects from the gutsy run. “I followed her down to the swabbing box post her run on Saturday, just to see how she was and she pulled up pretty good,” he said.…

Andrew Forsman still holds Melbourne Cup aspirations with Positivity (NZ) (Almanzor), despite having to be scratched from last Saturday’s Caulfield Cup. The Kiwi mare was withdrawn on Friday afternoon due to a hoof issue, but Forsman is confident he is now on top of the issue and could see the mare run as soon as Friday night in the A$750,000 Gr.2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup. “She seems fine, she did have a niggly foot that she has obviously bruised in her final gallop on Thursday morning, but she’s much improved,”…

Part One of Michael’s chat with Chris Waller. What does a day look like? What does he think about the progress of NZ racing? Is it fun being Chris Waller? Plus, we get the latest on Joliestar’s movements and wrap the weekend’s racing. Guerin Report – Ep. 8, Ft. Chris Waller

Rohan Mudhoo started a new chapter in his riding career at Ashburton on Sunday, returning from a serious health issue that took him away from the sport for the past nine months. The expat Mauritian jockey has been riding in New Zealand since 2018, earning 154 winners including nine last term, before a shock diagnosis halted his season. “I was diagnosed with cancer in February, we had to take immediate action because the results indicated I’d had it for about a year and was already in stage four,” Mudhoo said.…

Kiwi-bred stayer Hit The Road Jack (NZ) (Jakkalberry) will take his place in one of two key staying races across the Tasman this week, with nominations for both the Gr.3 Geelong Cup (2400m) and Gr.2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m). The son of Jakkalberry was initially sent to Australia as a jumping prospect after winning seven races on the flat for part-owner and former trainer Shaun Phelan. He swiftly broke his maiden over fences at Warrnambool in July for Symon Wilde, but when reverting back to the flat, Hit The…

Rich Hill Stud’s John Thompson was running on empty when he had the final say on the well-related mare Temolie at the Gold Coast. Thompson was at the end of his budget with a closing bid of A$200,000 that secured the daughter of Star Witness at the 2021 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale where she was offered by Edinburgh Park. “She was definitely on the list I had made before the sale and when I Iooked at her when I was doing the rounds at the sale she was a…

Lindsay Park were runner-up in last year’s Gr.1 Cox Plate (2040m) with Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars), and they are hoping they can go one better in this year’s edition where they will be represented once more by the Kiwi-bred, as well as his compatriot Evaporate (NZ) (Per Incanto). Mr Brightside heads into Saturday’s A$5 million feature at The Valley in good form, having won one and finished runner-up in three of his four starts this preparation, including victory in the Gr.1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington last month. Trainers…

Kiwi trained Melbourne Cup hope Mahrajaan (Kitten’s Joy) will miss this Friday night’s Gr.2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m) after suffering an insect bite at his Warrnambool base. Cambridge trainer Shaune Ritchie had hoped to use the A$750,000 feature as New Zealand and Auckland Cups winner Mahrajaan’s final lead-up to the $A8.56 million Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 5. But the insect bite, which Ritchie believed was probably a spider bite, has meant a change of plans for Mahrajaan, who could now tackle Wednesday week’s Gr.3 Bendigo…