Author: NZRacingDesk

Two hours after his close relative Vegas Queen won Saturday’s Gr.2 Wellington Guineas (1400m) at Trentham, quality New Zealand-bred gelding Gringotts took the family’s day to even greater heights with an Australian Group One triumph in the A$1 million George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill. Gringotts was bred by Totara Park Stud and is by Little Avondale Stud’s outstanding sire Per Incanto out of the Savabeel mare Miss Bluebell, whose half-sister Miss Vegas is the dam of Vegas Queen. Herself unraced, Miss Bluebell is a daughter of Operavega, a half-sister…

Another commanding performance in Saturday’s A$500,000 Gr.2 DCE Alister Clark Stakes (2040m) at Moonee Valley has booked rising star three-year-old Shanwah a shot at the Gr.1 Australian Derby (2400m) ahead of his move to Hong Kong. A $750,000 Karaka yearling purchase by Cameron Cooke Bloodstock on behalf of owners Kevin and Vikki Payne, Shanwah commenced his career as a colt and was a placegetter at Canterbury in the spring. Gelding has proved to be the making of the three-year-old, who has now won four races in succession. He was a…

New Zealand-bred mare Basilinna capitalised on the reprogramming of the Yarra Valley Cup (2040m) to Moonee Valley on Saturday, scoring a hard-fought win in her first start of a new campaign. The Yarra Valley Cup was originally scheduled to be run over 1950m last Sunday, but the meeting was called off after one race due to rain and deteriorating track conditions. The Yarra Valley Cup was instead added as an 11th race on Saturday’s Moonee Valley programme, and it was Basilinna who came out on top. “We were the big…

A day of high-quality racing and tight finishes at Trentham was topped off by another ding-donger in the last race as the favoured pair of Glamour Tycoon and Platinum Attack went head-to-head in the Listed Bill Tito Book Repair Specialist Lightning Handicap (1200m). Neither four-year-old was prepared to give an inch, however it was the Stephen Marsh-trained filly Glamour Tycoon who thrust her head down at the perfect moment to deny the Lisa Latta-prepared Platinum Attack and register her second victory at Listed level after claiming the O’Learys Fillies’ Stakes…

Leica Lucy signed off the New Zealand stage of her career with a Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) victory that showcased all of the class and courage that has made her this season’s standout filly. The Taranaki superstar arrived at Trentham on Saturday with a near-flawless record of five wins and a second from six starts. After running first and second in a pair of 1400m races in the spring, Leica Lucy strung together four consecutive victories with increasingly impressive performances in the Gr.3 Eulogy Stakes…

Unfancied filly Vegas Queen survived a post-race protest from runner-up Archaic Smile to collect her biggest victory after an incident-packed finish to the Gr.2 IRT Wellington Guineas (1600m) at Trentham. Sent to the front by rider Wiremu Pinn, the Kenny Rae-prepared daughter of Rich Hil Stud stallion Proisir looked to be full of running as she rounded the home bend two lengths clear of her rivals after making all of the pace from barrier rise. In a desperate finish, she held out the hard-charging pair of Archaic Smile and Dramatic…

For the second year in a row, a big autumn stage at Riccarton has brought the very best out of talented local mare Epee Beel. The daughter of Epaulette secured her first black-type success in the Listed NZB Insurance Stakes (1600m) in April of last year, and she delivered a repeat result over the same course and distance in Saturday’s Gr.3 Donaldson Brown South Island Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m). Epee Beel went into the $100,000 fillies and mares’ feature with no wins to her name from 12 starts this season,…

Taranaki trainer Robbie Patterson kicked off his assault on the stakes races at Trentham on Saturday with a bang as underrated mare Our Jumala prevailed in a titanic struggle in the Gr.3 Wentwood Grange Cuddle Stakes (1600m). The six-year-old daughter of Zed has always shown plenty of promise throughout her career including a runner-up finish in the Gr.3 Manawatu Breeders’ Stakes (2000m) at this time last year and finally achieved a richly deserved stakes race victory with a barnstorming finish in the hands of Joe Doyle. A winning result didn’t…

Saturday’s $1m Group One Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham will be the 11th and final leg of an NZB Filly of the Year Series that has been completely dominated by Leica Lucy (NZ) (Derryn). The Oaks would be Leica Lucy’s fifth win of the series and lift her to 40 points. Only two fillies in the last two decades have bettered that – Jennifer Eccles (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle) with 44.5 points in 2019-20, and Justa Tad (NZ) (Istidaad) with 42 in 2004-05. In the last four seasons, the winning scores have been…

Up-and-comer Risque Ruler will face the biggest test of her short career in Saturday’s Gr.3 Wentwood Grange Cuddle Stakes (1600m) at Trentham, and her regular rider Chris Dell is confident she will be up to the task. The four-year-old daughter of Mongolian Khan has made a big impression with powerful finishes for three wins and a second from her last four starts. Risque Ruler scored back-to-back wins over 1600m at Ellerslie in November and 1300m at Te Rapa in December, then flew from last into second in a 1500m race…