Author: NZRacingDesk

A determined victory in Saturday’s New World Otaki Handicap (1600m) took under-rated mare Sumi (NZ) (Atlante) past $200,000 in prize-money. Trainer and part-owner Allan Sharrock sent Sumi to Otaki as something of an afterthought, seeking to avoid a clash with stablemates Ladies Man and Islington Lass in the Gr.3 Thompson Handicap (1600m) at Trentham next Sunday. But that change of plans delivered a perfect result, with Sumi surging home from second-last to record the seventh win of her 34-start career. Sumi and apprentice jockey Lily Sutherland settled more than half…

Aeliana stepped straight from midweek racing to the big stage on Everest Day on Saturday, scoring a brilliant win in the A$250,000 Gr.3 Bisley Workwear Reginald Allen Quality (1400m) at Randwick. The New Zealand-bred filly made her debut with a fourth at Hawkesbury on August 1, then cleared maiden ranks with a stylish performance on the Kensington track on August 14. In her only other start, Aeliana ran sixth at Warwick Farm on September 4. Saturday’s three-year-old fillies’ feature came six weeks after that most recent appearance and was a…

Te Akau Racing had more than one reason to celebrate after winning Saturday’s Cavallo Farms Chris Rutten Bloodstock 2YO (800m) at Otaki with Cool Aza Rene. The filly’s debut victory was a memorable moment in its own right and stamped her as one to watch in upcoming juvenile features over the summer months. But just as significantly, Cool Aza Rene became the first winner for Cool Aza Beel. That son of Savabeel was a $150,000 yearling purchase at Karaka 2019 by Te Akau principal David Ellis, and he went on…

The NZB Ready to Run Sale’s class of 2023 has wasted little time in delivering returns to buyers with several having already won races, including highly impressive starts to the careers of three of the highest-priced lots. The buyers of $825,000 sale-topper Megastar Heart (Star Turn), $725,000 purchase Mayne (Written Tycoon) and $700,000 filly Rapid Cheval (NZ) (Super Seth) have all made quick returns on their investments with early wins that hold the promise of much more to come. Megastar Heart was bought by Pato Leung and Solari Bloodstock from the draft of KB Bloodstock. The…

The NZB Ready to Run Sale’s class of 2023 has wasted little time in delivering returns to buyers with several having already won races, including highly impressive starts to the careers of three of the highest-priced lots. The buyers of $825,000 sale-topper Megastar Heart (Star Turn), $725,000 purchase Mayne (Written Tycoon) and $700,000 filly Rapid Cheval (NZ) (Super Seth) have all made quick returns on their investments with early wins that hold the promise of much more to come. Megastar Heart was bought by Pato Leung and Solari Bloodstock from the draft of KB Bloodstock. The…

The NZB Ready to Run Sale’s class of 2023 has wasted little time in delivering returns to buyers with several having already won races, including highly impressive starts to the careers of three of the highest-priced lots. The buyers of $825,000 sale-topper Megastar Heart (Star Turn), $725,000 purchase Mayne (Written Tycoon) and $700,000 filly Rapid Cheval (NZ) (Super Seth) have all made quick returns on their investments with early wins that hold the promise of much more to come. Megastar Heart was bought by Pato Leung and Solari Bloodstock from the draft of KB Bloodstock. The…

Breeze Ups for the world’s best sale of two-year-olds are set to take place next week on Monday 21 and Tuesday 22 October at Te Rapa Racecourse. All two-year-olds entered in NZB’s Ready to Run Sale have the opportunity to breeze on the same turf track at Te Rapa Racecourse over two consecutive days. Commencing at 10am each day, there will be a total of 183 heats filmed and timed from the near the 600m mark to past the winning post. Further footage will be recorded of all lots mounted in the Parade…

The departure of 10-time Group One winner Imperatriz has done little to slow Te Akau Racing’s progress in Australia, and trainer Mark Walker hopes the stable’s strong spring momentum will continue at Caulfield on Saturday. Walker trained nine black-type winners on Australian soil last season, six of them with Imperatriz in a sparkling campaign that earned her New Zealand Horse of the Year honours. Imperatriz has since been retired and sold for A$6.6 million at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale, but Te Akau’s black-type successes have continued to come…

Bill Thurlow’s stable has hit the ground running in the early stages of the season and one of his in-form runners, Battle Secret, will chase local spoils in Sunday’s Steelformers Waverley Cup (2200m). A seven-year-old by Battle Paint, Battle Secret has been lightly raced through his career due to injury, but he has found career best form of late, winning three in a row before finishing second to Sacred Pearl in the Egmont Cup (2100m) a fortnight ago. “I thought it was a really good run in the Egmont Cup,…

Multiple stakes winner Chantilly Lace has plenty of credentials to take into life as a broodmare, which may come swiftly after her recent mating with Windsor Park Stud’s exciting new shuttle stallion Paddington. The daughter of U S Navy Flag has a multitude of black-type to her name with victories in the Listed Castletown Stakes (1200m) and Listed Wanganui Guineas (1200m), alongside placings in the Gr.3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m), Gr.3 Wellington Stakes (1600m), Listed Futurity Stakes (1400m) and Listed Oaks Prelude (1800m). Bambry, who owns Chantilly Lace alongside her…