Author: NZRacingDesk

The good times keep on rolling for connections of winning machine Here To Shock(NZ) (Shocking) who plundered the inaugural A$1 million Supernova at Pakenham over his favoured 1400m distance for trainers Ben, Will and JD Hayes. The seven-year-old son of Shocking bounced back to winning form after a rare down the field effort when tenth in the A$3 million Big Dance (1600m), where he pulled up with a heart arrhythmia. A subsequent pleasing trial gave the Hayes team the tick of approval they were seeking and a perfect Daniel Stackhouse…

Four-year-old gelding Gold Bullion dug deep to stave off all challengers when leading throughout to land the Listed Seven Members Mile (1600m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday for trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott. The son of Savabeel was ridden to victory by Regan Bayliss and looks set to leave his mark on the Queensland Summer Carnival as he chases further stakes success. Now the winner of three of his 14 starts with a further five placings, Gold Bullion was second-up after finishing third over 1400m on the Kensington track…

The Allan Sharrock training polish was to the fore again at Trentham on Saturday when classy mare Islington Lass(NZ) (Proisir) stepped up to a middle distance for the first time in her 16-start career to score a clear-cut victory in the Gr.3 Humphries Construction Manawatu Cup (2300m) The seven-year-old had hinted at her last start in the Gr.3 Great Northern Challenge Stakes (1600m) at Ellerslie that she was looking for more ground when finishing off strongly over the final stages of the contest. With Michael McNab aboard, the daughter of…

Matt Dixon collected his biggest win as a solo trainer when his much-improved mare Marotiri Molly(NZ) (Per Incanto) ran away with the Gr.2 Bramco Granite & Marble Manawatu Challenge Stakes (1400m) at Trentham on Saturday. Foxton-based Dixon trained five Group and Listed winners in partnership with David Haworth between 2009 and 2014, but had not scaled those heights since resuming his career on his own in 2019. Marotiri Molly has changed all that. Dixon has had to be patient with Marotiri Molly, who was an eight-length trial winner as an…

The familiar combination of trainer Robbie Patterson and jockey Craig Grylls continued their outstanding success rate in stakes races when promising filly Leica Lucy(NZ) (Derryn) took out the Gr.3 Lawnmaster Eulogy Stakes (1600m) at Trentham. The daughter of Grangewilliam Stud-based stallion Derryn had impressed when winning on debut at New Plymouth last month before being narrowly beaten over 1400m at Trentham a fortnight ago. Relishing the step up in distance to 1600m on Saturday, Leica Lucy settled sweetly in midfield for Grylls as pacemaker Vanish set up a strong tempo…

A pair of talented three-year-olds from last season locked horns in the Te Rapa straight on Saturday, with Tanganyika(NZ) (Ace High) claiming a narrow win over Talisker(NZ) (Embellish) in the Print House (1400m). The Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott-trained Tanganyika showed real promise in a five-start campaign as a three-year-old, recording two wins, a second and a third. His only time outside the top three was in the Listed Uncle Remus Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie in February, where he finished strongly from last to cross the line fifth and only…

Overlooked in the lead-up to Saturday’s Gr.2 Happy Hire Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m) at Trentham, Intention(NZ) (Bivouac) burst out of the shadows of her higher-rated rivals and scored an impressive upset win. The $175,000 feature was only the second start for the Awapuni filly, who finished fourth on debut at Otaki on November 28 after jumping awkwardly from the starting gates and then bucking in the early part of the race. Carrying the blue and white colours of Tineke Balcombe’s In To Win Syndication, Intention headed down to the start…

Promising filly Komocean(NZ) (Ocean Park) made it two wins from two starts when she dealt to her rivals in fine style when taking out the second event on the card at Trentham, the Breeze Wellington 3YO (1200m). Trainer Allan Sharrock has a big opinion of the Ocean Park filly and expressed it after she overcame a slow start when winning impressively on her home track at New Plymouth earlier in the month. Punters agreed and sent the half-sister to former Gr.1 Telegraph (1200m) winner Signify out a warm favourite ($2.40)…

Matamata specialist Khafre took his career to a new level with a dominant front-running performance in Friday’s Listed Team Wealleans Matamata Cup (1600m). The $80,000 feature was the fifth start at Matamata for the American Pharoah gelding, who has won two of those races and placed in all of the other three. He scored an all-the-way win by more than two lengths in maiden three-year-old company at the 2022 edition of this popular pre-Christmas twilight meeting, and his subsequent runs at the track have included close-up placings behind quality mares…

Eight Group One performers were put through their paces in a star-studded 1100m trial before the eight-race twilight card at Matamata on Friday, and it was standout three-year-old Savaglee who came out on top. Making his first public appearance since romping to victory by almost three lengths in the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton on November 9, the Savabeel colt settled in third through the early stages of Friday’s trial as speedy mare Babylon Berlin opened up a big lead over Luberon. Savaglee quickened stylishly through an…