The 2024-25 season is about to move up a gear for Lance Noble, who has eight entries this weekend including highly talented mare Luberon in Sunday’s Gr.3 Sweynesse Stakes (1215m) at Rotorua. The private trainer for Cambridge Stud sent out 19 winners from his Karaka stable last season, earning more than $1.2 million in prizemoney. He celebrated black-type successes with Habana in the Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m) and Listed Fulton Family Stakes (1500m), About Time in the Gr.2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2050m), and Aquacade in the Gr.3 Balmerino…
Author: NZRacingDesk
VIDEO: Super Seth
The Trans-Tasman racing series unite
Southside Racing have unveiled a lucrative slot racing series this year, with each of the two A$1 million races in the series also becoming qualifying races for New Zealand’s inaugural Sport Nation Champion Sprint series. The Southside Racing slot series includes the A$1 million The Meteorite (1200m) and A$1 million Supernova (1400m), with The Meteorite set to take place on Cranbourne Cup Day on November 23, while The Supernova will be run on Pakenham Cup Day on December 21. Both events are open to three-year-olds and older, and will be…
Group One target on the horizon for Bellatrix Star
New Zealand syndicator Fortuna’s silks have been to the fore during Melbourne Cup Week through the deeds of Melody Belle, and they are hoping they can feature prominently once more through their rising star Bellatrix Star. Melody Belle won the Gr.1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) on Derby Day five years ago for then Te Akau trainer Jamie Richards, and if Bellatrix Star performs up to expectations in the Gr.2 Schillaci Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on Saturday, she too could be heading towards the feature meeting. The daughter of Star Witness…
Evaporate is not just a one-trick pony
Although Will Hayes would prefer Evaporate (NZ) (Per Incanto) met Broadsiding at The Valley, he’s certain he can prove he’s not a one-trick pony when he meets the Sydney star in the Caulfield Guineas on Saturday. Evaporate has emerged with Angel Capital as the two in-form Victorian spring three-year-olds and the pair face a big challenge taking on Broadsiding, who has won his past five starts in Brisbane and Sydney for James Cummings. Sportsbet’s markets suggest they think it’s a one-horse race as they have Broadsiding at $1.75, Angel Capital…
Travel-savvy colt primed for Ashburton test
It came as no surprise to Steven Cole that Customized was unfazed by the lengthy trip south from Byerley Park to Christchurch. Cole sent the colt to Andrew Carston’s Riccarton stable earlier this week to continue his build-up toward next month’s Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m). The in-form Customized will have the opportunity at Ashburton on Saturday to boost his Classic prospects when he steps out in the Gr.3 Barneswood Farm Stakes (1400m) with the experienced Kylie Williams booked for the ride. “He went down…
The super mare’s award lifts spirits and gives a boost to Trelawney
Pride Of Jenni’s crowning as the 2023/24 Australian Horse of the Year provided breeder Trelawney Stud with a welcome change of fortune. The bold frontrunning daughter of Pride Of Dubai was announced as the winner at a gala ceremony at Morphettville where the Ciaron Maher-trained mare was also named Champion Middle Distance Horse. The Trelawney graduate is a daughter of the O’Reilly mare Sancerre, who had the recent misfortune to lose her Hello Youmzain foal. “Unfortunately, we lost the foal out of the mare this year. It died after a…
Sutton’s trailblazer Feroce steps up to the challenge
Feroce (NZ) (Super Seth) will always hold a special place in the heart of Dom Sutton as the galloper who has launched his training career. Feroce has already supplied the Ballarat-based horseman with his first winner and his maiden city victory, while in Saturday’s Caulfield Guineas he will also become his first Group 1 runner. Sutton is certainly aware of the magnitude of the achievement of having a Caulfield Guineas runner with Feroce in the first year of his career. “If someone said to me when I first took my…
Lovely Rita hits top form at Waverley
There was plenty of emotion on display at Waverley on Wednesday when Lovely Rita (NZ) (Keano) broke a two-decade winning drought for owner-breeder-trainer Alison Ross. The eight-year-old daughter of Keano was fair away from her wide gate, but jockey Madan Singh elected to press forward with his charge and captured the lead heading into the back straight. Lovely Rita set a strong tempo up front, opening up several lengths on the rest of the field and was able to maintain that advantage to the line, winning by 1-3/4 lengths. Ross…
Antino primed for a bold Toorak assault.
Having finished second in last year’s Toorak Handicap, trainer Tony Gollan is looking to go one better with Antino (NZ) (Redwood) on Saturday. A slight alteration to the campaign of Antino is what trainer Tony Gollan is banking on turning around the fortunes of the gelding at Group 1 level. Antino finished second in the Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield last year and returns 12 months later, with 1kg more, looking to go one better. The gelding went into last year’s Toorak at his third run after a Winter campaign in Brisbane while this time around…