Author: NZRacingDesk

Trent Busuttin concedes the New Zealand Derby winner Willydoit is superior to his three-year-old Thedoctoroflove (So You Think), but the trainer is not backing away from a potential return bout in the Gr.1 ATC Derby in Sydney next month. “You can’t worry about one horse,” Busuttin said on Monday. “Things can go wrong, and they are all there to be beaten. “The other horse is a better horse than ours, but you can’t muck around with your horses’ campaign because of one horse, so he’ll be there doing his best…

New Zealand punters are set to get their first glimpse of Group One performer Express Yourself (NZ) (Shamexpress) in more than a year when she heads to Trentham next weekend to tackle the Listed Bill Tito Book Repair Specialist Lightning Handicap (1200m).  Following her runner-up effort behind Mercurial in last year’s Gr.1 Telegraph (1200m), and subpar unplaced run in the Gr.2 Westbury Classic (1400m) at Ellerslie, she tested her talent in Australia for interim trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr.  She raced on four occasions out of their Cranbourne…

There’s plenty of anticipation ahead of regally-bred colt Hostility’s (I Am Invincible) raceday debut at Matamata on Wednesday.  Purchased by Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis out of Kiltannon Stables’ New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale draft for $1.65 million last November, there has been much fanfare surrounding the sale topper over the last few months.  By I Am Invincible, and out of Group One-winning mare Shillelagh, Hostility has won both of his trials to date and trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson are looking forward to stepping him…

What a day that was at Ellerslie! Michael has some massive news out of it, and the figures that already show how big of a success the inagural Champions Day was. But what now for some of the biggest names? And where to next for the winners? Guerin has the latest. Guerin Report – Ep.28 Champions Day Review

Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray’s filly Tajana (NZ) (Darci Brahma) has the opportunity to end her juvenile campaign at the highest level after Wednesday’s AKW Farrier Ltd 2YO (1200m) at Matamata. An Oaks Stud-bred daughter of Darci Brahma, Tajana started her career on a booming note getting within half a length of Return To Conquer in the Gr.3 Colin Jillings 2YO Classic (1200m), with that colt going on to win Saturday’s Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m). She returned to maiden company second-up and covered plenty of extra ground to finish fourth,…

Ellerslie’s inaugural Champions Day was a memorable one for New Zealand’s leading stable, Te Akau Racing, with their tangerine and blue silks taking out two of the major prizes.  Exciting juvenile Return To Conquer extended his unbeaten streak to four when taking out the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m), posting Te Akau’s tenth Group One victory in the process, while their star filly Damask Rose put in an eye-catching rails run to win the inaugural edition of the $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m).  “It was hard to believe what was happening,…

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Trent Busuttin will treat Emphasize’s (NZ) (Embellish) last-start effort in the Gr.2 Autumn Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield as a complete forget run as the plan to get him to the Gr.1 Australian Derby (2400m) next month remains. The stable could have two runners in the race with the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) runner-up Thedoctoroflove (So You Think) also likely to head to that race at Randwick on April 5. Busuttin said Emphasize will have his next start in the Gr.2 Alister Clarke Stakes (2040m) at The Valley on March…

The beaten Blue Diamond Stakes favourite Field Of Play (Deep Field) will continue his racing career in Hong Kong. Co-trainer Trent Busuttin confirmed on Monday the Blue Diamond Prelude winner was going into quarantine ahead of his flight to his new base in Hong Kong instead of heading up to Sydney for a potential tilt at the Golden Slipper Stakes. “We’d like to have him around, but when they are owned in Hong Kong it’s always on the cards one way or the other,” Busuttin said. “It looked like we…

Hours after Damask Rose (NZ) (Savabeel) dazzled in the $3.5m NZB Kiwi (1500m) and Jedibeel (NZ) (Savabeel) won Sydney’s Group Two Challenge Stakes (1000m), the A$150,000 Listed Swan Draught Bunbury Cup (2019m) produced Saturday’s third stakes-winning Karaka graduate by Savabeel. Captain Pluto (NZ) (Savabeel) was offered by Rich Hill Stud in Book 1 of Karaka 2021, where he failed to meet his $150,000 reserve. He has now earned A$358,765 from a 25-race career that has produced six wins and 10 placings. Captain Pluto went into Saturday’s Bunbury Cup with admirably consistent form this preparation. His eight…