Author: NZRacingDesk

Robert Dennis already has the leader in the Southern Cups Bonus Series in Loftys Gift, but it was another member of his stable, Sacred Dream (NZ) (Sacred Falls), who took out the penultimate race on Sunday, the Caldwell Contracting Wyndham Cup (2000m). Loftys Gift won last Saturday’s Listed Dunedin Gold Cup (2400m) at Wingatui, and in her absence at Gore, that gave other runners an opportunity to gain points before she returns for the Riverton Cup (2147m) next month. Ascot Park-based Dennis had Sacred Dream, Vino Valentino and Stolen Magic…

Guy, Emily & Jayne look back on a landmark day in New Zealand racing in this 90 minute special. They are joined by Reece Trump from Te Akau to talk about bringing up the Group 1 century for the team as well as Damask Rose taking out The NZB Kiwi. Shaun Clotworthy also reflects on Willydoit’s emphatic victory in the Derby. So much racing action, so little time. Weigh In – Champions Day Special

Cambridge Stud-owned sprinting mare Joliestar (Zoustar) proved she is among the best of Australia’s sprinters with an outstanding performance to win Saturday’s A$1.5 million Gr.1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington. A regally-bred daughter of Zoustar, Joliestar was purchased for $950,000 by Brendan and Jo Lindsay at the 2022 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale and had already proven herself worthy of that price tag, winning the A$1.5 million Gr.1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) as a three-year-old. Joliestar’s only other start at three was a victory in the Gr.2 Arrowfield 3YO Sprint (1200m),…

Te Akau Racing commenced Ellerslie’s inaugural Champions Day in the best possible fashion, with progressive mare Francee (NZ) Iffraaj) winning the Entain/NZB Insurance Pearl Series Final (1400m). Carrying the silks of Haunui Farm, Francee had been out of the winner’s circle since Boxing Day in 2023, but had been knocking on the door in recent runs and was among the chances in an even market for the $120,000 contest. Jumping from an outside gate, jockey Craig Grylls eased Francee near the tail of the field early and she raced wide…

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Waikato Stud’s rising star stallion Super Seth has sired his first two Group One winners within the space of seven days, with Linebacker capturing Saturday’s A$1 million Gr.1 The Agency Randwick Guineas (1600m) a week after Feroce’s heroics in the Gr.1 Australian Guineas (1600m). Both Linebacker and Feroce come from the first crop by Super Seth, who was New Zealand’s leading first-season sire in 2023-24 and heads the second-season standings in 2024-25. His 28 winners include six at stakes level, with Feroce and Linebacker backed up by La Dorada, Sethito,…

Lining up for his first start in 84 days, Jedibeel collected the eighth and most important win of his promising career in Saturday’s A$500,000 Gr.2 Schweppes Challenge Stakes (1000m) at Randwick. The five-year-old Savabeel gelding scored his first black-type win in the Listed Razor Sharp Handicap (1200m) in December, and then trainer Brad Widdup elected to freshen him ahead of autumn targets. Saturday’s Challenge Stakes was his first start since, and he announced his return to racing in style. Guided through a narrow opening in the straight by jockey Tyler…

Memories of a confidence-denting defeat in last month’s Gr.2 Avondale Guineas (2100m) were blown away on Saturday as Willydoit powered to a dominant victory in the Gr.1 Trackside New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie. Willydoit strung together three increasingly impressive wins at the Auckland track during the summer and spent most of the last three months at the head of fixed-odds betting for the $1.25 million classic. However, the Tarzino gelding dropped out to a distant third-last among a 15-horse field in the Avondale Guineas on February 22 and made…

Te Akau Racing, Blake Shinn and fantastic filly Damask Rose created a piece of New Zealand racing history when they took out the inaugural running of the richest race in the land, the newly minted $3.5 million Listed The NZB Kiwi (1500m) at Ellerslie. The slot race is the centrepiece of the newly created Barfoot and Thompson Champions Day, a day featuring eight black-type contests including four at Group One level. Open to New Zealand bred three-year-olds, the 14 slots for the race were auctioned during 2024 and were snapped…

Raymond Connors’ green and red colours will forever be known for six victories in the Great Northern Steeplechase (6400m) at Ellerslie between 1998 and 2019, but the respected Manawatu horseman returned to Auckland on Saturday and took the spoils in another major test of stamina. Connors won the Great Northern as an owner and jockey on Our Jonty (1998) before adding owner-trainer successes with Hypnotize (2007, 2008, 2009) and Wise Men Say (2017, 2019). Now those trophies sit alongside a major prize on the flat, courtesy of a $17 upset…