Author: NZRacingDesk

Town Cryer kicked off a career-best season with an upset victory in last year’s Gr.3 Grangewilliam Stud Taranaki Breeders’ Stakes (1400m), and she will return among the favourites to go back-to-back on Saturday at Hawera. 12 months ago, star mare Prowess entered the race and was backed into heavy favouritism, but the soft track conditions played into the hands of her race-rival, who collected the victory with plenty of authority. Having previously won the Listed ANZAC Mile (1600m), the win was certainly no fluke, and the daughter of Tavistock continued…

Ascot Park trainer Sabin Kirkland is hoping his stakes-winning sprinter Buoyant can recapture his form of old when he lines-up in the Heineken Handicap (1200m) at his home track on Sunday. The six-year-old son of Dalghar was one of the most exciting sprinters in the country two years ago when he had a near-perfect spring preparation, winning three and placing in two of his five starts that campaign, including victories in the Gr.3 Stewards Stakes (1200m) and Listed Hazlett Stakes (1200m). Kirkland then elected to test Buoyant’s talents across the…

Mark Walker has Victoria Derby aspirations for Truth Or Dare (NZ) (Vanbrugh) who lines up in the Super Impose Stakes at Flemington. Truth Or Dare will show his trainer whether he is a Victoria Derby proposition when the lightly raced galloper heads to Flemington for a suitable lead up assignment.  The Mark Walker-trained galloper heads to the Listed Super Impose Stakes (1800m) on Saturday with the gelding’s performance to tell the trainer whether or not to press on to the Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington on November 2.  The Super Impose Stakes has been a good…

Sharp ‘N’ Smart in super nick CLICK TO VIEW VIDEO

Adrian Bott will saddle up two genuine chances in his bid for a first Epsom Handicap win.Gai Waterhouse shares the Epsom Handicap training record of seven wins with her legendary father Tommy Smith, but her training partner Adrian Bott is yet to taste victory in the feature Randwick mile. The pair will have two runners in Saturday’s renewal, favourite Royal Patronage and the rejuvenated Major Beel (NZ) (Savabeel), with Bott hoping one of them can elevate his name onto the Epsom Handicap (1600m) honour roll. “Gai has obviously got a brilliant record in this race. I’m yet to get…

Capable mare Royal Flower (NZ) (Proisir)  has a tidy first-up record and she is again forward in condition to open a new campaign at Hawera this weekend. The lightly raced six-year-old will resume in Saturday’s Gr.3 Grangewillliam Stud Taranaki Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) on a preparation focused on adding to her black-type record. Trained by co-breeder and part-owner Gail Temperton, Royal Flower has won six of her 26 starts and a number of placings includes a third in last season’s Gr.3 Manawatu Breeders’ Stakes (2100m). The daughter of Proisir hasn’t raced…

Sharp ‘N’ Smart (NZ) (Redwood) returns to Flemington for the first time since his defeat as a three-year-old in the Victoria Derby.Health issues to horse and co-trainer have not stopped Team Rogerson from returning to Melbourne for their chance at Spring Carnival glory.  Graeme and Debbie Rogerson are back with Sharp ‘N’ Smart who is entered for the Group 1 treble of the Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup.  But first there is the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on Saturday that will go a long way to shaping to Sharp ‘N’ Smart’s future Spring campaign.  Sharp ‘N’ Smart has…

How quickly fortunes can change in the bloodstock world have again been emphasised by the success of One Bold Cat in the relocated Gr.1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m) at Matamata on Wednesday. The Robbie Patterson-trained six-year-old is a son of The Bold One, who until recently stood alongside the late Zed at Mark and Jane Corcoran’s Grangewilliam Stud. Understandably, spirits were low at the Waitotara farm following the passing of the Zabeel stallion, most notably the sire of the champion mare and multiple top-flight winner Verry Elleegant. “Things can change…

Local galloper Wolfgang (NZ) (Puccini) continued the perfect start to his spring preparation at Matamata on Wednesday when doubling up in the Team Wealleans Premier (2000m). The six-year-old gelding was victorious first-up over a mile at Hastings last month and repeated the result when beating Australian raider Rolls on Wednesday. The son of Puccini settled midfield early on for jockey Matt Cartwright, who asked his charge to improve from the 400m, and he loomed ominous at the turn. Rolls hit the lead with 150m to go, but Wolfgang had momentum…

Former high-flying three-year-old Wild Night (NZ) (Vanbrugh) gave the impression that he is back to his best form at Matamata on Wednesday, taking out the Matamata Function Centre Premier (1300m). The powerful chestnut was unstoppable in periods of his three-year-old term, winning five races on the bounce including the Gr.2 James And Annie Sarten Memorial Stakes (1400m) and Listed Uncle Remus Stakes (1200m), alongside placings in the Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) and the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m). The horse’s soundness has been difficult to manage since that phenomenal campaign,…