A tenacious victory in Saturday’s A$200,000 Gr.3 Catanach’s Jewellers MRC Foundation Cup (2000m) at Caulfield has earned Kiwi mare Positivity a golden ticket into next month’s Gr.1 Caulfield Cup (2400m). The MRC Foundation Cup offers a ballot-free Caulfield Cup entry for its winner every year, and the top-quality mare Jameka scored memorable wins in both races as a spring four-year-old in 2016. Positivity is also a four-year-old on an upward trajectory. The daughter of Cambridge Stud stallion Almanzor won the Gr.3 Sunline Vase (2100m) at Ellerslie and Gr.3 SA Fillies’…
Author: NZRacingDesk
Jimmysstar back on song at Caulfield
Super-talented Per Incanto gelding Jimmysstar kicked off his new preparation with a brilliant first-up performance in Saturday’s A$150,000 Tour d’Horse Sprint (1100m) at Caulfield. The winner of two of his three starts in New Zealand for Hastings trainer Guy Lowry, a majority share in Jimmysstar was sold to clients of Ciaron Maher in September of last year. He started his Australian career on a perfect note with victories in all of his first three starts, including a Benchmark 84 handicap at Caulfield and the A$175,000 Shooting Stars (1500m) at Cranbourne.…
Luberon wins battle of returning stakes performers
A pair of classy three-year-olds from last season made a bold return to racing at Ellerslie on Saturday, with Cambridge Stud homebred Luberon digging deep to just pip Pericles in the Sistema (1200m). Luberon has been a first-crop flagbearer for Cambridge Stud stallion Embellish, starting with a black-type placing in the Listed Counties Challenge Stakes (1100m) as a spring two-year-old. She added two wins as a three-year-old last season, along with a placing in the Gr.2 Auckland Guineas (1400m) and a brave fourth in the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas…
Lightly raced Lilac lands Listed prize
Well-related filly Lilac has wasted little time in adding valuable black type to her CV, landing Saturday’s A$175,000 Listed NJT Jim Moloney Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield in only the fourth start of her career. A graduate of Gordon Cunningham’s Curraghmore draft at the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale at Karaka, Lilac is trained by Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald and kicked off her career with a win, a second and a fourth from three starts in Sydney. Neasham and Archibald sent her south for a shot at Saturday’s…
Jay Bee Gee dominant in Metric Mile
Hunterville gelding Jay Bee Gee is going from strength to strength as a spring seven-year-old, collecting the first two black-type wins of his career within the first two months of the 2024-25 season. The son of Complacent had showed promising signs with five wins from 17 starts as a five and six-year-old, but he hit new heights when he edged out Freeze Frame and Bradman in a thrilling three-way photo finish to the Gr.3 Winter Cup (1600m) at Riccarton on August 3. Saturday’s Gr.3 Hunterville Vet Club Metric Mile (1600m)…
Shamus springs major upset in Ellerslie feature
Underrated galloper Shamus bounced back to his very best form as he provided a massive upset when taking out the feature flat event at Ellerslie on Saturday, the Almanzor – Proven Value (1400m). All eyes were focussed on the resumption of glamour mare Orchestral who was recently voted Champion Three-Year-Old and Champion Stayer at the 2024 New Zealand Thoroughbred Horse of the Year Awards, while Group One winner Campionessa was also amongst a talent-packed line-up. The Moira and Kieran Murdoch-prepared six-year-old slipped under the radar despite winning the Waipu Cup…
Farravallo heads Bergerson quinella at Wanganui
Awapuni trainer Roydon Bergerson produced an early highlight at Wanganui on Saturday when his speedsters Farravallo and Reign It In quinellaed the feature 1200m contest on the card, the H&T Agronomics/Agricom Open (1200m). Farravallo, who had put back-to-back victories together before blotting his copybook at Hastings earlier in the month, started the $7.70 third favourite for the event with last start Otaki winner Reign It In allowed to drift to an attractive $14.10 on the tote by punters. Bergerson had exuded some confidence when interviewed about the chances of the…
Here To Shock books Big Dance ticket
A career-best year for Here To Shock continued with a third Group victory in Friday’s A$250,000 Gr.3 Australian Bloodstock Cameron Handicap (1600m) at Newcastle, and in the process the New Zealand-bred gelding booked himself a ticket into a A$3 million feature in November. The son of Shocking came into 2024 with seven wins to his name from a 25-start career, with his solitary black-type success coming in last year’s Listed Golden Mile (1600m) at Bendigo. He has taken that record to a new level over the last six months with…
Auckland Thoroughbred Racing boosts stake money and adjusts key race nomination dates
Auckland Thoroughbred Racing (ATR) has today announced a significant $4.07 million contribution to stake money for the current season, including a notable $100,000 increase to the Group 1 Sistema Railway, taking the total stake to $700,000. This increase highlights ATR’s continued commitment to bolstering New Zealand’s racing industry and supporting its participants. In addition to the stakes enhancement, ATR has introduced measures aimed at reducing costs for owners. One such initiative involves moving the nomination dates for some of the Club’s most prestigious races closer to the raceday. Nominations for…
Prisca breaks through with stylish win at Taupo
Prisca capped a consistent and improving formline with a commanding maiden victory in Friday’s Taupo Vet Centre (1800m). The Puccini mare kicked off her career with an unplaced finish over 1400m at Matamata in May, which she followed up with sixth placings over the same distance at Taupo and Te Rapa. A strong-finishing second at Tauranga in early July prompted an increase in distance, running fifth over 1600m, third over 1800m and second over 1600m. Prisca stepped back up to 1800m on Friday and produced her best performance yet, racing…