Last season’s champion male three-year-old Crocetti (NZ) (Zacinto) returned to his brilliant best at Ellerslie on Saturday, defeating a star-studded sprint field in the Gr.1 Sistema Railway (1200m). The Zacinto gelding was one of the standout performers on the Karaka Millions card 12 months ago, extending his unbeaten career record to seven-from-seven with a dominant performance under 60kg in the Gr.3 Almanzor Trophy (1200m). It capped a winning sequence that also included the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m), Gr.2 Sarten Memorial (1400m) and Gr.3 Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m). But…
Author: NZRacingDesk
Damask Rose brilliant in Karaka Millions 3YO
Barely fourty minutes after taking their eighth individual Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) contest with La Dorada (NZ) (Super Seth), the Te Akau Racing team made it back-to-back successes on the night at Ellerslie with favourite Damask Rose (NZ) (Savabeel) scoring a brilliant victory in the Listed TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m). The three-year-old daughter of super sire Savabeel had looked a filly of enormous talent when finishing runner-up to Velocious (Written Tycoon) in the Karaka Million 2YO twelve months earlier and backed up that opinion in her first three-year-old run…
La Dorada extends Te Akau Racing Karaka Million 2YO dominance
It wouldn’t be Karaka Millions night if the familiar tangerine and blue colours of Te Akau Racing were not front and centre in the finish of one of the two feature events, the Listed TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m). The 2025 edition of the contest proved no difference with promising filly La Dorada (NZ) (Super Seth) extending the Matamata stable’s outstanding record in the race to eight victories with a gritty on pace effort. Leading Victorian rider Craig Williams made the trip across the Tasman to partner the Mark Walker…
Australian raider wins Westbury thriller
Champion Sydney-based trainer Chris Waller turned back the clock at Ellerslie on Saturday with a heart-stopping victory by Konasana (Dundeel) in the Gr.2 Westbury Classic (1400m). Konasana was Waller’s first New Zealand winner since the 2002-03 season, when he took the plunge and moved across the Tasman. He has gone on to become one of the all-time greats, winning more than 170 Group One races and earning Hall of Fame induction in both New Zealand and Australia. Waller has won many bigger and richer races than the Westbury Classic, but…
Tumuch takes Timaru Stakes
A career-best campaign for Tumuch (NZ) (Satono Aladdin) went up another level on Saturday when the five-year-old scored his first black-type win in the Listed Speight’s Timaru Stakes (1200m) at Riccarton. The Satono Aladdin gelding has barely put a foot wrong in seven starts this season, starting with a win in Rating 75 grade at Riccarton in September. He then finished second and fourth in two appearances during the New Zealand Cup Carnival in November, followed by an outstanding last-to-first performance in a 1400m open handicap at Cromwell on December…
Orchestral plays a winning tune at Ellerslie
Quality mare Orchestral (NZ) (Savabeel) set Ellerslie alight on Karaka Millions night in 2024 with a stunning victory in one of the feature events and she did it again in 2025 with another perfect performance to claim the Listed Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic (1600m). Last season’s Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) winner went on to take out a pair of Group One victories, triumphing in the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) and Gr.1 Vinery Stakes Stud Stakes (2000m) before finishing a gallant third in the Gr.1 ATC Oaks (2400m) to round…
Ardalio follows in sire’s footsteps
Six years after landing a Group Three prize on Karaka Millions night with Ardrossan, trainer Stephen Marsh and jockey Michael McNab kept it in the family with his exciting daughter Ardalio (NZ) winning Saturday’s Gr.3 Cambridge Stud Almanzor Trophy (1200m) at Ellerslie. Marsh trained Ardrossan throughout a nine-race career that produced four wins, headed by the Gr.3 Concorde Handicap (1200m) on the 2019 Karaka Millions undercard. The son of Redoute’s Choice now stands at Waikato Stud, where he has sired 24 winners including six at stakes level. The newest member…
NZB Kiwi Slot Decision Dealt With
There’s plenty of excitement building towards this evening’s TAB Karaka Millions meeting at Ellerslie, which has been further enhanced by an NZB Kiwi slot announcement on a leading contender in the $1.5 million TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m). Undefeated three-year-old Dealt With (NZ), who is a $6.50 third favourite for tonight’s mile feature, has been secured for the $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) by Slot Holders Kerri Spence Bloodstock and Clotworthy Racing. The son of Ace High has made a monumental rise in the last month, winning on debut at…
Wellwood chases a Karaka 3YO treble
Trainers Robert Wellwood and Roger James will be out to continue their stranglehold on the Karaka Millions 3YO at Ellerslie on Saturday. The partners have trained the past two winners of the race, with Prowess (NZ) (Proisir) saluting in 2023 and Orchestral (NZ) (Savabeel) blowing rivals away in the 2024 edition. This year, they saddle up undefeated gelding Dealt With (NZ) (Ace High) in the rich feature. The son of Ace High has made an immediate impression, winning the first two starts of his career, but faces his biggest test…
Marsh’s Team Primed for Karaka Millions Glory
Stephen Marsh is no stranger to Karaka Millions success, and the Cambridge trainer believes his team for the 2025 edition at Ellerslie on Saturday could be his best yet. Marsh is a two-time winner of the Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) with Ruud Awakening (2013) and Velocious (2024). He has no runners in the juvenile showpiece this year, but will instead saddle nine runners across the other five feature races. “In terms of numbers and depth, this has to be the best team we’ve taken into Karaka Millions night,” Marsh said.…