Author: NZRacingDesk

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New Zealand-bred horses dominated the Australian Grand National meeting at Ballarat on Sunday, winning four of the six jumping races, including a phenomenal performance by The Good Fight (NZ) (High Chaparral) to win the A$400,000 Grand National Steeplechase (4500m). In his first preparation over fences, The Good Fight has made a rapid rise through the grades progressing from a maiden hurdle success at Warrnambool in late June to a game second behind fellow-Kiwi bred Affluential (NZ) (Zed) in the Australian Grand National Hurdle (4200m) on August 4. The 10-year-old was…

The aptly named Bonny Lass (NZ) (Super Easy) is ensuring her sizeable and enthusiastic support crew continue to celebrate the racing and social rewards of affordable thoroughbred ownership. Trained by Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall, last season’s Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m) winner opened her current campaign in a blaze of glory with victory in Saturday’s Gr.2 Foxbridge Pate (1200m) at Te Rapa. Bonny Lass is raced by the 50-strong Social Racing Starting Gates Syndicate, managed by Brent Cooper who also shares in the ownership group with wife Wendy, the…

Promising three-year-old Suit Yourself (NZ) (Savile Row) honoured the memory of the late Kevin Hickman in perfect fashion when he scored a special victory at Te Rapa on Saturday. The Pam Gerard-trained colt is a son of Savile Row, one of the many tremendous horses bred and raced by Hickman who passed away on Friday after a lengthy illness. Hickman developed his Valachi Downs Stud into an internationally respected thoroughbred nursery, with Savile Row one of the many Group One performers bred and raced from the Matamata-based operation. Suit Yourself…

After finishing among the minor placings in the feature races at Te Rapa on Saturday, Kevin Myers and jockey Dean Parker were back on top at Hawera a day later, picking up an early double over the fences. Myers had a trio of contenders in the New Zealand Horse Ambulance Trust Maiden Hurdle (3100m) to kick off the meeting, and two of those, Duke Of Plumpton (NZ) (Bachelor Duke) and Murphy (NZ) (Tarzino), were second and third-favourites respectively with Kahu Rock (NZ) (Alamosa) on top at $4.30. Duke Of Plumpton…

A convincing victory by Diamond Jak (NZ) (Jakkalberry) in the $50,000 Savabeel 2100 capped a special hour at Te Rapa on Saturday for Matamata brothers Peter and Mark Brosnan. The two trainers collected wins in back-to-back races on the Te Rapa card, starting with Ima Wonder’s (NZ) (Eighth Wonder) triumph for Peter Brosnan and his wife Jessica in the Bridges Insurance Services Pakuranga Hunt Cup (4800m). Mark Brosnan followed suit 40 minutes later, saddling Diamond Jak for a richly deserved success in the day’s 2100m open handicap. Diamond Jak headed…

The Good Fight (NZ) (High Chaparral) has dominated the A$400,000 Grand National Steeplechase at Ballarat on Sunday, giving trainer Rachael Cunningham her second win in the race, and Daryl Horner Jr his first. The 10-year-old gelding was a gutsy third in the Grand National Hurdle at Sandown earlier this month, but had never seen the larger obstacles on raceday before, and came into Sunday’s 4500-metre event off just one steeple trial. Cunningham’s galloper was kept safe in betting as a $10 chance, but made that price look like a typo…

Jakama Krystal (NZ) (Jakkalberry) capped off a weekend to remember for Peter and Jessica Brosnan with a classy front-running performance to win the Clayton Yaxley Maiden Steeplechase (3900m) at Hawera on Sunday. The Brosnan’s collected the major spoils in the Pakuranga Hunt Cup (4800m) on Saturday with Ima Wonder, and they were straight back on the road to the Central Districts with Jakama Krystal, who was on steeplechasing debut after a pair of successes in the hurdling role. Rated a $5.10 third-fancy behind Khafeef ($2.90) and Zeefa Zed ($3.20), the…

The Cunning Fox (NZ) (Reliable Man) has capped off a dramatic fifteen minutes for the Payne and Kuru combination, as the grey gripped onto victory in the J.J. Houlahan Hurdle at Ballarat on Sunday. Owned by Prime Thoroughbreds, the six-year-old won his first two jumps starts by a combined 17 lengths and started a $1.80 favourite for the A$150,000 feature. He jumped smartly under Aaron Kuru throughout and sauntered up to leader Point Nepean ($2.80) upon turning, but Shane Jackson’s galloper refused to lie down in the straight. However, The…

Battle Secret (NZ) (Battle Paint) has been a quiet achiever in the Bill Thurlow stable throughout his career and continued a purple patch of form this campaign going back-to-back at Hawera on Sunday. The seven-year-old had saluted second-up at Woodville over a mile in Rating 75 company, and remaining in that grade, he stepped up in distance while sitting among the favoured runners for the Norwood 2100 R75. Jumping from the outside barrier, Battle Secret was swiftly eased back to last by jockey Masa Hashizume and travelled comfortably through the…