Author: NZRacingDesk

Former New Zealand Horse of the Year Sharp ‘N’ Smart(NZ) (Redwood) is set to head to Trentham on Saturday to kick-off his summer campaign and ready for a Group One assignment at the Upper Hutt track next month.  The son of Redwood was runner-up in the Gr.1 Thorndon Mile (1600m) as a three-year-old before going on to win the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) and Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m), and trainers Graeme and Debbie Rogerson are keen to go one better in the Harcourts-sponsored race next month.  He will…

Tony Pike is confident Golden Century(NZ) (Pierro) can realise his full potential over ground and his opinion has been endorsed by a major international player. The Cambridge trainer’s lightly raced son of Pierro has recently been purchased by OTI Racing, but for the foreseeable future will remain in his care. Golden Century has hit the line well to finish third in both of his starts up to 1400m and is expected to show his true worth once stepped up in trip. Pike had intended to give the three-year-old that opportunity…

Well-travelled gelding Here To Shock (NZ) (Shocking) will have his first start in Victoria for close to four months when he lines up in the $1 million Supernova slot race at Pakenham on Saturday. After racing in Queensland during the winter, the Lindsay Park-trained galloper ran a gallant second to Another Wil on Memsie Stakes Day but was soon back on the road again. He enjoyed a successful stint in New South Wales during the spring, winning the Gr.3 Cameron Handicap at Newcastle and the lucrative Alan Brown Stakes at…

Blue Sky At Night (NZ) (Shamexpress) gave owner-breeder’s Isabel and Alistaire Barker a massive thrill last Saturday at Te Rapa when taking out the Gr.3 Waikato Cup (2400m), extending the couple’s great association with her family.  “It was pretty amazing,” Isabel Barker said. “She is a very genuine mare, she gives 120 percent. It was very close (half head winning margin), but a win is a win.”  With victory, Blue Sky At Night attained coveted black-type and assured her future broodmare career.  “That (black-type) was the aim,” Barker said. “To…

Such is the form his vast Darby Racing stable of horses are in that Scott Darby suspects Saturday’s $300,000 Pakenham Cup could see a reversal in fortunes of his syndicate’s runner Goldman (NZ) (Verdi). A one-time early Melbourne Cup favourite in 2023 after beating Soulcombe in the Roy Higgins Quality (2500m) at Flemington, Goldman has since gone on a puzzling nine-run losing streak. “It’s been a while between drinks, but Gai (Waterhouse) tells me he’s going along well,” Darby said on Tuesday. “Getting back that way (anti-clockwise) and down in…

This week we head to Cambridge Stud for an in-depth chat with Brendan and Jo Lindsay and we meet everyone’s favourite new foal; the unfortunately named, Mickey G. Guerin Report – Ep. 16, Ft. Cambridge Stud & Mickey G

Chris Gibbs has exercised plenty of patience with his promising stayer Sweet But Psycho (NZ) (Proisir) and he hopes that can continue to pay off when she contests the Dunstan Horsefeeds Stayers Championship Qualifier (2100m) at Ruakaka on Wednesday. The daughter of Proisir is a full-sister to Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) placegetter Aspen Colorado, aspirations her connections shared for Sweet But Psycho, who ended up debuting as a late three-year-old. “Being by Proisir, I wasn’t really sure (what her ideal distance would be), and she was very precocious as…

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Balcairn galloper Our Echo will build towards a potential northern assignment at Ashburton on Wednesday, taking his place in the McCrea Painters And Decorators Trainers Challenge (1300m). A son of Echoes Of Heaven, Our Echo has found plenty of success at the champagne turf over several seasons, highlighted by his victory in the Listed Lightning Handicap (1200m) in March. In his eight-year-old year, the gelding resumed well behind Third Decree in October, but didn’t show his best in the feature sprints over New Zealand Cup Week. “We tried to bring…

Donovan Cooper has made quite the impression in the southern jockey ranks since he moved down from the North Island earlier this year, and he continued his good run of form at Ascot Park on Saturday when scoring a four timer. The expat South African’s previous best day in the saddle was a treble for Kelvin Tyler at Wingatui, and he was once again in the winner’s stall for the Riverton trainer on Saturday. The Canterbury-based hoop capped a memorable day aboard Reprobate for Tyler, who he was riding for…