Five-year-old gelding Golden Path(NZ)( Belardo) continues to go from strength to strength and made it three wins in succession when winning the Premier’s Cup Prelude (1800m) at Randwick on Saturday. Prepared by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, the son of Belardo settled just behind the speed under regular rider Chad Schofield and when favourite Aramco lay out upon straightening, Golden Path seized the opportunity to continue his good run of form. The handsome chestnut had a length and a half to spare over Gr.1 VRC Derby (2500m) winner Manzoice,…
Author: NZRacingDesk
Dashing Duchess a Group mare in waiting
Smart staying mare Dashing Duchess recorded her fifth victory at start number 11 with a strong performance to land the Domsafe Handicap (2500m) at The Valley on Saturday. The Symon Wilde-trained daughter of Tavistock sat handy to a solid tempo set by Golden Crusader and put her rivals to the sword early under jockey Mark Zahra to hold game runner-up Brilliant Venture by a comfortable two lengths. The five-year-old mare had previously been beaten by stablemate Hit The Road Jack in the Deane Lester Flemington Cup (2800m), with Wilde adamant…
Double up for Dusty road at Te Rapa
Talented galloper Dusty Road(NZ) Shamexpress continued to make his claim for Group-level targets with back-to-back successes at Te Rapa on Saturday in the Fulton Hogan 1200. His trainer Graeme Cameron had initially planned on starting the gelding in the open mile contest at the meeting, but with a lack of entries, the two races were combined which had the gelding placed in the market at $5.70 behind well-performed sprinters Spencer ($3.80) and Caitlyns Wish ($5). The step-back in distance proved to be no bother to the son of Shamexpress, settling…
Cork beams on back-up at Riccarton
Striking her favoured track conditions, Northern mare Cork(NZ)(Complacent) sailed to victory in the Stephanie Murray Mortgages Open Handicap (1800m) at Riccarton Park on Saturday for Pam Gerard. A runner-up in last year’s Gr.3 Winter Cup (1600m), Cork was aimed at the feature event again last Saturday and fought on bravely in the holding track conditions for eighth. After pulling up well, Gerard opted to back the mare up during the second weekend of the carnival with the addition of apprentice Donovan Cooper on board, decreasing her weight to a feather-light…
Lincoln Rocks provides partnership first metro triumph
Former Kiwi galloper Lincoln Rocks(NZ)(Road to Rock) has provided the newly formed partnership of Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald with their first metropolitan winner when landing the Luna Hand Care Handicap (2040m) at The Valley on Saturday. The six-year-old son of Road To Rock was confidently ridden by Mark Zahra, going back from a wide draw and pocketing chief rival Captain Electric inside hm before looping the field to score comfortably. Sporting the colours of OTI Racing, Lincoln Rocks has now had three starts in Australia for two wins and…
West Coast wins his third Grand National Steeplechase
Sensational steeplechaser West Coast(NZ)(Mettre En Ju) etched his name amongst the greats of the New Zealand jumping scene when he collected his third win in a row in Saturday’s Racecourse Hotel & Motor Lodge Grand National Steeplechase (5600m). The son of Mettre En Jeu became only the second horse to win the race three times since its first running in 1875, and the first to do it consecutive years at the 149th edition of the event. The Mark Oulaghan-prepared fencer won his first National with 65kg on his back, but carried…
No stopping Berry The Cash in the Grand National Hurdle feature
Despite a few anxious moments in running, outstanding jumper Berry The Cash(NZ)(Jakkalberry) made light work of his 73kg topweight to extend his winning streak to seven races on the trot as he captured his second Hospitality New Zealand Canterbury Grand National Hurdles (4200m) on Saturday. The Mark Oulaghan-prepared son of Jakkalberry had collected a somewhat fortuitous victory seven days earlier in the Sydenham Hurdles (3100m), due to a final fence bungle by Dictation, but this time he dominated the closing stages of a fascinating contest, storming home from second last…
Dictation gets his redemption at Riccarton
Paul Nelson and Corrina McDougal watched the Sydenham Hurdles (3100m) slip away at the final fence last Saturday with Dictation(NZ)(Tavistock), but the promising hurdler was back a week later and got his redemption in the Michael ‘Mickey’ Beecroft Memorial 0-1 Win Hurdles (3100m). Having just his third hurdle start in the opening feature of National Week on the first day of the three-day Carnival last Saturday, Dictation was the third-favoured of five rivals attempting to dethrone topliner Berry The Cash. The son of Tavistock almost pulled off the upset with…
Huluava of a week for Pencarrow broodmare
It’s been a stellar week for Pencarrow Stud broodmare Huluava. Her progeny scored a double at Riccarton Park last Saturday courtesy of Jay Bee Gee in the Gr.3 Winter Cup (1600m) and Harmonious, while on Friday her youngest daughter, Branciforti, was victorious in the $100,000 Martin Collins Polytrack 1400m Innovation Race at Awapuni Synthetic. Trained by David Greene at Te Rapa, Branciforti has shown plenty of promise on the synthetic, having recorded three of her previous four victories on the surface, including a last start win over 1300m at Cambridge…
Smokin’ Romans ready to roll
2022 Gr.1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) winner Smokin’ Romans (NZ) (Ghibellines) is on the eve of his best chance to win his first race since the Group One triumph, according to assistant trainer Declan Maher. The now eight-year-old put in a preparation-best performance last start at Flemington over 2000m and connections are hoping he can take that form to Moonee Valley on Saturday. “Ran well last start, he’s come on from the run again and I think he’s about spot on now and ready to go,” Maher said. “He just had…