Author: NZRacingDesk

Te Akau Racing’s Riccarton barn were instrumental in their premiership defence last season, adding 64 victories to their 169 win haul, and their southern base have kicked of the new term in similar fashion. Their tangerine and blue silks were to the fore once more at Riccarton’s synthetic meeting on Wednesday, securing a treble, including a trifecta in the Hoteliers Challenge Rating 65 (1200m). After finishing runner-up in the Gr.3 Winter Cup (1600m) on the turf at the Christchurch venue last Saturday with Freeze Frame, trainers Mark Walker and Sam…

Rudyard(NZ)(Charm Spirit) made impressive progress last campaign and further improvement is expected from the dependable performer this time around. The Tony Pike-trained son of Charm Spirit made his way through the grades, placing in the inaugural $1 million Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic (1600m) along the way, before bagging a pair of open handicaps at Ellerslie and Pukekohe. He finished third in a 900m open heat at Te Rapa on Tuesday ahead of loftier targets through his upcoming spring and summer campaign. “He had quiet day out and he has come…

Two members of the current All Blacks rugby squad are hoping they will have cause for a double celebration this weekend. Damian McKenzie and Jordie Barrett will be cheering on their promising mare My Chablis(NZ) (Burgundy) at Friday’s Awapuni meeting ahead of their clash with Argentina in Wellington on Saturday evening. The duo shares in the ownership of the Stephen Marsh-trained daughter of Burgundy who has made an encouraging start to her career with two wins and a placing from four appearances. My Chablis will run in the $100,000 Martin…

Ashley Frye has waited over a decade to get back into the winner’s circle, but that wait is now over after guiding Float to success in the Nautical Insurance Grand National Amateur Championship (2200m) at Riccarton Park Synthetic on Wednesday. Having ridden 75 winners, two at stakes level, as an apprentice jockey, Frye’s professional career was cut short after a serious fall in 2014, aged just 18. After recovering from the accident, Frye followed in her father Danny Frye’s footsteps into the training ranks, with 19 successes to her credit,…

An exciting new player has entered the New Zealand wagering industry, with the launch of betcha. The arrival of betcha yesterday is the first time since the TAB was established back in 1950 that there’s a new betting brand based in New Zealand. Entain Australia and New Zealand’s Managing Director – New Zealand, Cameron Rodger, said betcha was a direct response to the increasing threat to New Zealand sports and racing caused by offshore betting operators. “In the three months to the end of June 2024, New Zealanders’ spending with…

Chris Waller saw some positive signs in Manzoice’s (NZ) (Almanzor) first preparation as a gelding and he remains hopeful the Victoria Derby winning son of Almanzor can continue to build on that this spring. The 2022 classic victor will be the first of Waller’s Group One brigade to kick off their season when he resumes in the Premier’s Cup Prelude (1800m) at Randwick on Saturday. Most of the stable’s big guns, including Fangirl and Via Sistina, will return on Winx Stakes day on August 24, but being a stayer, Waller…

A classy field of synthetic specialists assembled at Riccarton Park in search of the rich spoils on offer in the inaugural Ripple Creek Equine Polytrack $100,000 (1200m), but the glory went the way of local trainers Russell McKay and Ashley Harrington with Spartan(NZ) (War Decree).   A winner of his maiden on the synthetic early last year, Spartan had proven himself in strong company on turf over the summer and was targeted at the feature back in May, with the father-daughter training partnership electing to run him in a fresh state.  …

It’s been a week to remember for the Woodsford family.  Family patriarch Steven Woodsford tasted success at Riccarton last Saturday with Street Fightin Man(NZ)(Pure Champion), and on Wednesday his daughter Bridget followed suit when recording her first win as a trainer courtesy of Blue Bay(NZ)(Preferment) in the 3F At West Fitzroy Apartments Maiden (1600m) on the Riccarton Synthetic.  Blue Bay had finished runner-up first-up on the surface last month and Woodsford was confident her mare could go one better at the midweek meeting.  “It was a big confidence boost when…

Trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson are excited for what spring has instore for their premiership-winning team, with several of their stars stepping out at the Te Rapa trials on Tuesday. One of those stars is Group One winner Move To Strike, who finished runner-up by a head to Alabama Lass in their 900m heat, showing he has lost none of the brilliance he showed as a juvenile when winning the Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Trentham in April. “He’s a lovely colt that we always thought was…

Robbie Patterson is eyeing major spring targets with the three top-rated performers in his New Plymouth operation. Puntura (NZ) (Vespa), One Bold Cat (NZ) (The Bold One) and Mary Louise (NZ) (The Bold One) were chief contributors to his stakes tally during a personal best season in 2023/24 and the Taranaki trainer again has high hopes for the trio. Patterson sent out 53 winners last term with seven at Group or Listed level and stable earnings topped $2.3 million. Puntura was the individual star with success in the Gr.1 Thorndon…