Author: NZRacingDesk

Well-respected South Island rider Kylie Williams brought up a significant career milestone when she steered Riviera Rebel (NZ) (Pure Champion) to a convincing victory in the feature flat event at Riccarton, the Waimakariri Businesses North Canterbury Cup (2000m). Williams had been steadily closing in on 1000 career wins in the saddle and after taking out the first race on the card on Miss Ziggy (NZ) (Brazen Beau) to sit on 999, she became the first female rider in New Zealand history to reach 1000 winners with a typically well-judged effort…

Talented colt Magic Carpet (NZ) (Satono Aladdin) chose the ideal moment to break his maiden status when he produced a dogged effort to claim victory in the Gr.2 Timberspan Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400). Prepared at Cambridge by Stephen Marsh, the son of Satono Aladdin had looked to have plenty of ability when finishing third at his first two starts, with Marsh confident that if he received even luck in running on Saturday he was definitely not a forlorn hope. Those circumstances played out perfectly for the Marsh runner as rider…

A barnstorming finish by promising four-year-old Whisky ‘N Roses (NZ) (Belardo) saw him open his Spring campaign on a winning note as he downed a handy field of open sprinters in the BCD Group Sprint (1200m) at Te Rapa. The Joanne Surgenor-prepared son of Belardo looked a galloper of real promise during his three-year-old season where he was twice placed at stakes level including finishing second to champion three-year-old Savaglee in the Gr.2 James & Annie Sarten Memorial (1400m). Punters kept the gelding well in the market for Saturday’s event…

Local three-year-old Alottago (Tagalo) thrust his name into Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) contention with a striking come-from-behind performance in the Rangiora New World Guineas Trial (1400m) at Riccarton on Saturday. The Lance Robinson-trained gelding has improved with every race in his five-start career. He placed in all of his three appearances as a two-year-old including the Listed Welcome Stakes (1000m) and Champagne Stakes (1200m), and he now boasts a perfect two-start, two-win record as a three-year-old. Alottago kicked off his season with a stylish maiden win at Timaru…

Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) proved she is far from a spent force with a dominant display of front running to take out the Gr.2 Ladbrokes Feehan Stakes (1600m) which was accompanied by raucous support from the crowd of 10,000. When Declan Bates dialled up the pressure 600m from home the noise in the amphitheatre which is Valley accompanied him and by the time Pride Of Jenni had defied Treasurethe Moment it had built to a thunderous noise. So much so Bates said for the first time riding Pride…

Ashley Meadows’ patient handling of The Scunner (NZ) (Shamexpress) is bringing its rewards on the racetrack, with the exciting talent kicking off his six-year-old season with a runaway victory in the Cavallo Farms & Chris Rutten Bloodstock Handicap (1400m) at Otaki on Friday. The $50,000 race was the fifth win from only a 13-start career for the Shamexpress gelding, who has now banked over $140,000 in stakes. “He’s a really, really nice horse,” Meadows said. “The ability has always been there. We’ve just given him that little bit of time…

The Lindsay Park team of Ben, Will and J D Hayes will rely on Evaporate (NZ) (Per Incanto) as their major chance in a Stakes race at Sandown.  Rise At Dawn (NZ) (Almanzor) was also an acceptor for the Gr.3 Sandown Stakes (1500m) on Saturday but instead will head to Sydney to contest the Gr.2 Shannon Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill.  Ben Hayes said a rich race in Sydney during the spring was in the back of their minds with Rise At Dawn who resumed at Flemington on September 13 finishing third to stablemate Cafe Millenium (Not A Single Doubt).  “He’s in great…

Otaki horseman Johno Benner has a good association with the Karaka Millions, and he could have another serious contender on his hands for January’s showpiece. He won the 2014 edition of the Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) with Vespa and the inaugural Karaka Millions 3YO Classic (1600m) with Scott Base in 2018, when training in partnership with Hollie Wynyard, and exciting juvenile De Armas put herself in a strong position to qualify for the former race when winning on debut at her home track on Friday. After winning her 600m trial…

The father-son training partnership of Peter and Trent Didham recorded their first win when Danjuro scored a tough victory in Friday’s The Tele Otaki Handicap (2100m). A fourth generation of trainers was added to the Didham dynasty when 27-year-old Trent joined his father in partnership earlier this month, and the pair made a promising start with two seconds, a fourth and a fifth from their first six starters. The breakthrough came with Danjuro in Friday’s $50,000 open handicap at Otaki. Ridden by Kavish Chowdhoory, the talented five-year-old settled in third…

Trainer John O’Shea has confirmed that Group One winner Linebacker (NZ) (Super Seth) will bypass the Gr.1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) after striking a minor setback in his spring campaign. “He won’t go to the Epsom, he’s had a little setback,” O’Shea said. “We had a day in Sydney where there was seven inches of rain. He must have just put his foot down awkwardly when he was trotting out to work and he just had a bit of a sprain of his ankle.” “We’ve resolved that. He spent a week…