Author: NZRacingDesk

Emily Farr was a tired but happy rider at Woodville on Sunday after she recorded her 100th win in the saddle in New Zealand. The 34-year-old hoop had been back in the country for just over 24 hours when hopping aboard the Lydia Pickford-trained Keepz Occurring for the NZ Farmers (3000m), and she showed no signs of jet lag when guiding her charge to a 2-3/4 length victory. “I was super stoked,” Farr said. “It is something that I have wanted to do for a while, and to get it…

Group One performer Meritable quenched his thirst after a four year winning drought when victorious in the VS Equine Dannevirke (1200m) at Woodville on Sunday. The seven-year-old son of Snitzel performed with distinction as a three-year-old for former trainers Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman, winning one and finishing runner-up in three of his five starts in New Zealand, including second placings in the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) and Gr.2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial Stakes (1400m). He subsequently continued his racing career in Australia where he ran fourth…

War Decree’s daughter Val Di Zoldo will be given opportunities this preparation to lock in the only missing credit on her CV. The six-year-old is the dual Group Two winner of the Travis Stakes (2000m) and Lowland Stakes (2100m) and also has a victory in the Gr.3 Manawatu Breeders’ Stakes (2050m) on her record. Trainer Tony Pike’s aim now is a strike at the highest level with the closing two legs of the Triple Crown series seen as Val Di Zoldo’s best spring options. “She’s coming up really well, but…

High-class filly Tajana has taken an impressive step toward a third Group One fillies’ feature for breeder and owner The Oaks Stud. The Shaun Ritchie and Colm Murray-trained representative opened her classic season at Ruakaka where she overcame trying conditions to land the Gr.3 Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m). “I thought the track and the distance was right against her and I told him (Wiremu Pinn) to ride for luck,” The Oaks Stud General Manager Rick Wiliams said. “If she had run on for third, fourth or fifth we would have…

Te Akau trainer Mark Walker made history at Ballarat on Sunday with an unprecedented trifecta in the A$400,000 Ecycle Solutions Grand National Steeplechase (4500m). Walker saddled Leaderboard (Street Cry) for a 25-length win in the showpiece steeplechase, with The Mighty Spar (NZ) (Savabeel) second and Prismatic (NZ) (Savabeel) third. It capped an enormously special Sunday for Walker and the Te Akau Racing team, who also took three runners to Taupo and came away with three winners – Carsolio, To Bravery Born and In Haste. Former Gr.3 Wellington Cup (3200m) and…

A smart first-up performance by In Haste (Snitzel) at Taupo on Sunday has set up an exciting spring for the more than 10,000 members of the TAB Racing Club. The TAB Racing Club, which shares ownership of In Haste with the filly’s breeders SF Bloodstock and Newgate, was launched last September to drive awareness and support for getting involved in racing ownership. Modelled on a similar club operated by Entain through its Ladbrokes brand in Australia, the TAB Racing Club offers TAB customers the chance to opt in to becoming…

A visit to Wanganui last spring put To Bravery Born (NZ) (Snitzel) on a path towards elite age-group competition, and the son of Snitzel is set to follow a similar formula after another first-up success at Taupo on Sunday. To Bravery Born took out the first two-year-old race of the New Zealand season at Wanganui last year, beating Toretto and Ensign Aria by two lengths over 800m on August 31. The Te Akau Racing runner won again in a fresh state in his second start at Ellerslie in January, sealing…

Less than 24 hours after losing one in the inquiry room, Sam O’Malley officially brought up the first win of his training career when Landman (NZ) (Hello Youmzain) took out the Buckley Contracting (1100m) at Woodville on Sunday. The former Group Two-winning jockey has gone into partnership this season with Bill Thurlow, having worked with the Waverley trainer for the last two seasons including a stint as stable foreman. The duo sent out their first three runners at New Plymouth on Saturday and seemed to strike immediate success with Our…

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There was a distinct New Zealand flavour to the final race on Saturday’s Rosehill card, where Cloudland (NZ) (Swiss Ace) headed a Kiwi-bred trifecta in the A$200,000 Petaluma Handicap (1200m). The Kris Lees-trained Cloudland had won a Benchmark 88 race over the same course and distance two starts earlier on July 5, then finished seventh under 59.5kg in a similar event over 1300m on July 19. The seven-year-old stepped up into Benchmark 94 company on Saturday and dropped back to 56.5kg, and he showed real fight to edge out fellow…