Author: NZRacingDesk

It was an emotional John Leek after Affluential (NZ) (Zed) provided him with what he described as the best moment of his training career with his tough win in the Grand National Hurdle (4200m) at Sandown Lakeside. The win also gave former English jockey Will Gordon his first feature win as a jumps jockey in Australia. Gordon said it was an amazing effort by Affluential as he over-raced for most of the race and then had to fight in the closing stages to hold off a late challenge from runner-up…

Two promising additions to Allan Sharrock’s stable made a winning start to their campaigns at Hawera on Sunday, in the form of Street Gossip (So You Think) and Confetti (NZ) (Ocean Park). A five-year-old by So You Think, Street Gossip had raced in Australia for the duration of her 15-start career, winning the Listed Princess Stakes (1615m) and was third in the Listed Gold Coast Bracelet (1800m) in the care of Mark Newnham. The mare had her final start for her most-recent trainer Joe Pride for third in a Benchmark…

The Cunning Fox (NZ) (Reliable Man) has stamped himself as a potential star jumper of the future winning Sunday’s BM120 Hurdle (3400m) at Sandown. The Patrick Payne-trained emerging jumper remained undefeated over the hurdles, making it two-from-two to start his jumping career after winning a 3200m maiden hurdle last start at Pakenham. Well-schooled in hurdle trials prior to his first jumps preparation, the eye-catching grey looked like a seasoned campaigner over the jumps in his handling of the majority of the obstacles. The six-year-old settled at the rear in the…

The return run of Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) is now less than four weeks away and the mare is set to step up her program with another jump-out at Cranbourne. The Ciaron Maher-trained mare had a jump-out over 800m at Cranbourne on July 22 and will have the second of her preparation over 1000m at Cranbourne on Monday. Pride Of Jenni is being prepared for her return to racing at Caulfield on August 31 in the Gr.1 Memsie Stakes (1400m). The mare has not raced since winning the…

Lisa Allpress saluted to the sky after a sentimental victory aboard Mike Breslin’s promising stayer Donnybrook (NZ) (Zed) at Riccarton Park on Saturday. Allpress has been one of the country’s top hoops for over two decades including winning four national jockeys’ premierships, and for much of her career, she has ridden with the last name of her husband Karl Allpress, whose father Lloyd sadly passed away recently. Her mount for the Gold Club Rating 75 (1800m), Donnybrook, was the first balloted horse for the Gr.3 Winning Edge Presentations Winter Cup…

Local stayer Bosch (NZ) (Pentire) made amends for a luckless performance at Ruakaka a fortnight ago when powering to victory in the Alibaba’s Flying Carpets Stretch & Trim (2100m) on Saturday.   The six-year-old by Pentire is prepared at the course by Michelle Bradley, who witnessed Bosch’s misfortune when held up at a crucial stage of the ITM/GIB Stayer’s Winter Championship Final (2100m) on July 13, eventually running into second behind Fly My Wey.   Both horses lined up two weeks later over the identical trip, where jockey Sam Spratt took luck…

Street Fightin Man (NZ) (Pure Champion) lived up to his name with a gritty performance from the front to score in the Christchurch Casino 29th South Island Awards – 13 September Open (1200m) at Riccarton Park on Saturday. A seven-year-old by Pure Champion, Street Fightin Man has found a purple patch of form this winter with two victories and two placings from his past four starts, which placed him second in the market for the open sprint event at $5.30 with Listed winner Epee Beel on top at $2.20. The big…

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The Chris Waller-trained Medatsu ran out a gritty winner of the Jockeys Appreciation Handicap (1500m) at Rosehill on Saturday as the four-year-old gelding recorded his first Sydney metropolitan victory. Medatsu commenced his career in New Zealand under the tutelage of Clint Isdale for whom he had placed in three of four starts, including finishing third in the Listed Ryder Stakes (1200m). Transferred to Waller’s Sydney operation last spring, the Kiwi import was a good winner at Kembla Grange over 2000m before finishing down the track in the Gr.1 Spring Champion…

Crocetti, one of the brightest stars in last season’s outstanding three-year-old crop, showed he was back bigger and better after he provided a display of guts and determination to take out Saturday’s Alibaba’s Flying Carpets Kerikeri Cup (1100m) at Ruakaka. Taken north by trainers Danny Walker and Arron Tata for a firmer surface to kick off his new campaign, that plan almost came unstuck as steady rain throughout the day saw stewards downgrade the official track rating to a Heavy8 before start time in the feature flat event. Walker rolled…