Category: Featured

A change of scenery has worked wonders for Field Of Gold, who is in line to return to black-type company for the first time in almost two years in Saturday’s Gr.3 Rydges Wellington Airport Phar Lap Trophy (1600m) at Trentham. The son of Starspangledbanner is a half-brother to Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) winner Sherwood Forest, and he showed plenty of talent himself through the early stages of his career. Field Of Gold’s nine-start campaign as a three-year-old produced three wins including the Gr.2 Waikato Guineas (2000m), and he was…

This week’s Gr.2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2000m) winner Real Class has been sold across the Tasman to Australian Bloodstock, but the promising filly may remain with her Byerley Park trainer Jenna Mahoney for a $1 million Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) campaign. Real Class has made a big impression in a career that spans only four starts dating back to early November. She finished eighth on debut at Pukekohe before scoring a stylish come-from-behind win in a 1600m maiden at Te Aroha on December 8.…

Apprentice jockey Floor Moerman kicked off the New Year in the best possible fashion at Riverton on Wednesday when recording her first win in the saddle aboard Three Ninety in the Carriers Arms Hotel Summer Cup (2147m) for local trainer Ebony Turner. “It was really cool to get that first win,” the 24-year-old Dutch national said. “I just wanted to jump her out and find a nice spot, and it worked out really well. Coming around the bend, I thought I was going to pop around them, but the gap…

Riot And Rose (NZ) (Pins) gets the chance to add another regional feature to his summer body of work at Geelong this Saturday. The Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained gelding is one of the leading contenders for the day’s feature, the A$300,000 Coastal Classic (1700m). The son of Pins won the A$100,000 Wodonga Cup (1590m) on November 30 and A$150,000 Werribee Cup (1600m) on December 8 before a sixth placing in the Listed Lord Stakes (1600m) at the Caulfield meeting run on the Heath track on Boxing Day. Riot And Rose was noted by Racing Victoria vets to be lame coming…

Cambridge trainer Tony Pike will launch a two-pronged attack on the feature event at Te Aroha on Saturday when he lines up consistent galloper Maldini and promising stayer Harlow Rocks in the Lockwood Coromandel Peninsula Thames Cup (1600m). Pike is pleased with both of his stable runners leading into the event, although he cautions that last season’s Gr.2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies Classic (2000m) runner-up Harlow Rocks is still in the early stages of her current preparation after recovering well from a knee injury that halted her three-year-old campaign.…

Only one part of Skew Wiff’s build-up to the Gr.1 TAB Telegraph (1200m) at Trentham on Saturday has not gone to plan for trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson, and it is a factor beyond their control. The Trentham track was rated a Soft6 on Friday morning, with MetService predicting heavy rain and possible thunderstorms and hail overnight. Any remaining showers are forecast to ease on the morning of the race. “We couldn’t be any happier with the horse, but we’re just a bit worried about that weather forecast,” Walker…

Wexford Stables are hoping their purple patch of form can continue at Trentham on Saturday where they will line-up three runners in two of the feature events on the card. Sassy Lass will start one of the best backed candidates in the Listed Lincoln Farms Marton Cup (2200m), while Waitak and Grail Seeker will tackle the Gr.1 TAB Telegraph (1200m). Sassy Lass has gone from strength-to-strength in a lengthy campaign that has resulted in four wins from 12 starts since March last year and she heads to Trentham off a…

Holymanz (NZ) (Almanzor) has not won since last year’s Coastal Classic (1700m) and the Ciaron Maher stable is confident the race can again bring out the best in the gelding. The son of Almanzor will defend his title against six rivals in Saturday’s $300,000 event over the Geelong 1700-metre circuit. Despite not having won in 10 starts since his win under 53kg in the inaugural Coastal Classic, Holymanz is 60kg topweight for a race that does not have the depth of last year’s race. “He’s got to carry a bit of weight, but I think it’s pretty…