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Brighthill Farm have announced an initiative to support the marketing and racing of fillies by their resident son of Frankel, Eminent. For all resulting fillies off a paying 2020 cover by Eminent, the Eminent Syndicate will provide a complimentary entry to the NZB Insurance Pearl Series (for terms and conditions please contact Brighthill Farm). The NZB Insurance Pearl Series, which is administered by the NZTBA and sponsored by New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance, continues to successfully nurture the racing of fillies and mares in New Zealand, with nominated candidates being eligible…

The joy of achieving a winning double at Matamata on Saturday was tempered slightly for apprentice Tegan Newman when she copped a week’s suspension for a whip infraction at the Te Aroha meeting on Sunday. Newman had been cock-a-hoop after piloting the Daniel Miller-trained React and the Stephen Ralph-trained New York Jazz to victory at Matamata but was quickly brought back to earth a day later with the ill-timed suspension coming after making her best start to a racing season with four winners in the first month. “I finally got…

Talented four-year-old Dragon Leap (Pierro) will travel to Sydney on Monday as he looks to target spring riches. The Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott-trained galloper won twice at Group Two level as a three-year-old and finished fourth in the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m). The lightly-tried gelding is expected to be best suited to a mile as an older horse and topped off his preparations with an exhibition gallop between races at Matamata last Saturday. “We were happy with him,” O’Sullivan said. “It was testing conditions (heavy10) and he ran…

Multiple trials winner Babylon Berlin (All Too Hard) made a winning debut at Rotorua on Wednesday in the MacMillan Accountants 3yo (1100m). Sent out the $1.30 favourite, Babylon Berlin bounced straight to the lead under jockey Sam Collett and never looked in danger, going on to defeat a small pool of rivals, with Chopper Reed just over four lengths away in second. “Sam said she won purely on class and she hated the track,” Foote said. “I was happy to get it over and done with. I decided to start…

Track conditions will dictate where talented three-year-old Albarado (NZ) (Savabeel) heads this week. The Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained son of Savabeel holds nominations for Mornington on Thursday and for the Listed McKenzie Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on Saturday, with Busuttin leaning towards the weekday run if conditions suit. “I’m just waiting to see how this track comes back at Mornington,” he said. “I’d prefer to run him at Mornington, it is a Heavy10, if it could get back to a Heavy8 then he runs at Mornington. “He probably doesn’t…

Yearlings by Little Avondale Stud’s exciting young stallion Time Test will parade to the public on Friday at 2pm at the Masterton-based stud farm. Time Test, who has been back in the country a little over a fortnight, will also be on show, along with Per Incanto and Nadeem. Interest in Time Test, a son of outstanding sire Dubawi, has been strong since his debut season in 2018 and continues off the back of his sire’s results and the quality of Time Test’s first foals. “I knew the appeal of…

Restrictions over the movement of horses travelling from regional Victoria into NSW have been eased but the ban on horses from Melbourne remains. Racing NSW announced on Wednesday that it was initiating phase one of the lifting of restrictions on advice from biosecurity experts. However, protocols surrounding the travel of horses across the border will be strict and thoroughbreds entering the state from Victoria will require prior approval from NSW racing officials. Horses will be required to go directly to an off-course spelling or pre-training property for at least 48…

When nominations close on Thursday for the A$7.75 million Gr.1 Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m), Tauranga stayer Roger That (NZ) (Shinko King) will be a notable absentee due to the logistical travel headache and uncertainty created by the COVID-19 outbreak in Victoria. The impressive winner of the Gr.1 Auckland Cup (3200m) in March, Roger That will be staying local this spring in a campaign that will commence on Saturday in the Zest Handicap (1600m) at Tauranga where the Antony Fuller-trained gelding will be giving his rivals at least 8kgs. “He won’t…

New Plymouth trainer Robbie Patterson is hoping to pick up from how his last season ended when he produces Klaasen (NZ) (Niagara) on debut on his home track on Friday. Patterson enjoyed one of his best seasons training despite the interruptions of the season just ended, winning 19 races from just 57 starters and he looks well-placed to continue that sort of form with Niagara three-year-old Klaasen. Unbeaten in two trials, Klaasen will debut in the Landmark Homes 3yo Maiden (1100m) with Johnathan Parkes booked to ride, having been aboard…

Group One-winning jockey Racha Cuneen hopes a strong book of rides at Riccarton on Saturday will add further momentum to his recently-resumed New Zealand career. Cuneen began his career in 2011 and rode more than 100 winners over the ensuing six seasons, capped with a Group One double in the 2016-17 season on La Diosa in the New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) and Signify in the Telegraph (1200m). He put his New Zealand career on hold when he relocated to Victoria at the beginning of 2018, but the 28-year-old returned…