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The Mitigator (Master of Design) got a taste of Group One glory earlier this year and this spring he will be out for more. The six-year-old recorded his maiden victory at elite-level when taking out the Gr.1 Thorndon Mile (1600m) at Trentham in January and followed that performance with a solid runner-up effort behind Te Akau Shark in the Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa. The Peter Mckay-trained gelding then finished eighth in the Gr.1 Haunui Farm WFA Group One Classic (1600m) at Otaki and fourth in the…

Talented mare All Saints’ Eve (NZ) (Sacred Falls) recorded a hard-fought victory at Randwick over 1400m on Saturday, the third career win for the daughter of Sacred Falls from seven starts to date. Prepared by John O’Shea, All Saints’ Eve sports the colours of Waikato Stud, with Mark and Garry Chittick sharing in an ownership group that features Rosemont Stud in Victoria and O’Shea’s wife Isabel. Stakes-placed at three when third in the Gr.3 Kembla Grange Classic (1600m) in March this year, All Saints’ Eve will now be aimed at…

Madam Sequoia (NZ) (Redwood) had more than just her own future resting on her bid to clear maiden ranks at Riccarton on Saturday. The four-year-old daughter of Redwood had been disappointing for Bevan and Robyn Wilson, the Ashburton couple who bred, own and train her. She had lacked concentration and finished among the tailenders in all but one of her four previous starts. Aided by the addition of blinkers, but more the manner in which she was ridden out in the open and clear of crowding, Madam Sequoia produced a…

Lightly-tried four-year-old Aragon (NZ) (Ocean Park) will join the Cranbourne stable of Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young.  The son of Ocean Park was an impressive winner at Hastings for Foxton trainer Chrissy Bambry over 2100m late last month at just his third race day start.  Out of the stakes-placed mare Acquisto, Bambry bred the progressive gelding in conjunction with her parents Tony and Judith and friend Fiona Massey.  “He’s a horse with a bright future that will get over ground and he will get every chance with Trent and Natalie,”…

Satono Arthur (Deep Impact) broke his winless drought in emphatic style in the Gr.3 The Sekiya Kinen (1600m) at Niigata in Japan on Sunday. The six-year-old son of Deep Impact made a barnstorming run to overpower front-runner Trois Etoiles in the Japanese feature. Satono Arthur made his mark at the JRHA 2015 Select Yearling Sale when he was knocked down to Hajime Satomi for ¥195 million (NZ$2.8 million), the fourth highest priced lot of the sale. He is the first foal of the New Zealand-bred and raced Redoute’s Choice mare…

The New Zealand racing industry awoke on Monday morning to the news of the death overnight of popular Canterbury trainer Tony Prendergast, aged 84. Prendergast, who trained in partnership with his wife, Lyn, from their West Melton property, had been suffering from cancer after being diagnosed a few months ago and his death came after a shattering week for the family with their home being gutted by fire and with it the loss of all their possessions, including all their prized racing trophies and photographs. Kylie Williams, who completed her…

Staying mare Oceanex (NZ) (Ocean Park), who is guaranteed a start in the Melbourne Cup, is set to resume at Caulfield two weeks earlier than originally planned. Michael Kent Junior, who trains in partnership with Mick Price, said they were initially going to wait for the Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington on September 12. However, given they are unable to use public trials, the mare will now kick off over 1400 metres at Caulfield on August 29 to get her fitness up. Oceanex has been off the scene since she booked her…

The Ebbett VW National Breeding Awards have been postponed due to COVID-19 alert level restrictions, with a new date to be confirmed when possible. If ticket holders would like a refund please contact the Waikato Branch of the NZTBA at nztbawaikatob@gmail.com or contact the NZTBA office on 07 827 7727. The format for this year’s gavelhouse.com Waikato Stallion tour has also been altered. Under Level 2 restrictions group sizes must be kept under 100, robust contact tracing must occur, while social distancing and increased hand sanitisation is recommended. All farms…

New Zealand’s champion trainer Jamie Richards is hoping high-class mare Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands) can mirror the pattern of her previous campaigns. The six-year-old mare has improved significantly from her fresh-up performances in her last two campaigns and the Matamata horseman is banking on that again being the case when Melody Belle contests Saturday’s Gr.1 Winx Stakes (1400m). The 10-time Group One winner trailed a small field of six home in the Gr.2 Missile Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on August 8 when resuming and subsequently drifted to $11 in the…

After 20 years training in Singapore, Stephen Gray is planning to weigh up his future lifestyle options within the next couple of years. Gray formerly trained in New Zealand with his father, Kevin, for 12 seasons from 1988-99, the partnership winning almost 400 races, including 10 Group or Listed events. But he saw the opportunity in 2000 to take the plunge and attempt to carve out a career training in Singapore and his move in April that year has seen him establish himself as one of Singapore’s leading trainers with…