Riccarton trainers Michael and Matthew Pitman have a dual-pronged attack on Saturday’s Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m), and the hopes of the South Island rest on their shoulders as they take on nine competitors from the North. The Pitmans will saddle lightly-tried galloper Marine (NZ) (Ocean Park) and stablemate Watchmaker (NZ) (Pins) as they look to repel the northern challenge. “I’m very happy with both horses, they are doing well and have good riders onboard in Michael McNab (Marine) and Chris Johnson (Watchmaker),” Michael Pitman…
Month: November 2020
Richards chasing Trans-Tasman features
Matamata trainer Jamie Richards is well used to marking off new benchmarks in career highlights. Winning the New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) with Xtravagant at Riccarton in 2015 to bring up the first Group One win of his career has begun a sequence of highlights, which have come to a head in 2020. A Karaka Million double at Ellerslie in January through Cool Aza Beel (NZ) (Savabeel) in the 1200m two-year-old feature and Probabeel (NZ) (Savabeel) in the three-year-old Classic over 1600m led into a memorable Group One double in…
Ballarat Cup aim for Mongolian Marshal
Former Kiwi Mongolian Marshal (NZ) (High Chaparral) took out Wednesday’s Kyneton Cup (2000m), with a hard-fought victory over Bartholomeu Dias (Mount Nelson) and connections now have eyes for an even more lucrative country cup. The Stuart Gower-trained gelding entered a battle with $2.90 chance Bartholomeu Dias and Double You Tee (Written Tycoon), with the three pulling clear on the turn. Mongolian Marshal fought off both their challenges to win by a short head, with Double You Tee finishing a neck behind the winner in third. It was a first win…
Cox counts down with winning chances
By Jonny Turner Jonny Cox will continue his countdown to driving Nandolo in the New Zealand Cup when combining with a host of winning chances at Rangiora on Friday. Cox lines up Forgone Conclusion and In Chevron We Trust from his stable in race 10. The Leeston horseman will drive Forgone Conclusion, who will be out to bounce back from a slightly disappointing run in his last start behind impressive winner, Sentry, at Winton. The four-year-old came into the mile (1609m) event after going a big race to run second…
TAB Topgun and Topgun Stayers box draws
We have been waiting for them and now they are here, the box draws for the Group 1 TAB Topgun and Group 1 TAB Topgun Stayers which will be run on Saturday 7 November at The Meadows. Simon Told Helen remains the TAB favourite after drawing box eight in the 525m Topgun. Trainer David Burnett gave Sky hosts Gareth Hall and Jason Adams a thumbs up following the box draw. Tommy Shelby (box one) and Shima Shine (box two) sit of the second line of betting together at $3.50. Queenslander…
Connors hoping for more Cup glory
Wanganui trainer Raymond Connors has fond memories of the New Zealand Cup carnival at Riccarton and he is hoping that can continue this weekend. Connors won two consecutive Gr.3 New Zealand Cups (3200m) with Blood Brotha (NZ) (Danzighill) last decade and he is targeting the two-mile feature once again with in-form gelding Hurry Cane (NZ) (Nom Du Jeu). The eight-year-old son of Nom du Jeu will first have to prove himself in the Listed Nautical Boat Insurance Metropolitan Trophy (2500m) at Riccarton on Saturday and Connors hopes the gelding can…
Oh ‘baby’, what a ‘surprise’!
Punters who have called a ‘last hurrah’ on parenthood could be in for a ‘surprise baby’. TAB is offering a ‘seducing’ – not ‘inducing’ – $12.00 ‘canine/equine’ cross-codes offer on Last Hurrah to win tonight’s Group 1 Hume Cup (600m) at The Meadows and Surprise Baby to place in the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington tomorrow. Trained at Little River by Brett Nye, Last Hurrah was the second-fastest qualifier (34.15sec) in last week’s heats – around one length slower than Zipping Zeek (34.10sec), who set the time standard.…
Rookie trainer poised for meteoric group 1 breakthrough
ROOKIE trainer Brett Nye is acutely aware just how lucky he is to have had a greyhound the caliber of Last Hurrah to launch his training career.
CEO’s Monthly Update: November 2020
While we are all pleased with the easing of restrictions across Victoria, a reminder that health and safety protocols including masks, social distancing and health checks on entry are still in place for all Victorian race meetings and trials and that metro participants still need their work permits when travelling to regional meetings.
Sleek Zeek
20-year old Ned McDonald is chasing Group 1 glory in his first year of greyhound training tomorrow night at The Meadows in the Group 1 Hume Cup with Zipping Zeek. “It’s a thrill to be in a Group 1 but I don’t think it has hit me in the face yet,” Ned McDonald told James Van de Maat on SENtrack’s Thrill Of The Chase program. Zipping Zeek was formally trained by Martin Hallinan who is also the owner and breeder of the son of Zulu Zeus and Crafty Lady. “To…