Group One performer Dawn Patrol (NZ) (Dawn Approach) will be out to add a second stakes victory to his record at Matamata on Saturday when he contests the Listed Team Wealleans Matamata Cup, a race which will be run over 1400m this year, having previously been contested at 1600m. The reduction in distance will suit Dawn Patrol, who will jump from barrier 13 this weekend, the same marble he drew when victorious over the same distance at Ellerslie a fortnight ago. “The draw is not ideal. He copped a bad…
Year: 2020
Rae reaping rewards from Southern sojourn
Ruakaka trainer Kenny Rae has always been partial to a trip to the South Island. The northern horseman, who trains in partnership with his daughter Krystal Williams-Tuhoro, has been venturing south for more than a dozen years, principally with runners around New Zealand Cup week and in support of summer racing on the West Coast. But 2020 has forced all manner of businesses to be flexible and Rae was quick to take a leaf out of the Prime Minister’s book, going hard and going early to Christchurch this year, when…
Vale Gerry Kleeven
The greyhound racing community is saddened by the loss of Gerry Kleeven on Friday after a short and courageous battle with cancer at age 77. Gerry spent more than 50 years breeding and training a small team of greyhounds, which predominantly raced with the Neveelk name (Neveelk is Kleeven spelt backwards). He is one of Gippsland’s most successful breeders of all time, producing quality greyhounds over a sustained period and hitting the jackpot when landing the 2015 Australian Cup with Luca Neveelk. Luca Neveelk also won the Ballarat Cup and…
Galo’s ‘halo’ still glows
Garry Selkrig has retired the cult idol Peter Galo, who won 47 races from 82 starts following a back muscle injury. A rising five-year-old, Peter Galo (Dec ’15 Peter Rocket x Flossy) now has the ‘life of Riley’. He is living in luxury with Simon Jardine and partner Mel Rocchiccioli on a 60-acre property at Ouyen. Jardine, 32, a leading harness driver in the Sunraysia region and proprietor of Ouyen Tyre Centre, had owned greyhounds with Selkrig and knew Peter Galo was a pin-up. “I’ve always wanted to take in…
Hayes not too cross about tough barriers
Ben Hayes believes Crosshaven’s (Smart Missile) racing style can help overcome his outside barrier draw of 15 in the Gr.1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m). In what proved to be a horror barrier draw result for the Hayes and Tom Dabernig stable, their other runner Aysar (Deep Field) drew the second outside barrier of 14. “It wasn’t an ideal barrier draw for us,” Hayes said. “I think for Crosshaven, he has the speed to go forward and cross from that outside draw and just roll along which is his racing style.” Hayes…
Mo’unga makes great first impression
Mo’unga (NZ) (Savabeel) has been given the tick of approval ahead of a tilt at Saturday’s Gr.1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m). Top jockey Damien Oliver travelled to Caulfield on Tuesday to ride the son of Savabeel for the first time and said the Chris Waller-trained rising star handled the track and going left-handed perfectly. “He certainly got around the left-handed way at Caulfield for the first time as good as you can ask for. I was happy with him,” Oliver said. “You just want to see a horse coming from Sydney…
Matchmaker chasing Guineas dream
It was a momentous occasion for the Wigley family of Inglewood Stud when Matchmaker (NZ) (Makfi) won the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) at Riccarton on Saturday. Ever since the race was named after their champion mare, they have aspired to win the race, so for Matchmaker to do so in Canterbury Belle’s (NZ) (Beaufort Sea) very same colours was a huge thrill. “We have had a couple of goes at winning this race so we are very pleased especially for Nick (Wigley, breeder, co-trainer and part-owner) he was really…
Trainers seeking redemption in Group One
Expat New Zealand trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young came close to winning the Gr.1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) with Sangster (NZ) (Savabeel) and they are hoping to rectify that loss nearly a decade later. The son of Savabeel was owned by Real Estate mogul Tommy Heptinstall whose colours will be worn in this year’s edition of the race by Albarado (NZ) (Savabeel) and Wertheimer (NZ) (Tavistock). “Sangster was the first decent horse we brought over to Australia and he ran in that race and ran an unlucky third, so…
Innes out to round off Triple Crown
Big-race jockey Leith Innes believes Two Illicit (NZ) (Jimmy Choux) could be the horse to help him complete the Hawke’s Bay Group One Triple Crown. Innes has won the first two legs of Hastings’ spring attraction, taking the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) on three occasions (Starcraft (NZ) (Soviet Star), 2004 and Kawi (NZ) (Savabeel) 2015 and 2016) and the Gr.1 Windsor Park Plate (1600m) four years ago aboard Kawi, but he has had no luck in the third leg, the Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) with his best result being a…
Sydney Cup test for Here’s Tears
Robert Britton admits Here’s Tears has struck a harder race than he expected on Saturday night at Wentworth Park as the gun stayer tunes up for the Group 3 Sydney Cup (720m) heats one week later. The city qualifying round of the Million Dollar Chase will headline the meeting but Here’s Tears and kennelmate Blazing Cartier will contest an ultra-competitive opening race. Here’s Tears, fifth to champion older brother Tornado Tears in the Group 3 Top Cat Video Cup Final last Saturday, is TAB’s $2.80 favourite from box five, while…