Year: 2020

John O’Shea will be making sure he is wearing his lucky purple tie when All Saints’ Eve (NZ) (Savabeel) competes for a slice of the A$7.5 million Golden Eagle (1500m) pie on Halloween. The Randwick horseman might be a no-nonsense trainer but he has a superstitious streak. A talented rugby league player in his youth, O’Shea admits he had a few rituals to bring himself good luck on the football field and still looks for charms as a horse trainer. “I used to do some frightful things when I played…

New Zealand Bloodstock have revealed the current order of entry for the Karaka Million races to be held at Ellerslie on January 23. Te Akau Racing hold a strong hand in the 2021 DoubleTree by Hilton Karaka Million 2YO (1200m), a race they have won four times in a row with Melody Belle, Avantage, Probabeel and Cool Aza Beel. Horses purchased by David Ellis currently occupy three of the top four positions through the early weeks of two-year-old racing this season. The top position belongs to Follow Your Dreams, trained…

Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) contender Not An Option (Not A Single Doubt) has been ruled out of the three-year-old feature after bone chips were found in one of his fetlocks on Thursday morning. The Not A Single Doubt colt had suffered a heart fibrillation when finishing last in the Gr.2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial Stakes (1400m) at Te Rapa on Saturday, but trainer Tony Pike had been pleased with his recovery after the race before Thursday’s finding. “Unfortunately this (Thursday) morning, apart from…

Progressive Roger James and Robert Wellwood-trained stayer London Banker (NZ) (Tavistock) is primed for the Listed Ricoh Feilding Gold Cup (2100m) at Awapuni on Saturday. The patiently-handled son of Tavistock is a five-year-old but is the young buck in a field of veterans which includes the ageless 11-year-old Sampson (NZ) (Dubai Destination). After two runs over a mile this campaign for a third and a fourth, London Banker will carry 53kgs and has the services of leading hoop Danielle Johnson as he steps up to his proffered middle distance. “He…

A trio of Rich Hill Stud graduates will be vying for top honours in Group One features in Australia this coming week. Riodini (NZ) (Proisir) and Albarado (NZ) (Savabeel) will be in action at Rosehill and Flemington respectively on Saturday while Surprise Baby (NZ) (Shocking) will have a second crack at the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on Tuesday. Riodini takes his place in the A$7.5 million Golden Eagle (1500m) off the back of a runner-up finish in the Gr.2 Shannon Stakes (1500m) and a third-placing in the Gr.1…

Matamata training partners Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott will have just the two runners at Pukekohe on Saturday, headed by resuming speedster Princess Rihanna (NZ) (Showcasing). The daughter of Showcasing has four wins to her name and a Group Three placing in the Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) as a three-year-old and the short-course mare has had two trials in readiness for her resuming run in the Roger Gill Mitsubishi 1200. “She is going to be competitive. She has done very well and looks good,” O’Sullivan said. “The key is that…

Sampson (NZ) (Dubai Destination) may be 11-years-old but trainer Howie Mathews said he doesn’t know it. The son of Dubai Destination recorded his 12th career victory in the Egmont Cup at Hawera earlier this month and Mathews said he is on song ahead of the Listed Ricoh Feilding Gold Cup (2100m) at Awapuni on Saturday. Mathews was pleased with the win but admitted it came as a little bit of a surprise. “It was a great ride,” he said. “It is very hard to put it into the jockey’s head…

Oceanex (NZ) (Ocean Park) was the first horse to book her ticket to the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) after winning the ballot-exempt Listed The Andrew Ramsden (2800m) at Flemington in May, but the Kiwi-bred mare is now in doubt of taking her place in the great race. The daughter of Ocean Park underwent a veterinary examination by Racing Victoria’s chief vet Dr Grace Forbes at Caulfield on Thursday and she, along with co-trainer Mick Price and stable vet David Shepherd, were not happy with the horse’s action. “We had a…

Joao Moreira capped a four-timer at Happy Valley on Wednesday with a smart victory aboard Columbus County (NZ) (Redwood) in the Class 2 Time Warp Handicap (1800m) for trainer Caspar Fownes. “We know how hard it is to win one race in Hong Kong, when you go home with four in the bag it’s very pleasing and I’m thankful for all of the support I’ve been getting,” Moreira said.  Columbus County, who raced as Sword in Stone in New Zealand, was the Brazilian’s wrap-up victory in the evening’s finale, the…