Year: 2020

Cambridge Stud stallion Almanzor has made a promising start at the Tatersalls October Yearling Sale. Six of his yearlings sold for an aggregate of 750,000 Guineas in the first two days of the sale, at an average of 125,000 Guineas, and median of 125,000 Guineas. SackvilleDonald Bloodstock Agency went to 210,000 Guineas to secure Almanzor’s highest priced yearling of the sale so far, lot 336, the colt out of Nehalennia, a daughter of former Champion Two-Year-Old in England, Airwave. Cambridge Stud was also active at the sale, purchasing lot 177,…

Classic Unicorn sealed a Chris So double with a smart win in Wednesday night’s Happy Valley feature, the Class 2 High Island Handicap (1000m), justifying his trainer’s belief that this could be the promising chestnut’s ‘coming-of-age’ campaign. After an unbeaten debut season, the five-year-old son of Per Incanto mixed his form last term but saw off a strong field of sprinters at Happy Valley to take his eye-catching record to four wins from eight starts. “He’s five years old now, he’s calmer, he’s mature, and he has more confidence,” So…

Trainer Paul Preusker said he has got all the rust out of Surprise Baby and will now head straight to the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m). The six-year-old son of Shocking, a $9.50 chance for the race, has returned superbly this preparation and will be third-up into the Melbourne Cup. Preusker is confident Surprise Baby is now ready to peak. “He had a light stretch out (Wednesday) morning and I’m really, really happy. I think he is spot on for a Melbourne Cup,” Preusker said. “He will go straight to the…

Breeze Ups for New Zealand Bloodstock’s Ready to Run Sale of Two-Year-Olds will take place next week on Monday 12 and Tuesday 13 October, commencing at 10am each day. Held across two days at Te Rapa Racecourse, the conditions and consistent measurements of NZB’s Breeze Ups give prospective buyers a major advantage when it comes to statistical and video analysis. All two-year-olds are Breezed Up on the same turf track over two consecutive days, with penetrometer readings taken on both days. This allows fairer analysis of the data collated for greater accuracy…

roup One-winning stallion Wyndspelle, who retired to Grangewilliam Stud this season.

Unition may be ready to become a man – in a manner of speaking. The Fastnet Rock three-year-old will tackle Saturday’s Fairview Motors Matamata 1400 as he looks to cement his claims on a trip to Riccarton for the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas (2000m) on November 7. Bred and raced by China Horse Club Racing, the Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman-trained Unition looked a potential star in two starts last season as a two-year-old, winning a Listed race at Pukekohe on debut before finishing third…

When John O’Shea went to the Karaka yearling sales 18 months ago intent on buying the progeny of Group One winner Contributer, one colt stood out. The Randwick horseman trained Contributer during his time at the helm of Godolphin and when he saw Lion’s Roar, he did a double take. “He looks exactly the same. He is a deep bay, he’s got a big, deep girth and he’s got a bit of character about him,” O’Shea said, having purchased the colt from the draft of Bill Gleeson’s Wellfield Lodge for…

A bold debut from promising Proisir filly Avaquinella at Timaru would please Riccarton trainer Lance Robinson but only an emphatic win would see her press on towards a Classic target. Avaquinella has impressed winning two of her three trials and Robinson has a good opinion of the filly who still holds a nomination for the Gr.1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton on November 14. Robinson will produce her in Friday’s Onceuponatime at Belmont Park Maiden (1200m) at Phar Lap Raceway with Terry Moseley booked to ride…