Month: March 2021

Mr Clint came out under a brand new team of owner, trainer and rider, at the barrier trials in Singapore on Tuesday, taking a step closer to his racing comeback. A long-time Oscar Racing stalwart, the Power six-year-old was sold to Kuwaiti-owned Al Rashid Stable after trainer Lee Freedman announced he was quitting Singapore in March. Three-time Singapore champion trainer Mark Walker has taken over the five-time winner’s training and has pencilled in the Class 1 race over the mile on March 20 when turf racing resumes as Mr Clint’s…

The Symon Wilde-trained Tralee Rose has drawn well for Monday’s Gr.2 Adelaide Cup (3200m). The four-year-old daughter of Tavistock made easy work of her rivals to win las month’s Gr.3 St Reims Stakes (2600m) and Wilde believes she is in the perfect position to notch another success.  “She always seems to draw well, we couldn’t be happier with that,” Wilde said. “Drawing a few off the fence and not too wide is ideal.  “We’ll just try and keep her happy and do the same as we did before the Lord…

Dual Group Three winner Crosshaven has been sold to Hong Kong interests after his connections accepted an offer that was too good to refuse.  Trained in Australia by Tom Dabernig and Ben Hayes, the three-year-old gelding will join the stable of David Hayes. The son of Smart Missile leaves Australia with a record of five wins from nine starts and a third-placing in last month’s Gr.1 CF Orr Stakes (1400m). Cosshaven was bred by Daniel and Elias Nakhle, who remained in the ownership group after he was sold as a…

The Danny Walker-trained On Display (NZ) (Showcasing) did not accept for Sunday’s Gr.1 Vodafone New Zealand Derby (2400m) on Wednesday after a foot issue was discovered on Tuesday night.  Placed in both the Gr.2 Auckland Guineas (1600m) and Gr.2 Avondale Guineas (2100m) On Display had been a late nomination for the Derby on Tuesday.  “Last night he was a little bit off in a foot. We bathed it and thought it might have been an errant nail but this morning he was worse,” Walker said. “We have x-rayed and he…

In-form galloper Defibrillate (NZ) (Shocking) is giving his New Zealand owners a great thrill, having strung together four consecutive wins in Melbourne, and he will be vying to extend it to five at Flemington on Saturday. Co-bred and part-owned by Matamata trainer Graham Richardson, the son of Shocking is set to line-up in the Gr.1 Australian Cup (2000m) this weekend for Plumpton conditioner Patrick Payne, his first tilt at elite-level. The six-year-old gelding has been in stellar form this time in, winning four of his five starts, including the Listed…

Otaki trainer Johno Benner believes it’s far from a vintage running of this year’s Gr.1 Vodafone New Zealand Derby (2400m), but he’s hardly complaining. Benner and his partner Hollie Wynyard will produce two-win Showcasing gelding Montre Moi in Sunday’s Classic, which will either be run at Ellerslie if the Government drops Auckland from its current level three lockdown, or Hastings if it doesn’t. “It’s pretty even and probably down on quality on previous years the way it’s worked out but we’re not complaining. It gives us a really good chance…

The New Zealand Derby meeting could be held at either Hastings or Ellerslie on Sunday, but Jamie Richards is hoping for the latter. The man at the helm of the Te Akau juggernaut will have a number of leading contenders at the meeting, many of whom favour the Auckland track. “It would be great to have it at Ellerslie. The next couple of days are quite vital in terms of how many cases are reported,” he said. “It is out of our control and we have just got to wait…