Lor confident Winning Dreamer can bounce back

Frankie Lor is keeping the faith in Winning Dreamer’s (NZ) (Deep Field) ability to rediscover his winning groove as he prepares the gifted sprinter for Sunday’s traditional season-opening feature, the HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup (1200m) at Sha Tin in Hong Kong. “He looks like he has more to give, I think he does and hopefully he can forget his issue – I have confidence in him,” Lor said. After stringing together six wins from his first six outings, the Deep Field gelding has since managed only one top-three finish from…

Maximilian marks first success for Walker and Lerner

Maximilian’s (NZ) (Highly Recommended) win in the $30,000 Class 5 Division 2 (Polytrack 1600m) on Sunday might not have got scribes rushing to their notebooks, but it still sealed two mini milestones of sorts. Racing formerly as Clarton Star, the Highly Recommended six-year-old propelled three-time Singapore champion trainer Mark Walker to the top of the heap for the first time this year. After trailing reigning champion trainer Michael Clements in second place for a while, the New Zealander has seen his season noticeably gain traction in the last couple of…

New path for Tofane

Flemington trainer Michael Moroney admits he is in unchartered waters with triple Group One winning mare Tofane, who is set to contest the Gr.1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) fresh-up at Caulfield on Saturday. The New Zealand-bred daughter of Ocean Park has never won first-up in five attempts but has had a shorter break than usual following a fruitful Queensland campaign that netted Group One wins in the Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) and Tatt’s Tiara (1400m). “Getting her ready to go 1400m off a short break has been a bit different,” Moroney said.…

TAB bookies holding their breath ahead of afternoon announcement

The New Zealand racing industry’s collective anticipation ahead of this afternoon’s Government edict on COVID lockdown status is being shared by TAB odds-setters in Petone.  Soon after 3pm the country will know whether regions other than Auckland will have at least some lockdown relief. While Aucklanders already know that they must wait until next week at the earliest for any prospect of a downgrade, the possibility still exists that the rest of the country may be allowed some respite, with a level 3 announcement from 11.59pm tonight the green light for domestic…

NZB Ready to Run Sale Trainer Series to Resume

Following on from last year’s successful Series, New Zealand Bloodstock is pleased to announce a further eleven NZB Ready to Run Sale Trainers Series race sponsorships, with incentivised prize packages awarded to domestic trainers over the next three months. NZB introduced the Series last year to support New Zealand trainers attending its Ready to Run Sale held in November.  The first sponsored race of the series, a Rating 74 Handicap, was held at Riccarton Park on Saturday 8 August and was won by the Lisa Latta-trained Rock Island Line. The…

Sea Shepherd making galloping look easy

An explosive gallop along Southland’s Oreti Beach was enough to convince Invercargill trainer Sabin Kirkland that in Zacinto gelding Sea Shepherd (NZ), he might have something special on his hands. Sea Shepherd had already won an Ashburton trial in late July but it was the training gallop at Oreti Beach earlier this month that had Kirkland straight on the phone to his co-owner in the horse, Janine Dunlop. “I told her the only thing that could have overtaken him would have been Burt Munro,” Kirkland said in reference to the…

Timing right for Waller stayer in Cup

Tim Clark believes there is a sense of timing surrounding progressive stayer No Compromise (NZ) (Pins) ahead of his latest assignment in the Gr.3 Premier’s Cup (2000m) at Kembla Grange.  The former New Zealander has scored a hat-trick of wins in five Australian starts and was given a freshen-up following his latest 2400m victory at Rosehill in July.  Clark, who partners No Compromise for the first time on Saturday, figures the break between runs has been a deliberate ploy by trainer Chris Waller to give the horse a spring carnival opportunity.  “You’ve got races coming…

Tivaci gelding impressive

Young Waikato Stud stallion Tivaci continued on his upward spiral when his son Celevacci (NZ) struck again at Belmont in Perth on Wednesday, this time over 1700m. The three-year-old had made a winning debut on the course earlier this month and he was untroubled to keep his unbeaten record intact for trainer Adam Durrant. Celevacci started a short-priced favourite and he had easily justified his support with rider Clint Johnston-Porter taking him straight to the front and they sailed home untouched to score by two-and-three quarter lengths. In his brief…

Let’s Elope target for Annavisto

Trainers Mick Price and Micheal Kent Jnr have elected to take a cautious approach with Annavisto (NZ) (Reliable Man) with her first-up run at Caulfield on Saturday. The local trainers were weighing up whether to line her up in the Gr.3 Cockram Stakes (1200m), but have elected to take the easier option of a Benchmark 90 1400m assignment first-up on Saturday. The four-year-old mare hardly put a foot wrong last preparation, winning three of her five starts, including the Listed Bendigo Guineas (1400m), and placing in her other two hit-outs,…

Tallyho stays home

Star jumper Tallyho Twinkletoe (NZ) (St Reims) was not amongst the nominations for Sunday’s Grand National Steeplechase (4500m) at Ballarat, with connections of the Kevin Myers-trained 11-year-old opting against a trip across the Tasman. Coming off a successful week in Christchurch where he dominated his rivals in both the Koral Steeplechase (4250m) and Grand National Steeplechase (5600m), the relatively quick turnaround to Ballarat was deemed too much. “It was one of the options, but we just decided against it,” part-owner Jo Rathbone said. “It was a big ask after a…