Month: March 2022

New Zealand-bred mare Yonce extended her unbeaten record to five with a gritty victory at Flemington on Saturday and will now look to tackle stakes company.  Prepared by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, the daughter of Proisir was sent out the $2.90 favourite under John Allen, and eventually prevailed by a comfortable three lengths from Gentleman Roy and Savannah Cloud. Yonce had to overcome a difficult path after being buried away on the fence entered the straight, but Allen persevered for inside runs before angling off the fence inside the…

Inspirational Girl grasped the opportunity to land a berth in the A$5 million All-Star Mile field when she narrowly defeated favourite Zaaki in a thrilling edition of the Gr.2 Blamey Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday. The Group One winning daughter of Reliable Man was having just her third start in 15 months due to injury, and put the writing on the wall with a good fresh-up sixth in the Gr.1 CF Orr Stakes (1400m) last start. Prepared by Danny O’Brien for owner Bob Peters, the former Perth-trained mare was…

Four-year-old mare Annavisto was electric first-up at Flemington on Saturday when leading throughout to land the Gr.3 Frances Tressady Stakes (1400m) for trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr. The daughter of Reliable Man relished the sting out of the ground on the Soft 6 surface and has potentially set herself up for a lucrative target in Sydney. Winning jockey Jamie Kah is perfectly suited to the talented mare, getting her to relax outside the leader Electric Girl without over-racing before skipping clear to record a three-and-a-quarter-length victory over runner-up…

Twelve months after living up to expectations with a Gr.1 Vodafone New Zealand Derby (2400m) favourite, Matamata trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott went back-to-back with a very different kind of triumph at Ellerslie on Saturday. In contrast to their 2021 Derby hero Rocket Spade, who came into the classic as a $4 favourite with outstanding lead-up form under his belt, O’Sullivan and Scott were well and truly under the radar in 2022 with last-start maiden winner Asterix. But the well-related son of Tavistock rose to the occasion and came…

The Michael Moroney-trained Bermadez notched his fifth career win when coming from off the speed to land the Resimax Group Plate (1200m) at Flemington on Saturday. The five-year-old son of Tavistock was fresh-up off a small break and powered home to defeat race favourite Rose Quartz in the hands of regular rider Damien Oliver. The lightly-raced gelding was plagued by shoulder problems earlier in his career and tends to show his best when kept on the fresh-side. “At the halfway mark when they quickened up I thought he was getting…

With a dominant performance at Wingatui by a rising star of the South Island’s three-year-old ranks, Michael and Matthew Pitman have added some black-type glow to a highly successful family association. The Riccarton trainers saddled Reputabelle for a runaway victory in Saturday’s Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes (1400m), powering clear in the hands of Tina Comignaghi to beat runner-up Irish Red by five and three-quarter lengths. Reputabelle was bred by Waikato Stud and is by Pins out of Really Reputable. That makes her a full-sister to the former Pitman runner Morse…