by Jonny Turner What happens in the split seconds after the tapes fly could decide whether Homebush Lad adds the Waimate Cup to his outstanding grass track resume. The Greg and Nina Hope trained veteran starts from the back mark of 45m in the 3000m grass track feature at Oamaru. Clearly the kind of beginning Homebush Lad can make from his handicap will have a huge impact on his chances. Settling in front of key rivals, who also start from handicap marks, will be the key to whether Homebush Lad…
Day: 25 March 2023
No drama for leading southern mare
Live Drama and Kavish Chowdhoory land the Group 3 South Island Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m). Photo: Race Images CHCH (Ajay Berry) Live Drama gave a flawless performance on the main stage at Riccarton on Saturday to post the second black type victory of her career. With 55.5kg, the mare was ideally suited to the set weights and penalties conditions of the Group 3 South Island Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) and duly added the feature to her Listed Great Easter Stakes (1400m) title. Rider Kavish Chowdhoory kept the leaders within his…
Brando in the spotlight at Tauranga
Brando cruises to victory in the Group 2 Japan Trophy (1600m) at Tauranga on Saturday. Photo: Trish Dunell Good-looking gelding Brando notched his eighth career victory when proving a class above his rivals in the Group 2 Japan Trophy (1600m) at Tauranga on Saturday. The five-year-old son of Savabeel has previously competed at the highest level, placing in the Group 1 Levin Classic (1600m) at three and the Group 1 Otaki WFA last year. Ridden perfectly by Wiremu Pinn, Brando tracked up nicely behind the leaders rounding the bend and…
Roots takes out the Emancipation Stakes in a Waller Trifecta
Roots was a smart winner in the Group 2 Emancipation Stakes. If you boxed up the three Chris Waller runners in this year’s Emancipation Stakes you would’ve seen a nice collect. Roots has proven too good for stablemates, Atishu and Finepoint as Chris Waller has trained the first three runners home in the Group 2 Emancipation Stakes for the fillies and mares. It was a much improved effort from what we saw in the Group 3 Aspiration Quality as the short-priced commodity, Roots, went down by a half-length behind Thalassophile.…
Three year olds impress at Addington
by Jonny TurnerThree-Year-Olds Cormac Leo and Coney Island Lou both called on their big motors to run to impressive wins at Addington on Friday night. Trainer-driver Craig Ferguson unleashed Cormac Leo who could not have been more impressive in his debut victory in race 3. Being caught wide early mattered little to the pacer who also shrugged off plenty of pressure inside the final 800m when scoring like a horse with a big future. Cormac Leo was sent south to Ferguson by owners Bruce Barnett and Ricki Herbert after former…
What You Need protects his unblemished record in Sunlight Classic
What You Need ridden by Ben Melham wins the Sunlight Classic at Flemington Racecourse. (Photo by Pat Scala/Racing Photos) With the race set up to be a race between two gun three-year-olds in the Sunlight Classic, and the colt What You Need from the Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr yard got the better of the filly Benedetta as she could only manage a third-place finish, with the Godolphin gelding Renosu splitting the two favourites in the betting. Coming into the Sunlight Classic, What You Need was the favourite with…
Brando in the spotlight at Tauranga
Good-looking gelding Brando (NZ) (Savabeel) notched his eighth career victory when proving a class above his rivals in the Gr.2 Ultimate Mazda Japan Trophy (1600m) at Tauranga on Saturday The five-year-old son of Savabeel has previously competed at the highest level, placing in the Gr.1 Levin Classic (1600m) at three and the Gr.1 Otaki WFA last year. Ridden perfectly by Wiremu Pinn, Brando tracked up nicely behind the leaders rounding the bend and once a gap presented he dashed away to an easy two-length victory over Marroni (NZ) (Makfi) with…
Brando in the spotlight at Tauranga
Good-looking gelding Brando (NZ) (Savabeel) notched his eighth career victory when proving a class above his rivals in the Gr.2 Ultimate Mazda Japan Trophy (1600m) at Tauranga on Saturday The five-year-old son of Savabeel has previously competed at the highest level, placing in the Gr.1 Levin Classic (1600m) at three and the Gr.1 Otaki WFA last year. Ridden perfectly by Wiremu Pinn, Brando tracked up nicely behind the leaders rounding the bend and once a gap presented he dashed away to an easy two-length victory over Marroni (NZ) (Makfi) with…
Brando in the spotlight at Tauranga
Good-looking gelding Brando (NZ) (Savabeel) notched his eighth career victory when proving a class above his rivals in the Gr.2 Ultimate Mazda Japan Trophy (1600m) at Tauranga on Saturday The five-year-old son of Savabeel has previously competed at the highest level, placing in the Gr.1 Levin Classic (1600m) at three and the Gr.1 Otaki WFA last year. Ridden perfectly by Wiremu Pinn, Brando tracked up nicely behind the leaders rounding the bend and once a gap presented he dashed away to an easy two-length victory over Marroni (NZ) (Makfi) with…
Champagne Stakes option for Cu Chulainn
Two-year-old gelding Cu Chulainn (NZ) (Burgundy) backed-up his debut four-length victory at Wingatui earlier in the month with another good performance to land the Petersens Jewellers Ladies Bracelet Two-Year-Old (1000m) at Riccarton on Saturday, albeit with a much narrower margin. The Mark Walker-trained son of Burgundy was sent out the $1.30 favourite and came through when it mattered under Joe Kamaruddin to score by a half neck from debutant Penvose Lad (U S Navy Flag) after racing midfield before making his run out wide. “It was a really good effort…
