Day: 29 April 2024

Former northerners Loftys Gift and Medina are starting to leave their mark in the south, with the pair securing a winning double for trainer Robert Dennis at Wingatui on Sunday. Medina was just having her third start for Dennis in the Liquorland Mosgiel 65 1400m, having previously been trained by his former employer Andrew Forsman in Cambridge. The American Pharoah mare jumped away well but couldn’t find the front and was parked out three-wide for much of the race. She finally found the parked position outside Choux Macher with 600m…

Ruakaka’s drier climate will play a key role in winter racing in the coming months, and local trainer Kenny Rae is looking forward to competing on his home turf at this Wednesday’s meeting. “Most of our horses will be racing up here for the next three or four months, there’s nothing better than racing on your home track. No travelling for the horses and saves costs for the owners,” he said. Rae, who trains in partnership with daughter Krystal Williams, operates the stable’s northern base and among his mid-week contingent…

The Craig Ivil-trained Princess Elly was a popular figure at Wanganui racecourse last Saturday when she rewarded punters when taking out the Spooner Toy & Hood Ltd 1600. The four-year-old mare had been very consistent in her previous six outings and was duly backed into $3.50 favouritism for Saturday’s contest, which she comfortably won by a length over Champagne Sunday. Ivil shared punters’ optimism and was pleased with his mare’s performance. “She ran well,” he said. “She has really only had a couple of bad runs – one was when…

Trainer Debbie Sweeney has her sights set on the Hawke’s Bay Spring Carnival with her exciting gelding Chattahoochee following his pleasing runner-up performance behind Snazzytavi in last Saturday’s Gr.3 Easter Handicap (1600m) at Te Rapa. The five-year-old son of Reliable Man was having his first tilt at stakes level, having won six of his previous 12 raceday starts. “It was a really good run, but he was just met by a better horse on the day, the other horse (Snazzytavi) was very smart,” Sweeney said. “He tried really hard and…

Curraghmore celebrated widespread success at the weekend with winners in three countries and highlighted by the domestic stakes of rising star Snazzytavi. Farm principal Gordon Cunningham bred and sold the gifted daughter of the late Tavistock who ended her campaign with an effortless victory in the Gr.3 Easter Handicap (1600m) at Ellerslie. Trained by Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall for Cambridge Stud, Snazzytavi has gone for a break with five wins and four placings, including a third in the Listed Wairarapa Breeders’ Stakes (1600m), from 10 appearances. Curraghmore graduate Lucy…