Day: 7 May 2024

Group Three performer Master Brutus (NZ) (Swiss Ace) showed he has lost none of his class over his 14-month hiatus from racing when victorious in his 1000m trial at Avondale on Tuesday. The four-year-old son of Swiss Ace hasn’t been sighted on raceday since his unplaced run in last year’s Gr.1 Levin Cassic (1600m), with the gelding undergoing surgery before having another setback later in the year. “It is nice to have him back, he has had a couple of setback injuries and has been off the scene for quite…

James McDonald will have a strong chance to continue his winning run this season in Group One races after being confirmed as the rider for I Wish I Win (NZ) (Savabeel) in Saturday week’s $1.5 million Gr.1 Doomben 10,000 (1200m) in Brisbane. McDonald, who claimed another six elite races over the recently finished Sydney autumn carnival, took his first ride on I Wish I Win in the Gr.1 T J Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick last month following an injury-ridden lead-up to the race by regular rider Luke Nolen. Nolen…

Highline Thoroughbreds’ profile as a source of quality youngsters continues to grow with Discretion Rules (Alabama Express) their latest black-type success story. The Cambridge-based operation of Cam and Eva Heron offers a full range of services from yearling preparations, spelling, agistment and foaling down, with success to the highest level as vendors. Their flagship graduates to date have been star performer and multiple top-flight winner Legarto (NZ) (Proisir) and Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) winner Dark Destroyer (NZ) (Proisir). The Gr.3 Matamata Slipper (1200m) winner Alabama Gold (NZ) (Turn Me Loose)…

Talented three-year-old Impendabelle (Impending) will step out of age group company for the first time in her season’s grand final on Saturday at Arawa Park. The daughter of Impending has been a model of consistency this term, with success in the Gr.2 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) headlining a campaign that included a pair of Group One placings in the Levin Classic (1600m) and New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m). Tony Pike, who prepares Impendabelle out of Cambridge, gave the filly a brief spell through the early autumn and she added further black-type…

Raymond Connors is hoping his Group Three performer Hurry Cane still wants to be a racehorse and will find that out when he heads to Wanganui on Thursday to contest the Palamountains Animal Nutrition Open Hurdle (3000m). The 11- year-old gelding has been a great servant to Connors’ barn over the last seven seasons, winning five races on the flat, and placing in the Gr.3 New Zealand Cup (3200m), before transitioning to a career over jumps where he has won one race apiece over the hurdles and steeples. The son…