Four-year-old Bold Soul (NZ) (Embellish) returned to winning ways at Flemington, where he again emphasised his depths of stamina, repelling the challenge of Goldenstatewarrior (Golden Horn) and Muktamil (Sea the Stars) under apprentice jockey Thomas Prebble. The Patrick and Michelle Payne-trained son of Embellish dug deep to score over 2540m in his first success since landing the Gr.3 Chairman’s Stakes (2000m) at Morphettville 14 months ago. Earlier in that three-year-old preparation, he had previously claimed Listed wins in the Tasmanian Derby and the Launceston Guineas. “He was really good through…
Day: 21 June 2025
Third time lucky for Cork in Tauranga Classic
After hard-luck stories in the Listed Team Wealleans Tauranga Classic (1400m) in both of the last two winters, Cork (NZ) (Complacent) made amends in style on Saturday with a $22 upset in the fillies and mares’ feature. Cork had already proven herself as a Tauranga specialist, winning three of her five previous starts at the track including a seven-length Rating 75 romp on the Tauranga Classic undercard in 2022. But the Bay Of Plenty’s midwinter black-type feature had proved frustratingly elusive. The 2023 edition was abandoned and rescheduled for Hawke’s…
Four in a row for Taken
Three-year-old gelding Taken (NZ) (Ardrossan) is proving quite the money spinner for connections, with a victory in Saturday’s Rod Johnson Handicap (1620m) at Flemington the fourth in succession for the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained galloper. The son of Ardrossan carried 60kg topweight under rider Craig Williams, but his push-button style and ability to race on-speed are attributes that go a long way towards winning, as he made it successive wins at Flemington. “He was obviously less dominant than last start but carried a lot more weight and he…
Conor O’Ceirin takes Riccarton feature
Topweight Conor O’Ceirin (NZ) (Dial A Prayer) enjoyed the 3kg claim of apprentice Liam Kauri, which allowed him to carry a manageable 58kg to a solid victory in the feature event at Riccarton on Saturday, the Greenwood Amberley Cup (1400m). The eight-year-old son of Dial A Prayer had earned his original 61kg handicap with nine career victories on the board along with two placings at stakes level, including running third in the 2023 Gr.3 Winter Cup (1600m) at the venue. After doing his early racing from Robbie Patterson’s New Plymouth…
She’s Unusual cruises to front-running success
Five-year-old mare She’s Unusual (NZ) (Unusual Suspect) made the most of some cheap sectionals to lead her rivals a merry dance when winning the Elite Sand & Soil Handicap (1800m) on Saturday under an astute front-running ride by Tommy Berry. Prepared by John O’Shea and Tom Charlton, She’s Unusual was off and gone rounding the home bend and had just under two lengths to spare at the post from runner-up Gentileschi (Dundeel). A maiden winner in New Zealand for Fraser Auret, She’s Unusual was subsequently purchased by OTI Racing. She’s…
Strawbridge gains second win in a week in Kiwifruit Cup
Apprentice jockey Ashlee Strawbridge gained her first victory at Cambridge on Wednesday and didn’t take long to make it two when she guided What A Charma (NZ) (Jimmy Choux) to success in the Seeka Kiwifruit Cup (2100m) at Tauranga on Saturday. In a race filled with drama where Bruno Queiroz – riding eventual runner-up Gallant Hero (Fast Company) – lost the use of his irons for the majority of the contest, Strawbridge was happy to bide her time aboard the Mark Irwin-trained runner at the back of the seven-horse field.…
Stop The Rock continues run of form
Progressive three-year-old Stop The Rock (NZ) (El Roca) continued his climb through the grades when the Patrick and Michelle Payne-trained gelding ran out a solid winner of the Ken Cox Handicap (2000m) at Flemington on Saturday. The hard-fought victory came under a typically patient Billy Egan ride as the son of El Roca advanced his career record to three wins from four starts. A last start winner at Swan Hill, Stop The Rock came from midfield to narrowly defeat the favourite Shockletz (NZ) (Shocking) and bring up an early double…
Cool Aza Rene lifts Te Akau to 20 two-year-old wins
Te Akau Racing’s powerful team of New Zealand two-year-olds brought up their 20th win of the season when Cool Aza Rene (Cool Aza Beel) edged out El Vaquero (NZ) (Ferrando) in Saturday’s Bain McCall Memorial (1000m) at Riccarton. The $35,000 race was the fourth win from only a five-start career for Cool Aza Rene, who is now one of a trio of Te Akau two-year-olds to have won four races during 2024-25. Return To Conquer’s (Snitzel) unbeaten four-win haul culminated in the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie on Champions…
Honey Badger provides Pike with welcome back gift
Talented galloper Honey Badger (NZ) (El Roca) provided her trainer Tony Pike with the perfect present on his return from a winter break in Fiji as she trounced her three-year-old rivals in the Aongatete Avo-Ject 3YO (1200m) at Tauranga on Saturday. Sent out as a dominating $1.80 favourite, the daughter of El Roca began well and settled on the back of pacemaker Pleasing before rider Michael McNab eased her to that runner’s outside approaching the home bend. After a brief tussle, Honey Badger bounded clear and scored by nearly four…
Telfers Extend Premiership Lead with Addington Double
Steve and Amanda Telfer had a good night at Addington raceway last night, training two winners to extend their lead in the trainers premiership. C C Ardern smashed them in the Garrards Horse & Hound Handicap pace with driver Tim Williams. The gelding negotiated the standing start well, was restrained but unable to slot in for the first six hundred metres of the race. From there Williams made all the right moves to end up 1×1 from the one thousand metre mark before the field broke up at the quarter.…