Day: 29 June 2025

Saturday’s A$160,000 Asahi Super Dry Handicap (1800m) at Rosehill marked a deserved breakthrough for the super-consistent Misterkipchoge (NZ) (Ocean Park). The New Zealand-bred son of Ocean Park had won only once in his 20-race career before Saturday, but his last 12 starts dating back to last September had produced two seconds, five thirds, four fourths and a fifth. The four-year-old was an emergency for Saturday’s Benchmark 78 handicap, but he snuck into the field and capped that long run of consistent form with an overdue win. Misterkipchoge was ridden by…

New Zealand-bred colt Matahga (NZ) (Tivaci) stamped himself as an exciting spring three-year-old prospect with a hard-fought victory in the A$120,000 Listed David Peacock Oaklands Plate (1400m) at Morphettville on Saturday. The step up to black-type level came less than a month after Matahga’s raceday debut, where he finished second over 1100m at Morphettville on May 31. The son of Tivaci won his next race in smart style at Murray Bridge on June 14, earning favouritism for Saturday’s Oaklands Plate. Matahga was squeezed back and settled third-last for jockey Jacob…

Seven-year-old mare Bacio Del Mist (NZ) (Reliable Man) took her earnings past A$300,000 with a career-best triumph in Saturday’s A$160,000 Irresistible Pools Stayers’ Cup (2400m) at Rosehill. The grey daughter of Reliable Man was bought for only A$30,000 from the 2019 Magic Millions National Yearling Sale. She has now had 44 starts for seven wins, eight placings and A$356,505. Trainers Lee and Cherie Curtis stepped Bacio Del Mist down in class for Saturday’s assignment, having lined her up in Listed company in her last two starts for a fifth in…

Well-related gelding Flamin’ Romans (NZ) (Ghibellines) collected his second win from only four starts at Caulfield when he took out Saturday’s A$80,000 Sportsbet BlackBook Handicap (2000m). Previously a winner over the same distance and in the same Benchmark 78 grade at the Melbourne track last October, the five-year-old put in a repeat performance on Saturday. The Ciaron Maher-trained Flamin’ Romans was third-up in a new campaign, having resumed with a seventh over 1500m at Sandown in May before a last-start second in a 2000m race at Mornington on June 9.…

Manzoice (Almanzor) has already been a Group One winner during the Melbourne Cup Carnival at Flemington, and a welcome return to winning form in Saturday’s Gr.3 Tattersall’s Cup (2400m) at Eagle Farm may earn him a return to that big stage. The son of Almanzor ventured to Melbourne and won the Victoria Derby (2500m) in the spring of 2022. He had gone winless through the two and a half years since that classic triumph, but has been a regular placegetter since then including in the Gr.3 N E Manion Cup…

The $60,000 ITM/GIB Progressive Championship Final provided a thrilling finale to the Winter Championships raceday at Ruakaka on Saturday, with the fast-finishing Reinstatement (NZ) (Wrote) snatching victory in a tight photo finish. The Kylie Hoskin-trained Reinstatement went into the race somewhat under the radar despite placing in all of her three previous starts – most recently a 2100m Rating 65 at Ellerslie on June 7. She was sent out as a $15.30 chance among a competitive line-up of emerging talents who had no more than one win to their name…

Locals dominated the ITM/GIB Winter Championship Finals at Ruakaka in 2023 and 2024, but the tide turned in Saturday’s 2025 edition with Matamata and Cambridge scoring two wins each in the $60,000 features. Age-group honours went to the Tony Pike-trained Boombox (NZ) (Spirit of Boom) in the 2YO Final and Ken and Bev Kelso’s Levakia (NZ) (Priosir) in the 3YO Final. Later in the card, Mark Brosnan and Andrew Forsman took centre stage with outstanding performances by four-year-olds Sterling Express (NZ) (Shamexpress) and Pacifico (NZ) (Ardrossan) in the two open…