Last year’s Great Northern Hurdles (4200m) winner Lord Spencer (NZ) (Zed) gave warning to his rivals ahead of the upcoming features with a storming victory over the shorter distance at Te Aroha on Sunday. The quirky galloper is often seen lagging at the back in his races and producing a big finish, but with the side winkers applied for the Silver Fern Farms Hurdle (3100m), he was far more prominent, settling midfield under a tight hold. Verry Royal led up throughout the early and mid-stages, and when the pressure came…
Month: June 2025
Emotional winning return for Bakker
Southern apprentice Kendra Bakker made an emotional return to the winner’s circle at Riccarton Park on Saturday, riding two of the three winners prepared by her mentor, Lance Robinson. The 24-year-old commenced her apprenticeship in the North Island, before making the move to Christchurch to base with Robinson in March 2024. She gained good momentum in the back half of last season, but was ruled out early this term after sustaining a trackwork injury. After a long recovery period, Bakker returned to riding in late May and had a good…
Taimate Diva digs deep for all-the-way win
After finishing second in three of her previous four starts, Taimate Diva (NZ) (Telperion) went one better at Riccarton on Saturday with a relentless front-running performance in the SVS Open Handicap (2000m). The six-year-old Telperion mare kicked off her super-consistent run of autumn and winter form with a runner-up finish in the Riverton Cup (2147m) on April 19. She was unplaced in the Gr.3 Canterbury Gold Cup (2000m) a week later, but bounced back strongly with close seconds in a 2200m open handicap at Wingatui on June 1 and a…
Morrison Eyes Winter Series Final with Lottie’s Moment
Ashburton trainer John Morrison heads to Addington with three runners today for the Yaldhurst Hotel race day, with his main focus on the feature Winter Series Final. The feature on the card is race six, The Yaldhurst Hotel Silk Road Winter Series Final mobile trot over 1980m for $25,000 for fillies and mares, which gets underway at 4.11pm. Morrison trains and drives second favourite Lottie’s Moment ($3.40FF) in the event. She was an emphatic winner at her previous start at Addington, while the Ben and Greg Hope trained Freya ($2.40FF)…
NZ Racing and Breeding News – 22 June 2025
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Gutsy Flemington triumph for Bold Soul
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…
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…