Month: June 2025

Mark Oulaghan is keeping his options open with three runners entered in Friday’s Harcourts Otaki Raukawa Cup (2100m), all of whom may head in different directions. The first of Oulaghan’s representatives is Jack Morrison (NZ) (Darci Brahma), a force to be reckoned with on all-weather tracks, as shown in all of his five victories coming on the Awapuni Synthetic. He has added two of those in his last two starts, and with an open staying race at that venue on Sunday, that is the probable direction for the son of…

Emily Murphy brings you Winter Weigh In, your place for Thoroughbred racing news, reviews and insights throughout the colder months. We recap all the thrills and spills from an exciting jumps day at Te Rapa as well Kiwi success across the ditch. Winter Weigh In, June 16

Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh has singled out the Rating 73 handicap as his best chance of success at his home synthetic track meeting on Wednesday. He will be represented by Billy Lincoln (NZ) (Belardo), Sinhaman (NZ) (Tivaci) and Penurious (NZ) (Sacred Falls) in The Oaks Stud (1550m) and indicated the former to most likely to be his leading light in the contest. The Belardo four-year-old finished a respectable seventh in an open handicap at Ellerslie two runs back and was then a close course and distance second on his local…

Waikato Thoroughbred Racing will continue a proud tradition on the Cambridge Synthetic on Wednesday, with the fifth edition of their annual Cambridge RDA Raceday. The Cambridge Riding For The Disabled is part of a nationwide organisation that focusses on providing interaction with horses to improve the health and wellbeing of people experiencing disabilities, challenges or specific needs. The RDA is catering for a wide range of individuals, as well as horses, staff, and volunteers, so fundraisers such as this raceday provide the essential funds needed to keep this service operational.…

Synthetic specialist Branciforti (NZ) (Belardo) will commence her path towards defending her crown in the $100,000 Polytrack Championship (1400m) in August when she heads to Cambridge on Wednesday. The Sir Peter Vela-bred and owned mare took out the Awapuni feature in convincing fashion last August and will be out to replicate that feat in six weeks’ time. Trained at Te Rapa by David Greene, Branciforti has shown a penchant for the polytrack, winning four of her eight starts and earning more than $90,000 on the surface. “She really grows another…

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Venerable sprinter Mrs Chrissie (NZ) (Per Incanto) has won six races for trainer Ciaron Maher and has placed on a further nine occasions, but the six-year-old mare will make a rare appearance at Flemington this Saturday. Mrs Chrissie hasn’t been to Flemington since finishing fifth in an 1100m benchmark 70 in May 2023, and has primarily done her racing at Caulfield. The talented mare will contest an A$150,000 open handicap off a rating of 91 and enters in a fresh state. The daughter of Per Incanto will have her first…

Cranbourne trainer Gavin Bedggood could unveil new acquisition St Lawrence (NZ) (Redwood) at Flemington on Saturday as a potential candidate for next month’s Listed Winter Championship Series Final. Formerly prepared by Ciaron Maher, the son of Redwood has won eight of 23 starts and a tick under A$1 million in prizemoney. The rising seven-year-old was recently purchased for $85,000 and transferred to Bedggood by passionate racehorse owner-breeder Paul Lofitis, of the Lofty Group. St Lawrence has tuned up with an impressive two-length 1300m Seymour trial win last Wednesday. “He might…

Cambridge Stud’s Almanzor has been firing in Europe this year with a trio of Group Two winning three year-olds and one of those is high class filly Gezora, who soared to new heights when taking out the Gr.1 Prix de Diane (2100m) at Chantilly. Trained by Francis-Henri Graffard and ridden by Christophe Soumillon, Gezora won the Gr.2 Prix Saint Alary (2000m) at her previous start. She powered to the line to win by a length over the Aidan O’Brien trained Frankel filly Bedtime Story with two more fillies trained by…

The Manfred Man-trained Patch Of Stars looks one of the more progressive gallopers going through his grades after three successive Sha Tin victories over the past few months. The three-year-old son of All Too Hard is a graduate of the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale where he was purchased for NZ$800,000. A winner over 1400m on FWD Champions Day, Patch Of Stars was also an effortless winner in mid-May over the same distance under Zac Purton despite still learning his craft. Stepped up to Class 3 company on…