Day: 4 July 2025

With multiple recent placings behind a rising star of New Zealand’s steeplechasing ranks, Al’s Red Zed takes strong form credentials into Saturday’s Waikato Hunt Cup (3900m) at Te Rapa. Al’s Red Zed began his steeplechasing career last winter, scoring a three-length maiden win at Trentham in July before finishing fourth in the Koral Steeplechase (4250m) and falling at the last fence of the Grand National Steeplechase (5600m). The Zed gelding has had two steeplechase starts this winter for two placings, both behind Jesko. He ran third in a 3800m open…

The 2024-25 season has been one of the best ever for Pencarrow Stud, and some of the renowned bloodlines that have underpinned that success are now available for purchase in the 2025 National Online Breeding Stock Sale on Gavelhouse Plus. Graduates of the famous Waikato nursery have won over 100 races this season, headed by a pair of Group One classic winners in Australia – Feroce (NZ) (Super Seth) in the Australian Guineas (1600m) and Maison Louis (NZ) (Super Seth) in the Queensland Derby (2400m). Closer to home, homebreds Tomodachi…

Entries for NZB’s 2025 Ready to Run Sale of Two-Year-Olds are now open, with the Sale to be held at the Karaka Sales Centre on 13 and 14 November.   With a reputation like no other, NZB’s Ready to Run Sale is renowned for being the leading breeze up sale globally. The incredible success of graduates on the racetrack has seen increased buyer demand at Karaka for two-year-olds prepared by New Zealand’s expert horsemen and women.  As a result, the 2024 sale aggregate reached over $39 million, an increase of 11%. The clearance…

Ciaron Maher might be away on holidays but his team at home are keen and ready for Finals Day at Flemington where the stable says they have a strong team taking on the wintertime features with lessons learnt along the way. Detonator Jack (NZ) (Jakkalberry) and She’s An Artist (Trapeze Artist) headline their team with the former out to break a long run of outs. Despite having not won since taking out The Gong (1600m) at Kembla Grange in November 2023, the now six-year-old Detonator Jack faces one of his more winnable tasks second-up. While the…

Allan Sharrock has won two of the last four editions of the Listed Opunake Cup (1400m), and the New Plymouth trainer believes Saturday’s Group One Turf Bar Sprint (1200m) at Te Rapa could put Lazio (NZ) (Per Incanto) on target to add to that record. Sharrock saddled Justaskme (NZ) (No Excuse Needed) to win the midwinter feature on his home track in 2021 and again in 2023. The 2021 edition produced a Sharrock quinella, with the runner-up position filled by London Express (NZ) (Shamexpress) – the dam of last week’s…

Versatile performer Pacifico (NZ) (Ardrossan) has hit a rich vein of form and another top showing on Saturday will earn him a crack at a richer winter prize. The son of Ardrossan will shoot for his fourth win on the bounce in the UBP Te Awamutu Cup (1600m) at Te Rapa with a return in the mix later this month for The Callinan Family Taumarunui Cup (2200m). Trainer Andrew Forsman can’t fault the four-year-old and will also be chasing success across the Tasman with Prochester (NZ) (Proisir) in the Mahogany…

Robbie Patterson could have as many as five runners taking on this year’s Listed Sinclair Electrical & Refrigeration Opunake Cup (1400m), including an in-form Belles Beau, who will make his final appearance before the feature at Otaki on Saturday. A four-year-old by Iffraaj, Belles Beau proved he was up to open class when defeating stakes winner Bradman at Wanganui last start, and with Belardo Boy in the mix, he’ll have the luxury of a 54kg impost in the New World Otaki Handicap (1400m). “It’s been three weeks, so we’ve got…