The New Zealand racing industry is in mourning following the passing of apprentice jockey Ngakau Hailey. The 18-year-old hoop was involved in a vehicle accident in Hamilton on Wednesday between a dirt bike and car, with Hailey sustaining critical injuries, and he later passed away at Hamilton Hospital. “It’s tragic, words just can’t describe it. I was talking with him on Monday and then this happens,” New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Northern Riding Master Noel Harris said. Apprenticed to Te Awamutu trainer Debbie Sweeney, Hailey kicked off his riding career two…
Month: July 2025
Gifted Spandeedo still a work in progress
Speedy youngster Spandeedo (NZ) (Ferrando) will be even more of a force to be reckoned with when he learns to harness his abundance of pace. Despite his youthful enthusiasm, the son of Ferrando has collected a win and two placings from three appearances and will bid to add to his record in Saturday’s Simon Bendall @ Metcalfe Real Estate 2YO (1200m) at Hawera. “He should have won three in a row really, if they let him run he just goes too fast into the turn and can’t corner so well,”…
Group One-winning sprinter returns
Group One-winning sprinter Crocetti (NZ) (Zacinto) has returned to Danny Walker and Arron Tata’s Byerley Park stable with some lofty summer targets in mind. The four-year-old son of Zacinto was a standout in his three-year-old season, winning six of his seven starts, including the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m), and was runner-up behind Bonny Lass in the Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m). The Daniel Nakhle-bred and raced chestnut picked up where he left off, winning the Kerikeri Cup (1100m) first-up this season before placing in the Gr.3 Concorde Stakes…
Logan returns to old stomping ground
Donna Logan has been in a rebuilding phase since returning to New Zealand from Singapore late last year and she is excited to kick-off the careers of her Byerley Park stable’s foundation juveniles this weekend. Logan will return to her old stomping ground of Ruakaka on Saturday, and she is excited to return to the place she called home for several decades. “There will be a lot of people there we haven’t seen in a long time and it is always fun to go back up to Ruakaka,” Logan said.…
Neals line up strong local hopes at Cambridge
Local trainers Andrew and Lyn Neal head to Cambridge Raceway tonight with two live chances, each well-placed to make an impact on the card. First up for the team is Two Francs, who lines up in Race 3, the IRT. Your Horse Our Passion Handicap Trot (6:13p.m.) The four-year-old Majestic Son gelding has always shown ability, but it’s been a matter of getting his race-day manners in line. If he can step away cleanly tonight, co-trainer Lyn Neal believes he’ll be right in the finish. “He’s the coolest horse but he’s just a…
Averil’s big day out ends in perfect fashion
by Jonny Turner Sunday was billed as Averil’s big day out, and it proved exactly that. Northern Southland owner Averil Fowler sponsored one of the feature events at Ascot Park in the Averil’s Big Day Out Gold Chip Final. The event was run just two races after Fowler watched her pacer Miki Cohen win at $21 odds for trainer-driver Kirstin Green. Both helped deliver a thrilling Sunday for Fowler and her crew of supporters who came to enjoy her big day out. The race carrying her name came about after…
Queiroz bags second double of the week at Riccarton
Brazilian hoop Bruno Queiroz was airborne in the tangerine silks of Te Akau Racing at Riccarton’s synthetic meeting on Wednesday, guiding two of the stable’s runners to success and another to a narrow placing. The double emulated his effort on the previous day at Otaki, where he piloted Testing (NZ) (Time Test) and He’s All Fabulous (NZ) (Fabulous) to victory across the rescheduled card, before heading south with a big book of rides. His Riccarton brace commenced in the Speight’s Summit Ultra On Tap Maiden (1600m) where odds-on favourite Purple…
Six-figure prize in the offing for Zoulander
Local gelding Zoulander (NZ) (Zoustar) belied his odds once more when scoring his second consecutive victory on Riccarton’s synthetic track on Wednesday. Despite winning over 1400m on the surface last month, he was unwanted by punters in the Join TAB Racing Club Rating 75 (1400m), jumping a $26.40 outsider. The seven-year-old gelding was slow out of the gates, but he quickly regained the deficit and apprentice jockey Floor Moerman elected to push forward on the fence to sit in the trail. Pacemaker Doubtful Sound (Not A Single Doubt) kicked clear…
AUDIO: Opie Bosson on Racing Pulse
The star Kiwi jockey joined Racing Pulse after recently announcing he is going to come out of retirement and return to race riding. Listen Here
Moodley on the mend after trial incident
Apprentice jockey Triston Moodley is on the mend in Hamilton Hospital following an incident at the Waipa trials on Tuesday. The 23-year-old hoop was kicked in the head in the mounting yard at the Te Awamutu track and he was airlifted to Waikato Hospital where he underwent surgery last night. Moodley is apprenticed to Byerley Park trainer Danny Walker, who has been by his bedside and reported that he has come through the surgery well. “He got kicked in the head yesterday at the trials, he is in Hamilton Hospital,…