Month: September 2025

Well-respected South Island rider Kylie Williams brought up a significant career milestone when she steered Riviera Rebel (NZ) (Pure Champion) to a convincing victory in the feature flat event at Riccarton, the Waimakariri Businesses North Canterbury Cup (2000m). Williams had been steadily closing in on 1000 career wins in the saddle and after taking out the first race on the card on Miss Ziggy (NZ) (Brazen Beau) to sit on 999, she became the first female rider in New Zealand history to reach 1000 winners with a typically well-judged effort…

Talented colt Magic Carpet (NZ) (Satono Aladdin) chose the ideal moment to break his maiden status when he produced a dogged effort to claim victory in the Gr.2 Timberspan Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400). Prepared at Cambridge by Stephen Marsh, the son of Satono Aladdin had looked to have plenty of ability when finishing third at his first two starts, with Marsh confident that if he received even luck in running on Saturday he was definitely not a forlorn hope. Those circumstances played out perfectly for the Marsh runner as rider…

A barnstorming finish by promising four-year-old Whisky ‘N Roses (NZ) (Belardo) saw him open his Spring campaign on a winning note as he downed a handy field of open sprinters in the BCD Group Sprint (1200m) at Te Rapa. The Joanne Surgenor-prepared son of Belardo looked a galloper of real promise during his three-year-old season where he was twice placed at stakes level including finishing second to champion three-year-old Savaglee in the Gr.2 James & Annie Sarten Memorial (1400m). Punters kept the gelding well in the market for Saturday’s event…

Local three-year-old Alottago (Tagalo) thrust his name into Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) contention with a striking come-from-behind performance in the Rangiora New World Guineas Trial (1400m) at Riccarton on Saturday. The Lance Robinson-trained gelding has improved with every race in his five-start career. He placed in all of his three appearances as a two-year-old including the Listed Welcome Stakes (1000m) and Champagne Stakes (1200m), and he now boasts a perfect two-start, two-win record as a three-year-old. Alottago kicked off his season with a stylish maiden win at Timaru…

Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) proved she is far from a spent force with a dominant display of front running to take out the Gr.2 Ladbrokes Feehan Stakes (1600m) which was accompanied by raucous support from the crowd of 10,000. When Declan Bates dialled up the pressure 600m from home the noise in the amphitheatre which is Valley accompanied him and by the time Pride Of Jenni had defied Treasurethe Moment it had built to a thunderous noise. So much so Bates said for the first time riding Pride…

Ashley Meadows’ patient handling of The Scunner (NZ) (Shamexpress) is bringing its rewards on the racetrack, with the exciting talent kicking off his six-year-old season with a runaway victory in the Cavallo Farms & Chris Rutten Bloodstock Handicap (1400m) at Otaki on Friday. The $50,000 race was the fifth win from only a 13-start career for the Shamexpress gelding, who has now banked over $140,000 in stakes. “He’s a really, really nice horse,” Meadows said. “The ability has always been there. We’ve just given him that little bit of time…