The Gr.1 TAB Telegraph (1200m) at Trentham in a fortnight has been locked in for First Five (NZ) (Almanzor). The five-year-old gelding was impressive when taking out last Saturday’s Gr.3 J Swap Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa, and after some contemplation, trainer David Greene believes he deserves a crack at elite-level. “It was a pretty decent field on Saturday, so it was good to see him step-up on the big occasion,” he said. “He has done really well. He cleaned up all of his feed on Saturday night and it…
Month: December 2025
Sears gunning for more Grand Prix success
Gold Coast trainers Tony and Maddy Sears will be hoping talented filly Nightline (NZ) (Redwood) can provide them with back-to-back winners of the Gr.3 Grand Prix Stakes (1800m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday. The father-daughter training combination won last year’s Grand Prix Stakes with Beau Dazzler (NZ) ( Ardrossan), who went on to win the Eagle Way (2100m) and returned to place in the Gr.2 Queensland Guineas (1600m) before an unplaced tilt at the Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m). Like Beau Dazzler, Nightline was sourced from the Karaka Sales. The New…
War Princess to answer mile query
A tilt at next month’s $1.5 million TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) hangs in the balance for talented filly War Princess (NZ)(U S Navy Flag). The daughter of U S Navy Flag has yet to be tested over a mile in her seven starts to date, but has shown plenty of ability over sprint distances, winning four races between 1000m and 1200m, and was runner-up to Circus Dancer in last month’s Listed The O’Learys Fillies Stakes (1340m) at Wanganui. Peter Didham, who trains War Princess in partnership with his son…
Trav seeking Cups redemption
Group Two-winning stayer Trav’s (NZ) (Almanzor) Melbourne Cup preparation may not have gone to plan, but trainer Raymond Connors has swiftly turned his attention to another Cup target. Following his heroics in the Gr.2 Auckland Cup (3200m) earlier this year, Connors set his sights on Australasia’s most coveted prize but just came up short in making the final field for last month’s Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) following three unplaced runs in Victoria over spring. While disappointed in Trav’s performances, Connors said he still enjoyed the experience. “It would have been…
In-form pairing on track after rocky start
Young talent Lara Antipova (Russian Revolution) will be heavily in credit with Craig Grylls if she can carry him to victory in Saturday’s Gr.2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m) at Trentham. They will team up again in the Windsor Park Stud-sponsored two-year-old feature following the daughter of Russian Revolution’s runaway debut victory at Te Aroha in the high-flying jockey’s hands. The Te Akau-prepared Lara Antipova repaid a debt they owed Grylls after a previous incident which resulted in the champion rider requiring time out. “Early on, she could get a bit…
Special markets released for Invercargill, Auckland and Ashburton meetings
With top-quality harness racing taking centre stage this weekend, TAB bookmakers have rolled out a stack of special markets ahead of one of the biggest harness racing weekends of the summer. Feature meetings at Invercargill and Alexandra Park on Friday lead into the inaugural Phoebe Stud Harness 5000 meeting at Ashburton on Sunday. Most of the special markets for the meetings are already open, and there’s something for punters at all three venues. All 10 of the Golden Gait races at Alexandra Park on Friday are over the 1609m distance,…
Republican Party “the horse to beat” in Friday’s Invercargill Cup
By Jonny Turner Carter Dalgety thinks it’s a good thing Friday’s Ascot Park Invercargill Cup isn’t run on paper. Dalgety will attempt to win the fourth running of Southland’s biggest race at Group 1 level, with two of those titles already to his name. After Krug’s victory in 2022, Dalgety and parents Cran and Chrissie produced Republican Party to win the event last year and it proved to be the starting point for the six-year-old establishing himself as New Zealand’s best open class pacer. A year on and little has…
Marshall lining up two fillies at Cambridge tonight
By Jordyn Bublitz David Marshall might not be as visible around the race-tracks as he once was, but he will still have a strong presence at Cambridge Raceway tonight with two fillies stepping out for the Movie Night At The Raceway 21st Dec Mobile Pace. These days Marshall keeps his operation deliberately small, a change that has come about as his son Kyle has forged his own successful path across the Tasman. Kyle, alongside partner Sophie Jeffries, has built a thriving training business in Victoria. “He’s doing so well over…
Amistozo gunning for back-to-back grass track wins at Methven today
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk After impressing with a win on debut Amistozo will line up for the second time in eight days, at Methven today. “When I saw there was another race for her, a one win trot, I thought we’d make the most of it,” says trainer-driver John Morrison. The Creatine three-year-old had a slight bobble at the start of her first race on the grass at Oamaru last Wednesday before going to the front and holding comfortably to win by a length. “She just wanted…
The remarkable rise of Zambardo
Exciting four-year-old Zambardo (NZ) (Belardo) was one of the stories of the spring, progressing from relative obscurity to Group One company in a matter of months. Originally prepared in Ashburton in New Zealand’s South Island, the son of Belardo came from modest beginnings. Sold as a weanling for just $3100 via gavelhouse.com to trainer Emma Wyatt, Zambardo, who raced as Our Martian in New Zealand, was a trial winner and twice placed at Ashburton before he was identified by astute bloodstock agent Phill Cataldo and traded to the stable of…