Year: 2025

Sestina and Tralee Bay delivered a special milestone for their trainer Jo-Anne Dalton last month at Wingatui and will return to the venue on Tuesday in pursuit of back-to-back victories across the Melbourne Cup Day card. Dalton, who trains out of Ascot Park, had been eyeing the 100-win mark for some time and was delighted to fulfil that goal with a winning double at the mid-October meeting with the two former Cambridge Stud gallopers. “I knew it was coming up so it was a relief to get it out of…

Almanzor made another memorable impact at the highest international level over the weekend when his daughter Gezora doubled her Group One tally with victory in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Turf (2200m) at Del Mar. She was bred in France where Cambridge Stud’s stallion son of the ill-fated Wootton Bassett stood at Haras d’Etreham before full breeding rights were secured by Brendan and Jo Lindsay’s farm in 2024 following six seasons of shuttle duty. The Gr.1 French Oaks (2100m) heroine had finished out of the frame at her previous start…

The Odyssey’s performance at Ellerslie on Melbourne Cup Day may result in a change to his immediate program. The in-form son of Zacinto will step out of handicap company to run in the Gr.3 Elsdon Park Bonecrusher Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie on Tuesday. The weight-for-age feature wasn’t initially on his radar, but two bold performances into his current preparation have encouraged trainers Ben and Ryan Foote to change tack. The six-year-old followed up a resuming sprint third at Tauranga to carry 59kg to a last-start victory on the course over…

Katrina and Simon Alexander have handled their Show By SkyCity (1400m) contender Aksil with patience and hope to reap the rewards of that later in the season. The Te Awamutu-based trainers purchased Aksil as a yearling and the son of Ace High showed an abundance of promise through the trials stage, eye-catching in all four efforts before stepping out on debut at Taupo in mid-October. A consummate professional, Aksil travelled well, balanced up in the straight and powered through the line to win over 1300m, a perfect first step in…

Group One winner Smokin’ Romans will aim to extend his breeder Brian Anderton’s successful run in the Gr.1 Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) when he takes his place in the iconic Flemington feature on Tuesday afternoon. Anderton established the Mosgiel thoroughbred nursery White Robe Lodge in 1956, which has stood a number of champion sires over the years including Mellay and Noble Bijou. It was a Noble Bijou mare Joyarty that produced the 1989 Melbourne Cup winner in Tawrrific, a son of Tawfiq, who also stood at the farm. White Robe…

Local trainer Kelvin Tyler had a day out on his home track of Riverton on Sunday, training five winners including the two features with Master Marko and Prince Alby. To make the result even more impressive, Tyler and his wife Vanessa either own and part-own all five gallopers, and bred a pair of them as well. “It was a great day and I’m very appreciative of everyone involved,” Tyler said. “It’s always good to have a day like this especially at your local meeting.” After settling for second in the…

There is a sense of déjà vu for Pam Gerard as she navigates a muddled path to this year’s Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m), but she is keeping her eye on the prize. The Matamata horsewoman prepared star three-year-old Savaglee to win last year’s 2000 Guineas, which he won off an interrupted preparation with the rescheduling of both the Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) and Gr.2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial (1400m). A year down the track, Gerard is chasing a repeat crown with Affirmative…