Year: 2025

Gail Temperton hasn’t made too many trips south over the years with her horses, but a quality hurdler made this year’s Grand National Festival of Racing too good of an opportunity to pass up. The Foxton horsewoman will be represented in Saturday’s Avon City Ford Sydenham Hurdles (3100m) by Never Look Back (NZ) (Shocking), a first-season jumper who made a big impression when defeating a top field in the Hawke’s Bay Hurdles (3000m) earlier this month. The homebred son of Shocking has come through his Woodville triumph well, giving Temperton…

Promising galloper Wallen is making good progress toward a return to racing following an untimely setback. The rising six-year-old son of Tarzino made a strong start to his career with a brace of wins and five placings from eight appearances before he was sidelined by a suspensory injury. Wallen’s highlight performance was his victory in the inaugural running of last year’s $350,000 Sir Patrick Hogan Karapiro Classic (1600m) at Te Rapa. The gelding is prepared at Cambridge by Shane Crawford, who with partner Kara Waters are also leading Ready to…

There is no shortage of serious contenders in Saturday’s Racecourse Hotel and Motor Lodge Koral Steeplechase (4250m), and Marton trainer Dan O’Leary will saddle two of those in Te Kahu (NZ) (Zacinto) and Captains Run (NZ) (Nom du Jeu). Captains Run made the journey south last year, finishing third in both the Koral and Grand National Steeplechase (5600m), while his talented stablemate and former Great Northern Steeplechase (6500m) winner Te Kahu was recovering from a minor injury that put him out after winning the Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase (4900m) in July.…

Southern representative Riviera Rebel (NZ) (Pure Champion) will be out to extend his golden run at Riccarton Park this Saturday when he contests the Gr.3 Winning Edge Presentations 128th Winter Cup (1600m). The rising five-year-old son of Pure Champion has had five starts at the Christchurch track for three wins, including the Gr.3 Canterbury Gold Cup (2000m) in April, and Riverton trainers Graham Eade and Brooke Kincaid are hoping he can extend that to four on Saturday. “He seems to love Riccarton, I am not sure why,” Eade said. “If…

Bloodstock auctioneer and media personality Steve Davis has been honoured as the 2025 NZTBA Personality of the Year, in recognition of a lifetime of contribution to the New Zealand thoroughbred breeding industry. Sponsored by Entain, the award celebrates an individual whose impact extends far beyond a single year — someone who has helped shape the culture, success, and spirit of the industry over many decades. The award came as somewhat of a surprise to Davis, who along with co-host Emily Murphy, had slickly navigated the majority of Saturday night’s proceedings…

Bloodstock auctioneer and media personality Steve Davis has been honoured as the 2025 NZTBA Personality of the Year, in recognition of a lifetime of contribution to the New Zealand thoroughbred breeding industry. Sponsored by Entain, the award celebrates an individual whose impact extends far beyond a single year — someone who has helped shape the culture, success, and spirit of the industry over many decades. The award came as somewhat of a surprise to Davis, who along with co-host Emily Murphy, had slickly navigated the majority of Saturday night’s proceedings…

Bloodstock auctioneer and media personality Steve Davis has been honoured as the 2025 NZTBA Personality of the Year, in recognition of a lifetime of contribution to the New Zealand thoroughbred breeding industry. Sponsored by Entain, the award celebrates an individual whose impact extends far beyond a single year — someone who has helped shape the culture, success, and spirit of the industry over many decades. The award came as somewhat of a surprise to Davis, who along with co-host Emily Murphy, had slickly navigated the majority of Saturday night’s proceedings…

Mark Oulaghan has called on one of Australia’s leading jumps jockeys to partner West Coast (NZ) (Mettre En Jeu), as the outstanding jumper heads south in pursuit of a historic fourth-consecutive Grand National crown. West Coast has been partnered in each of his 11 steeplechase victories by Shaun Fannin, who will race against the son of Mettre En Jeu in Saturday’s Racecourse Hotel and Motor Lodge Koral Steeplechase (4250m) aboard his own horse in Jesko (NZ) (Atlante). With Fannin unavailable, Oulaghan has secured the services of Willie McCarthy, an Irish…

Te Akau Racing’s Matamata stable has been a dominant force in New Zealand racing, but over the last couple of years, Te Akau principal David Ellis has cast his eye further afield.  New Zealand’s leading stable has subsequently established a permanent presence at Cranbourne in Australia and Riccarton Park in Christchurch, where they have recorded immediate success.  Christchurch has long been a strategic stronghold for Te Akau, but 18 months ago Ellis elected to have a permanent base in the Garden City, and lured former stable employee Hunter Durrant back…