The Lindsay Park team of Ben, Will and J D Hayes is certainly not complaining about the transfer of the Golden Eagle to Randwick on Saturday. The $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m) has been staged at Rosehill since its inaugural running in 2019 but has been transferred to Randwick for this year’s edition. The Hayes brothers saddle Evaporate (NZ) (Per Incanto), who will be out to avenge his narrow defeat in the Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield on October 18. Like Chris Waller, Ben Hayes said a tough…
Year: 2025
Special homebred chasing further success
Waipukurau stayer Tukituki (NZ) (Complacent) holds a particularly special place in the heart of trainer Carl Taylor, who is hoping his run of success can continue at Tauherenikau on Saturday. A builder by trade, Taylor has had off-and-on involvement in the racing industry for many years, having trained his first winner back in 2006 before taking time away from training for over a decade. “I’m a builder, that’s my main job, so I just work my horse and go to work,” he said. “I went to pony club, did some…
Good test at Tauranga for smart debut winner
Passiflora (NZ) (Farnan) will provide her connections with a sound guide at Tauranga as to where she sits in the three-year-old pecking order. Trainers Steven Ramsay and Julia Ritchie will see how their daughter of Farnan handles a rise in class in the Armory Standing At Mapperley Stud 3YO (1200m) before plotting their next move. “It will give us a good line on where we go with her, she’s not overly big and it will be a good test for her,” Ramsay said. “We’ll see how she goes on Saturday…
Another hefty task for top CD mare
Marotiri Molly (NZ) (Per Incanto) has paid the price for her high rating in the Central Districts so far this spring and it will be a similar story in Saturday’s Valley Plumbing Redcraze Bowl (1400m) at Tauherenikau. The Group Two-winning mare is one of the top-rated gallopers in the region, particularly in the sprinter-miler category, meaning despite a mare’s allowance she has carried topweight in both starts so far this campaign in open company. Despite her hefty impost, she performed with her typical consistency when third first-up, and after missing…
Kaikoura meeting – Liftout
Kaikoura’s two day meeting has extra significance in 2025. The South Bay course will host the two opening rounds of the World Driving Championship and Monday will see the 100th running of the Kaikoura Cup. It promises to be a spectacular two days of racing so we have prepared a special lift-out to provide you with vital information on and off track. To see the liftout click here
Dream comes true for Crofskeys
Heather and Peter Crofskey are pinching themselves as they prepare to hop on a flight to Melbourne to watch their pride and joy Leica Lucy contest Saturday’s Gr.1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) at Flemington. “It is a dream come true,” Heather Crofskey said. “It (dreaming of racing a horse at Flemington) started many years ago, just before we started breeding, and it has happened.” The Taranaki couple bred the daughter of Derryn and initially raced her with New Plymouth trainer Robbie Patterson, for whom she was a standout three-year-old last…
Ranger and Rewiri Hill look to go back to back at Cambridge tonight
By Jordyn Bublitz Northern junior driver Monika Ranger has been in sparkling form of late, and this evening at Cambridge Raceway she’ll be looking to continue her winning roll when she partners last-start winner Rewiri Hill in the Race Ready With Betavet Handicap Trot (7:06 p.m.). It’s been a standout season for the talented reinswoman, who is enjoying her most winningest season to date in the sulky. From just 98 drives, Ranger has recorded 19 wins, 12 seconds and 14 thirds, returning an impressive UDR of .3095. In the last…
Kaikoura through the years – Part 6
The Kaikoura Cup will celebrate its 100th running this year. To mark the occasion Kaikoura Trotting Club historian Phil Gourdie is looking back at the history of the great race. This is the sixth and final part – The Kaikoura Cup / New Zealand Cup double. By Phil Gourdie In Cup number 43 in 1968 Humphrey was off a handicap of 36 yards over the 12-furlong journey (2400m). A solid pace was set, W E Lowe and Humphrey were required to cover the 12 furlongs in 3min 6.1seconds, the last…
Kingman’s NZ Cup bid to be known tomorrow
Presenter-driver-trainer Brittany Graham knows a thing or two about racing on both sides of the Tasman and now that the Queenslander is working for Trackside in this country she’s (reluctantly) agreed to write a weekly column. By Brittany Graham Is Kingman coming? That question will be answered tomorrow (Thursday) by his owner Mick Harvey on whether the $28,750 late payment is lodged for the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup. Another hurdle was jumped today, however, at Club Menangle when the four-year-old stallion safely negotiated the tapes to gain his standing…
War Machine ready to bounce back
War Machine (NZ) (Harry Angel) did not run up to expectations in The Everest, but Ben Hayes has urged punters to stick with the explosive gelding. The Group 1 winner gets the chance to get his spring campaign back on track in Saturday’s $3 million Russell Balding Stakes at Randwick. The 1300-metre event will be War Machine’s first start since The Everest, in which he clocked in 10th, which was only second run of the campaign and Hayes would like to think he has much more to achieve this campaign.…