Year: 2025

Proven Te Akau Racing filly Cool Aza Rene (Cool Aza Beel) put her quality on display when prevailing in a competitive Nellies Restaurant and Bar 2YO (820m) at Wingatui on Sunday. A winner at her first two starts through the spring, Cool Aza Rene had started favourite in the Gr.2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m) in December, but after an uncharacteristic performance to finish the last of five, the filly pulled up shin-sore. Returning to Te Akau’s Riccarton stable in the late autumn, Cool Aza Rene trialled impressively at Ashburton before…

A lifelong ambition was fulfilled for Jordan Rogan at Wanganui on Saturday, when the young New Plymouth trainer prepared his first winner in Snipsnap (NZ) (Vadamos). Having worked in both the harness and galloping codes, Rogan had been immersed in the racing industry for a number of years before being gifted Snipsnap, a son of Vadamos who had trialled once in the care of Hunterville horsewoman Lydia Pickford. Pickford indicated that the horse would require plenty of time, and after underperforming in his first four starts, Rogan gave the gelding…

Cambridge apprentice Elen Nicholas has spent more time on the sidelines than in the saddle over the last couple of years, but she was back where she belongs at Te Rapa on Saturday – in the winner’s circle. Nicholas returned from her most recent injury earlier in May and the Phillip Devcich-trained El Zoro (NZ) (Burgundy) delivered a much-awaited first success for the young hoop, saluting in the Wright Civil 2200. Settling in the one-one, El Zoro travelled in a good rhythm throughout the staying contest and loomed up on…

A week after pulling off a first-up masterstroke with the veteran Ata Rangi (NZ) (Haradasun) at Ellerslie, John Bell is hoping to see another bold return to racing this weekend – this time from one of the most exciting up-and-coming talents in his Cambridge stable. Monday’s Waihou Tavern (1150m) at Te Aroha will mark the first raceday appearance in 152 days for Twain (NZ) (Per Incanto). The well-related son of Per Incanto and the Gr.1 Railway (1200m) winner Fleur De Lune is raced by his breeders Elizabeth and Peter Martin…

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD NEWSLETTER

Exciting New Zealand-bred mare Niance (NZ) (Swiss Ace) has bounced back from a serious injury and picked up right where she left off last spring, collecting her third consecutive black-type win in Saturday’s A$175,000 Listed Bel Esprit Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield. The five-year-old Swiss Ace mare has now had 11 starts for seven wins, a placing, and A$449,467 in prize-money. She announced her arrival on the big stage in Melbourne last spring with victories in the Listed Alinghi Stakes (1100m) in October and Gr.3 How Now Stakes (1200m) in November…

Well-related Trelawney Stud filly Madiyya (NZ) (Super Seth) signed off her three-year-old season with a third straight win, this time over 1600m in the A$150,000 Rod Griffiths Handicap at Caulfield on Saturday. The Ben, Will and JD Hayes-trained Madiyya has made a big impression in a four-race campaign this autumn. She made her debut with a second placing over 1200m at Pakenham in late March, followed by wins in a 1400m maiden at Sale on April 20, a 1400m three-year-old handicap at Caulfield on May 10, and Saturday’s victory over…

A two-race North Island campaign has ended on a career-defining high for Ears Back (NZ) (Jakkalberry) and her Rangiora trainer John Blackadder, who scored their first black-type win in Saturday’s Listed AGC Training Stakes (1600m) at Wanganui. Bad luck has been a recurring theme throughout the career of the Jakkalberry mare, including a check in the straight when beaten by only 2.7 lengths in the Gr.3 TAB Mile (1600m) at Riccarton last November, along with a close fifth after a less-than-perfect run in the Listed Rangitikei Cup (1600m) at Trentham…

Promising New Zealand-bred stayer Campaldino (NZ) (Ghibellines) passed his biggest test with flying colours at Eagle Farm on Saturday, stepping up to stakes company and adding the A$200,000 Gr.3 Living Turf Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2400m) to his winning sequence. The lightly raced four-year-old gelding headed to Brisbane as the winner of his last two starts, having taken out the Orange Cup (2100m) on April 11 and a Benchmark 78 over 2400m on Randwick’s Kensington track two weeks later. Those performances made enough of an impression for Campaldino to start…

Progressive three-year-old Whiskey ‘N Roses (NZ) (Belardo) bounced back to winning form with a courageous effort to take out the Captain Compost Landscape Supplies (1400m) at Te Rapa on Saturday. The son of former Haunui Stud-based stallion Belardo made a red-hot start to his racing career, winning two of his first three starts before finishing second to subsequent Group One winner Savaglee (NZ) (Savabeel) in the Gr.2 James & Annie Sarten Memorial (1400m) in October last year. He continued to race primarily against the best of his age group with…