By Mike Love Leeston trainer Anj Mugford will be looking for a trip to the winner’s circle at Addington today when Ruthless Emma lines up in race two, the Betavet Prepare Handicap trot over 2000m. The four-year-old What The Hill mare has not missed a placing this campaign, and backs up today after a strong second placing last Sunday behind the talented Laura McKay-trained Birdy. “She’s come through last week really well. She’s bright and happy in her work,” said Mugford. The manners that Ruthless Emma brings will be a…
Year: 2025
NZ Racing and Breeding News – 27 July 2025
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD NEWSLETTER
Stuart and Close deliver at value
By Michael Guerin Andrew Stuart and Robbie Close were the kings of the giant killers at Addington on Friday. The trainer and driver combined to win two races at a best fixed odds double price of 275-1 as Moonlite Blood and Here Comes Marty downed their more favoured rivals to give Stuart a hard to come by Friday night double. It was the theme of the night as smaller stables won most of the races, the exception being Team Telfer who trained a double to move to 101 wins for…
Double for Herlihy at The Park
By Michael Guerin One race drive and one phone call was all it took for Move It Lou to find a new home with Tony Herlihy. But the champion horseman was placing the credit for the juvenile’s win at Alexandra Park on Friday with former trainers Logan Hollis and Shane Robertson. Herlihy drove Move It Lou in his first start four weeks ago and liked what he felt as the son of Sweet Lou finished second. He asked Hollis and Robertson, who also owned the gelding, whether he was for…
Stylish Caulfield Victory for Bargain Buy
Hardy three-year-old Stylish Secret will ensure trainer Mick Nolan can savour his 70th birthday celebrations after a strong win in the MRC Chairman’s Club Handicap (2400m) at Caulfield. The diminutive son of Sweet Orange has taken his connections on an enjoyable ride with his three victories to date, with Saturday’s triumph the gelding’s first since landing the Derby Trial last spring. Ridden by Craig Williams, Stylish Secret came from just beyond the speed to run down Verona Rupes. From 15 starts, Stylish Secret has won on three occasions and is…
Diamond Jak exacts revenge in Taumarunui Cup
Enigmatic galloper Diamond Jak exacted the perfect revenge when he came with a perfectly timed run to take out Saturday’s feature flat race at Te Rapa, the Callinan Family Taumarunui Gold Cup (2100m) after being narrowly denied success in the 2024 version of the event. The Mark Brosnan-trained rising seven-year-old had beaten narrowly by Saturday’s race rival Hula Beat in a stirring finish in 2024 and brought good form to the 2025 edition although this was tempered by his knack of missing the jump in his races and setting himself…
Force Of Nature continues winning roll
Race favourite Force Of Nature made it five wins from five starts at Te Rapa when he strolled home in the Woods Contracting 1300 (1300m) on Saturday. Bred and raced by Milan Park principal Tony Rider, the son of Savabeel has continued to improve since breaking his maiden status back in October last year and is unbeaten in three starts after resuming from a summer spell with a win in rating 75 company in April followed by his inaugural open handicap success in early May. Trainer Andrew Forsman gave his…
Ortega wins dramatic Te Rapa contest
A nasty fall that extinguished the chances of four of the nine runners in the Property Brokers Taumarunui 3YO (1400) at Te Rapa overshadowed a fine victory by talented filly Ortega. The race changed in dramatic fashion when Illuminated Miss clipped the heels of race favourite Ribkraka as that runner crossed to the lead at the 1000m mark. The subsequent chain effect saw Gina Rosa, Gracetheace and I Park all hit the deck leaving the rest of the field to continue on. The Stephen Marsh-prepared Ortega kept in touch with…
Latta favourite captures final stakes race for the season
Talented juvenile filly Platinum Diamond made all posts a winner when she captured her second consecutive stakes victory in the last black type feature of the 2024-2025 racing season, the Listed Phils Electrical & Gypsy Caravans Ryder Stakes (1200m) at Otaki. The Lisa Latta-trained daughter of Cambridge Stud shuttle stallion Hello Youmzain had scored handsomely in the Listed Castletown Stakes (1200m) at the venue last month with Bruno Queiroz in the saddle and the visiting Brazilian jockey made it three victories from three rides on the filly with another well-judged…
Staying targets not a priority for Aeliana
Trainer Chris Waller will take a cautious approach with star filly Aeliana in the spring as the patient trainer is wary of jumping too quickly to staying distances with the rising four-year-old. The New Zealand bred daughter of Castelvecchio was a dominant winner of the Gr.1 Australian Derby (2400m) but don’t expect to see the staying journey at the top of spring targets. “We won’t be in any rush to get her to 2400m unless we have to,” Waller said. “I just find it tends to send horses a little…