A wet track may have thwarted the finishing power of King Of Thunder (NZ) (Tivaci) last start but connections are hoping a drier surface will enable the horse to show his true colours in the Gr.1 Queensland Derby on Saturday. King Of Thunder finished third to Imperialist in heavy conditions at his final lead-up run in the Gr.3 Rough Habit Plate (2000m) and while content with the performance, co-trainer Tom Charlton said the three-year-old wasn’t at his best in the rain-affected going. “It looked like he was coming to make…
Year: 2025
Telfers look to cap off big week at Timaru
By Mike Love Trainers Steve and Amanda Telfer will be looking to continue their incredible from today at Timaru with three strong chances. This month the Telfers have won 19 of their 56 winners this year , with seven of them coming across Addington and Auckland on Friday night, while bringing up their 400th training success in the process. Success may come in Race 1 today, the Brosnan Transport Passing Lane Mobile Pace over 2050m, when Cheer The Captain ($1.45FF) goes around as the shortest priced favourite on the card.…
NZ Racing and Breeding News – 25 May 2025
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Little Dance target for Hollywood Hero
The Bjorn Baker-trained Hollywood Hero (NZ) (Sacred Falls) followed the rail home under a perfect Dylan Gibbons ride to claim the Charity Challenge Handicap (1600m) at Randwick on Saturday. It was the first leg of a double for the pair, who would later combine with Miss Kim Kar to win the last race on the card. It was the fifth career win for Hollywood Hero, who is a half-brother to Group One winner Never Been Kissed (NZ) (Tivaci). “Hollywood Hero is a strange horse as he just has to be…
Stradbroke next for flying War Machine
Hot favourite War Machine (NZ) (Harry Angel) made light work of his rivals in the Gr.3 BRC Sprint (1350m) at Doomben on Saturday and it is now all systems go as the four-year-old heads towards the Gr.1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 14. Prepared by Ben, Will and JD Hayes, the New Zealand bred galloper is a recent addition to the Lindsay Park team, having transferred from the stable of the late the late Michael Moroney and Glen Thompson. A last-start Caulfield winner from his new quarters,…
Roadcone helps Moody-Coleman to treble
The Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained Roadcone (Almanzor) led his rivals a merry dance when winning the Stow Storage Solutions Handicap (1600m) at Sandown on Saturday, bringing up a treble for the stable and jockey Luke Cartwright. The four-year-old son of Almanzor was perfectly ridden by the in-form apprentice who utilised his three-kilo claim when setting a solid tempo and had too much dash for his rivals as Persian Spirit (Cable Bay) and Otago (NZ) (Ocean Park) chased in-vain. With Moody on holiday in Scotland, Coleman cheered home three consecutive…
Dashing Antino dominates Doomben Cup
Trainer Tony Gollan has earmarked the Gr.1 Cox Plate (2040m) as the long-range target for star galloper Antino (NZ) (Redwood) after a stunning victory in the Gr.1 Doomben Cup (2000m) on Saturday. Paired with Blake Shinn, the six-year-old son of Redwood has thrived with a pattern of circling the field and dashing for home early and the tactics again paid full dividends as the near-black gelding surged to a four length triumph over Fawkner Park (Zoffany) and Kovalica (NZ) (Ocean Park). Campaigned predominantly as a sprinter-miler throughout his career, Antino…
Pulchritudinous snares Australian Group Three
Last year’s Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) winner Pulchritudinous landed her first blow across the Tasman with a gritty victory in the Gr.3 Magic Millions Fillies & Mares Mile (1600m) at Doomben on Saturday for trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott. The four-year-old daughter of Wrote was having her fourth run since being sold out of Chad Ormsby’s stable and despite sitting three-wide throughout fought doggedly under jockey Tim Clark to defeat Adiella and Exotique Miss. “She a lovely mare,” Bott said. “We’re very fortunate to have her in the…
New Plymouth specialist strikes again
The $120,000 Listed Opunake Cup (1400m) at New Plymouth on July 19 is looming on the horizon for course specialist Chajaba (NZ) (Keano), who added another win to his remarkable record at the track on Saturday. Chajaba is now an eight-time winner from 28 career starts, and Saturday’s Seaton Park (1400m) was his sixth win from only 14 appearances at New Plymouth. The eight-year-old son of Keano was assigned a testing topweight of 60kg for Saturday’s feature sprint, but Egan eased that burden with apprentice jockey Elle Sole’s 3kg claim.…
Brisbane on the radar for resurgent Velocious
Group One winner Velocious (Written Tycoon) bounced back to her brilliant best in the Jarvis Trading (1100m) at Te Rapa on Saturday, raising the possibility of a trans-Tasman mission. The Stephen Marsh-trained filly was New Zealand’s champion two-year-old last season, when she won four of her six starts, including the Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) and the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m). Her three-year-old season has been an up-and-down journey for her connections. There was a wind operation in the spring, then a smart first-up win at Te Aroha in March, then…