Sharp ‘N’ Smart will be lining up on Melbourne Cup Day, it just won’t be at Flemington. The former New Zealand Horse of the Year was guaranteed a start in next month’s Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m), being 23rd in order of entry, but his connections have decided to bypass the $10 million feature despite his pleasing third place finish in last Saturday’s Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) at Ellerslie. After a meeting with his owners on Monday, trainers Graeme and Debbie Rogerson have decided to keep the multiple Group One winner…
Year: 2025
Forsman joins NZ 1000-win club
Andrew Forsman joined an exclusive club at Matamata last Friday when Berry Brown recorded his 1,000th New Zealand training success when victorious in the GCM Feeds 1600. The Cambridge horseman was proud to reach the milestone and said it was fitting it was achieved with a horse carrying the familiar green silks of long-time stable supporters Jomara Bloodstock. “It is a nice milestone to reach,” he said. “It’s a number, but a very special one to get to and I am happy to have got there. “That (bringing up the…
White Robe stallion boosts spirits with first winner
Ancient Spirit is on the victory board and White Robe Lodge is expecting his progeny to continue to build winning momentum as the season rolls on. The well-related son of Invincible Spirit has only had a handful of runners and was represented by his first success at Wingatui where when Bobby Mcgee broke her maiden last Friday. From the stallion’s first crop, the Terry Kennedy-trained three-year-old was making her third appearance and had placed on debut last term. “It was really nice to get the monkey off the back, it…
Could Kingman be heading to the New Zealand Cup?
By Adam Hamilton Victoria Cup winner Kingman could be a shock late entry for the $1m IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup at Addington Raceway on Tuesday, November 11. Owner-breeder Mick Harvey dropped the bombshell on Melbourne radio this morning. “We’ll see how the next few days go once Luke (McCarthy, trainer-driver) gets him settled back home, but if you asked me now … I’d say he’ll go,” he said. “The horse came through that win so well. He was strong on the line and he’s at the top of his…
The Kaikoura Cup through the years – Part 3
The Kaikoura Cup will celebrate its 100th running this year. Over the next few weeks Kaikoura Trotting Club historian Phil Gourdie will look back at the history of the great race. This is the third installment – Back to back winners By Phil Gourdie After Diamond Moose became the first horse to back to back in 1983-84 (as mentioned in a previous column) it didn’t take long to get a second. Spry Joker, owned by Ray Winter and trained and driven by Hall of Famer J A (Jack) Carmichael, repeated…
Important Notice – Kaikoura Two-Day Meeting (November 2-3, 2025)
Over the past week, there has been discussion regarding planned road closures on State Highway 1 between Waipara and Kaikoura, which had the potential to impact travel to and from the Kaikoura meeting. We’re pleased to confirm that the Kaikoura Club has successfully worked with Downer to delay the scheduled works, meaning full road closures will now not commence until Tuesday, 4 November. However, please note that traffic management will be in place from 9:00 p.m. on Monday, 3 November, including stop/go operations and potential delays of up to 10…
O’Reilly back in winning form at Oamaru
By Jonny Turner It might have just been a maiden race, but Sarah O’Reilly got an extra buzz when winning with Molly Maeve Estelle at Oamaru on Sunday. O’Reilly was having her first drive at just her second meeting back in the sulky after sustaining a nasty arm injury in a trackwork incident in July last year. With 304 victories to her name, the winning feeling is nothing unusual for the talented reinswoman. But she admitted she got an extra kick out of getting back into the winner’s circle with…
Perseverance pays off for Furlong with sharp 3YO
Riccarton trainer Anna Furlong felt a real sense of satisfaction when her promising three-year-old Champagne Diblu turned his form around to win the Agraforum Growing Innovation 1300 at Ashburton on Sunday. Champagne Diblu had been an impressive juvenile trial winner and subsequently contested a stakes race, but showed his inexperience on that occasion and was sent for a spell. It was a similar story for the gelding when resuming at three, travelling well in the running but fading in the straight in a big field. Knowing the ability he had,…
Just Charlie too slick for Waverley Cup rivals
Wanganui stayer Just Charlie (NZ) (Zed) sounded a stern warning to his rivals for the upcoming Gr.3 Martin Collins 162nd New Zealand Cup (3200m) with an all the way romp in Sunday’s Steelform Roofing Group Waverley Cup (2200m). Prepared by Kevin Myers, Just Charlie had a luckless preparation leading into the Waverley feature, covering extra ground and being held up badly on two occasions, particularly last time out when favourite in similar contest at Trentham in mid-September. A month later, he stripped a fit horse and came out running in the…
Smashing southern start for Awapuni visitor
Platinum Pantheon (Hanseatic) was a long way from home when he stepped out at Ashburton on Sunday, but that didn’t stop the sharp three-year-old from dominating his maiden rivals in the McCrea Family 1200. His trainer Lisa Latta had been in search of a better surface for Platinum Pantheon, who had performed with merit on heavy ground often found at the present time in the North Island. Meanwhile in the south, he had the opportunity to step out on a Good3 and looked the horse to beat against his older…