New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) and Racing Te Aroha are proud to announce a significant milestone in the history of New Zealand jumps racing. The revered Great Northern Hurdle and Great Northern Steeplechase will now be known as the Great New Zealand Hurdle and Great New Zealand Steeplechase, marking a new chapter for these iconic events. The renaming reflects the races’ relocation to Te Aroha and their continued importance on the national racing calendar. Racing Te Aroha President Raewyn Armstrong shared her thoughts on the change. “The Great Northern Hurdle…
Year: 2025
Promising mare resumes at Rotorua
Saturday’s Novara Park (1400m) at Rotorua will be the first raceday appearance in six months for talented mare Fabulous Gal. From a 15-start career, Fabulous Gal has recorded two wins, four placings and three fourths. She began her career with Matamata trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott, for whom she scored a stylish maiden win on her home track in January of 2023 before contesting the Listed Oaks Prelude (1800m) and the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m). She had a change of scenery last year and moved to the Te…
Spencer out to go one better in Opunake Cup
Last year’s runner-up Spencer will try to turn the tables on Belardo Boy when they line up for a rematch in Saturday’s Listed Sinclair Electrical & Refrigeration Opunake Cup (1400m) at New Plymouth. The 2024 edition of the Opunake Cup, which was run at Hawera, was Spencer’s first appearance at Group or Listed level. The Derryn gelding took a three-race winning streak into that first big test of his career, and he performed creditably with a second placing behind two-length winner Belardo Boy. Spencer has added another two wins to…
Karaka Graduates Shoot for Selangor’s Seven-Figure Prize
A quality cast of four-year-olds will clash in Malaysia’s richest race this weekend, with a significant NZB influence throughout the 16-horse field. Sunday’s Selangor Mile (1600m) is worth RM1m (NZ$395,000) and is marketed as ‘One Race, One Million, One Champion’. Five of the 16 runners in the 2025 Selangor Mile are graduates of the Karaka sale ring, plus New Zealand-bred Shinjuku (NZ) (Tarzino). ANTIPODEAN (NZ)The number-one saddlecloth will be carried by the race’s highest-rated runner and likely favourite Antipodean (NZ) (Derryn). Breeders Grangewilliam Stud offered Antipodean in Book 2 of Karaka 2022, where he…
Karaka Graduates Shoot for Selangor’s Seven-Figure Prize
A quality cast of four-year-olds will clash in Malaysia’s richest race this weekend, with a significant NZB influence throughout the 16-horse field. Sunday’s Selangor Mile (1600m) is worth RM1m (NZ$395,000) and is marketed as ‘One Race, One Million, One Champion’. Five of the 16 runners in the 2025 Selangor Mile are graduates of the Karaka sale ring, plus New Zealand-bred Shinjuku (NZ) (Tarzino). ANTIPODEAN (NZ)The number-one saddlecloth will be carried by the race’s highest-rated runner and likely favourite Antipodean (NZ) (Derryn). Breeders Grangewilliam Stud offered Antipodean in Book 2 of Karaka 2022, where he…
Karaka Graduates Shoot for Selangor’s Seven-Figure Prize
A quality cast of four-year-olds will clash in Malaysia’s richest race this weekend, with a significant NZB influence throughout the 16-horse field. Sunday’s Selangor Mile (1600m) is worth RM1m (NZ$395,000) and is marketed as ‘One Race, One Million, One Champion’. Five of the 16 runners in the 2025 Selangor Mile are graduates of the Karaka sale ring, plus New Zealand-bred Shinjuku (NZ) (Tarzino). ANTIPODEAN (NZ)The number-one saddlecloth will be carried by the race’s highest-rated runner and likely favourite Antipodean (NZ) (Derryn). Breeders Grangewilliam Stud offered Antipodean in Book 2 of Karaka 2022, where he…
Karaka Graduates Shoot for Selangor’s Seven-Figure Prize
A quality cast of four-year-olds will clash in Malaysia’s richest race this weekend, with a significant NZB influence throughout the 16-horse field. Sunday’s Selangor Mile (1600m) is worth RM1m (NZ$395,000) and is marketed as ‘One Race, One Million, One Champion’. Five of the 16 runners in the 2025 Selangor Mile are graduates of the Karaka sale ring, plus New Zealand-bred Shinjuku (NZ) (Tarzino). ANTIPODEAN (NZ)The number-one saddlecloth will be carried by the race’s highest-rated runner and likely favourite Antipodean (NZ) (Derryn). Breeders Grangewilliam Stud offered Antipodean in Book 2 of Karaka 2022, where he…
Pitmans go to Plan B for Winter Cup-bound Epee Beel
Sunday’s Glenmoa Farms Ltd River Plate Trophy (1200m) at Oamaru is an unexpected detour for Epee Beel in her build-up to the Gr.3 Winter Cup (1600m) at Riccarton on August 2. Epee Beel is a proven big-race performer over the course and distance of the Winter Cup, having taken out the Listed NZB Insurance Stakes (1600m) last year and the Gr.3 South Island Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) in March. Trainers Michael and Matthew Pitman had no hesitation in pointing her towards the $110,000 feature on the opening day of this…
Top mares set for new spring racing series
by Michael Guerin New Zealand’s best pacing mare is set to add her stamp of class to a new series of races being widely welcomed by trainers. HRNZ has announced the new Mare’s Spring Schedule to provide consistent racing for mares without having to take on the boys. The Canterbury-based series of six races starts at Addington on August 29 and runs through until Show Day at Addington on November 14, where it ends with the Bob McArdle Classic. It contains a $17,000 kick off race, one race of $25,000,…
Oscar primed for one final Inter Dominion tilt
by Adam Hamilton Oscar Bonavena has at least one more booming run in him. Co-trainer Nathan Purdon said the nine-year-old “looked a million bucks” as the $500,000 Inter Dominion trotting final draws closer. “I’m pleasantly surprised how good he is, especially after the two mistakes and the chasing he had to do the other night,” he said. “I was just saying this morning how sound he is and how great he looks. “He might have looked a bit showy last Saturday, but he’s spot on now.” This time there is…