Year: 2025

Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress) took another confident step towards the Longines Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) as he dashed well clear of a batch of top-class operators in a barrier trial at Sha Tin on Friday. The world’s top-rated sprinter broke well and ran keenly before surging down the 1200m dirt straight in a brisk 1m 10.19s under regular rider Zac Purton. The run provided a final tune-up before the HK$5.35 million Gr.2 BOCHK Private Banking Jockey Club Sprint (1200m) at Sha Tin on 23 November. It was a…

Lindsay Park could have saved the best for last in terms of stern tests for Evaporate (NZ) (Per Incanto) this Spring, but Ben Hayes is convinced he can mix it with star sprinters Jimmysstar and Angel Capital in Saturday’s A$1 million Gr.1 C F Orr Stakes at Caulfield. The Per Incanto four-year-old basically demanded a shot at the 1400-metre Group One. Evaporate heads in off a third placing in the $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m), which was his main spring target, but Hayes was pleasantly surprised with how well he…

The snowballing success of the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale has been built on the internationally renowned skills of its vendors, whose efforts were rewarded with outstanding results at Karaka on Wednesday and Thursday. Sam and Hana Beatson’s Riversley Park claimed the title of leading vendor by aggregate for the ninth Ready to Run Sale in a row. They sold 34 horses for a total of $6.525 million, averaging $191,912 and with a top price of $675,000 for a Satono Aladdin colt out of Shezdelicious. “We had our…

Cambridge trainer Tony Pike will be chasing stakes success at both ends of the country on Saturday, with Agera (NZ) (Complacent) leading his northern charge at Tauranga. The six-year-old son of Complacent has been in a purple patch of form of late, winning five of his last seven starts, including last month’s Listed Matamata Cup (1600m). He went on to win the Feilding Cup (2050m) at Tauherenikau and will now get the opportunity to shoot for further stakes success when he steps back to a mile in the Gr.2 Gartshore…

A quartet of top-flight contenders on Saturday will give Stephen Marsh a decent shot at completing a memorable elite-level double at Riccarton. The Cambridge trainer’s hopes will rest on the dependable shoulders of Swiss Prince (NZ) (Swiss Ace) and his male counterpart Magic Carpet (NZ) (Satono Aladdin) while fillies To Cap It All (Capitalist) and Little Black Dress (Snitzel) complete a quality attack. They give Marsh every chance in the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) to complete a Classic clean sweep following Well Written’s demolition of her rivals in…

Well-related stayer Notabadspillane (NZ) Time Test) is on a mission to take care of unfinished family business at Riccarton on Saturday. The Gr.3 Martin Collins New Zealand Cup (3200m) has long been top of Shaun Phelan’s wish list and the Cambridge trainer has enjoyed a trouble-free preparation with the five-year-old son of Time Test. The Cambridge horseman’s charge has been in strong form ahead of his long-term target and his pedigree instills further confidence. He is a half-brother to New Zealand’s 2022-23 Champion Stayer and dual Oaks winner Pennyweka, with their…

A batch of quality northerners have landed in Christchurch ahead of Saturday’s Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 (Guineas) at Riccarton, and local hope Alottago (Tagaloa) will lead the southern defence. The son of Tagaloa hasn’t put a foot wrong so far in his six-start career, placing in all three of his starts as a juvenile, including the Listed Welcome Stakes (1000m) and Listed Champagne Stakes (1200m), before returning as a three-year-old where he won his next two starts before finishing runner-up in last month’s Gr.3 Barneswood Farm Stakes…