By Michael Guerin Stubing may have a way to go to pay back the patience trainer Trent Yesberg has shown in him but the Canterbury trainer thinks he is on the right track. The 34-year-old horseman take just two members of his 15-strong harness racing team to Addington on Sunday and thinks both can win. But in the case of Stubing even a third career victory will leave him a bit behind on the bills after a frustrating start to his career. “When he first started racing we really liked him…
Year: 2025
NZ Racing and Breeding News – 13 July 2025
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Arcadia Park captures Aquanita Stakes
New Zealand-bred three-year-old Arcadia Park (NZ) (Ocean Park) passed his first black-type test with flying colours in the A$125,000 Listed Aquanita Stakes (2019m) at Bunbury on Saturday. The Michael Grantham-trained gelding went into the race with two wins and three placings to his name from eight career starts, most recently a smart last-start success over 1600m at Pinjarra on June 28. The Aquanita was a step up in class and distance, but Arcadia Park was well and truly up to the task. Arcadia Park was ridden by Clint Johnson-Porter and…
Aberlour opens Australian account
Stakes-winning New Zealand import Aberlour recorded her first win on Australian soil with a strong front-running performance in the A$160,000 Toyota Forklifts Handicap (1800m) at Randwick on Saturday. Sent out as a $15 chance in the hands of expat Kiwi jockey Alysha Collett, Aberlour broke well from the starting gates and slid forward to take the lead within the first 100m. That was where she stayed, bowling along in front with a two-length margin up until the home turn. Aberlour was able to kick again soon after entering the straight,…
Stop The Rock strikes again
Promising three-year-old Stop The Rock (NZ) (El Roca) collected the fourth win of his five-race career with another irresistible finish in Saturday’s A$150,000 Sportsbet Same Race Multi Handicap (2000m) at Caulfield. The New Zealand-bred son of El Roca is trained by Patrick and Michelle Payne and kicked off his career with a debut win at Warrnambool on New Year’s Eve. He returned from a freshen up with a fifth at Cranbourne in May, but never looked back from there. He has now strung together three consecutive victories, including two Saturday…
Foote gets welcome return from Nancy She Wrote
Progressive mare Nancy She Wrote (NZ) (Wrote) provided co-trainer Ben Foote with the perfect welcome home from a Gold Coast holiday when she came from well back to capture the Tanalised Mile (1600m) at Ruakaka. The five-year-old daughter of Wrote is prepared by Foote and son Ryan from their Cambridge stable and has always looked a promising middle distance performer for her breeder and owner, Gerald Bell. After being given a brief spell following an unplaced run over 2100m at Ellerslie in April, Nancy She Wrote resumed with a handy…
Lawson-Carroll honours Hailey with Waipu Cup win
Apprentice jockey Ace Lawson-Carroll honoured his late friend Ngakau Hailey with a salute as he guided Reward Smile (Havana Grey) to a poignant win in the Northpine Waipu Cup (1400m) at Ruakaka on Saturday. Jockeys wore black armbands in the $40,000 feature in memory of the 18-year-old Hailey, who was killed in a tragic vehicle accident in Hamilton on Wednesday. Lawson-Carroll was pleased to pick up a victory that meant much more than most. “It’s quite special and I’m glad I could get that win for Ngakau,” he said. “I…
Bosch lands fifth Ruakaka win
Ruakaka stayer Bosch (NZ) (Pentire) added a fifth win to his imposing course record with a tough front-running performance in Saturday’s Northbeam Strong Stuff (2100m). The Pentire gelding has now recorded five wins from a 30-start career, with all of those five successes coming from 15 appearances on his home track. Saturday’s win took his career earnings past $174,000. Bosch was sent out as a $3.60 favourite on Saturday, having run a gallant last-start second in the $60,000 ITM/GIB Whangarei Gold Cup Stayers’ Final over the same course and distance…
Reptak too speedy at Ruakaka
Apprentice Gareth Lahoud made good use of his 4kg claim as he guided Reptak (NZ) (Shocking) to an all-the-way victory in the Northpine Making It Tanalised (1200m) rating 75 contest at Ruakaka on Saturday. The Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott-prepared five-year-old had kicked off his latest campaign with a win at Ellerslie over 1200m back in April and in two subsequent runs had not been disgraced despite not featuring in the placings. Drawn ideally in barrier two Reptak made a swift beginning with Lahoud not afraid to keep his race…
Logan makes winning return to Ruakaka
Talented two-year-old Yokozuna (Fierce Impact) turned Saturday’s Promote Waipu 2YO (1200m) into a winning Ruakaka homecoming for former local trainer Donna Logan. Logan was based at the Northland track from 1985 until 2018, when she relocated to Singapore. She returned to New Zealand following last year’s closure of racing in Singapore and now bases herself at Byerley Park in South Auckland, but still jumps at every opportunity to return to her old stomping ground on the shores of Bream Bay. “It’s so good to be back up here at Ruakaka,…