Year: 2025

Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) is much closer to the end of his career than he is the start, but Ben Hayes sees no reason why the Lindsay Park mainstay can’t land another Champions Mile at Flemington this Saturday. The eight-year-old heads to the $3 million Group 3 off a gutsy second placing in the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on October 18, which has him primed for back-to-back Champions Mile wins. It is a return to the scene of his third-straight Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes…

Robbie Patterson unveiled a star three-year-old at Wednesday’s New Plymouth meeting last year, and 12 months down the track, another daughter of Derryn made a sparkling debut on his home track. That filly was Leica Lucy, who won six of her seven starts, five of those at Group level, for Patterson including the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) before joining Chris Waller’s barn in Sydney. This spring she added placings in the Gr.1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) and Gr.1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) to her burgeoning record. This year, it was…

Champion trainer Chris Waller will have a rare runner in the Gr.1 VRC Oaks (2500m) at Flemington on Thursday when he saddles second-favourite The Pearls (NZ) (Proisir) in the fillies feature. The daughter of Proisir brings strong Sydney form to Flemington after a game effort when third in the Gr.1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) behind Attica and Shangri La Boy, having previously been runner-up in the Gr.3 Gloaming Stakes (1800m). The Pearls will clash with hot favourite Getta Good Feeling, who took out the Gr.2 Wakeful Stakes (2000m) last Saturday…

Tony Pike couldn’t have wished for a smoother lead-up with Cream Tart (NZ) (Hello Youmzain) ahead of the filly’s sternest challenge at Riccarton. The Cambridge trainer can’t fault the daughter of Hello Youmzain’s condition or form going into Saturday’s Gr.1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m). “This is the race we targeted and her preparation couldn’t have worked out better, I think she’s peaking at the right time,” Pike said. She is one of a trio of runners the stable will line-up on the opening day of the New…

Group One performer Jaarffi (NZ) (Iffraaj) will be seeking a breakthrough stakes victory at Pukekohe on Saturday when she contests the Listed Legacy Lodge Sprint (1200m). The six-year-old daughter of Iffraaj was in fine form earlier this year when runner-up in the Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day before returning to the Auckland track on Champion’s Day in March to fill the same position in the Gr.1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m). She returned this spring with a first-up seventh placing in the Gr.3…

Steely Man scored the second victory and the biggest cheque of his career when he took out the $75,000 NZB Ready To Run Sale Trainers Series 1600 (1600m) at Ellerslie on Tuesday. Owned by harness racing trainer John Dickie, the five-year-old races in his familiar silks and is trained by his partner Lynda German, who was rapt to see her grey gelding first past the post at the Melbourne Cup Day meeting. The son of Embellish showed plenty of promise last season when placing in his first three starts before…