Year: 2025

Simms Davison is more than happy to play the long game with his broodmare gem Bella Carolina (NZ) (O’Reilly) and her family. O’Reilly’s daughter continues to do the Mapperley Stud principal proud with future stakes contender Stella Ma Bella (Contributer) the latest to shine. Davison bred and races the Contributor filly, a sister to the Gr.1 Zabeel Classic (2000m) winner Campionessa (NZ), who was an impressive winner for trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson at her second start at Te Aroha on Sunday. “She’s a better physical type than Campionessa,…

Dual Group One winner Orchestral has been retired. The Roger James and Robert Wellwood-trained mare suffered an atrial fibrillation when running 10th in last month’s Gr.2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m), and the decision was made to bring the curtain down on her racing career. “Unfortunately, she had an atrial fibrillation in the race and her heart hasn’t come back to a normal rhythm,” Wellwood said. “That counts her out as being a racing prospect, so she has been officially retired and is going to be a mum.” Orchestral was…

Holymanz (NZ) (Almanzor) and Precious Charm (Per Incanto) shared Werribee Cup honours on Sunday after a dramatic dead-heat finish – the first in the race’s history. Ridden by Ben Allen, Holymanz started a $3.90 favourite after a strong Cranbourne Cup placing second-up. But he was badly held up for most of the 1600-metre contest and looked in trouble as the field fanned for home. There were chances everywhere. Craig Weeding’s Indispensable ($71) loomed on the inside after saving ground, while Precious Charm and Harry Coffey charged down the outside. At…

New Zealand-bred mare Grid Girl (NZ) Time Test) made her first visit to Sydney on Sunday and maintained her rich vein of form, extending her winning sequence to three in the A$160,000 TAB Handicap (1400m) at Rosehill. The five-year-old daughter of Time Test recorded the first leg of her winning treble in a 1454m Benchmark 70 at Kyneton on November 5, then added the A$150,000 Fillies & Mares Pendant (1400m) at Cranbourne on November 22. Trainers Ben, Will and JD Hayes gave Grid Girl her first taste of right-handed racing…

Join Emily Murphy, Jayne Ivil and Aidan Rodley as they break down the action from Trentham on G1 Mufhasa Classic day. Weigh In, December 7

One punter breathed a little easier following the Manco Maiden 2YO (1150m) at Te Aroha on Sunday, with their $10,000 outlay paying off when Lara Antipova (Russian Revolution) romped to victory. The Fortuna Syndications-raced filly had shown plenty of ability at the trials, finishing runner-up in her 800m heat at Ellerslie in October before winning over 800m at Avondale last month. She was subsequently backed into $1.80 favouritism in her debut on Sunday and duly delivered. The daughter of Russian Revolution rocketed out of the gates, alongside Alohamoana, and she…

The barest of margins, a mere nose, denied full siblings Crackercol (NZ) (Proisir) and Waitak (NZ) (Proisir) a notable raceday double at Trentham on Saturday. Star galloper Waitak, a six-year-old son of Rich Hill stallion Proisir and Shocking mare Repo Bay, had to settle for the runner-up position in the Gr.1 Mufhasa Classic (1600m) after a thrilling three-way finish to the day’s feature event that involved eventual winner Provence and the third-placed La Crique. That was just two races after his younger full-brother Crackercol once again showed he was a…

Wingatui trainer Shankar Muniandy was hoping this weekend would be a career-defining one, but instead he has been left scratching his head in search of a new plan for his stable star Loose Sally (NZ) (Turn Me Loose). The dual stakes winner was set to have her first tilt at elite-level in Saturday’s Gr.1 TAB Mufhasa Classic (1600m) at Trentham, but those plans were quashed when her ferry was cancelled late last week. “We couldn’t get across (the Cook Strait), which was unfortunate,” Muniandy said. “She travelled to Christchurch and…

It was a case of déjà vu for trainer Robbie Patterson with The Dirty Dee’s (NZ) (Derryn) runner-up performance in the Graham’s Painters 1400 at Trentham on Saturday. It was very similar to former stablemate Leica Lucy’s (NZ) (Derryn) run in the same race last year, with both fillies hampered at the top of the straight before being pipped on the outside in the concluding stages. While frustrated The Dirty Dee had an obstructed run, Patterson is hoping it is a good omen, given Leica Lucy went on to record…

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