Year: 2025

Novara Park Stud stallion King Of Comedy is on the board as a sire, with his son Sir Ruby becoming his first winner when victorious over 1300m at Selangor Turf Club in Malaysia on Sunday. The three-year-old gelding was having his third start for trainer Joseph Leck, having placed on debut in September over 1200m before running fifth last month over 1150m. In the hands of jockey Harmeet Singh Gill, Sir Ruby was able to secure the coveted one-one position early and enjoyed an economical passage for much of the…

Mapperley Stud stallion Armory recorded his first winner on Sunday when his two-year-old daughter Silhouette raced to a dominant victory in the Fusion Electrical Two-Year-Old (900m) at Trentham. Prepared by Cody Cole and ridden by Sam Collett, Silhouette oozed professionalism, crossing to lead the small field of three and was barely asked for an effort as she extended to win by four and a quarter lengths. Silhouette had trialed well when third prior to her raceday outing and shapes as a classy prospect for Cole, who went to $120,000 to…

Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) dreams are still alive for connections of Kiwi stayers Mark Twain and Trav. Both horses were paid up for the $A10 million Flemington showpiece at Monday’s third declarations stage. The Roger James and Robert Wellwood-trained Mark Twain will have his final lead-up run in Wednesday’s $A500,000 Gr.3 Bendigo Cup (2400m). “On his wellbeing and his work, I’d be extremely disappointed if he didn’t run a bold race,” James said. “I’d like him to win or be unlucky in the running and fill a placing, getting home…

A double strike at stakes level, a filly with a black-type future and a welcome family success handed Waikato Stud another rewarding weekend. Von Hauke and Sir Albert delivered home and away victories, while farm graduate Belle Cheval announced herself as a top age group prospect and Baywatch lifted spirits with her breakthrough success. The Cliff Brown-trained Von Hauke had little luck when fourth in last year’s Gr.2 Crystal Mile (1600m) and he made no mistake in the 2025 edition at The Valley on Saturday for the son of Savabeel’s…

It may not be the Cup target they were aiming for, but Wolfgang put himself firmly into Gr.3 Martin Collins New Zealand Cup (3200m) calculations following his victory in the SkyCity Hamilton Waikato Cup Prelude (2400m) at Te Rapa on Monday. The son of Puccini was initially on a spring path towards the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m), however, those ambitions were shelved following three unplaced runs in Melbourne, and trainers Peter and Shaun McKay elected to bring him back to New Zealand and reassess his plans. The father-and-son training partnership…

Trainer Jamie Richards has been dealt a blow with hugely promising four-year-old Bulb General (NZ) (Embellish) sidelined with injury. The son of Embellish had impressed with three successive Hong Kong victories but will now miss the upcoming four-year-old series. Bulb General sustained a right fore ligament injury which will put him out of action until late this season. “He’s going to have surgery. We’ll take the chip out of his fetlock and give him a bit of time,” Richards told the SCMP. “[The stable] is ticking along nicely, but it’s…

Kim Reid bypassed a Group One in favour of Sunday’s Gr.3 Gee and Hickton Funeral Directors Thompson Handicap (1600m) at Trentham with Hi Yo Sass Bomb (NZ) (Complacent), a decision that paid dividends when the mare led from the outset to claim her third stakes success. After resuming in early September, Hi Yo Sass Bomb showed she was back in a big way when taking out the Gr.3 Grangewilliam Stud Breeders Stakes (1400m) at Hawera earlier this month, coming over the top of her rivals in the hands of Chris…

Trentham’s 1200m chute had posed a query for talented sprinter Ima Brazen One (NZ) (Brazen Beau) in previous starts, but that all changed when the mare made every post a winner in Sunday’s Rothley Sprint (1000m). The daughter of Brazen Beau had missed a top three finish in all three of her prior attempts down the unique dog-leg track, but resuming in a new preparation she was still tipped as the horse to beat, closing a $3.30 favourite ahead of Debit ($4). In the hands of Masa Hashizume, the mare…