Month: August 2026

A return to 1400m around Caulfield brought the very best out of the Group Three-winning mare Fancify (NZ) (Niagara), who bounced back to winning form with a dominant front-running performance in Saturday’s A$150,000 Evergreen Turf Handicap (1400m). Previously a seven-race winner including the Gr.3 HKJC Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day in 2024, Fancify had gone winless in 10 starts through the 21 months since that triumph. She left Michael Hickmott’s stable earlier this year to join the powerful Ciaron Maher operation, and her first four appearances from…

With bigger and better things pencilled in for later in the spring, the lightly raced Mr Miller (NZ) (Almanzor) continued his impressive progress through the grades with another easy win in Saturday’s A$160,000 Bankstown Sports Handicap (1500m) at Rosehill. The New Zealand-bred Almanzor gelding was a debut winner in April and continued to catch the eye in three subsequent starts, recording another win along with two second placings to prompt trainer Chris Waller to identify the Gr.1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Randwick on October 3 as a potential spring goal.…

Ever-popular horsewoman Kylie Williams signed off her riding career with a fairytale ending, piloting the Shankar Muniandy-prepared What She Wants (NZ) (Almanzor) to win the aptly named Celebrating Kylie Williams (1800m) at Riccarton in her final raceday ride. Williams, who had her first ride at the track on New Zealand Cup Day in 1996 as a fresh-faced 16-year-old, couldn’t have scripted a better moment as she racked up career win number 1,020 with a picture-perfect effort on the six-year-old daughter of Almanzor. Retiring to take up the position of New…

Transcend’s (So You Think) connections could be forgiven for having déjà vu through the closing stages of the Mounties Group Handicap (1500m) at Rosehill on Saturday, but this time the talented mare deservedly took home the winner’s share of the A$160,000 stake. The Michael Freedman-trained Transcend had been first past the post in a tight finish to a 1400m race at the same venue two weeks ago. However, she ducked in shortly before the finish and bumped the runner-up Mind Ya Bizz (Heroic Valour), leading to a reversal of the…

Timaru filly Outback Girl (Bivouac) has booked a return trip to Riccarton in a fortnight to contest the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) following her impressive maiden win at the Christchurch track on Saturday in the Cup Week Tickets On Sale – 1 September Three-Year-Old (1100m). The daughter of Bivouac jumped away well and showed good early speed to cross race favourite Zafar (Snitzel) and make her way to lead. Apprentice jockey Kendra Bakker elected to keep to the better part of the track, three off the fence, and the…

New Plymouth conditioner Robbie Patterson produced a winning double at Wanganui on Saturday, including impressive open sprint winner Belles Beau (NZ) (Iffraaj), who kicked off a new campaign with victory in the Take It Easy Tours (1200m). Patterson had indicated he was expecting a forward showing from the son of Iffraaj, although he may have been a little worried when his charge got back on the inner after jumping well for rider Craig Grylls and only had two horses behind him with 600m to run. With the pattern on the…

Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh went one better in the first three-year-old stakes race of the season when race favourite Perfect Chaos (NZ) (Hello Youmzain) chose the ideal time to shed her maiden status with a comprehensive victory in the Listed HS Dyke Wanganui Guineas (1200m). Marsh runners Churmatt (Churchill) and Swiss Prince (NZ) (El Roca) had finished in the minor placings in the 2025 edition of the race, however, this year he upped the ante with Perfect Chaos, a daughter of Cambridge Stud shuttle stallion Hello Youmzain, who started the…

Promising staying three-year-old Proxima Dea (Tarzino) extended her perfect record to three out of three with an irresistible finish in Saturday’s A$120,000 Midway Handicap (1800m) at Rosehill. The David Payne-trained Proxima Dea had made a winning debut over 1400m at Rosehill on July 11, and she followed that up with another victory in a 1600m race at Gosford on August 6. That impressive start to her racing career prompted Payne to label the Tarzino filly a Gr.1 VRC Oaks (2500m) prospect, and she was sent out as a $4 second…