Day: 15 August 2026

Former Western Australian star Cosmic Crusader (NZ) (Maurice) kept his perfect Melbourne record intact and completed a rare feature double in Saturday’s A$300,000 Gr.2 Catanach’s Jewellers PB Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield. Bred in New Zealand by his high-profile Perth owner Bob Peters, Cosmic Crusader had won last month’s Gr.3 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) in his only previous Melbourne appearance. Saturday’s victory made him only the fourth horse to complete the Bletchingly-Lawrence double, joining Super Elegant (Mister C) (2003), Apache Cat (Lion Cavern) (2007) and Shoot Out (High Chaparral) (2010). Cosmic…

Well-related gelding Hi Yo Fox Rox (NZ) (Complacent) showed he has inherited some of his family’s ability with his gritty win in the Hi Yo Legacy (2000m) at New Plymouth on Saturday. A full-brother to Group One performer Hi Yo Sass Bombm(NZ) (Complacent), Hi Yo Fox Rox showed early promised, winning his second start over a mile at Wanganui in June, before finishing unplaced over 1800m at New Plymouth last month. He garnered plenty of support from punters on Saturday, jumping a $3.90 favourite, but his backers were sweating soon…

Local filly She’s No Saint (Prague) put her contemporaries on notice for the rest of the spring following her dominant win in the Gr.3 Cambridge Stud Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) at Ruakaka on Saturday. The race has long been in the crosshairs for trainer Michelle Bradley, who raced her filly over winter, where she built nicely into her target race, winning at Ellerslie over 1200m in June before replicating that result on her home track a fortnight ago over 1100m. Punters flocked to debut winner Shalabiya (NZ) (Brazen Beau) for…

Victory in Saturday’s A$130,000 Remembering Diatribe Handicap (2000m) at Caulfield capped a consistent run of form for Taka Speed (NZ) (Savabeel), and the New Zealand-bred gelding also passed an important stamina test. Previously a four-time winner between 1400m and 1800m, the Savabeel gelding had attempted 2000m only once before in his career and had finished at the tail of the field. But trainer Matt Laurie remained confident Taka Speed had the stamina for a middle-distance. After a solid run of winter performances to finish fifth over 1600m at Flemington, fourth…

Local gelding Ayteem (NZ) (Eminent) put in the performance of his career when scoring his second consecutive win at New Plymouth on Saturday when taking out the Grangewilliam Stud (2000m). From his outside barrier in the seven-horse field, jockey Chris Dell pushed his charge forward to take an early lead. Ayteem was kept honest by Urenui (NZ) (Derryn) on his outside, but he continued to set a solid tempo up front which began to tell on his rivals, who were off the bit a long way from home. He established…

Lightly raced mare Attractiveness (NZ) (Hello Youmzain) capped a breakthrough campaign with her second straight Rosehill victory on Saturday, setting up a potential shot at black type in the autumn. Previously a winner and placegetter from four starts between November and January, the New Zealand-bred daughter of Hello Youmzain has progressed stylishly through the grades this winter. She was a first-up winner at Newcastle before graduating to city company, where she ran third and fifth before breaking through with a smart win in a Midway Handicap (1400m) at Rosehill on…

Group One winner Willydoit (NZ) (Tarzino) took a step closer to his raceday return when trialling over 1000m at Ruakaka on Saturday. A standout three-year-old for trainers Shaun and Emma Clotworthy, the son of Tarzino numbered the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) among his four wins in New Zealand before crossing the Tasman, where he finished fourth in the Gr.1 Australian Derby (2400m). He failed to recapture that form as a four-year-old, finishing unplaced in his five starts for trainer Ciaron Maher, and the decision was made to bring him…