When Cooper Stumbles was handing out saddlecloths at Wingatui as a child, he dreamed of sitting atop them as a jockey, so it was only fitting that his first win in that role came at the Otago track on Friday. Now based in Matamata, where he is apprenticed to Te Akau trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson, Stumbles made a special trip back to Otago on Friday to ride in front of his family, and he was rewarded with his first raceday victory aboard the Kelvin Tyler-trained Ripa Time in…
Day: 4 September 2026
Public Attention primed for Crawford’s second-season launch
Brett Crawford sends six runners to the opening meeting of the season at Sha Tin on Sunday (6 September), with five-year-old Public Attention (NZ) (Written Tycoon) looking the most likely to provide early-season success. With his stable running at maximum capacity from the off, it’s a stark contrast to the beginning of his debut campaign last season, when Crawford began with a half-full yard of transferees and didn’t send six or more runners racing until 20 December. Crawford spoke this week of his rookie 2025/26 season, when he amassed 28…
Maher fillies meet again in Stakes race at Sandown
The Ciaron Maher stable recently scored a top four finish in a maiden race at Sandown. Two of that quartet head to a Stakes race at Sandown looking to continue the good run of form for the Maher stable. Saintly Dancer (NZ) (St Mark’s Basilica) and Ghana’s Akan (Street Boss), who finished one-two in that maiden contest on August 19, head to the Listed Atlantic Jewel Stakes (1300m) on Saturday. Jack Turnbull, the National Assistant Trainer for Ciaron Maher Racing, said the track conditions may have a say in the outcome on Saturday for…
Ready to Run Sale Catalogue Stacked With Standout Pedigrees
While breeze-up analysis and physical inspections will come closer to sale time, the recent release of the catalogue for the 2026 NZB Ready to Run Sale at Karaka has given buyers plenty to think about as they begin to compile their shortlists. The 2026 edition of the Ready to Run Sale will take place at the Karaka Sales Centre from 11am (NZT) on 18 & 19 November, with Breeze Ups to be held across two consecutive days on one turf track at Te Rapa Racecourse on 12 & 13 October. This year’s…
‘TheBudgie’ out to maintain perfect distance record
Metropolitan fancy Thebudgiesmugla (NZ) (Redwood) is unbeaten in five starts over 2400 metres and he will be out to make it six when he lines up in the Listed Drinkwise Cup (2400m) at Randwick. The six-year-old was one of the revelations of the off-season, winning three of his four starts between May and July, including the Listed Winter Cup (2400m) at Randwick and the Listed Caloundra Cup (2400m) in Queensland. With the benefit of a recent fourth to Boniface (Make Believe) over a middle distance, Thebudgiesmugla is expected to be hard to…
Top jumper returns to the flat ahead of Great New Zealand Steeplechase
Following his heroics in last month’s Grand National Steeplechase (5600m) at Riccarton, Lord Spencer (NZ) (Zed) will return to the flat at New Plymouth on Saturday in the NZB Airfreight Road To Jericho (3210m). The JJ Rayner-trained gelding has been the standout jumper over winter, posting four successive steeplechase victories, including the Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase (4800m), Koral Steeplechase (4250m) and Grand National. The Ben & Ryan Foote Racing Great New Zealand Steeplechase (6200m) at Te Aroha in a fortnight is Lord Spencer’s next main target, and Rayner felt a hit-out…
She’s No Saint picture perfect for Sunline Vase
It is often said that a picture paints a thousand words, and one in particular has been speaking volumes to Ruakaka trainer Michelle Bradley as she prepares She’s No Saint (Prague) for the Gr.3 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Sunline Vase (1200m) at Ellerslie on Saturday. “I took a video for the clients yesterday and she was standing perfectly still so I took a photo at the same time,” Bradley said. “I haven’t gone back to look at the photo of her as a yearling and compared the two, but I…
Cartwright living the Kiwi dream
Expat Australian jockey Matt Cartwright is living the dream in New Zealand as he gets set to partner two favourites on Proisir Plate Day at Ellerslie on Saturday. The Cambridge-based hoop will reunite with New Zealand’s darling of the turf, Well Written (Written Tycoon), in the Gr.1 Proisir Plate (1400m), while he has also secured the ride on Queensland raider Dream Roca (NZ) (El Roca) in the Gr.3 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Sunline Vase (1200m). Both horses won their respective age group races at the Karaka Millions meeting at Ellerslie…
Butcher’s back with “good drives” at Alexandra Park tonight
By Michael Guerin After three months away one of New Zealand’s best harness racing drivers and unsuccessful basketball players returns at Alexandra Park tonight. And Zachary Butcher says while he wondered what it would be like getting back in the sulky after his injury-enforced layoff it only took him minutes to feel right back at home. “It is like riding a bike,” says Butcher. Riding a bike might be the sort of exercise Butcher should stick to heading forward as he was playing social basketball earlier this year when he…
Habibti Pat looms large in tonight’s Ordeal Cup
By Michael Guerin Habibti Pat isn’t just ready to be competitive when she steps up to open class in the $40,000 ITM Ordeal Cup at Addington tonight (7.57pm) she is ready to win it. That is the opinion of the horseman in a perfect position to judge, her co-trainer Ben Hope. Hope and his father Greg not only have last season’s NZ Trotting Derby winner in tonight’s race but two of her main rivals in Midnight Dash and Mr Love. And Hope says of the three he rates Habibti Pat…