Author: AAP

Herbert scores a home-town triumph in the Taranaki Cup. Photo: Megan Liefting (Race Images) Local runner Herbert claimed the biggest win of his career to date when he raced clear in the final stages of the feature event at New Plymouth on Saturday, the Group 3 Taranaki Cup (1800m). Trainer John Wheeler has never lost faith in the four-year-old gelding, who he part-owns with a pair of fellow New Plymouth locals including former Taranaki Racing Incorporated Chief Executive Carey Hobbs, even when the son of Sweet Orange recorded five runner-up…

Grand Impact strings together back-to-back wins. Photo: bradleyphotos.com.au Former quality three-year-old Grand Impact has roared back into top form as a five-year-old this summer, stringing together back-to-back wins including Saturday’s $160,000 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale Handicap (1200m) at Rosehill. The New Zealand-bred son of Satono Aladdin made an outstanding start to his career in 2022 with victories in all of his first three starts, including the Group 3 Blue Sapphire Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield. He was plagued by soreness through the second half of his three-year-old season and an OCD…

She’s Bulletproof ridden by Mark Zahra wins the Geoffrey Bellmaine Stakes at Sandown Lakeside Racecourse. (Photo by George Sal/Racing Photos) Charlotte Littlefield and Mark Zahra have combined with the talented She’s Bulletproof to take out the Group 3 Geoffrey Bellmaine Stakes at Sandown on Saturday afternoon, as the four-year-old mare stormed clear in the final 300m to record a dominant 2.75-length win. The daughter of Shooting To Win was well-backed throughout betting, fighting for favouritism with Miraval Rose (+320) with Picklebet, eventually jumping as the +300 market elect. Zahra chose…

Willaidow winning the Group 3 Southern Cross Stakes. Photo: Bradleyphotos.com.au Marc Conners & Tyler Schiller have combined with Willaidow ($4.20) to get the verdict in the Group 3 Southern Cross Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on Saturday afternoon, holding off the surging Iowna Merc ($8.00) in the shadows of the post. The son of Shamus Award put the writing on the wall last preparation when putting together back-to-back wins before being sent to the paddock, and despite giving fitness to his main rivals after a 105-day spell, the ever-improving six-year-old relished…

What Sapphire Coast Races Where Sapphire Coast Turf Club – 1695 Sapphire Coast Dr, Wallagoot NSW 2550 When Sunday, February 2, 2025 First Race 1:06pm AEDT Visit Dabble Country racing returns to Sapphire Coast Turf Club on Sunday afternoon, with an ultra-competitive eight-part program lined up for Bega Showcase Cup (1600m) Day. The $80,000 feature has attracted a capacity field of 16, and with only light rainfall expected across the weekend, participants can expect the surface to be rated somewhere in the Soft range for race-day. The rail is placed…

Inkaruna ridden by Daniel Moor wins the Chairman’s Stakes at Sandown Lakeside Racecourse. (Photo by George Sal/Racing Photos) Inkaruna and Sword Of Legacy (+260) have fought out a very tight finish in the Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes at Sandown on Saturday afternoon, with the former getting her nose down on the line to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. The Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained filly became the fifth debutant since 2011 to claim the Chairman’s Stakes. The daughter of I Am Invincible had only been seen at the jumpouts…

The Playwright after winning the Group 3 Widden Stakes. Photo: Bradleyphotos.com.au The Playwright ($4.00) has proven the best of the fillies in the Group 3 Widden Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill on Saturday afternoon, fending off the fast finishing Tempted ($3.40) and Snitzel Miss ($3.70) in the shadows of the post to claim the $250,000 prize. It was another superb front-running ride to secure victory, with Regan Bayliss sending the daughter of Written By straight to the top after jumping well from barrier three. The Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained filly…

Blitzburg winning the 2025 Group 3 Canonbury Stakes. Photo: Bradleyphotos.com.au The Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou-trained Blitzburg ($4.80) has claimed a dominant victory in the Group 3 Canonbury Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill on Saturday afternoon, with Tyler Schiller making every post a winner aboard the son of Snitzel in the two-year-old feature. The pair pinged the lids from barrier two and never looked in any danger of fending off his fellow colts and geldings, producing a slashing turn-of-speed to take full advantage of on-speed track conditions. The favoured pair of…

Return To Conquer (inside) keeps his perfect record intact in the Colin Jillings 2YO Classic. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Te Akau Racing’s million-dollar colt Return To Conquer delivered again in Saturday’s Group 3 Colin Jillings 2YO Classic (1200m) at Ellerslie, improving his unblemished record to four trials and two raceday appearances. The son of Snitzel was bought by David Ellis for $1.3 million as a yearling on the Gold Coast in January of last year. He built up plenty of pre-debut hype with three impressive trial wins between August…

James McDonald and Lady Laguna proved too slick in the 2024 Group 3 Southern Cross Stakes. Photo: Bradleyphotos.com.au Feature racing returns to Rosehill on Saturday February 1, 2025, where the path to the Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) will become clearer at the end of the day. The juveniles on display in the Group 3 Canonbury Stakes (1100m) and Group 3 Widden Stakes (1100m), whilst the open-age feature, the Group 3 Southern Cross Stakes (1200m) has attracted a small but quality field. If you are chasing free replays of the…