Staying mare Oceanex (NZ) (Ocean Park), who is guaranteed a start in the Melbourne Cup, is set to resume at Caulfield two weeks earlier than originally planned. Michael Kent Junior, who trains in partnership with Mick Price, said they were initially going to wait for the Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington on September 12. However, given they are unable to use public trials, the mare will now kick off over 1400 metres at Caulfield on August 29 to get her fitness up. Oceanex has been off the scene since she booked her…
Author: Editor BOAY
National Breeding Awards postponed
The Ebbett VW National Breeding Awards have been postponed due to COVID-19 alert level restrictions, with a new date to be confirmed when possible. If ticket holders would like a refund please contact the Waikato Branch of the NZTBA at nztbawaikatob@gmail.com or contact the NZTBA office on 07 827 7727. The format for this year’s gavelhouse.com Waikato Stallion tour has also been altered. Under Level 2 restrictions group sizes must be kept under 100, robust contact tracing must occur, while social distancing and increased hand sanitisation is recommended. All farms…
Melody Belle improved ahead of Winx Stakes
New Zealand’s champion trainer Jamie Richards is hoping high-class mare Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands) can mirror the pattern of her previous campaigns. The six-year-old mare has improved significantly from her fresh-up performances in her last two campaigns and the Matamata horseman is banking on that again being the case when Melody Belle contests Saturday’s Gr.1 Winx Stakes (1400m). The 10-time Group One winner trailed a small field of six home in the Gr.2 Missile Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on August 8 when resuming and subsequently drifted to $11 in the…
Decision time on the horizon for Gray
After 20 years training in Singapore, Stephen Gray is planning to weigh up his future lifestyle options within the next couple of years. Gray formerly trained in New Zealand with his father, Kevin, for 12 seasons from 1988-99, the partnership winning almost 400 races, including 10 Group or Listed events. But he saw the opportunity in 2000 to take the plunge and attempt to carve out a career training in Singapore and his move in April that year has seen him establish himself as one of Singapore’s leading trainers with…
Glory Days returns
Group One-winning mare Glory Days (NZ) (Red Giant) returned from retirement at the Foxton trials on Tuesday where she finished fourth in her 1000m heat. The Bill Thurlow-trained eight-year-old failed to fire after returning from her spring campaign in Melbourne last spring and was subsequently retired after her fourth-placing in the Listed New Zealand St Leger (2600m) at Trentham in March. However, after her sale fell through her connections elected to bring her back into work and she could once again be on a Group One path this spring, with…
Sentimental Miss pleases in Rosehill trial
Group One-winning mare Sentimental Miss (NZ) (Reliable Man) has made a pleasing start to her Sydney spring preparation, winning her 1100m Group trial at Rosehill on Tuesday. She began well from her barrier to settle just in behind the leader and travelled generously through the early stages. Approaching the home turn, jockey Hugh Bowman angled her into clear galloping room and she was able to finish off nicely to win by 0.2 lengths. “Hugh was very happy with her trial this morning,” trainer Chris Waller said. “He said her fitness…
Masks mandatory at trial and race meetings
New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing has updated its Level 2 and 3 directives to introduce a requirement for the wearing of face coverings at race or trial meetings. Face masks are required to be worn at all times in the weigh-room, birdcage, and starting gates. Riders are permitted to lower their mask during racing, after loading up in barriers and before re-entering the birdcage. NZTR said this change has been brought in line with updated Government advice, and specifically to help protect the wellbeing of jockeys, upon which the ongoing conduct…
Sandown Park track closed temporarily
GRV advises that the Sandown GRC racetrack is to undergo urgent remedial works. As such, the following race meetings have been cancelled:– Sandown Park Thursday 20 August– Sandown (SAP) Sunday 23 August Prize money for the Mixed 6/7 595m Final at Sandown on Thursday 20 August will be split between the eight finalists. Consequently some further changes have been to the racing schedule as per below: The meeting at Meadows (MEP) Wednesday 19 August has been transferred to Thursday 20 August (Twilight). Nominations have been extended to Tuesday 18 August…
Time for Straight Talk at Healesville
Prolific speedster Time To Talk will be striving to continue her brilliant return to racing in Sunday afternoon’s heats of the GCV Straight Track Championship (350m) as Healesville’s Racing Festival continues. Trainer Angela Galea has guided Time To Talk to an imposing 26 from 49 strike rate; however her career was put on hold in March when she was injured when leading in the early stages of the Horsham Cup. After four months on the sidelines she’s taken up where she left off, winning twice over 300m at Healesville in…
‘Prima’ Ballerina
Make no mistake… Star Ballerina is “adorable and a cutey”. But when it comes to racing, it’s fair to say she’s no ‘principal dancer’. However, she’s now ‘pirouetting’ in the right direction. And her young trainer, Loren Dalziel, 33, says it’s all thanks to coursing. “I put her improved form down to coursing… She was a bit timid and would pull back if another runner ranged alongside her in circle races,” Dalziel said. “But taking her coursing, where there’s only a ‘two-dog’ field, has made the world of difference… It’s…