Author: NZRacingDesk

Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray elected to take a detour to Pukekohe on Sunday with their Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) bound filly Tajana (NZ) (Darci Brahma), and it looks to have paid off. The Oaks Stud-bred and raced filly also accepted for the Gr.3 NZB Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) a day prior, but following a week of wet weather coupled with the long journey south to Trentham, the Cambridge trainers elected for a target closer to home. “It was hard with the weather and the…

This time last year Stratford trainer Gavin Sharrock experienced the hype of Karaka Millions week with his then two-year-old Daylight Robbery, and 12 months on he is hoping two of his stablemates can successfully launch their bids towards the Gr.1 Trackside New Zealand Derby (2400m) in March. Homebred gelding Country Salon (NZ) (Darci Brahma) will be first-up in the Race Images 1340 at Wanganui on Monday, where Sharrock expects him to be competitive following his runner-up trial over 1200m at Foxton earlier this week. “He is very well in himself,”…

Group One winning gelding War Machine (NZ) (Harry Angel) will be seen in an early feature sprint when he lines up in the Gr.2 Australia Stakes (1200m) this Friday night. Usually run at Moonee Valley, this year’s edition will be run under lights at Southside Pakenham with the Moonee Valley track under reconstruction. War Machine announced himself as one of the top sprinters in the country winning the Gr.1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) in the Winter, resuming with an equally impressive victory in the Gr.2 Gilgai Stakes (1200m) with 60kg in…

Join a full team this week on Weigh In. Guy Heveldt, Aidan Rodley and Emily Murphy break down the action from stakes racing at Trentham. They also rewind back to last Sunday at Ellerslie where some key contenders went around ahead of Saturday’s Karaka Millions race night. Weigh In, January 18

Queensland trainer Liam Birchley is no stranger to success in the richest two-year-old race in New Zealand, the $1million TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m), and he is hoping to replicate the winning feeling next weekend as he prepares to line-up a pair of quality fillies in the Ellerslie dash for cash. Birchley produced Sister Havana (NZ) (General Nediym) to win the 2010 edition of the event and followed that up again in 2015 with Hardline (NZ) (Showcasing) after first finishing second with Sarge In Charge (NZ) (Golan) in 2009. His…

Stakes targets are looming for well-related filly Quello Dolce (NZ) (U S Navy Flag) after she posted her second successive win in the Aztech Engineering LTD Sprint (1200m) at Trentham on Saturday, but she will have to wait until ANZAC Day to get her chance at black-type. Bred by Westbury Stud General Manager and New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Chairman Russell Warwick and his wife Lesley, Quello Dolce is by U S Navy Flag and out of Group One winner Il Quello Veloce, and she is raced by the couple in…

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Progressive four-year-old Cross Tasman (NZ) (Super Seth) recorded his fourth victory at start number seven when landing the TAB Handicap (1500m) at Rosehill for the in-form stable of John O’Shea and Tom Charlton. The son of Super Seth was perfectly positioned one-out and one-back under Dylan Gibbons and put his rivals to the sword when presented at the top of the straight, going on to score by three and a quarter lengths. The winning rider reported the gelding didn’t relish the Heavy 8 conditions but was a class above his…

A sage ride by Michael Dee has aided Supernima (NZ) (Super Seth) to claim a gutsy victory in the Thank You Volunteers Trophy (1400m) at Flemington on Saturday. The Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained son of Super Seth had a declared change of tactics with the intention to settle further back. But Dee summed up the situation perfectly after jumping away well and there being little to no pressure on leader Prancing Spirit (Sir Prancealot), electing to roll forward and sit outside the pacemaker as the contest turned into a…

The Nathan Doyle-trained Aroha Stone (NZ) (El Roca) scored a deserved victory in the Thank You Noel Cuthbert Handicap (1500m) at Rosehill on Saturday. The four-year-old daughter of El Roca was partnered by Regan Bayliss who said the mare relished the Heavy 8 conditions and atoned for a luckless effort at Randwick a fortnight ago. Aroha Stone defeated the favourite Changing Colours (The Autumn Sun) by three-quarters of a length to notch the fourth win of her career from 15 starts with a further five minor placings. “I really liked…