Author: NZRacingDesk

🎥 Did you see? Joe Doyle and the Wexford Stables team will be out to try and claim another Classic together with Ohope Wins in the NZ Oaks at Ellerslie. We spent Tuesday morning with the team at Matamata trackwork for a behind the scenes look!

Trainer David Hayes takes his chance at history on Sunday afternoon (22 February) at Sha Tin when Ka Ying Rising attempts to win an 18th consecutive race – the most by a Hong Kong-trained horse – in the HK$13 million G1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m), which is carded as Race 8 and will be run at 4.35pm.  Locked on 17 straight victories with Silent Witness, Ka Ying Rising is aiming to break the deadlock against nine rivals, and continue his unbeaten streak which began in February, 2024 that has…

High-class racehorse turned Group One sire Reliable Man has died aged 18. Westbury Stud General Manager Russell Warwick confirmed the striking grey died after complications from surgery to remove melanomas. “Being a grey horse, he was starting to suffer from melanomas, and he had quite a significant one under his tail,” Warwick said. “We did some surgery on Monday, which went really well but then he had some post-surgery complications, sort of 48 hours later and he was going downhill at a rapid rate. “We didn’t want him to suffer,…

Niamh Waters has been announced as the 2026 recipient of the Sunline Trust International Management Scholarship and will depart on Saturday to begin her 30-week international experience. Funded by the Sunline Education Trust and administered by the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association, the scholarship provides an all-expenses-paid, bonded international experience designed to expose emerging industry leaders to the operational systems and management practices of the world’s leading thoroughbred organisations. Waters brings a strong practical background gained across New Zealand, England and Australia, having worked through breeding seasons, yearling preparations and…

Te Akau Racing strengthened their representation in next month’s $4 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) following the announcement of their Group One winner La Dorada (NZ) (Super Seth) as ‘The People’s Horse’. Last season’s New Zealand Champion Two-Year-Old will represent the Clubs and the winners of The NZB Kiwi Golden Ticket campaign in the Southern Hemisphere’s richest three-year-old race, joining stablemates Belle Cheval (NZ) (Savabeel) (The King’s Men) and He Who Dares (NZ) (Snitzel) (Te Akau Racing). Following a standout juvenile season where she won four of her five starts, including…

The Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) may have a new home, but Cambridge horseman Shaune Ritchie is hoping his strong record in the race continues as he seeks his fourth title in the race on Saturday. To be run at Ellerslie for the first time this weekend, the New Zealand Oaks was previously contested at Trentham where Ritchie won three editions of the fillies’ classic with Keep The Peace (NZ) (Keeper) (2010), Artistic (NZ) (Darci Brahma) (2012) and Jennifer Eccles (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle) (2020). Ritchie,…

While looking forward to a big day of racing at Ellerslie on Saturday, Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh is excited to head to Taupo a day later where his Group Two performer Financier (NZ) (Tavistock) will make his long-awaited return in the Rabobank Cup (1400m). The six-year-old son of Tavistock hasn’t been sighted on raceday since his placing in the Gr.2 Japan Trophy (1600m) at Tauranga two years ago, and Marsh is looking forward to stepping him out once more on Sunday. “It is just exciting to have a nice horse…

A career high performance from Brayden Star (Twilight Son) last spring set the wheels in motion for the stayer’s current two-start New Zealand campaign. The Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained seven-year-old went to a new level when successful in the Gr.2 Herbert Power Handicap (2400m) at Caulfield in October which forced connections to eye offshore opportunities. Brayden Star will take aim at the first of those in Saturday’s Gr.3 Eagle Technology Avondale Cup (2400m) with a return to Ellerslie for his main aim, the Gr.2 Trackside Auckland Cup (3200m) on…

Star young stallion Super Seth, sire of four Group One winners from his first two crops, has been purchased by Coolmore from Waikato Stud to stand at its Hunter Valley base. The Caulfield Guineas-winning son of Dundeel will relocate to Coolmore Australia following six seasons at Waikato Stud, where he has developed into one of the most exciting young stallions in Australasia.  The young stallion’s first crop included Gr.1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) winner Linebacker, Gr.1 Australian Guineas (1600m) winner Feroce and Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m) winner Maison Louis, while the…

Talented three-year-old Ammirati (NZ) (Savabeel) was a notable absentee from Saturday’s Gr.2 Eagle Technology Avondale Guineas (2100m) acceptances, with trainer Stephen Marsh confirming the sale of the gelding to Hong Kong. A three-time winner from eight starts, the son of Savabeel had been an impressive last-start winner of the Listed Gingernuts Salver (2100m) at Ellerslie and a $10 chance for the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) at the same venue in just over a fortnight. The gelding also boasts a dramatic victory in the Gr.3 Wellington Stakes (1600m) at Otaki…