Author: NZRacingDesk

The Lindsay Park stable is confident the Blue Diamond Stakes aspirations of two-year-old Eurocanto (Per Incanto) are back on track.  The Ben, Will and J D Hayes-trained two-year-old was sent back to the trials after being withdrawn from the Blue Diamond Preview (1000m) at Caulfield on January 24.  Eurocanto played up in the gates that day and was scratched at the barriers.  The colt required a veterinary clearance to be cleared to race again after the vets on race day deemed Eurocanto lame in the near foreleg, while stewards ordered the two-year-old to trial their satisfaction in a jump-out.  That jump-out occurred last…

The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr-trained Knobelas will tackle 2000m for the first time when she contests the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa on Saturday. The four-year-old daughter of Belardo is back campaigning in her country of birth and was unlucky not to have snared more of the $1 million prizemoney on offer when third in the Gr.3 Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie just under a fortnight ago. On that occasion Knobelas finished third to Tuxedo and Hinekaha, the latter whom she meets again…

El Vencedor has been given the green light to defend his title in the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa on Saturday. The reigning Horse of the Year, who completed a Group One weight-for-age hat-trick last autumn, has won just one of his seven starts this season and serious doubts about his future were raised when he faded badly to finish eighth in last Saturday’s Listed Fulton Family Stakes (1500m) at Ellerslie. At the time his trainer Stephen Marsh said that El Vencedor would back up in the…

Multiple Group One winner Jimmysstar (NZ) (Per Incanto) will have a light autumn in preparation for a spring campaign aimed at The Everest.  The Ciaron Maher-trained galloper will kick off in Melbourne with the Gr.1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield before venturing north where he will contest the Gr.1 T J Smith (1200m) and the Gr.1 All-Aged Stakes (1400m), both at Randwick, in April.  After that it will be off to the paddock to prepare for the Gr.1 The Everest (1200m) at Randwick in October, a race he finished third in behind Ka Ying Rising last year.  Maher took advantage of taking Jimmysstar to Caulfield…

A Tuesday morning trip across to Te Rapa has Cambridge trainer Andrew Forsman in a positive frame of mind with his quartet of feature race candidates at Waikato Thoroughbred Racing headquarters on Saturday. Heading the contingent is Hinekaha (NZ) (Savabeel), who had raceday rider Craig Grylls in the saddle for a solo hitout on the Te Rapa course proper as she prepared for her Group One debut in the $700,000 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m). “The track was lovely after a bit of rain overnight and it was good to get…

Dame Cat Williams’ story is utterly inspiring. A world-class equestrian rider, her world was tipped upside down when she had an accident and become a tetraplegic in 2002. The founder of the Catwalk Trust shares her journey, lessons, and love of racing in a truly special episode. Guerin Report – S2 Ep. 22 – Dame Catriona Williams

Six-win mare Gemma Flitz (NZ) (Telperion) will resume at Riccarton on Wednesday where she will be seeking to take out the C S Stevens Memorial Banks Peninsula Cup (1100m) for local trainer Ross Beckett. She was a model of consistency last year, winning three and placing in three of her six starts, highlighted by her victory in the $100,000 Polytrack Championship (1200m) on the Riccarton Synthetic in August. Beckett is looking forward to kicking off her preparation this week, but is wary of the wet weather forecast ahead of the…

Last year’s Australian Guineas winner Feroce (NZ) (Super Seth) is set return to racing this Saturday at Caulfield, where his trainer Dom Sutton is hopeful he can re-affirm his Group One form of 12 months ago. Sutton explained on Saturday that Feroce was likely to run first-up in the Gr.3 Kevin Heffernan (1400m) in a race that is likely to dictate which path the four-year-old takes this autumn. “He trialled on Friday (at Flemington) so we want to make sure he’s come through that trial,” Sutton said. “We haven’t made…

Ciaron Maher says 2024 All-Star Mile champion Pride Of Jenni could tackle the race first-up in 2026 after continuing to impress him in her work at Cranbourne. Maher told Racing.com on Monday all signs were positive with last spring’s G1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) winner, confirming the $2 million All-Star Mile over the same course at Flemington on March 7 made appeal as a starting point. “She’s in very good order actually,” Maher said of the autumn progress of the winner of more than $11 million in stakes. “Galloped this…

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