Author: NZRacingDesk

Slipper Island (No Nay Never) put together a picket fence form line down the Trentham chute last season and he’ll be aiming to pick up where he left off at the Upper Hutt venue on Saturday. In autumn, the No Nay Never gelding went from winning at Rating 65 grade to defeating Group One winner Pier (NZ) (Proisir) and subsequent Group One placegetter Tomodachi (NZ) (Tarzino) three runs later in the Listed City Of Napier Sprint (1200m). That performance made four straight successes down the dogleg, and while his trainer…

Knock Off (NZ) (Fabulous) has proven to be a horse of a lifetime for Wanganui trainer Gerard Cvitanovich, who will be vying to record his first stakes victory on Saturday when his charge contests the Gr.3 Hunterville Vet Club Metric Mile (1600m) at Trentham. The semi-retired dairy farmer has been training intermittently over the last 30 years, and has contested three previous stakes races, but Saturday presents as his best opportunity as he gets set to line-up the $6 equal favourite for the mile feature. The occasion will be a…

Ka Ya Rising’s (NZ) (Shamexpress) first-up rating has him right where he needs to be for the upcoming Everest, says form guru Daniel O’Sullivan. While his returning figure of 107 was a few points off his absolute best, it keeps him in a class of his own compared to the rest of the world’s sprinting ranks. Add to that the prospect of Ka Ying Rising improving from his first-up run – a very real possibility according to trainer David Hayes and jockey Zac Purton – and the numbers make it…

Fresh is best for top quality three-year-old Tajana (NZ) (Darci Brahma) who has thrived since her impressive return to competition last month. The Oaks Stud-bred and raced daughter of Darci Brahma was a resuming winner of the Gr.3 Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) ahead of a second-up tilt at Saturday’s Gr.3 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Sunline Vase (1400m) at Ellerslie. “She was very good last time and has done fantastically well, I’m pleased we ran her at Ruakaka,” said Shaune Ritchie, who trains in partnership with Colm Murray. “The four weeks…

Rudy Liefting gave up the opportunity to train subsequent Group One winner Grail Seeker (NZ) (Iffraaj) a few years ago, and he is being rewarded for his selflessness with the rise of another exciting filly. Liefting purchased Grail Seeker, under his Kakapo Lodge banner, out of Jamieson Park’s 2022 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft for $130,000 on behalf of clients Sir Trevor Clarke and Chris Jones. While the market proved to be too hot for his initial budget, he managed to coerce his clients to extend a…

Progressive three-year-old Single Choice (Anders) recorded the second victory of his career when running out a good winner of the Bendigo Magazine 3YO BM64 Handicap (1300m) on Wednesday for trainer Matt Cumani. Single Choice came from last under jockey Eoin Walsh in a small field to get the better of Mongolian Gobi (NZ) (Ribchester) as he advanced his record to two wins and a runner-up finish from four starts. “It was quite a messy race for him, you never like to see them in a small field being three wide…

Trainer Ciaron Maher would not be surprised if Smokin’ Romans (NZ) (Ghibellines) was fighting out the finish of the Underwood Stakes at Caulfield. Smokin’ Romans maybe getting on in years, but trainer Ciaron Maher has been buoyed by the gelding’s recent performance and is giving the ‘old boy’ another crack at a Group 1 contest.  The Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on Saturday will see Smokin’ Romans line up with stablemates Zardozi (Kingman) and Middle Earth (Roaring Lion) in a bid to wind back the clock.  At this meeting in 2022, Smokin’ Romans won the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes (2000m) before going on…

Melbourne Cup hopeful Basilinna (NZ) (Staphanos) has been ruled out for the spring. Racing Victoria announced the news on Wednesday afternoon, confirming the Emma-Lee and David Browne-trained galloper is set to have surgery to remove bone chips from her near fore fetlock. Basilinna had qualified for the Melbourne Cup for the Pakenham-based stable by winning the Listed Andrew Ramsden (2800m) at Flemington in May. The daughter of Staphanos had returned late last month and finished behind Revelare over 2000m at Caulfield. She had been allocated 51kg for the Melbourne Cup.

Peter Moody will let Desert Lightning’s (NZ) (Pride of Dubai) performance in the Underwood Stakes at Caulfield dictate what direction he will head with the last-start winner of the So You Think Stakes. Moody said he was testing the waters to see whether Desert Lightning could run out a strong 1800m at G1 level, which is why it was such an important run, in terms of his spring plans. Desert Lightning is nominated for the Caulfield Cup and the Cox Plate, but the co-trainer won’t buy into any discussions as…

A couple of three-year-old fillies put their hand up when breaking through for their maiden wins at Taupo on Wednesday, with feature targets firmly in the crosshairs for the pair. Jomara Bloodstock’s Oratia Beauty (Too Darn Hot) struck first when she proved too slick for her rivals when taking out the Fox & Hounds Taupo (1300m). The daughter of Too Darn Hot was slow to jump and jockey Matt Cameron urged her up along the rail to sit three deep behind Magic Carpet (NZ) (Satono Aladdin) and Kygo Star (Wootton…