Author: NZRacingDesk

Timaru trainer Stephanie Faulkner has always dreamed of winning her home cup, and that turned into a reality at Phar Lap Raceway on Sunday courtesy of Shaking Stevens (NZ) (American Pharoah). The five-year-old gelding had an army of supporters on course, and the local crowd got right in behind the son of American Pharoah, backing him from $8 into a $3.20 favourite for the Craigmore Sustainable Holdings Timaru Cup (1600m). He rocketed out of the gates from his ace barrier and took an early lead under jockey Tina Comignaghi, but…

A barnstorming finish has delivered Te Akau Racing with a stunning late Christmas present as underrated galloper What You Wish For (NZ) (Embellish) came from last on the home bend to take out the Harcourts Taupo Cup (2000m) in front of a bumper holiday crowd. The Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson-prepared five-year-old had provided mixed results in the first four starts of his current campaign, with his most recent run seeing him finish midfield in the Gr.3 Manawatu Cup (2300m) at Trentham on 20 December. Walker and Bergerson gave him…

Join Emily Murphy and Bruce Sherwin as they break down the action from the Boxing Day Races out of Ellerslie. Plus a look forward to some of the feature races upcoming including the Group 1 Telegraph Handicap at Trentham. Weigh In, December 28

Matamata horseman Benji King had a day to remember at Ellerslie on Boxing Day. He started the day off well when his promising mare Mid Ocean (NZ) (Ocean Park) scored in the Horizon By SkyCity 1400 in the colours of her breeder and co-owner Henrietta, Dowager Duchess of Bedford, and two races later Well Written (Written Tycoon), who he purchased and sold as a younger horse, continued her unbeaten streak when taking out the Gr.2 Jimmy Schick Shaw’s Auckland Guineas (1400m) for trainer Stephen Marsh. “I was really thrilled,” King…

Leading Queensland rider Angela Jones will make her New Zealand debut at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day where she will partner the Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott-prepared mare Smart Love (NZ) (Savabeel) in the Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m). The 24-year-old hoop created history at the conclusion of the 2024-25 racing season when becoming the first female rider to lift the Queensland metropolitan jockeys’ premiership, and she is currently one of the most sought after riders in Australia. Her connection to the O’Sullivan and Scott team began in April 2024…

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New Zealand-bred gelding Klabel (NZ) (Vadamos) capped a consistent run of form with a welcome return to the winners’ circle in the A$120,000 Listed Adelaide Galvanising Industries Christmas Handicap (1200m) at Morphettville on Saturday. The son of Vadamos has now had 31 starts for seven wins, 13 placings and A$586,220 in stakes. The Christmas Cup was Klabel’s first win since August 2024, but his 15 starts since then had produced six runner-up finishes, three thirds, two fourths and two fifths. Leading into Saturday, his 2025-26 preparation had been made up…

The Waikato Stud colours were to the fore at Cranbourne on Saturday when their talented homebred mare Sun Gift (NZ) (Savabeel) scored a last-gasp win in the A$130,000 Gatorade Handicap (2025m). The Benchmark 74 handicap was the fourth win of a 20-race career for Sun Gift, who has also finished second on seven occasions and has earned A$180,905. The Danny O’Brien-trained Sun Gift was second-up at Cranbourne on Saturday, having finished strongly for second over 1600m in her resuming run at Caulfield Heath on December 3. As a previous winner…

Well-related mare Watersports (NZ) (Ocean Park) added a second win to her record with a track-record-breaking victory in the A$80,000 Big Swing Golf Handicap (1500m) at Cranbourne on Saturday. The promising four-year-old is a half-sister to Grail Seeker (NZ) (Iffraaj), the winner of last season’s Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) and Telegraph (1200m) for Matamata trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott. Grail Seeker will head to Trentham to attempt to defend that Telegraph title next Saturday. Watersports herself brought strong form credentials into her Benchmark 70 assignment at Cranbourne, having been…

There will be more than just the healthy $57,500 first placed cheque on the line for talented galloper Agera (NZ) (Complacent) when he contests the Harcourts Taupo Cup (2000m) at Taupo on Sunday. The race is the last event in the newly minted Northern Cups bonus, a series where the leading points scorer over seven Cup races will take out the winner-takes-all $50,000 bonus for accumulating the most points across those races. Agera currently sits atop the leaderboard with 10 points, secured with victories in the Listed Matamata Cup (1600m)…