Author: NZRacingDesk

Brazilian hoop Bruno Queiroz was airborne in the tangerine silks of Te Akau Racing at Riccarton’s synthetic meeting on Wednesday, guiding two of the stable’s runners to success and another to a narrow placing. The double emulated his effort on the previous day at Otaki, where he piloted Testing (NZ) (Time Test) and He’s All Fabulous (NZ) (Fabulous) to victory across the rescheduled card, before heading south with a big book of rides. His Riccarton brace commenced in the Speight’s Summit Ultra On Tap Maiden (1600m) where odds-on favourite Purple…

Local gelding Zoulander (NZ) (Zoustar) belied his odds once more when scoring his second consecutive victory on Riccarton’s synthetic track on Wednesday. Despite winning over 1400m on the surface last month, he was unwanted by punters in the Join TAB Racing Club Rating 75 (1400m), jumping a $26.40 outsider. The seven-year-old gelding was slow out of the gates, but he quickly regained the deficit and apprentice jockey Floor Moerman elected to push forward on the fence to sit in the trail. Pacemaker Doubtful Sound (Not A Single Doubt) kicked clear…

The star Kiwi jockey joined Racing Pulse after recently announcing he is going to come out of retirement and return to race riding. Listen Here

Apprentice jockey Triston Moodley is on the mend in Hamilton Hospital following an incident at the Waipa trials on Tuesday. The 23-year-old hoop was kicked in the head in the mounting yard at the Te Awamutu track and he was airlifted to Waikato Hospital where he underwent surgery last night. Moodley is apprenticed to Byerley Park trainer Danny Walker, who has been by his bedside and reported that he has come through the surgery well. “He got kicked in the head yesterday at the trials, he is in Hamilton Hospital,…

Two of the heavyweights of New Zealand synthetic racing are set to meet for just the second time this week at Cambridge’s synthetic meeting on Thursday. The Mark Treweek-trained Lhasa (Hellbent) has won six of his nine starts on the surface, while the David Greene-trained Branciforti (NZ) (Belardo) has won four of her nine polytrack starts, including defeating the former in last year’s $100,000 Martin Collins Polytrack 1400m Innovation Race at Awapuni. The pair will renew their rivalry in Thursday’s Cambridge Real Estate 1300, with the 92-rated Lhasa set to…

Winter marvel Belardo Boy (NZ) (Belardo) overcame a clear topweight to collect the 11th victory of his career in the New World Otaki Handicap (1400m) at Otaki on Tuesday. A winner of the Gr.3 Winter Cup (1600m) and Gr.3 Metric Mile (1600m) in 2023, and the Listed Opunake Cup (1400m) and Listed AGC Training Stakes (1600m) last term, Belardo Boy has become accustomed to carrying hefty imposts, and Tuesday’s assignment was no exception, with six kilograms to his closest rivals. Jumping inside the short-priced favourite in Belles Beau, Belardo Boy travelled…

Cambridge horseman Clinton Isdale has had plenty of success in the South Island as an owner, and he is hoping that continues on Wednesday when Funfetti (NZ) (Embellish) will shoot for her third successive win on Riccarton’s polytrack.  Isdale tasted success in the south just last week when Storms Ahead (NZ) (Astern) was victorious at Ashburton, keeping his 100 percent South Island strike rate intact after winning first-up for Timaru trainer Stephanie Faulkner at his new home track last month.  Isdale purchased the son of Astern off Gavelhouse.com for $1,000…

Pride Of Aspen (Pride Of Dubai) looked right at home when she scored a decisive victory in the Cavallo Farms and Chris Rutten Bloodstock Handicap (2200m) at Otaki’s rescheduled meeting on Tuesday. The daughter of Pride Of Dubai was previously trained at the Central Districts venue by Johno Benner and Hollie Wynyard before relocating with the latter to Cambridge this season. She often brings out her best on her old home turf, winning on three prior occasions, and continued that strong form when runner-up to Benefactor a fortnight ago. Wynyard…

Te Akau Racing looks set to be a major player on the all-weather track at Riccarton with a particularly strong hand to play in the age group event on Wednesday’s card. Trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson will be represented by the in-form duo of Queen Of Naples and Porcia Catonis in the Red Rose Raceday – 24 July Three-Year-Old (1400m). Stablemate Vivacious also looks a strong chance in the Join TAB Racing Club Rating 74 off the back of two wins on the bounce. Queen Of Naples (NZ) (Darci…

Ann Browne, widely known as Mrs Browne, is a trailblazer and heroine in New Zealand racing, and would be the first to share her passion for jumpers.   As Ann Fraser, Browne spent her early years living on a farm off the East Coast of the North Island where her horse-oriented family felt anything but isolated. “All of my relations are from Gisborne and I grew up on a farm inland from Tikitiki, off the East Coast,” Browne said. “I lived there until I was 14, until my father bought a…