Author: NZRacingDesk

Talented staying three-year-old Azazel (NZ) (Shocking) has booked his passage for the Gr.1 VRC Derby (2500m) on Saturday week after a tough victory in the Listed Roderick Insurance Brokers 3YO Geelong Classic (2200m) at Geelong on Thursday. Prepared by Mark Walker and ridden by Mick Dee, the son of Shocking was put into the race early when the pace slackened and despite racing wide over the concluding 600m, had a narrow advantage at the line from Highvol and Savisanta. Sporting the colours of OTI Racing, Azazel was purchased at last…

Group 1-winner Globe (NZ) (Charm Spirit) has been ruled out of Saturday’s Cox Plate. Racing Victoria stewards confirmed on Thursday morning that the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained galloper had been withdrawn on vet’s advice. “The horse was found to be lame in its off fore upon inspection by RV veterinarians this morning,” RV stewards tweeted. Speaking on SEN’s Giddy Up with Gareth Hall, Price backed the decision of RV’s vets. “I know the horse. We weren’t happy Saturday morning. We have done everything to get him through,” Price…

Blake Shinn says you need a champion to win the Cox Plate and is hoping Antino (NZ) (Redwood) is that horse.  The Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday has long been regarded as Australia’s weight-for-age championship and Shinn believes he is on the right horse to give him his first win in the race, which will be run for the final time on the current Moonee Valley circuit.  Shinn came close in 2017 aboard Humidor (NZ) (Teofilo), almost upsetting the fairytale fourth Cox Plate victory of the champion Winx (Street Cry).  “This race really has everything year…

Speed Demon (NZ) (Yes Yes Yes) will be given every opportunity to live up to his name when he makes his debut at Ellerslie. The youngster has drawn the ace in Saturday’s Eagle Technology 2YO (1100m) and tyro trainer Nick Kneebone is hoping the son of Yes Yes Yes can take full advantage of the coveted rails barrier. “He’s better out in front so he’ll jump and see if we can give him some clear running,” he said. To be ridden by Masa Hashizume, Speed Demon finished in behind the…

Terri Rae’s topliners Spot On Time (NZ) (Time Test) and Sir Albert (NZ) (Savabeel) are firing at the right time of the spring, with key assignments on their home track on Saturday setting the scene for next month’s Gr.3 TAB Mile (1600m). The local pair haven’t put a foot wrong in their preparations so far, earning a winning double for Rae in the Open 1200m (Spot On Time) and Sir Albert in the Ashburton Cup (1600m) at Ashburton a fortnight ago. A winner at six of just 11 starts, Spot…

Paul Adlington is pleased he ignored the advice of his track rider several years ago not to purchase progeny of Mongolian Khan, with that decision leading to victory with his son History Maker (NZ) (Mongolian Khan) at Te Aroha on Wednesday. “I was leading a horse through, that one of my track riders was riding, to the tie-ups at Cambridge and this horse was going off in the tie-ups,” Adlington said. “He said to me ‘don’t you ever buy a Mongolian Khan, they are all mad’. “I went on to…

Bulls stayer Trav will vie for a hotly-contested automatic spot into next month’s A$10 million Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at The Valley on Friday night in the Gr.2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m). After winning the Gr.2 Auckland Cup (3200m) in autumn, his trainer Raymond Connors made the time-honoured feature a long-term goal, having two starts on home soil this spring before heading across the Tasman. Trav and regular rider Masa Hashizume finished 11th of 16 in the Gr.3 The Bart Cummings (2500m) in their Australian debut earlier this month,…

Questions about the immediate futures of the well-performed Whangaehu and his younger stablemate Landman will be answered by their performances at Trentham. Trainers Bill Thurlow and Sam O’Malley will firm up directions the pair will take for the remainder of their preparations after Sunday’s meeting. Whangaehu will make the second start of his current campaign in the Gr.3 Gee & Hickton Funeral Directors Thompson Handicap (1600m) while Landman runs in the Upper Hutt Car Sales 3YO (1400m). Multiple stakes winner Whangaehu tailed the field home when he resumed in the…

Trainer Joe Pride will likely keep stable star Ceolwulf (NZ) (Tavistock) to a mile as he looks to round off his spring campaign with a first trip away. The five-year-old son of Tavistock ran out a ready winner of the Gr.1 King Charles III Stakes (1609m), defending his crown, despite having gone winless in the ensuing 12 months. “It has been good to us that day. Over the last three years we have won two King Charles and an Everest (Think About It), but our luck will run out eventually…

Ten years on from the first of their four Cox Plates together, the band of Chris Waller and Hugh Bowman is getting back together. Bowman will jet in from Hong Kong to ride ATC Derby winner Aeliana (NZ) (Castelvecchio) in Saturday’s weight-for-age championship, which will be the first time that he’s ridden the four-year-old mare. “Obviously, I have a wonderful history in the race with Chris Waller of course,” Bowman said from Hong Kong. “Aeliana herself has been ultra impressive, I think, certainly at the back end of her three-year-old…