Author: NZRacingDesk

Waikato Stud’s rising star stallion Super Seth has sired his first two Group One winners within the space of seven days, with Linebacker capturing Saturday’s A$1 million Gr.1 The Agency Randwick Guineas (1600m) a week after Feroce’s heroics in the Gr.1 Australian Guineas (1600m). Both Linebacker and Feroce come from the first crop by Super Seth, who was New Zealand’s leading first-season sire in 2023-24 and heads the second-season standings in 2024-25. His 28 winners include six at stakes level, with Feroce and Linebacker backed up by La Dorada, Sethito,…

Lining up for his first start in 84 days, Jedibeel collected the eighth and most important win of his promising career in Saturday’s A$500,000 Gr.2 Schweppes Challenge Stakes (1000m) at Randwick. The five-year-old Savabeel gelding scored his first black-type win in the Listed Razor Sharp Handicap (1200m) in December, and then trainer Brad Widdup elected to freshen him ahead of autumn targets. Saturday’s Challenge Stakes was his first start since, and he announced his return to racing in style. Guided through a narrow opening in the straight by jockey Tyler…

Memories of a confidence-denting defeat in last month’s Gr.2 Avondale Guineas (2100m) were blown away on Saturday as Willydoit powered to a dominant victory in the Gr.1 Trackside New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie. Willydoit strung together three increasingly impressive wins at the Auckland track during the summer and spent most of the last three months at the head of fixed-odds betting for the $1.25 million classic. However, the Tarzino gelding dropped out to a distant third-last among a 15-horse field in the Avondale Guineas on February 22 and made…

Te Akau Racing, Blake Shinn and fantastic filly Damask Rose created a piece of New Zealand racing history when they took out the inaugural running of the richest race in the land, the newly minted $3.5 million Listed The NZB Kiwi (1500m) at Ellerslie. The slot race is the centrepiece of the newly created Barfoot and Thompson Champions Day, a day featuring eight black-type contests including four at Group One level. Open to New Zealand bred three-year-olds, the 14 slots for the race were auctioned during 2024 and were snapped…

Raymond Connors’ green and red colours will forever be known for six victories in the Great Northern Steeplechase (6400m) at Ellerslie between 1998 and 2019, but the respected Manawatu horseman returned to Auckland on Saturday and took the spoils in another major test of stamina. Connors won the Great Northern as an owner and jockey on Our Jonty (1998) before adding owner-trainer successes with Hypnotize (2007, 2008, 2009) and Wise Men Say (2017, 2019). Now those trophies sit alongside a major prize on the flat, courtesy of a $17 upset…

Pin up boy El Vencedor signed off his latest local campaign with the final leg of a winning Group One treble when he downed gallant mare La Crique in a thrilling finish to the Gr.1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie. El Vencedor or EV as he is now affectionately known had added the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) and the Gr.1 Otaki-Maori WFA Classic (1600m) to his career record at his previous two starts and was shooting for a final local accolade before heading to Hong Kong next…

Eight weeks after celebrating what they thought was a career pinnacle in the Gr.1 Thorndon Mile (1600m) at Trentham, the connections of blue-blooded mare Provence were treated to something even more special in Saturday’s Gr.1 HKJC World Pool New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) at Ellerslie. The fillies and mares’ feature carried a stake of $600,000 and was one of four Group Ones on a star-studded Champions Day card. Provence earned her time in the spotlight with a stunning $30 upset over the $1.30 favourite, New Zealand’s highest-rated mare Legarto.…

Ken and Bev Kelso bought Alabama Lass in Melbourne as a yearling two years ago, and a stunning performance in Saturday’s Gr.3 Haunui Farm King’s Plate (1200m) at Ellerslie has them plotting a return. The $250,000 sprint feature on Champions Day was a rematch of the Gr.1 Railway (1200m) in January, where Crocetti defeated Alabama Lass by a short head. Alabama Lass had a weight swing in her favour on Saturday and jumped as a $1.70 favourite to turn the tables, and she delivered in style. Alabama Lass broke sharply…

Ex-pat Kiwi rider Michael (Mick) Dee gained early success on his latest race day return to his homeland when he guided favourite Island Life to victory in the Gr. 3 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Sunline Vase (2100m) at Ellerslie. Dee, who plies in his trade in Melbourne these days after spending his formative years in New Zealand, had been engaged to partner race favourite Willydoit in the Gr.1 Trackside New Zealand Derby (2400m) later on the card and got his day off to a great start with a superb effort…

Expensive colt Return To Conquer extended his unbeaten record to four as he brought up a significant milestone for the Te Akau Racing operation when winning the Gr. 1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie. The son of Snitzel was bought by Te Akau Racing boss David Ellis for A$1.3 million as a yearling on the Gold Coast in January of last year and his latest success made it 100 Group One wins for Ellis and his team at Te Akau Racing. Starting a warm $2.10 Fixed Odds favourite, Return To…