Author: NZRacingDesk

Herbert’s (NZ) (Sweet Orange) bank balance has swelled from $130,000 to almost $400,000 within the space of his last three starts, culminating in the Comag Wairere Falls Classic (1500m) at Matamata on Saturday. The Taranaki four-year-old began the season with only one win to his name from a 12-race career. His turnaround began with a pair of spring victories in a Rating 65 at Wanganui and a Rating 75 at Te Rapa, but that was just the beginning of Herbert’s breakthrough season. The son of Sweet Orange has scaled new…

Veteran galloper Our Echo (NZ) (Echoes Of Heaven) showed all his fighting qualities when he clung on gamely to hold out a determined challenge from Perfect Scenario (NZ) (Iffraaj) to capture the feature event at Wingatui, the Gr.3 White Robe Lodge Weight For Age (1600m) Allowed to start at the luxurious price of $31 in the Fixed Odds market for the race, the Danny Frye-prepared eight-year-old had his chances discarded by punters, despite winning two of his previous three starts, due to his finishing last of seven runners on an…

Four weeks on from a brave second in the Gore Cup (2000m), lion-hearted stayer Loftys Gift (NZ) (Ghibellines) delivered again for her connections at Wingatui on Saturday and went one better in the Listed Positive Signs + Print Dunedin Gold Cup (2400m). The gritty daughter of Ghibellines was a winner over 1400m at Ascot Park in late January, then stepped up to 2000m for the Gore Cup and was beaten by only half a length despite being caught three wide without cover for the second half of the race. The…

Chris Waller has turned his eyes to the expansive Flemington straight track in hope of getting a touch of luck and Joliestar (Zoustar) back in the winner’s stall for the first time in six months in next Saturday’s $1.5 million Gr.1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m). Waller was in Melbourne on Friday to see the four-year-old get her first look down the famous straight course, clocking 48.78 seconds under Damian Lane for the 800-metre workout, holding off Traffic Warden and stablemate Gatsby’s. “She just needs a bit of confidence and a bit…

Waverley trainer Bill Thurlow will continue his southern raid this weekend when Steal My Thunder is joined by reinforcements Royal Sovereigns and Field Of Gold at Wingatui’s inaugural Property Brokers Otago Classics Day. Steal My Thunder headed south earlier this month and was victorious in her southern debut in the ODT Southern Mile Qualifier – Summer Cup (1600m) at Ascot Park a fortnight ago. While victorious in the race, she failed to collect enough points to make the final field for the $200,000 ODT Southern Mile Final (1600m) on Saturday,…

Myakkabelle has been a model of consistency in the lead up to the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) and she will take the final step towards the $1 million feature in Sunday’s Gr.2 Jennian Homes Lowland Stakes (2100m). A filly by War Decree, Myakkabelle was amongst the action in each of the Gr.2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m), Gr.2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2000m) and Gr.2 David and Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic (2000m), the latter her first time facing off against Oaks favourite Leica Lucy. While Leica…

The racing world is in mourning following the news that New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame trainer Mike Moroney passed away in Melbourne this morning at the age of 66. Moroney, a protégé of legendary trainer Dave O’Sullivan, founded Ballymore Stables in his hometown Matamata in the early 1980s and his almost immediate success led to the establishment of a complementary stable in Australia in 1997. Initially based in Adelaide, his win with Second Coming in that year’s Victoria Derby led to Moroney being allocated stabling at the historic Chiquita…

A tilt at next week’s Gr.2 Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup (3200m) is on the line for evergreen stayer Sword In Stone (NZ) (Redwood) when he heads to Trentham on Sunday to contest the Milestone Homes 2200.  The former Hong Kong galloper has been in pleasing form for trainers Kevin and Stephen Gray since returning to New Zealand, winning his resuming run over a mile at Otaki on Boxing Day before bouncing back from a last placed finish in the Gr.3 Trentham Stakes (2100m) when runner-up over 2060m at Wanganui…

Multiple stakes-performer Channel Surfer (NZ) (Derryn) was back to his best at Taupo on Wednesday, returning to the winner’s circle for the first time in 14 months in the Fiber Fresh (1400m). The five-year-old can be an enigma at times, with placings in the Listed Castletown Stakes (1200m), Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m), Listed Trevor Corallie Eagle Memorial (1500m) and last year’s Gr.3 Easter Handicap (1600m) displaying his obvious talent. He hadn’t produced that form through the spring, and off a freshen-up, he was among the outsiders in a competitive…

Show Pony (NZ) (Vespa) made a big impression the last time he travelled south to Wingatui, and on Saturday, he’ll be out to continue that winning form at stakes level in the Listed Property Brokers – Ray Kean Dunedin Guineas (1600m). The son of Vespa has already proven himself in strong company, finishing fourth in the Gr.3 Barneswood Farm Stakes (1400m) and was the best of the rest behind NZB Kiwi-bound filly Pivotal Ten in the Listed Gore Guineas (1335m) last start. John Blackadder had particular respect for the Gore…