Well-travelled gelding Family Folks launched a powerful finish from near the back of the field to collect his first New Zealand victory in the Mark Sanders Memorial (1400m) at Te Rapa on Saturday. The son of Snitzel was born, raised and sold in Australia, then headed to Hong Kong and won five times in a 37-start career for owner Wing Keung So. The eight-year-old has found a new home this season with Cambridge trainers Tim and Margaret Carter, who now own him. He went winless in his first nine starts…
Author: NZRacingDesk
Jakama Krystal takes out the Waikato Hunt Cup
A daring ride by Kylan Wiles paved the way for tenacious mare Jakama Krystal to add a second win on the Te Rapa card for trainers Peter and Jessica Brosnan as she raced away with the Waikato Hunt Cup (3900m) on Saturday. The nine-year-old daughter of Jakkalberry is normally seen disputing the pace in her races but a change in tactics saw her settle near last for the first half of the contest before edging nearer with 1600m to run. Jakama Krystal was in the zone with her jumping and…
Apprentice defeats his boss at Te Rapa
Japanese apprentice Yuga Okubo upstaged his employer at Te Rapa on Saturday with an upset victory on Ribkraka in the Jack & June Stewart Memorial (1200m). The 22-year-old is apprenticed to Cambridge trainer Tony Pike, who saddled Honey Badger as a red-hot $1.60 favourite in the $35,000 three-year-old race. But Pike was thwarted by his protégé as Okubo steered Ribkraka to an all-the-way win. Ribkraka drew the inside gate in a field that was halved to just four runners by scratchings. Okubo made full use of that handy draw and…
Callwood secures first New Zealand victory
Visiting English jumps rider Ellie Callwood secured her first success in New Zealand when she guided promising jumper Squire to victory in the OTL Group Ltd Hurdle (2800m) at Te Rapa. Callwood has joined a number of jumps riders from the United Kingdon making their way to New Zealand for winter racing and put her name on the winners list with a superbly judged ride aboard the Peter and Jessica Brosnan-prepared Squire, who was having just his second attempt over fences after scoring narrowly at the venue last month when…
Al’s Red Zed takes Jesko form to Te Rapa
With multiple recent placings behind a rising star of New Zealand’s steeplechasing ranks, Al’s Red Zed takes strong form credentials into Saturday’s Waikato Hunt Cup (3900m) at Te Rapa. Al’s Red Zed began his steeplechasing career last winter, scoring a three-length maiden win at Trentham in July before finishing fourth in the Koral Steeplechase (4250m) and falling at the last fence of the Grand National Steeplechase (5600m). The Zed gelding has had two steeplechase starts this winter for two placings, both behind Jesko. He ran third in a 3800m open…
High-flying Pencarrow Stud offers well-bred mares in Online Breeding Stock Sale
The 2024-25 season has been one of the best ever for Pencarrow Stud, and some of the renowned bloodlines that have underpinned that success are now available for purchase in the 2025 National Online Breeding Stock Sale on Gavelhouse Plus. Graduates of the famous Waikato nursery have won over 100 races this season, headed by a pair of Group One classic winners in Australia – Feroce (NZ) (Super Seth) in the Australian Guineas (1600m) and Maison Louis (NZ) (Super Seth) in the Queensland Derby (2400m). Closer to home, homebreds Tomodachi…
Entries Open for NZB’s 2025 Ready to Run Sale
Entries for NZB’s 2025 Ready to Run Sale of Two-Year-Olds are now open, with the Sale to be held at the Karaka Sales Centre on 13 and 14 November. With a reputation like no other, NZB’s Ready to Run Sale is renowned for being the leading breeze up sale globally. The incredible success of graduates on the racetrack has seen increased buyer demand at Karaka for two-year-olds prepared by New Zealand’s expert horsemen and women. As a result, the 2024 sale aggregate reached over $39 million, an increase of 11%. The clearance…
Time to hit the Detonator, Jack
Ciaron Maher might be away on holidays but his team at home are keen and ready for Finals Day at Flemington where the stable says they have a strong team taking on the wintertime features with lessons learnt along the way. Detonator Jack (NZ) (Jakkalberry) and She’s An Artist (Trapeze Artist) headline their team with the former out to break a long run of outs. Despite having not won since taking out The Gong (1600m) at Kembla Grange in November 2023, the now six-year-old Detonator Jack faces one of his more winnable tasks second-up. While the…
Sharrock eyes another Opunake Cup with Lazio
Allan Sharrock has won two of the last four editions of the Listed Opunake Cup (1400m), and the New Plymouth trainer believes Saturday’s Group One Turf Bar Sprint (1200m) at Te Rapa could put Lazio (NZ) (Per Incanto) on target to add to that record. Sharrock saddled Justaskme (NZ) (No Excuse Needed) to win the midwinter feature on his home track in 2021 and again in 2023. The 2021 edition produced a Sharrock quinella, with the runner-up position filled by London Express (NZ) (Shamexpress) – the dam of last week’s…
Chance for Pacifico to boost Cup prospects
Versatile performer Pacifico (NZ) (Ardrossan) has hit a rich vein of form and another top showing on Saturday will earn him a crack at a richer winter prize. The son of Ardrossan will shoot for his fourth win on the bounce in the UBP Te Awamutu Cup (1600m) at Te Rapa with a return in the mix later this month for The Callinan Family Taumarunui Cup (2200m). Trainer Andrew Forsman can’t fault the four-year-old and will also be chasing success across the Tasman with Prochester (NZ) (Proisir) in the Mahogany…