Author: NZRacingDesk

Six-year-old mare She’s Unusual was a well-supported winner of the Irresistible Pools & Spas Handicap (1900m) at Rosehill on Saturday. The daughter of Unusual Suspect was perfectly ridden by Zac Lloyd, tracking the leader Nkosi before unleashing a devastating sprint to score by just over three lengths. Sporting the colours of OTI Racing for trainers John O’Shea and Tom Charlton, the Randwick conditioners believe the mare is best-suited by a space between runs. “Bar one hiccup this preparation, she has been superb,” Charlton said. “We probably really learnt how to…

Te Akau Racing’s involvement in the Group One raceday at Te Rapa on Saturday was significantly depleted by scratchings due to heavy track conditions, but it was a completely different story at Riccarton. Spring racing was in full swing in Christchurch, with the track upgraded to Good4 and those familiar tangerine silks carried to three highly impressive victories. Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson’s biggest win of the day came in the $50,000 Join TAB Racing Club Mile Prelude (1400m), where Stonybreck blew his rivals away by five lengths. The Tavistock…

Well-respected South Island rider Kylie Williams brought up a significant career milestone when she steered Riviera Rebel (NZ) (Pure Champion) to a convincing victory in the feature flat event at Riccarton, the Waimakariri Businesses North Canterbury Cup (2000m). Williams had been steadily closing in on 1000 career wins in the saddle and after taking out the first race on the card on Miss Ziggy (NZ) (Brazen Beau) to sit on 999, she became the first female rider in New Zealand history to reach 1000 winners with a typically well-judged effort…

Talented colt Magic Carpet (NZ) (Satono Aladdin) chose the ideal moment to break his maiden status when he produced a dogged effort to claim victory in the Gr.2 Timberspan Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400). Prepared at Cambridge by Stephen Marsh, the son of Satono Aladdin had looked to have plenty of ability when finishing third at his first two starts, with Marsh confident that if he received even luck in running on Saturday he was definitely not a forlorn hope. Those circumstances played out perfectly for the Marsh runner as rider…

A barnstorming finish by promising four-year-old Whisky ‘N Roses (NZ) (Belardo) saw him open his Spring campaign on a winning note as he downed a handy field of open sprinters in the BCD Group Sprint (1200m) at Te Rapa. The Joanne Surgenor-prepared son of Belardo looked a galloper of real promise during his three-year-old season where he was twice placed at stakes level including finishing second to champion three-year-old Savaglee in the Gr.2 James & Annie Sarten Memorial (1400m). Punters kept the gelding well in the market for Saturday’s event…

Local three-year-old Alottago (Tagalo) thrust his name into Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) contention with a striking come-from-behind performance in the Rangiora New World Guineas Trial (1400m) at Riccarton on Saturday. The Lance Robinson-trained gelding has improved with every race in his five-start career. He placed in all of his three appearances as a two-year-old including the Listed Welcome Stakes (1000m) and Champagne Stakes (1200m), and he now boasts a perfect two-start, two-win record as a three-year-old. Alottago kicked off his season with a stylish maiden win at Timaru…

Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) proved she is far from a spent force with a dominant display of front running to take out the Gr.2 Ladbrokes Feehan Stakes (1600m) which was accompanied by raucous support from the crowd of 10,000. When Declan Bates dialled up the pressure 600m from home the noise in the amphitheatre which is Valley accompanied him and by the time Pride Of Jenni had defied Treasurethe Moment it had built to a thunderous noise. So much so Bates said for the first time riding Pride…

Ashley Meadows’ patient handling of The Scunner (NZ) (Shamexpress) is bringing its rewards on the racetrack, with the exciting talent kicking off his six-year-old season with a runaway victory in the Cavallo Farms & Chris Rutten Bloodstock Handicap (1400m) at Otaki on Friday. The $50,000 race was the fifth win from only a 13-start career for the Shamexpress gelding, who has now banked over $140,000 in stakes. “He’s a really, really nice horse,” Meadows said. “The ability has always been there. We’ve just given him that little bit of time…

The Lindsay Park team of Ben, Will and J D Hayes will rely on Evaporate (NZ) (Per Incanto) as their major chance in a Stakes race at Sandown.  Rise At Dawn (NZ) (Almanzor) was also an acceptor for the Gr.3 Sandown Stakes (1500m) on Saturday but instead will head to Sydney to contest the Gr.2 Shannon Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill.  Ben Hayes said a rich race in Sydney during the spring was in the back of their minds with Rise At Dawn who resumed at Flemington on September 13 finishing third to stablemate Cafe Millenium (Not A Single Doubt).  “He’s in great…

Otaki horseman Johno Benner has a good association with the Karaka Millions, and he could have another serious contender on his hands for January’s showpiece. He won the 2014 edition of the Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) with Vespa and the inaugural Karaka Millions 3YO Classic (1600m) with Scott Base in 2018, when training in partnership with Hollie Wynyard, and exciting juvenile De Armas put herself in a strong position to qualify for the former race when winning on debut at her home track on Friday. After winning her 600m trial…