Author: NZRacingDesk

Cambridge Stud mare Jaarffi (NZ) (Iffraaj) posted yet another stakes placing over the weekend, and trainer Lance Noble is hoping she can be rewarded for her consistency with an elusive black-type victory over summer. The six-year-old daughter of Iffraaj finished third behind Qali Al Farrasha in the Gr.2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) at Pukekohe last Saturday, with Noble believing her wide alley played a significant factor. “She went super, but the barrier draw (11) beat her,” Noble said. “From that barrier draw we had to go back with her…

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Elsdon Park was in the thick of the black-type action at Pukekohe Park on Saturday, with a winning double for the Matamata nursery. De Armas set the ball rolling with her stunning strike in the Listed Couties Challenge Stakes (1100m) and Ardalio carried farm principal Lib Petagna’s colours to victory in the Gr.3 Counties Bowl (1100m). Both are by Waikato Stud’s Ardrossan, with Petagna enjoying a racing share in the stakes-winning son of Redoute’s Choice and has remained in the ownership group of the stallion. “We love him, he leaves…

Shaun and Emma Clotworthy are looking forward to heading to Ellerslie on Boxing Day with a pair of their runners following their winning double at Pukekohe on Saturday. Progressive mare Sista Sugar opened the stable’s account on Saturday when taking out the Stella Artois Championship Qualifier (1400m) in the hands of jockey Masa Hashizume, improving on her first-up runner-up effort over 1200m at Ellerslie last month. “She got a beautiful trip. She is only small but she tries hard,” Shaun Clotworthy said. “She has matured a bit more as a…

“Champions Day” was a fitting moniker for a day that celebrated everything great about New Zealand racing – and the first meeting of New Zealand’s richest-ever raceday takes the spotlight in the 2025 New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual. Headlined by New Zealand’s richest-ever race, the $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m), Champions Day featured a line-up of New Zealand’s most iconic races, the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m), the Gr.1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m), the Gr.1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m), the Gr.1. Sistema Stakes (1200m) and the Gr.2…

Opting for Cambridge apprentice Sienna Brown as Spencer’s rider at Wanganui on Saturday wasn’t a difficult decision for the talented gelding’s connections. Brown was already familiar with Spencer from his time with Waverley trainer Erin Hocquard, having ridden him twice for a win and a third placing earlier in the season. Topweight of 62kg for the Manawatu ITM 1340m meant an apprentice claim was again called for the Derryn gelding in his first start for new trainers Peter and Shaun McKay. Brown’s four-kilo claim reduced Spencer’s impost to a still…

New Zealand-bred sprinting sensation Ka Ying Rising continued his dominance on Sunday when defending his crown in the Gr.2 BOCHK Private Banking Jockey Club Sprint (1200m) at Sha Tin. Fresh off returning back to Hong Kong following his heroics in last month’s A$20 million The Everest (1200m) at Randwick, he wowed his local fans once again when running out an effortless 2-3/4 length victor and extended his unbeaten streak to 15. Jockey Zac Purton was pleased with his charge’s effort and said it was another confidence-boosting victory heading into next…

Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress) maintained a relentless pursuit of racing history and stretched his unbeaten sequence to 15 races with a devastating display of power and speed to land the HK$5.35 million Gr.2 Jockey Club Sprint (1200m) at Sha Tin on Sunday. Unvanquished since January 2024, Ka Ying Rising (128lb) obliterated nine rivals in clocking the second-fastest time in history over 1200m at Sha Tin – 1m 07.33s, marginally outside his own track record of 1m 07.20s – despite being eased down over the last 100m by jockey Zac…

When local trainer Jo-Anne Dalton put a saddle on Sestina (NZ) (Lonhro) for Sunday’s Gladvale Farms Winton Cup (1400m) at Ascot Park, she expected the $35,000 race to be little more than a pipe-opener ahead of the Cromwell Cup (2030m) next weekend – but the Lonhro mare had other ideas. Sestina swept to victory in Sunday’s open handicap, recording her second 1400m success from only three starts so far in her six-year-old season. “It’s a big surprise, to be fair,” Dalton said. “Even Tina (Comignaghi, jockey) thought she’d be flat-footed…

Join Guy Heveldt, Emily Murphy and Aidan Rodley has the break down the action from a sunny Pukekohe Park for Counties Cup day. Weigh In, November 23