Author: NZRacingDesk

The Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) has often been the one that got away for Shaune Ritchie, but Tajana’s (NZ) (Darci Brahma) superb first-up performance at Ruakaka on Saturday has the Cambridge trainer dreaming of a breakthrough in the Riccarton classic. A last-to-first triumph in the Gr.3 Cambridge Stud Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) was Tajana’s first step along the road to the 1000 Guineas – a race Ritchie has run second in with Keep The Peace (NZ) (Keeper) in 2009, Bella Gioia (NZ) (Swiss Ace) in 2016 and Jennifer…

Wyong trainer Denim Wynen celebrated her second city winner in as many weeks when the New Zealand-bred Monkhana (NZ) (Mongolian Khan) took out the A$120,000 Midway Handicap (1500m) at Rosehill on Saturday. Wynen had never trained a metropolitan winner before the start of the 2025-26 season, but now the 29-year-old has struck twice in quick succession with Sunshine Law on August 2 and Monkhana on Saturday. “I’m lost for words,” Wynen said. “I can’t believe it, I’m so excited.” Saturday’s assignment was the second start in a new campaign for…

Apprentice jockey Gareth Lahoud has formed a potent partnership with Cleat (NZ) (Rios) this winter, and the pair mastered the murky conditions at Ruakaka on Saturday to collect another victory in the Accurate Books (1100m). Lahoud has now ridden nine winners in his career, with three of those successes coming from only four rides on Cleat. Lahoud and Cleat teamed up for the first time at Te Rapa on May 31, where Cleat won a 1200m Rating 75 by a length and three-quarters. More success followed at Tauranga on June…

Apprentice Elen Nicholas produced a pair of copybook rides to notch a winning double at New Plymouth including a stylish victory aboard Te Awamutu visitor Rosetown Princess (NZ) (Redwood) in the Makita Open (1800m). Nicholas opened her account aboard the Michael Wallace-trained Florin (NZ) (Vanbrugh) in race two before employing similar tactics aboard Rosetown Princess to make it two wins from her only rides on the day. Caught wide in the early rush for positions, Nicholas didn’t panic and eased the Darrell Hollinshead-prepared mare around to sit outside leader Pick…

Tuxedo (NZ) (Tivaci) held his own against the best of his generation as a three-year-old last season, and a spectacular first-up performance at Ruakaka on Saturday suggested that he might be about to make the next step at four. The Tivaci gelding outclassed his opposition in the Hello Youmzain-Champion NZ First Season Sire (1400m) to set up a shot at the Gr.1 Proisir Plate (1400m) at Ellerslie on September 6. Saturday’s $40,000 open handicap was only the seventh start of Tuxedo’s career. Cambridge trainers Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray lined…

Veteran sprinter Tavis Court (NZ) (Tavistock) showed there is still plenty of fight left in the old dog as he led all the way to take out the opening event at New Plymouth on Saturday, the Paslode Open (1400m). The ten-year-old Tavistock gelding has always thrived on winter tracks and with rider Kate Hercock producing a pacemaking special, the Anna Clement-trained galloper was always going to be hard to peg back for his four rivals. Tavis Court jumped cleanly from the barrier and Hercock had no hesitation in keeping another…

Reigning premiership winners Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson will watch Ruakaka closely on Saturday despite sending only one runner to the Northland course. The Te Akau Racing team will be represented by Age Of Discovery in the Accurate Books (1100m) at Rating 75 level. Age Of Discovery was a $625,000 yearling purchase by David Ellis at Karaka 2023, and he looked like living right up to that price tag with super-impressive wins in the first two starts of his career at Riccarton last September. He was at one stage the…

The last three months have been a breakthrough period in the career of Zanzibar, who will attempt to continue his rise through the winter ranks in Saturday’s ITM New Plymouth Interprovincial (1600m). The Jomara Bloodstock homebred had made little impression in his four career starts before May of this year. He finished 10th on debut at Pukekohe last November, followed by sixth placings at Rotorua and Te Aroha and a fourth at Tauranga. But Zanzibar has returned to action as a very different horse this winter, recording two wins and…

Stephen Marsh’s stable promises to be a major player when the feature spring age-group races roll around, with a host of talented three-year-olds to take serious steps toward those targets at the weekend. The Cambridge trainer will be represented by last season’s stakes winners To Cap It All and Little Black Dress and black-type placegetter Lady Iris in Sunday’s Pak ‘N’ Save 3YO (1200m) at Taupo. “They’ve all had one trial and this is a stepping stone to much bigger things,” Marsh said. “Out of this race, there’s the Sir…

Otaki trainer Andrew Campbell saw potential in Cocobill as a yearling, and two and a half years later the ex-Victorian galloper will make his Kiwi debut for his stable at Woodville on Sunday. After stepping away from training for a couple of years in 2021, Campbell went down the path of becoming a bloodstock agent, and Cocobill was among the yearlings he sourced for clients out of the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales at Karaka. The son of Vadamos was secured for just $18,000 by Campbell, client Tommy…