The Listed Civic Stakes (1400m wasn’t always the first choice for Grebeni’s next start, but co-trainer Sterling Alexiou believed it might just prove the right fit. The son of Ocean Park was being aimed towards the Tattersall’s Mile (1600m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday week, however, Alexiou and training partner Gerald Ryan had a rethink and opted to send him around at Randwick this Saturday instead. “It wasn’t really the plan to run this Saturday. He was going to go to Eagle Farm (Saturday week) and run in the Tatt’s Mile, but we were just a little bit concerned…
Author: NZRacingDesk
Platinum Diamond provides Latta’s missing piece
The Listed John Turkington Forestry Castletown Stakes (1200m) was one of the few age-group features in the lower North Island that was missing from Lisa Latta’s CV, but the fast-improving filly Platinum Diamond dealt to that unfinished business at Otaki on Friday. Latta has picked up more than 80 black-type victories in her 1200-win training career, including Central Districts two and three-year-old prizes such as the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m), Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m), Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m), Gr.2 Wellington Guineas (1400m), Gr.2 Lowland Stakes (2100m),…
Piper’s Son outfights the favourite in Raukawa Cup
Stratford gelding Piper’s Son produced a remarkable performance to get up off the canvas and score the biggest win of his career in Friday’s $45,000 Harcourts Otaki Raukawa Cup (2100m). The Tony Dravitzki-trained Piper’s Son headed into Otaki’s Matariki meeting with a rating of just 56, making him the lowest-rated runner in the open handicap line-up. Even with apprentice jockey Elle Sole’s 3kg claim, he appeared to have his work cut out against the $2.70 favourite Boomtown Boy. But Dravitzki was confident his five-year-old gelding was not there to simply…
Former Northern winner back in action
Comeback jumper Te Kahu will begin another campaign toward New Zealand’s premier steeplechases at Te Aroha on Sunday, stepping out on the flat alongside his stablemate, Captains Run. Now an 11-year-old, Te Kahu won the Great Northern Steeplechase (6200m) back in 2021 and campaigned briefly in Australia in the following year. The talented chestnut was off the scene for nearly two years after that, but he made a serious resurgence last year, defeating champion jumper West Coast to win the Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase (4800m), which was just his 19th start.…
Classic boost to holiday fund beckons
Cody Cole will be watching his in-form mare Rareza from afar on Saturday in her quest for a stakes victory. The Matamata trainer is taking a well-earned break at Port Douglas in Queensland during a personal-best season of 34 winners and stable earnings of more than $1.2 million. Cole has received positive reports from his staff ahead of the Rareza’s bid to make it four consecutive victories when she runs in the Listed Team Wealleans Tauranga Classic (1400m). “She’s going well and has come through her last win nicely,” he…
Price-Kent pair to clash at Flemington
A pair of progressive New Zealand bred gallopers will head up Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr’s team at Flemington on Saturday, with Taken (NZ) (Ardrossan) and Bring Forth (NZ) (Turn Me Loose) set to face off over a mile in the Rod Johnson Handicap (1620m). Taken has won his past three races, starting with an easy maiden success at Pakenham before posting consecutive front-running city wins over a mile. The first was a nailbiter at Sandown, but the latest was a breathtaking three-length success at Headquarters a fortnight ago…
Wynyard hoping the stars align on Matariki
Cambridge trainer Hollie Wynyard will head back to her old stomping ground of Otaki on Friday where she is hoping the stars align on Matariki and she can score her first individual stakes victory. Promising two-year-old filly Ayumi (NZ) (Headwater) will be holding the weight of expectation when she lines-up in the Listed John Turkington Forestry Castletown Stakes (1200m) following her pleasing runner-up debut performance at New Plymouth last month. The daughter of Headwater was bettered by the Robbie Patterson-trained Paltrow Miss by three lengths, but her vanquisher won’t feature…
Local filly fires on debut at Cambridge
Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray wouldn’t usually present a horse to the races without a trial, but that indicated how much they thought of Love The Sort (Tassort), and she bolted in on debut at the Cambridge Synthetic on Wednesday. The filly’s success was the first leg of a winning double for the stable, with Ritchie on course while Murray celebrated his birthday in the warmer climes of Queensland. “I’ve just got back from the States and had a fantastic experience over there, and Colm took off this morning to…
Tauranga finale for talented Wexford trio
Talented mare Grande Gallo (NZ) (Belardo) will return to her favourite track in pursuit of black-type in Saturday’s Listed Team Wealleans Tauranga Classic (1400m), with two of her key rivals coming from the same stable. The daughter of Belardo has won three out of four appearances at the Tauranga course, and after her success in the Owens Plate (1200m) in March, trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott pencilled in the fillies and mares feature. “This race has been on her radar for a long time, it was her finale that…
Myers continuing family dynasty
The Myers name is synonymous with Central Districts racing, and Palmerston North-based trainer Caley Myers is continuing to add to her family’s legacy in the industry. The daughter of renowned Wanganui horseman Kevin “Dummy” Myers, Caley has been involved in the sport from an early age and gained a solid grounding from her family. She enjoyed working for her father for several years, which included campaigning horses around the country, but decided last season it was time to step out on her own and carve her own path. Myers scored…