Author: NZRacingDesk

New Zealand Group One winner Pier (NZ) (Proisir) has joined in the race for this spring’s A$6 million Cox Plate at The Valley after being paid-up as a late entry on Tuesday. The 2000 Guineas winner as a three-year-old, Pier is trained by father-and-daughter team Darryn and Briar Weatherley and is part-owned by a couple of well-known Australians including Ozzie Kheir and John O’Neil. Pier has won five of his 13 starts, including his latest run in the Listed Wayne Wilson (1600m) at Eagle Farm in June. He is expected…

Cambridge trainers Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray have utilised Ruakaka for a week stint in winter over the last few years, and they are hoping this year’s sojourn continues to reap rewards at the northern venue on Wednesday. The Oaks Stud-bred and raced filly Tajana (NZ) (Darci Brahma) was one stable member that enjoyed her time in the Northland beach town, returning last month to win the Gr.3 Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m). Ritchie and Murray will return to Ruakaka on Wednesday with a trio of runners, and they are hoping…

South Africa will tackle the All Blacks at Eden Park on Saturday night and earlier in the day a horse named after one of their favourite sons will be vying for Group One glory down the road at Ellerslie Racecourse. Cambridge Stud’s Habana (Zoustar) is named after former springbok Bryan Habana, who showed electrifying speed on the wing in his 124 tests for South Africa. His equine namesake has inherited some of that speed, having won eight of his 24 starts, including the Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m) and Listed…

The Guerin Report’s back and there’s only one way to return … with Opie Bosson. Michael sits down for a deep chat with the legendary jockey to find out why he retired and why he’s back. And Michael has some news on the Great New Zealand Steeplechase and the Proisir Plate. Guerin Report – S2 Ep.1 Ft. Opie Bosson Pt.1

The Jomara Bloodstock bred and raced Geneva (NZ) (Time Test) is primed for a bold showing in Saturday’s Listed Sir Colin Meads Trophy (1200m), according to trainer Kylie Hoskin. After winning on debut over 1100m at Te Rapa in May, the son of Time Test had a freshen-up over winter and resumed with a fourth placing when a short-priced favourite in last month’s Gr.3 Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) on an unsuitable Heavy9 surface at Ruakaka. He subsequently galloped at Ellerslie last Thursday and Hoskin is excited about his prospects in…

A member of one of New Zealand racing’s most famous and successful families has died, with the recent passing of Tony (Anthony) Dennis, aged 86. Dennis, twin brother Ray and their younger siblings Martin and Joe, established a formidable training and breeding operation and were based at Woodlands, near Invercargill, for more than 60 years until their retirement from training at the end of last year. The brothers enjoyed spectacular success with their charges instantly recognisable as carrying the prefix ‘The’. “It was unbelievable, they never had big numbers and…

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New Zealand Bloodstock has unveiled the 2025 Ready to Run Sale catalogue, comprising a quality line-up of 480 two-year-olds. Combining commercial pedigrees with professional sale preparations, the offering follows a blue-chip honour roll, with recent graduates amassing 10 Group One wins and 12 other stakes victories last season alone, further underlining the sale’s global reputation as the best of its kind. Graduates span the spectrum from Hong Kong headline acts Golden Sixty (Medaglia D’oro) and Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) (Sweynesse) to current Australian Group One winners such as Mr Brightside (NZ)…

Top-class galloper Antipodean (NZ) (Derryn) produced devastating turn of foot to win the RM70,000 Trinity Cup for Class 1 horses over 1400m at Sungai Besi on Sunday for ex-pat Kiwi trainer Simon Dunderdale. Winning jockey Bernardo Pinheiro said the best is yet to come from the champion galloper. “He’s about 85 percent today and should be 100 percent for the Selangor Gold Cup (on Sep 14),” said the Brazilian jockey. Pinheiro should know. He rode Antipodean to four of the gelding’s nine wins last year including the 3YO Pacific Cup…

Mathew Gillies brought up a memorable milestone at Te Aroha on Sunday when recording his 100th win in the saddle in New Zealand. The 39-year-old went into the meeting with several promising rides, but it was upon the Dean Wiles-trained Justice that he brought up his riding century in the Dean Wiles Racing Maiden Steeplechase (3600m). Gillies had schooled the Belardo six-year-old and took plenty of confidence from his debut steeplechase in July. “I went and schooled him during the week and he jumped really well,” Gillies said. “On his…