Author: NZRacingDesk

Ace High filly She’s A Dealer (Ace High) will keep ticking over until her Classic aspirations become clear. The Roger James and Robert Wellwood-trained three-year-old was a gallant runner-up at Randwick on Saturday, but her chances of a start in the Gr.1 Queensland Oaks (2400m) remain unclear. She’s A Dealer pleased connections in her Australian debut over 1800m on a heavy track under regular rider George Rooke in Rich Hill Stud’s colours. “We just don’t know yet whether she’ll make the Oaks field,” farm principal John Thompson said. “She’ll stay…

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Lindsay Park will target both Group One’s in Brisbane on Saturday, with the decision made to send staying filly Chase Your Dreams (NZ) (Contributer) up against the boys in the A$1 million Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m). Co-trainer Ben Hayes said on Monday that it was felt the timing of the Derby works better for the recent Gr.3 SA Classic (2500m) runner-up than waiting a further week for the Gr.1 Queensland Oaks (2200m). “We just felt that it would be a month (between runs), which was a bit awkward and there…

Beneath The Stars (NZ) (Ten Sovereigns) may have a fair way to go to reach the lofty heights of some of her relatives, but she is heading in the right direction following her maiden victory at Ellerslie on Sunday. Bred and raced by George and Maryanne Simon, Beneath The Stars is out of Dormez Vous (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle), a half-sister to three-time Group One winner and Group One-producing sire Turn Me Loose (NZ) (Iffraaj). By Ten Sovereigns, Beneath The Stars had one prior start, finishing fourth over 1200m at…

Underthemoonlight (NZ) (El Hermano) was a high-class mare during her racing days and she’s continuing to star during the second phase of her career. The daughter of El Hermano was a multiple black-type winner and placed at the highest level and subsequently made an immediate impact as a broodmare. Underthemoonlight was trained by Karyn McQuade, who bred the mare with husband Hamish and raced by them with Clive Solomon and was successful on six occasions. She claimed top honours in the Gr.2 Foxbridge Plate (1200m) and Gr.3 Taranaki Breeders’ Classic…

Suzy Gordon was in the spotlight at Awapuni’s first synthetic meeting of the winter on Sunday, with a winning double headlined by surface specialist Doubtful Sound (Not A Single Doubt). The gelding by Not A Single Doubt had four previous wins on the Awapuni and Riccarton Synthetic tracks and Gordon had trekked to the southern venue last start, but found Doubtful Sound was just a run short of hitting top form. Closer to her Foxton base on Sunday, Doubtful Sound was primed for the Hygain Tracktorque (1400m) and was on…

Superstar mare Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) is set to return to Victoria with a decision to be made on her racing future. Owner Tony Ottobre confirmed to Racing.com on Monday morning that connections had decided to wrap up Pride Of Jenni’s Queensland campaign after a flat performance in Saturday’s Gr.1 Doomben Cup (2000m). However he stopped short of calling time on the three-time Group One winner’s career. That decision will be made once she returns to Victoria and connections have let the dust settle on Saturday’s performance. The star…

Cliff Brown’s pair of emerging kiwi stayers Scintillante (NZ) (Savabeel) and Rogan (NZ) (Super Seth) will get the chance to show off their staying prowess in the Gr.1 Queensland Derby at Eagle Farm on Saturday. Both three-year-olds geldings haven’t started since May 3 when Rogan won over 2000 metres at Caufield against his own age and Scintillante finished fourth in the Gr.1 South Australian Derby behind Femminile. Although both are at big odds in the betting, Brown is buoyant about their prospects saying they are talented stayers. “Both are in…

It was an unfortunate accident that saw talented mare Niance (NZ) (Swiss Ace) miss the Autumn, but Grahame Begg believes the lightly raced five-year-old can make up for lost time over the Winter. A winner of six races from ten starts, Niance is set to resume in the Listed Bel Esprit Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on Saturday, a track and distance where Niance is already a Group Three winner. That fact made it an easy decision for Begg to target the Bel Esprit, which he hopes can be used as…

A wet track may have thwarted the finishing power of King Of Thunder (NZ) (Tivaci) last start but connections are hoping a drier surface will enable the horse to show his true colours in the Gr.1 Queensland Derby on Saturday. King Of Thunder finished third to Imperialist in heavy conditions at his final lead-up run in the Gr.3 Rough Habit Plate (2000m) and while content with the performance, co-trainer Tom Charlton said the three-year-old wasn’t at his best in the rain-affected going. “It looked like he was coming to make…