Author: NZRacingDesk

It will be a full-circle moment for Te Akau Racing at The Valley on Friday night when Lyrics ‘N’ Song (Written Tycoon), a daughter of their former multiple Group One winner Melody Belle (NZ), makes her debut. Raced by New Zealand syndicator Fortuna, Melody Belle won 19 races for former Te Akau trainers Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards, including 14 at Group One level. She accrued more than $4 million in prize money and was crowned New Zealand Horse of the Year in 2018-19 and 2019-20. Following her racing career,…

Last season’s New Zealand Derby hero Willydoit (NZ) (Tarzino) will step back into the spotlight on Saturday when he contests the Gr.1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Randwick for trainer Ciaron Maher, with jockey Tommy Berry bullish the horse is ready to make his mark over the famous mile. While his Derby win showcased his staying prowess as a three-year-old, Berry believes the maturing son of Tarzino has sharpened considerably, now looking every inch a genuine miler with the strength to stretch out slightly further if required. The Group One winner…

Tony Rider experienced the extreme highs and lows of breeding thoroughbreds within a matter of hours on Wednesday. During the afternoon, Rider celebrated three winners across the card at Tauranga with Savvysuper (NZ) (Super Seth), Just Call Me Jonny (NZ) (Eminent) and Vickezzlastcall (NZ) (Wrote), all horses that he bred and races under his Milan Park banner. But, later that evening, the latter’s half-sister Aromatic (NZ) died after complications having her first foal. “We lost Aromatic last night, she foaled on Friday night with a dead foal and the foal…

After a remarkable run in New Zealand that saw him notch an impressive 167 wins, Malaysian-born jockey Joe Kamaruddin is set to make a highly anticipated return to race day action at Selangor Turf Club. Kamaruddin, whose career flourished across the Tasman, earned a reputation for tactical finesse, consistency, and a deep understanding of race dynamics. His success in New Zealand included partnerships with top stables and victories across a range of distances and conditions, cementing his status as one of the region’s most respected riders. Following a hiatus from…

Trainer Dennis Yip claimed a timely first win of the 2025/26 season, taking out the feature HK$4.2 million Gr.3 National Day Cup Handicap (1000m) at Sha Tin’s National Day fixture on Wednesday when his stable star Fast Network, a New Zealand bred son of Wrote, blitzed a strong field under Alexis Badel. Badel, who won the race for the third time, was victorious last season aboard Beauty Waves, who faded to sixth place under champion jockey Zac Purton in a tame defence of his crown. The Frenchman said this time…

Te Aroha horsewoman Emma Faber crossed over the Kaimai range to record her first training win at Tauranga on Wednesday, courtesy of Reckoning in the Tauranga Crossing Fashions In The Field November 1st (1400m). It was the second start for the Echoes Of Heaven four-year-old, having run seventh on debut over 1200m at Ellerslie last month, and Faber was confident of an improved performance. The gelding had shown plenty of promise at home and at the trials, winning his 1100m heat at Avondale prior to his debut, and Faber was…

A Group Three test is in the offing for Group Two performer Saint Bathans, who has transferred south to the care of Ascot Park trainer Robert Dennis. Previously trained by Andrew Forsman out of his Cambridge and Flemington bases, the son of Maurice won five races on both sides of the Tasman, with his career highlight being a runner-up performance behind Habana in last year’s Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m). The seven-year-old gelding has been leased to a group of Dennis’ clients and the Southland horseman has been pleased with…

The TAB Racing Club is set to wind down, with the business case for the experience-based programme no longer stacking up for operator Entain Australia & New Zealand. Modelled off sister company Ladbrokes’ popular Racing Club, the TAB Racing Club was launched last year and gives members the chance to experience the thrill of racehorse ownership without the cost. It has been well patronised, with around 18,000 New Zealand TAB customers joining the Club. They have experienced several highlights over the last year, starting with their first win at Ascot…

Progressive three-year-old Sulek (NZ) (Super Seth) notched his first victory when landing the MRC Foundation Pin & Win Plate (1400m) at Sandown on Wednesday for trainer Dominic Sutton. The gelded son of Super Seth was having just his second start and after racing a little keenly early, settled midfield under jockey Billy Egan before comfortably reeling in the leaders and staving off the late challenge of runner-up Snitz Sonic (Snitzel). “He is still doing a little bit wrong. You could see in the home straight he just wanted to lug…

Group Two performer Mary Shan (NZ) (Almanzor) will be in search of an elusive stakes victory when she heads south to Hawera on Saturday where she will contest the Gr.3 Grangewilliam Stud Breeders’ Stakes (1400m). The five-year-old daughter of Almanzor has placed at stakes level on five occasions, including the Gr.2 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m), Gr.2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m), Listed Matamata Cup (1600m) and $1 million Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic (1600m). This year’s edition of the Matamata Cup is on this weekend, and while Mary Shan has a good record…