Mark Corcoran went to Trentham with understandably high hopes and events subsequently exceeded all expectations with a massive result at Rosehill topping off a super Saturday. Corcoran operates Grangewilliam Stud with wife Jane and their stallion roster proved the potent force at the meeting with Derryn’s star filly Leica Lucy leading the charge for trainer Robbie Patterson with victory in the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m). Derryn also sired progressive undercard winner Doctor Askar for breeder, part-owner and trainer Joanne Moss while associate stallion Zed chimed in with Leica Lucy’s…
Author: NZRacingDesk
Atishu ready for Australian Cup
Atishu (NZ) (Savabeel) is no stranger to big-race successes at Flemington and champion trainer Chris Waller says the mare is “ready to go” for another tilt at winning a Gr.1 Australian Cup on Saturday. Among the multiple Group One winner’s feature race wins at Flemington during her career are a Gr.1 Champions Stakes (2000m) during the 2023 Melbourne Cup Carnival and last year’s Gr.1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m). The mare has also won a Gr.2 Blamey Stakes (1600m) at the course last year and the 2022 Gr.2 Matriarch Stakes, while…
Brightside booked for HK flight
Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) will travel to Hong Kong without another run in Australia after Lindsay Park secured a flight for the nine-time Group One winner to run on Champions Day next month. The Gr.1 Champions Mile – and a potential clash with local pin-ups Beauty Eternal, Voyage Bubble and Galaxy Patch – looms large for Mr Brightside, who ran a gallant second in the All-Star Mile at Caulfield earlier this month. The stable reported that the seven-year-old jarred up on the Good 3 track and emerged with a bruised…
Weigh In, March 23
Guy, Emily & Jayne review a massive day of racing. Robbie Patterson joins the show after his double stakes win including an emotion send off for Leica Lucy, and Dirk & Nicci Oberholster come on to chat about their breeding success at Trentham & Rosehill. Weigh In, March 23
Marsh continues winning roll with juvenile fillies
Stephen Marsh has unveiled a number of promising two-year-old fillies this week and the latest in Lady Iris (NZ) (U S Navy Flag) stamped her authority with a strong win in the Entain/NZB Insurance Pearl Series (1050m) at Matamata on Sunday. Marsh combined with jockey Wiremu Pinn to take out the juvenile event at Pukekohe Park on Friday with debutant Little Black Dress, with stablemate Mazino completing the quinella. Pinn also guided the Marsh-trained Glamour Tycoon to win Saturday’s Listed Lightning Handicap (1200m) at Trentham, the second of his two…
Wolfgang completes Cup-St Leger double
A last-gasp triumph in Saturday’s The Frac Club New Zealand St Leger (2500m) completed a rare Trentham double for Wolfgang (NZ) (Puccini), whose connections are now daring to dream of even bigger things next spring. Wolfgang is the 11th horse to win both the Wellington Cup (3200m) and the St Leger, and only the third to do the double in the same season – joining Concentrate (1930) and Waisake (2021). Saturday’s $110,000 St Leger was the final start of a remarkable campaign for Wolfgang, who has earned more than $490,000…
Conor O’Ceirin strikes in the south
Former northerner Conor O’Ceirin (NZ) (Dial A Prayer) made an impressive start to his new campaign in the South Island, leading most of the way to win Saturday’s Johnny Fresh Darfield and Yaldhurst Open Handicap (1400m) at Riccarton Park. The eight-year-old son of Dial A Prayer had been a strong performer in the care of former trainer Robbie Patterson, winning eight races and over $200,000 in stakes before he sent him south to join Riccarton conditioner Anna Furlong. Last seen during the Wellington Cup Carnival in January, Conor O’Ceirin…
Riverton visitor stars in Hororata Gold Cup
Striking Riverton galloper Riviera Rebel (NZ) (Pure Champion) proved he is right up to the South Island’s top open-class stayers with an all-the-way win in Saturday’s Seaton Family Hororata Gold Cup (1800m) at Riccarton Park. The son of Pure Champion appeared last Sunday at Wingatui to finish fourth in the Beaumont Cup (1500m), and it was only a last-minute decision by Graham Eade and Brooke Kincaid to travel to Riccarton Park this week to take on the $50,000 contest. Carrying just 54kg under Jasmine Fawcett, Riviera Rebel closed a $4.50…
NZ Racing and Breeding News – 23 March 2025
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Hilal’s half-sister stars in Golden Slipper
Saturday’s A$5 million Gr.1 TAB Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill capped an extraordinary day for Grangewilliam Stud’s stallion roster. The world’s richest two-year-old race was won by the lightly raced filly Marhoona, who is by Snitzel out of the unraced Encosta de Lago mare Salma. Marhoona became the third individual stakes winner for that outstanding broodmare, who is also the dam of Grangewilliam Stud stallion Hilal. A son of the influential Fastnet Rock, Hilal won three races himself including the Gr.2 Stan Fox Stakes (1500m). He also placed in the…