Author: NZRacingDesk

One of the country’s most successful jumps jockeys in Mathew Gillies will make a welcome return to the riding ranks at Wanganui on Sunday. Originally hailing from Palmerston North, the Auckland-based hoop won the National Jumps Jockeys’ Premiership in the 2013-24 season and has steered home a total of 101 winners, including six in Australia. Through this period, Gillies won a number of prestige races while also spending time on the sidelines through injury, but it was the COVID-19 outbreak that kept him out of the saddle after Grand National…

Wexford Stables will head to Arawa Park on Saturday with the defending Gr.3 Rotorua ITM Stakes (1400m) champion Karman Line, but her stablemates won’t be making a repeat crown an easy task. The biggest threat on recent form is Tomodachi, a shortening $2.90 race-favourite who earned her first black-type credentials when booming home into third in the Listed City Of Napier Sprint (1200m). The daughter of Tarzino recorded impressive sectionals in that event on a Soft5 track, and with conditions likely to worsen, trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott are…

After 13 months off the scene, Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young’s stable stalwart Forgot You (NZ) (Savabeel) will make his return to the races on Saturday at Caulfield. After most recently racing in March last year, the dual Group Two winner is set to line up in the Thoroughbred Club of Australia Handicap (1400m). “He did a suspensory ligament, he’s been at Lee Evison’s, he’s obviously rehabbed him,” Busuttin said. “Touchwood, at the moment, he’s looking good.” Forgot You has had two jumpouts leading into his comeback run on Saturday,…

Mapperley Stud has announced Champion son of Galileo – Armory will stand for a fee of $10,000+gst this season. Armory will be standing his 4th season at stud in 2025 and has been heavily supported by New Zealand breeders since his arrival covering 350 mares across his first 3 seasons. “Breeders were attracted to his elite Gr.1 form as a 2 year-old, where he won the Gr.2 Futurity Stakes and Gr.3 Tyros Stakes before placing in 3 Gr.1 contests including a 2nd to Champion 2 year-old Pinatubo” “Breeders also like to see…

Iconic Southern nursery White Robe Lodge has kept things simple for breeders this season with their stallion roster of three – Alflaila, Ancient Spirit and Ghibellines – all to stand at $7,000+GST. New addition Alflaila has been positively-received with the well-related multiple Group Two winner providing breeders with access to the highly sought-after Dark Angel sire-line. “It’s great timing with Dark Angel being the Champion Sire of Britain and Ireland last year and with his sire-son Harry Angel being one of the most exciting stallions across the Tasman,” White Robe…

Marotiri Molly will aim to complete her season on a high note at Arawa Park on Saturday, taking on her own sex in the Gr.3 Rotorua ITM Stakes (1400m). Prepared by Matt Dixon at Foxton, Marotiri Molly has conquered all before her since opening her preparation in late August, winning four of nine races including the Gr.2 Manawatu Challenge Stakes (1400m), and placing behind gun mare La Crique in the Gr.2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes (1400m). After running a creditable fifth-equal in the Gr.1 Thorndon Mile (1600m) in January, Dixon…

It may have not been the result he was after, but Andrew Campbell was pleased with Croupier’s run at Eagle Farm last Saturday, and will press on towards his intended feature targets. Following two wins in New Zealand, Croupier made his Australian debut over a mile at the Brisbane track last weekend where he finished fourth in the hands of former New Zealand-based jockey Mark Du Plessis. “I thought it was a good run, maybe he (Du Plessis) should have hooked him out wide instead of going to the rail,”…

Fresh off tackling the Warrnambool May Carnival with Berry The Cash, Awapuni trainer Mark Oulaghan is back home and looking forward to kicking off his Champion jumper West Coast’s season this weekend. The imposing son of Mettre En Jeu will compete on the flat in the Palamountains Nutrition Maiden (2060m) at Wanganui on Sunday, and while Oulaghan isn’t expecting to see his charge feature in the finish, it isn’t beyond the realms of possibility. The nine-year-old gelding ran fourth over 2200m first-up last year, and Oulaghan has been pleased with…

Promising juvenile Engine Of War (NZ) (Circus Maximus) has joined the growing Australasian stable of international micro-share syndicator MyRacehorse. The son of Circus Maximus was purchased after finishing third at the first time of asking for Cambridge trainer Andrew Forsman. “We bought him about a week and a-half ago and he had a couple of private jump-outs that we really liked and loved him on debut at Waverley,” said Ben Willis, MyRacehorse’s Australasian Managing Director. “We were going to run him in that 1400m two-year-old stakes race (Listed Waikato Equine…

After failing to get in foal last season, Chantilly Lace (NZ) (US Navy Flag) is progressing well toward black-type targets before connections turn their focus back to her breeding career. The daughter of U S Navy Flag will step out in Saturday’s Trust House Masterton Cup (1400m) at Trentham as a forerunner to further stakes opportunities. Chantilly Lace will be making the third appearance of her campaign, and the prospect of soft ground will provide her with the ideal stage to showcase her talent. “Obviously, she didn’t get in foal…