Author: NZRacingDesk

Jamie Richards’ stable stocks continued to rise at Happy Valley on Wednesday night after the New Zealand trainer slotted his second double in two meetings as Storming Dragon (Star Turn) claimed joint leadership of the HK$1.5 million DBS x Manulife Million Challenge. Fresh from a brace at the season-opening fixture at Sha Tin on Sunday, Richards struck with Storming Dragon and To Infinity (NZ) (Darci Brahma) to erase the memories of a challenging 2024/25 campaign when he saddled 21 winners. “It’s incredible. We had 21 winners for the whole of…

An Australian winter spell has agreed with Group One winner Pier (NZ) (Proisir), who is set to kick-off his spring preparation in the Gr.2 Theo Marks Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill on Saturday. The six-year-old son of Proisir performed with distinction in Brisbane earlier this year, placing in the Gr.3 BRC Sprint (1350m) before winning the Listed The Wayne Wilson (1600m), and enjoyed some downtime in the warmer climes of Queensland. Trainers Darryn and Briar Weatherley have been pleased with the way he has returned, with the gelding undertaking his early…

Jamie Richards is off to a flyer in Hong Kong, training 4 winners from 7 runners. Richards says “The success couldn’t have come at a better time”. Listen Here : Jamie Richards 11.09.2025

The curtain has come down on the career of champion jumper The Cossack (NZ) (The Cossack). A winner of 15 jumping races, The Cossack returned this season after sustaining a suspensory ligament injury that he suffered just days out from last year’s Grand National Steeplechase (5500m), but after fourth placed efforts in the Wellington Steeplechase (4900m) and Pakuranga Hunt Cup (4300m), his trainers Paul Nelson and Corrina McDougal decided he had nothing left to prove. “We’d been talking about it and he hadn’t been performing quite as well this season…

Cambridge Stud mare Joliestar (Zoustar) has been locked in for next month’s A$20 million The Everest (1200m) following slot holder Chris Waller Racing and Partners announcement that she will be their representative in this year’s edition. It will be the second consecutive year the Group One-winning daughter of Zoustar has represented the Chris Waller Racing and Partners slot, having finished seventh in last year’s running. Joliestar has been all class on the track since that run, winning the Gr.1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) and Gr.1 Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m), and runner-up…

Hec Anderton, one of New Zealand racing’s most respected horsemen, has died at the age of 84. He passed away at the Otago Community Hospice in Dunedin last week, surrounded by his wife Pat and their children, Michael, Paul, Debbie Kennedy, Janine Carroll and Tania Batt. His death came poignantly just hours after Descaro, a horse he bred and raced in partnership, won at Wingatui. The gelding is trained by his brother Brian and nephew Shane, underlining the Anderton family’s deep-rooted place in southern racing.Born Hector Thomas Anderton, he was…

Three-year-old filly Passiflora (NZ) (Farnan) showed promise at the trials and transferred that potential into raceday success when scoring on debut in the NZ Horse Ambulance 970 at Cambridge on Wednesday. The daughter of Farnan had won a 850m trial at Te Awamutu a fortnight ago and was backed into a $4.70 favourite second favourite on Wednesday behind fellow debutant Zivou (NZ) (Bivouac). From her wide draw, Passiflora was sent forward early by jockey Jasmine Fawcett and wrestled the lead off Remember Ferrando (NZ) (Ferrando) and took control of the…

Tardelli (I Am Invincible) has the looks to match his rich pedigree, and his upcoming preparation will be focused on adding a top-level performance to boost his future stallion prospects. The Stephen Marsh-trained four-year-old showed he was in prime order to resume when untouched by rider George Rooke to win an open 1100m heat at Tuesday’s Ellerslie trials. “He’s a really smart horse, we haven’t seen the best of him yet and the goal is obviously to win a Group One with him,” Marsh said. The son of I Am…

Myakkabelle performed with distinction in her three-year-old season, but a stakes win eluded the Ben and Ryan Foote-trained mare. She won two and placed in six of her 10 starts last term, including placings in the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m), Gr.2 Lowland Stakes (2100m), and Gr.2 David & Karym Ellis Fillies Classic (2000m). “Her three-year-old season was good without a lot of luck,” Ryan Foote said. “From a wide draw she had to get back in the Oaks, which made it a bit hard. “We have given her a…

An untimely injury has ruled champion jockey Michael McNab out for the bulk of spring racing. McNab was set to partner a two-year-old at Tuesday’s Ellerslie trials when he was kicked and subsequent x-rays at Auckland Hospital revealed a leg fracture below the knee. “I have spoken to Michael, and he is really gutted,” his agent Aidan Rodley said. “He had made such a strong start to the season and was obviously hoping to capitalise on that through the spring and beyond. “It looks like he will be out for…