Author: NZRacingDesk

Expat Mauritian jockey Abhay Seesa made the perfect start to his riding career at Te Aroha on Sunday when winning the JT Carter Plumbers Amateur Riders (2200m) aboard Dancin In The Dark for his employer Ralph Manning. Seesa has been working for the Cambridge horseman for the last couple of years, and he was excited to bring up his first win for Manning. “I was very excited as it was my dream,” Seesa said. “To get my first win with my first ride was great, and it was great to…

Danny O’Brien had his sights on starting Grinzinger Belle (NZ) (Shamexpress) in the Gr.1 Tattersall’s Tiara Stakes (1400m) at Eagle Farm for some time, but he knew there was a caveat on this plan as she was to be sold at the Chairman’s Sale in May. Luckily for O’Brien, after Yulong Investments purchased the mare for $1.45 million from her owner John Wheeler, they elected to leave her with him and allow him to fulfil his plan. Now the O’Brien stable is hoping they can impress the behemoth ownership group…

Emily Farr made a promise to her father before his recent passing and she came closer to fulfilling that on Sunday at Te Aroha, when guiding Leitrim Lad (NZ) (Tavistock) to success in the K and R Steeplechase (3500m). A mainstay in New Zealand’s jumps jockey ranks, Farr has missed the majority of the past two seasons whilst being in her homeland of Wales, caring for her parents. After a tough battle with dementia, her father sadly passed earlier this year, and she arrived back in the country less than…

Last year’s Great Northern Hurdles (4200m) winner Lord Spencer (NZ) (Zed) gave warning to his rivals ahead of the upcoming features with a storming victory over the shorter distance at Te Aroha on Sunday. The quirky galloper is often seen lagging at the back in his races and producing a big finish, but with the side winkers applied for the Silver Fern Farms Hurdle (3100m), he was far more prominent, settling midfield under a tight hold. Verry Royal led up throughout the early and mid-stages, and when the pressure came…

Southern apprentice Kendra Bakker made an emotional return to the winner’s circle at Riccarton Park on Saturday, riding two of the three winners prepared by her mentor, Lance Robinson. The 24-year-old commenced her apprenticeship in the North Island, before making the move to Christchurch to base with Robinson in March 2024. She gained good momentum in the back half of last season, but was ruled out early this term after sustaining a trackwork injury. After a long recovery period, Bakker returned to riding in late May and had a good…

After finishing second in three of her previous four starts, Taimate Diva (NZ) (Telperion) went one better at Riccarton on Saturday with a relentless front-running performance in the SVS Open Handicap (2000m). The six-year-old Telperion mare kicked off her super-consistent run of autumn and winter form with a runner-up finish in the Riverton Cup (2147m) on April 19. She was unplaced in the Gr.3 Canterbury Gold Cup (2000m) a week later, but bounced back strongly with close seconds in a 2200m open handicap at Wingatui on June 1 and a…

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Four-year-old Bold Soul (NZ) (Embellish) returned to winning ways at Flemington, where he again emphasised his depths of stamina, repelling the challenge of Goldenstatewarrior (Golden Horn) and Muktamil (Sea the Stars) under apprentice jockey Thomas Prebble. The Patrick and Michelle Payne-trained son of Embellish dug deep to score over 2540m in his first success since landing the Gr.3 Chairman’s Stakes (2000m) at Morphettville 14 months ago. Earlier in that three-year-old preparation, he had previously claimed Listed wins in the Tasmanian Derby and the Launceston Guineas. “He was really good through…

After hard-luck stories in the Listed Team Wealleans Tauranga Classic (1400m) in both of the last two winters, Cork (NZ) (Complacent) made amends in style on Saturday with a $22 upset in the fillies and mares’ feature. Cork had already proven herself as a Tauranga specialist, winning three of her five previous starts at the track including a seven-length Rating 75 romp on the Tauranga Classic undercard in 2022. But the Bay Of Plenty’s midwinter black-type feature had proved frustratingly elusive. The 2023 edition was abandoned and rescheduled for Hawke’s…

Three-year-old gelding Taken (NZ) (Ardrossan) is proving quite the money spinner for connections, with a victory in Saturday’s Rod Johnson Handicap (1620m) at Flemington the fourth in succession for the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained galloper. The son of Ardrossan carried 60kg topweight under rider Craig Williams, but his push-button style and ability to race on-speed are attributes that go a long way towards winning, as he made it successive wins at Flemington. “He was obviously less dominant than last start but carried a lot more weight and he…