Category: Featured

Multiple Group One winner Jimmysstar (NZ) (Per Incanto) will have a light autumn in preparation for a spring campaign aimed at The Everest.  The Ciaron Maher-trained galloper will kick off in Melbourne with the Gr.1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield before venturing north where he will contest the Gr.1 T J Smith (1200m) and the Gr.1 All-Aged Stakes (1400m), both at Randwick, in April.  After that it will be off to the paddock to prepare for the Gr.1 The Everest (1200m) at Randwick in October, a race he finished third in behind Ka Ying Rising last year.  Maher took advantage of taking Jimmysstar to Caulfield…

A Tuesday morning trip across to Te Rapa has Cambridge trainer Andrew Forsman in a positive frame of mind with his quartet of feature race candidates at Waikato Thoroughbred Racing headquarters on Saturday. Heading the contingent is Hinekaha (NZ) (Savabeel), who had raceday rider Craig Grylls in the saddle for a solo hitout on the Te Rapa course proper as she prepared for her Group One debut in the $700,000 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m). “The track was lovely after a bit of rain overnight and it was good to get…

Dame Cat Williams’ story is utterly inspiring. A world-class equestrian rider, her world was tipped upside down when she had an accident and become a tetraplegic in 2002. The founder of the Catwalk Trust shares her journey, lessons, and love of racing in a truly special episode. Guerin Report – S2 Ep. 22 – Dame Catriona Williams

Six-win mare Gemma Flitz (NZ) (Telperion) will resume at Riccarton on Wednesday where she will be seeking to take out the C S Stevens Memorial Banks Peninsula Cup (1100m) for local trainer Ross Beckett. She was a model of consistency last year, winning three and placing in three of her six starts, highlighted by her victory in the $100,000 Polytrack Championship (1200m) on the Riccarton Synthetic in August. Beckett is looking forward to kicking off her preparation this week, but is wary of the wet weather forecast ahead of the…

Last year’s Australian Guineas winner Feroce (NZ) (Super Seth) is set return to racing this Saturday at Caulfield, where his trainer Dom Sutton is hopeful he can re-affirm his Group One form of 12 months ago. Sutton explained on Saturday that Feroce was likely to run first-up in the Gr.3 Kevin Heffernan (1400m) in a race that is likely to dictate which path the four-year-old takes this autumn. “He trialled on Friday (at Flemington) so we want to make sure he’s come through that trial,” Sutton said. “We haven’t made…

Ciaron Maher says 2024 All-Star Mile champion Pride Of Jenni could tackle the race first-up in 2026 after continuing to impress him in her work at Cranbourne. Maher told Racing.com on Monday all signs were positive with last spring’s G1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) winner, confirming the $2 million All-Star Mile over the same course at Flemington on March 7 made appeal as a starting point. “She’s in very good order actually,” Maher said of the autumn progress of the winner of more than $11 million in stakes. “Galloped this…

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Another chapter in the career of one of Sir Brendan and Lady Jo Lindsay’s most treasured broodmares was written at Ellerslie on Saturday when Liguria won the Gr.3 Colin Jillings 2YO Classic (1200m). The Lance Noble-trained filly is a grand-daughter of Zonza, who was bred by the Lindsays nearly 20 years ago and has since established her own dynasty. In 2007 they sent their Gold Brose mare Sonet to champion Cambridge Stud stallion Zabeel, producing the filly who was to become Zonza. Trained by Roger James, she carried the Lindsay…

Bill Thurlow endured his share of trials and tribulations with Whangaehu before the stayer’s latest show of form at Ellerslie. The Waverley trainer, who operates in partnership with Sam O’Malley, was delighted with the son of Proisir’s effort on Saturday to finish third over 2200m. Whangaehu came from the back of the field with a stout run under 61kg, conceding seven kilos to the Stephen Marsh pair of Sinhaman and Kiwi Skyhawk. “Hopefully, we’ve got him back where he should be and it hasn’t been easy, so we were very…

Luigi Muollo has been involved with the family of his foundation mare Explosive for more than two decades, and it continues to produce for the Novara Park principal. On Saturday, Special Sakura, a fourth generation of a branch of that family, secured black-type when taking care of a handy field to win the Listed Fulton Family Stakes (1500m) at Ellerslie. Bred and raced by Muollo, Special Sakura’s victory was a great result for his Waikato farm, with the four-year-old mare becoming the third individual stakes winner for Novara Park resident…