Category: Featured

Numbers (NZ) (Tivaci) firmly advanced his credentials for the remainder of the Hong Kong Four-Year-Old Classic Series with a commanding victory in Sunday’s Gr.3 Centenary Vase Handicap (1800m) at Sha Tin.   The Frankie Lor-trained galloper dominated his six rivals, each with a Group-level winning profile, as he led from start-to-finish on his way to a two-length victory in the HK$4.2 million contest.   The Tivaci gelding went off a strong $1.7 favourite on the strength of an eye-catching front-running victory in December, his first in Hong Kong. The handicapper…

It may not have been by design, but Balcairn trainer Centaine Spittles got her hands back on the Gore Cup following In Vegas’ (NZ) (Telperion) win in the KB Contractors & MLT-sponsored 2200m feature at Wingatui on Saturday. The seven-year-old daughter of Telperion won the southern Cup at Gore last year and Spittles didn’t have any intention of her mare defending her crown, however, the race’s transfer to Wingatui following Gore’s abandonment last week opened up a window of opportunity. “We got a little bit lucky with them putting Gore…

Trelawney Stud’s Australian import Miss Jones (Deep Field) continued her faultless New Zealand form at Te Rapa on Saturday when extending her unbeaten sequence to four following her victory in the Horses & Henley Park 1200. Purchased as a yearling by the farm’s former manager Kevin “Millie” Walls, under his KPW Bloodstock banner, Miss Jones began her career in Australia for the Cambridge farm with trainers Richard and Will Freedman, for whom she placed in six of her 10 starts. Trelawney Stud principals Brent and Cherry Taylor thought she may…

Progressive three-year-old That’s Gold (Lucky Vega) never left the inside rail as he stormed home to collect his richest career win in the $350,000 Sir Patrick Hogan Karapiro Classic (1600m) at Te Rapa on Saturday. The Chris Wood-prepared son of Lucky Vega hasn’t shied away from tackling the best of his age group in his current preparation having taken out the Gr.3 Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m) three starts ago before finishing fifth to Well Written in the Gr.2 Auckland Guineas (1400m) and third behind Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand…

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Progressive fillyOhope Wins (NZ)(Ocean Park) completed the perfect dress rehearsal for the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) in a fortnight when she stormed home out wide from last on the corner to take out the Gr.2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies Classic (2100m) at Te Rapa. Carrying the colours of leviathan breeding and racing operation, Yulong Thoroughbreds, who purchased her in late January after she had won the Gr.2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2000m) on New Year’s Day, the daughter of Ocean Park started a warm…

New Zealand-bred gelding Oak Hill (NZ) (Per Incanto) lifted his ever-improving career to another new level with his first black-type victory in the A$300,000 Gr.2 Here For The Horses Rubiton Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on Saturday. The five-year-old son of Per Incanto has now had 19 starts for eight wins, four placings and A$717,140 in stakes. The Rubiton was the fifth start at stakes level for Oak Hill, who had resumed with a last-start second in the Listed W.J. Adams Stakes (1000m), and earlier in the season was only three…

Te Rapa trainer David Greene is riding the crest of a wave after he doubled his Group One tally when First Five took out the BCD Group Sprint (1400m) at his home track on Saturday. Greene recorded his first elite-level success when the Almanzor five-year-old won last month’s Gr.1 Telegraph (1200m) at Trentham, and he was confident he would go close to keeping his undefeated record over 1400m intact on Saturday. Despite his last-start heroics, First Five jumped a $7.40 fourth favourite in a market headed by Lindsay Park raiders…

Former northern galloper Witz End made his presence felt for new trainer Terri Rae when he scored the second win from just four starts from Rae’s Canterbury base when taking out the Listed Property Brokers – Ray Kean Hazlett Stakes (1400m) at Wingatui on Saturday. The five-year-old gelding commenced his career for Tony Pike at his Cambridge stable before transferring to Rae late last year, finishing unplaced first-up in November before winning on the synthetic track at Riccarton three weeks later. The son of Savabeel rounded out his 2025 year…

It was apt for Opie Bosson to bring up his 100th Group One win on Legends Day at Te Rapa. The 45-year-old became just the second Kiwi jockey, and first New Zealand-based hoop, to bring up the milestone when piloting the Ken and Bev Kelso-trained Legarto (NZ) (Proisir) to victory in the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (1400m) on Saturday. He joins Sydney-based Kiwi James McDonald, who boasts 124 elite-level victories to his credit, and Bosson was rapt to reach the mark after returning from retirement just over six months ago,…