Category: Featured

Nearly a decade after taking up the mantle as private trainer to Cambridge Stud owners Sir Brendan and Jo Lady Lindsay, Lance Noble has delivered results that he hopes to embellish at one of New Zealand’s racing’s biggest events, Boxing Day at Ellerslie. From his base at Lindsay Racing’s lavish Karaka facility, Noble has prepared more than 120 winners in the gold and black Cambridge Stud colours, and with a select team lining up on the first big day of the holiday racing season, he’s looking for more. Noble’s team…

Darryn and Briar Weatherley are under no illusions about the holiday task ahead of Bulgari (NZ) (Hello Youmzain) but are confident the three-year-old is up to making a strong impression. While respectful of the competition, the father and daughter training combination have faith in their colt to give the more favoured contenders a run for their money in Friday’s Gr.2 Jimmy Schick Shaw’s Auckland Guineas (1400m). “We are really happy with him, he’s up against it with that filly (Well Written (Written Tycoon)) and Pam Gerard’s horse (Affirmative Action (Yes…

Te Akau Racing will be hoping to unwrap some late Christmas presents when they head to Wingatui on Boxing Day with a handful of runners. Their charge will be led by a two-pronged attack in the Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes (1400m) courtesy of Cool Aza Rene (Cool Aza Beel) and Marokopa Falls (Hellbent), who have drawn at opposite ends of the spectrum. Group Three-winning filly Cool Aza Rene has drawn the ace marble, while Group Two performer Marokopa Falls will jump from barrier 10 in the 15-horse field. “They bring…

Chris Wood acknowledges his emerging three-year-old That’s Gold (Lucky Vega) will have a fight on his hands in the Gr. 2 Jimmy Schick Shaw’s Auckland Guineas (1400m), but he’s still taking a positive approach to the Boxing Day challenge. The Ellerslie feature is dominated by unbeaten filly Well Written, who heads the TAB final field market at $1.35 with course specialist Affirmative Action at $4.20, while That’s Gold, chasing a hat-trick after his last-start win in the Gr. 3 Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m), is the $16 fourth favourite. “This is pretty…

Promising two-year-old Ka Ron (NZ) (Hello Youmzain) was unfortunate not to have made the perfect start to his career and will have the opportunity on Boxing Day to make amends. The Allan Sharrock-trained youngster was narrowly beaten on debut and will bid to go one better in the SkyCity 2YO (1100m) at Ellerslie and in the process book a return for a far more lucrative prize at northern headquarters. Ka Ron currently sits in 15th spot in order of entry to the Karaka Millions (1200m) to be run for $1…

Trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson are hoping a return to the right-handed way of going will help Qali Al Farrasha (NZ) (Almanzor) bounce back to winning form at Ellerslie on Boxing Day. The homebred mare was eye-catching when winning the Gr.2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) in that direction at Pukekohe fresh-up last month, but failed to flatter when a beaten favourite in the Gr.2 Cal Isuzu Stakes (1600m) at Te Rapa earlier this month. Bergerson admitted to being perplexed by her subpar showing but has been pleased with…

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Kelvin Tyler is excited about the future with Freddie Time after he came within a nose of victory in last Saturday’s Gr.3 Manawatu Cup (2300m) at Trentham. The four-year-old son of Time Test showed plenty of ability last season, winning on debut at Riverton on New Year’s Day before placing in the Listed Dunedin Guineas (1600m) and running fourth in the Gr.3 Manawatu Classic (2100m). The Riverton horseman thought enough of his gelding to campaign him in Australia over winter, and while he was unplaced in his sole start across…

No-one knows better than Lance O’Sullivan what it takes to win the Gr.1 TAB Telegraph (1200m), which is as good a recommendation as any around the engagement of James McDonald for Tomodachi in the Trentham Group One sprint. During O’Sullivan’s storied jockey career, encompassing 12 premierships and 62 Group One wins in his homeland as well as international majors for a career tally of 2,479, the Telegraph stands like a beacon. O’Sullivan rode the winner of the famous Trentham sprint a record six times and last January he joined his…

Young Cambridge Stud stallion Sword Of State has landed another timely winning blow across the Tasman. The son of Snitzel is two for two in Australia, with his first representative Torture claiming the Listed Debutant Stakes (1000m) for Lindsay Park and at Randwick on Saturday his second runner Warwoven scored on debut. Not to be outdone, associate sire Almanzor is also on a hot run, with Argo and Rambling On combining for a Te Rapa double, Touchdown and Roadcone scored at Caulfield and Lux Libertas was an impressive winner at…