Category: Featured

Group One-winning sprinter Crocetti is back on track for a tilt at the Gr.1 TAB Telegraph (1200m) at Trentham in a fortnight following a setback earlier this month. The five-year-old gelding, who last raced in the A$5 million The Quokka (1200m) in Perth in April, was making pleasing progress in his build-up over spring, winning his 1100m trial at Te Rapa in September before he was set to head to Pukekohe to tackle the Gr.3 Concorde Stakes (1200m) a fortnight ago. However, the son of Zacinto’s temperature spiked earlier in…

The Chris Waller-trained John Dory contests the Gr.3 Grand Prix Stakes (1800m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday, with the progressive galloper installed a $3 favourite for the three-year-old contest. The son of Ace High broke maiden ranks in November when winning at Canterbury over 1550m and was a game runner-up in the City To Surf 3YO (1600m) at Doomben at his most recent outing, when giving four kilos to winner Nightline whom he meets again on Saturday at set weights. “He is a really nice progressive horse,” Waller said. “I…

Latrelle and Old Bill Bone may not be ideally suited by the conditions of the Gr.2 Manawatu Challenge Stakes (1400m) at Trentham, but there’s belief they can rise to the occasion. They will give trainer Cody Cole a decent hand in Saturday’s Bramco Granite & Marble-sponsored feature sprint at Trentham where he also has black-type contenders Atmospheric and Silhouette. Latrelle and Old Bill Bone will be tested at weight-for-age company, earning the step up after performing well at handicap level. “They’re obviously not that well suited, but I had a…

Former Cantabrian Penvose Lad is loving life in the deep south. Formerly trained by Riccarton horsewoman Anna Furlong, the now five-year-old gelding won three races before joining Ebony Turner’s Riverton barn in search of more forgiving footing in spring. “I got approached by his owners. They felt that the tracks were getting too hard for him up there (Canterbury) and if he was going to be travelling south for softer track conditions, he may as well be trained down here, and I was the lucky one that got the phone…

Promising stayer She’s A Hustler (NZ) (Ace High) could be another galloper who could make a cameo appearance at the Sydney Autumn Carnival. Just as Tony and Calvin McEvoy are considering a return to racing for Caulfield and Melbourne Cups champion Half Yours in the All Aged Stakes, She’s A Hustler’s trainer Grahame Begg is pondering bringing her back at Randwick. Begg said he is looking at the Gr.1 Queen Of The Turf (1600m) for fillies and mares at Randwick on April 11 for his last-start winner of the Gr.2…

The Gr.1 TAB Telegraph (1200m) at Trentham in a fortnight has been locked in for First Five (NZ) (Almanzor). The five-year-old gelding was impressive when taking out last Saturday’s Gr.3 J Swap Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa, and after some contemplation, trainer David Greene believes he deserves a crack at elite-level. “It was a pretty decent field on Saturday, so it was good to see him step-up on the big occasion,” he said. “He has done really well. He cleaned up all of his feed on Saturday night and it…

Gold Coast trainers Tony and Maddy Sears will be hoping talented filly Nightline (NZ) (Redwood) can provide them with back-to-back winners of the Gr.3 Grand Prix Stakes (1800m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday. The father-daughter training combination won last year’s Grand Prix Stakes with Beau Dazzler (NZ) ( Ardrossan), who went on to win the Eagle Way (2100m) and returned to place in the Gr.2 Queensland Guineas (1600m) before an unplaced tilt at the Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m). Like Beau Dazzler, Nightline was sourced from the Karaka Sales. The New…

A tilt at next month’s $1.5 million TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) hangs in the balance for talented filly War Princess (NZ)(U S Navy Flag). The daughter of U S Navy Flag has yet to be tested over a mile in her seven starts to date, but has shown plenty of ability over sprint distances, winning four races between 1000m and 1200m, and was runner-up to Circus Dancer in last month’s Listed The O’Learys Fillies Stakes (1340m) at Wanganui. Peter Didham, who trains War Princess in partnership with his son…

Group Two-winning stayer Trav’s (NZ) (Almanzor) Melbourne Cup preparation may not have gone to plan, but trainer Raymond Connors has swiftly turned his attention to another Cup target. Following his heroics in the Gr.2 Auckland Cup (3200m) earlier this year, Connors set his sights on Australasia’s most coveted prize but just came up short in making the final field for last month’s Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) following three unplaced runs in Victoria over spring. While disappointed in Trav’s performances, Connors said he still enjoyed the experience. “It would have been…

Young talent Lara Antipova (Russian Revolution) will be heavily in credit with Craig Grylls if she can carry him to victory in Saturday’s Gr.2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m) at Trentham. They will team up again in the Windsor Park Stud-sponsored two-year-old feature following the daughter of Russian Revolution’s runaway debut victory at Te Aroha in the high-flying jockey’s hands. The Te Akau-prepared Lara Antipova repaid a debt they owed Grylls after a previous incident which resulted in the champion rider requiring time out. “Early on, she could get a bit…