Category: Featured

Former Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) winner Sharp ‘N’ Smart returned to the scene of that 2023 triumph to take out the Gr.3 SKYCITY Hamilton Waikato Cup (2400m) in a thrilling three-way finish to the Te Rapa staying feature. A triple Group One winner as a three-year-old, the Team Rogerson-prepared son of Redwood hadn’t been seen in the winners’ enclosure since his Derby triumph as the now six-year-old took on the best Australasia had to offer on both sides of the Tasman while also suffering through some injury and illness…

Trainer Liam Birchley has long earmarked the Listed TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) for highly promising juvenile Dream Roca, and the daughter of El Roca took another step in the direction of the Ellerslie feature with a dominant win at Eagle Farm on Saturday. Dream Roca finished runner-up on debut over 1000m in October and showed the benefit of raceday experience as she closed over the top of favourite Star Of Jamaica to score over the same course and distance by two lengths on Saturday. “The fence was pretty hot…

Underrated sprinter First Five produced a barnstorming finish to capture his first stakes victory when he took out the Gr.3 J Swap Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa Carrying the familiar colours of well-known thoroughbred identity Gerald Shand, the David Greene-prepared five-year-old has been a model of consistency in his career so far although his task on Saturday looked a daunting one with a quality line-up carded for the Group Three feature. Allowed to start at odds of better than $26 in the 16-horse line-up, First Five was spotting pacemaker Kitty…

A change of tactics that saw promising mare Hinekaha go straight to the front from barrier rise paved the way for her biggest success when she scored a game win in the Gr.2 Cal Isuzu Stakes (1600m) at Te Rapa. The lightly-raced four-year-old daughter of Savabeel had never lead in any of her previous eight starts, however trainer Andrew Forsman was keen to see rider Craig Grylls take the initiative from the start in the seven-horse line-up. “I spoke to Craig and we thought the logical thing would be for…

Fraser Auret says he will be a proud man when Ka Ying Rising lines up in the HK$28 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) at Sha Tin on 14 December against a strong international field with hopes of adding to his 15 consecutive wins. Auret is a trainer and horse trader from the Central Districts of New Zealand’s North Island in a small country with an outsized tradition of producing champion racehorses. But whatever he achieves in those facets of the game, he will be forever remembered as the…

After achieving back-to-back victories as the LONGINES World’s Best Jockey, James McDonald is hoping to cap off an extraordinary season by creating more history at Sha Tin tomorrow (Sunday, 14 December) on Romantic Warrior. McDonald, who also won the LONGINES World’s Best Jockey award in 2022, will ride Romantic Warrior in search of a historic fourth consecutive HK$40 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m) victory. McDonald, 33, was presented with a crystal vase trophy on Friday night (12 December) by Mr Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Chair, International Federation of Horseracing Authorities…

Progressive staying mare Shockletz proved a class above her rivals when running out a strong winner of the Ray White Pakenham & Officer Handicap (2500m) at the Pakenham standalone meeting on Saturday. The two-kilo claim of apprentice Luke Cartwright aided the daughter of Shocking, who was carded 60.5kg topweight, with Shockletz having two lengths to spare on the line from runner-up Leonchroi. Prepared by Ciaron Maher, Shockletz raced well through the winter months and had a relatively light spring. The four-year-old raced without luck at her previous outing at Cranbourne…

The Brad Widdup-trained Hyperbolic was a comfortable winner of the In Memory Of Sam Kavanagh Handicap (1600m) at Randwick on Saturday as the daughter of Proisir made it back to back metropolitan victories. Sent out a well-supported $2.90 favourite, Hyperbolic was given a trouble-free ride by Tommy Berry, who elected to make an early three-wide challenge in a muddling run race as the four-year-old mare cruised to her fifth career success from 13 starts. “She’s going the right way,” Widdup said. “We’ve been patient, just waiting to get to this…

David Hayes has downplayed any concerns over star sprinter Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamespress) drawing barrier one for the first time in his career when he confronts 12 rivals in the HK$28 million Gr.1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint at Sha Tin (1200m) on Sunday (14 December). Aiming for his 16th consecutive win with Ka Ying Rising, Hayes said the only fear was that the world’s highest-rated sprinter could miss the start. “I think the shortest way home is the rail,” Hayes said. “He is the fastest horse in the world,…

Darrell Hollinshead’s bid for a second success in Saturday’s Gr.3 Waikato Cup (2400m) has been dealt a blow, but he remains in the hunt to turn back the clock. The Te Awamutu trainer won the staying feature 19 years ago with Bak Da Chief (NZ) (Chief Bearhart) and had expected to have two runners in this weekend’s Skycity Hamilton-sponsored event at Te Rapa. However, his hopes will now solely rest on Rosetown Princess (NZ) (Redwood) with stablemate Ramblin’ Rose (NZ) (Complacent) ruled out by injury. “I think she would have…