Category: Featured

Trainer Stephen Marsh unveiled a smart debut winner when Glance (NZ) (Savabeel) came from last in the hands of George Rooke to land the ENTAIN/NZB Insurance Pearl Series 3YO fillies (1400m) at Pukekohe on Wednesday. Sporting the colours of breeder Christopher Grace, the well-related daughter of Savabeel chased down stablemate and warm favourite Mazino (NZ) (Hello Youmzain) with another handy filly in Virgo Viva (NZ) (Ribchester) back in third. “She’s exciting,” Marsh said. “It’s great to have our first horse in these colours, with Mr and Mrs Grace. They’ve put…

Ready To Run Sale graduate Planet Red (Admire Mars) holds a two-one lead over Observer (Ghaiyyath) in head-to-head battles. Trainer Mick Price concedes the task of turning the tables on Observer in the Australian Guineas from their latest meeting will not be easy. But it does not mean Price has given up on his quest to land a fourth win in the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday. “He’s a nice, uncomplicated gelding and he’ll show up, but everything will have to go right for us to…

Having claimed a first Group One victory for Cambridge Stud owners Sir Brendan and Lady Jo Lindsay with Jaarffi (NZ) (Iffraaj) at Ellerslie last Saturday, Lance Noble is hoping to add to that tally back at headquarters on Champions Day. Noble was familiar with Group One success from the early stages of his training career, initially in partnership with his mentor Jim Gibbs, then with fellow Gibbs protégé Roger James and most notably from his own stable with triple Group One-winning racemare Viadana (NZ) in 2013-14. In the decade since…

Ohope Wins (NZ) (Ocean Park), the impressive winner of last Saturday’s Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Ellerslie for trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott, is set to continue her racing career in Australia and will transfer to the stable of champion trainer Chris Waller in Sydney next week. The daughter of Ocean Park is raced by Yulong Investments and her connections have opted to forgo the Gr.1 World Pool New Zealand Derby (2400m), for which she was $1.70 favourite, to instead target the Gr.1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) at…

Numbers (NZ) (Tivaci) is one of Hong Kong racing’s brightest talents, and jockey Derek Leung hopes the imposing galloper can make a big impact in Sunday’s HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) for in-form trainer Frankie Lor. A two-time winner from only three starts in the city, headlined by his two-length score in the HK$4.2 million Gr.3 Centenary Vase Handicap (1800m) this month, the classy Numbers has emerged as a leading contender in this weekend’s race – the second leg of the three-race Four-Year-Old Classic Series – at Sha…

A major innovation in global racing is now a big part of New Zealand thoroughbred racing’s most iconic race, with Hong Kong Jockey Club’s World Pool the new naming rights sponsor for the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby next month. The 2400-metre race for three-year-olds, an integral part of the New Zealand racing landscape since the 19th century, will be held at Ellerslie in Auckland as part of the second-ever Champions Day on Saturday, 7 March. Entain Australia and New Zealand has partnered with the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) and…

WATCH: Pride Of Jenni in action Cranbourne Jump Out 1 – 23.02.2026 HEAT 3 JIMMYSSTAR (won the heat)Ciaron Maher (trainer) “He’s super, I’m rapt with Jimmy. It’s hard to think he can improve off what he’s done but at this stage, I couldn’t be happier.” 1:21 WATCH: Jimmysstar Cranbourne Jump Out 3 – 23.02.2026

Entries for NZB’s 2026 National Online Yearling Sale are now open, with the Sale set to be held again on leading online auction platform Gavelhouse Plus. The source of champion filly Well Written (Written Tycoon), the catalogue for the Sale will be available to view online from Tuesday 31 March, with bidding set to open on Friday 10 April and closing from 6pm (NZT) on Tuesday 14 April. A significant benefit of the digital catalogue is that all lots offered in the National Online Yearling Sale are eligible to be nominated for…

Melbourne-based expat Mick Dee is set for a return to familiar territory at Ellerslie on Saturday week with a strong book of Champions Day rides. Since relocating to Victoria in his late teens, 29-year-old Dee has enjoyed immense success, interspersed with regular trips home for feature race assignments. One notable such occasion was last year’s inaugural Champions Day when he achieved a career highlight with victory on Willydoit (NZ) (Tarzino) in the Gr.1 Trackside NZ Derby (2400m) as well as the Gr.3 Sunline Vase (2100m) on Island Life. This time…

Dreamtime (NZ) (Time Test) is the only horse to have lowered star two-year-old Lara Antipova’s flag in a public hit-out, and all eyes will be on the Simon and Katrina Alexander-trained filly when she makes her debut at Pukekohe on Wednesday. The daughter of Time Test beat Lara Antipova in an 800m trial at Ellerslie last October, with Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson’s gun filly going on to win all three of her raceday starts to date, including the Gr.2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m) and Gr.2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m),…