Category: Featured

Gavin Sharrock had a day out with three of his promising young gallopers at Hawera a fortnight ago, and he hopes to replicate that effort at Otaki on Saturday, particularly with Spandeedo, who will contest the Listed Phils Electrical and Gipsy Caravans Ryder Stakes (1200m). The Stratford horseman took Spandeedo, Stewart, and Vibration to the Egmont meeting, and all three returned winners, with the former comfortably taking out the two-year-old race. It was the second victory in four starts for the son of Ferrando, who has improved with each run.…

Canheroc has come close to taking out a couple of New Zealand’s feature staying races, and they will once again be on his radar this coming season. The Chris Wood-trained gelding was third in last year’s Gr.3 Wellington Cup (3200m) after winning the Listed Marton Cup (3200m), and last November he filled the same placing in the Gr.3 New Zealand Cup (3200m). “He has had a couple of unlucky runs in the New Zealand Cup and Wellington Cup. He probably should have won one of them at some stage but…

A checkered past is proving to be a blessing in disguise for in-form mare Quick Fire, who is presented with an opportunity to rise to another level at Te Rapa. With maturity, the five-year-old daughter of Time Test has put a series of issues behind her and looms as a major player in The Callinan Family Taumarunui Gold Cup (2200m) on Saturday. “She wasn’t physically or mentally ready to be there and now she’s had all this enforced time to develop, we’ve got this really lovely racehorse to go on…

The Lisa Latta-trained pair of Platinum Diamond and Brutiful Lass will bid to end their juvenile season in perfect fashion at Otaki on Saturday when they tackle the Listed Phils Electrical & Gipsy Caravans Ryder Stakes (1200m). Platinum Diamond has made a solid start to her career, with the daughter of Hello Youmzain winning two of her three starts to date, including last month’s Listed Castletown Stakes (1200m) at Otaki. In-form hoop Bruno Queiroz will jump back in the saddle on Saturday where he will be out to replicate their…

Unbeaten hurdler Billy Boy will make his debut over the bigger fences at Te Aroha on Sunday, with a view on returning to the track for a lucrative feature early in the new season. After warming up in four flat runs this campaign, Billy Boy came out firing over fences, maintaining his unblemished record with victories in the Manawatu Hurdle (2500m) and Wellington Hurdles (3200m). The son of So You Think is currently a $4.20 second-favourite for the Hospitality NZ Canterbury 135th Grand National Hurdles (4200m), but trainer Jo Rathbone…

One-time Melbourne Cup fancy Mark Twain (NZ) (Shocking) will make his first public appearance for more than 12 months when the Roger James and Robert Wellwood-trained gelding has an exhibition gallop at Te Rapa on Saturday. The lightly-raced son of Shocking won last year’s Listed Roy Higgins (2600m) at Flemington to secure a place in the 2024 Melbourne Cup only for a tendon injury last spring to quash the Cup dream. A year on and the rising six-year-old has pleased in his recovery with the OTI-raced gelding on the Cup…

Riccarton horseman Andrew Carston collected a winning double at his local synthetic meeting on Thursday, firstly as an owner and later as a trainer. From his own barn, Delmonico (NZ) (Prince Of Brooklyn) was aiming for back-to-back victories in the BMC Construction Rating 75 1600, having caught Rule Of Law (NZ) (Justify)right on the line last start on the all-weather surface. In the hands of Krishna Mudhoo, the gelding was customarily slow away, before coming through on the rail to settle in fifth. The big-striding Peecee Pussycat (NZ) (Pure Champion)…

Tony Furness will head to Otaki with family history on his side when he tackles the Listed Phils Electrical and Gipsy Caravans Ryder Stakes (1200m) with his promising juvenile Reconvene (NZ) (Derryn) on Saturday. His father, Bert Furness, won the race with High Saint (NZ), and Furness would dearly love to repeat the feat. “Dad won the race 50-odd years ago, I was 14 or 15 back then,” he said. “I won a couple of trials on the horse myself, but I think Bob Skelton was a wee bit better…

Capable race mare Sea Eagle (NZ) left the best until last during her brief breeding career. The daughter of Group One winner Don Eduardo’s final foal is the promising Eagle Rock (NZ) (Eagle Rock), who will attempt to add to his record in the Property Brokers Taumarunui 3YO (1400m) at Te Rapa on Saturday. The El Roca gelding is prepared by part-owner and breeder Kylie Little who trained Sea Eagle to win on six occasions, including two editions of the Parliamentary Handicap (2200m) at Trentham. Of her two previous live…

The short-priced favourite for the upcoming Racecourse Hotel and Motor Lodge 150th Grand National Steeplechase (5600m), Jesko (NZ) (Atlante), will step out on the flat at Waverley on Friday as he readies for his biggest test yet in a fortnight. The son of Atlante commenced his current campaign at Waverley in April, and in the hands of his co-trainer Shaun Fannin downed his Rating 65 rivals over 2200m. That trend continued when he stepped out over fences, winning a restricted open steeplechase at Wanganui and claiming feature crowns in the…