Category: Featured

Progressive mare Nancy She Wrote (NZ) (Wrote) provided co-trainer Ben Foote with the perfect welcome home from a Gold Coast holiday when she came from well back to capture the Tanalised Mile (1600m) at Ruakaka. The five-year-old daughter of Wrote is prepared by Foote and son Ryan from their Cambridge stable and has always looked a promising middle distance performer for her breeder and owner, Gerald Bell. After being given a brief spell following an unplaced run over 2100m at Ellerslie in April, Nancy She Wrote resumed with a handy…

Apprentice jockey Ace Lawson-Carroll honoured his late friend Ngakau Hailey with a salute as he guided Reward Smile (Havana Grey) to a poignant win in the Northpine Waipu Cup (1400m) at Ruakaka on Saturday. Jockeys wore black armbands in the $40,000 feature in memory of the 18-year-old Hailey, who was killed in a tragic vehicle accident in Hamilton on Wednesday. Lawson-Carroll was pleased to pick up a victory that meant much more than most. “It’s quite special and I’m glad I could get that win for Ngakau,” he said. “I…

Ruakaka stayer Bosch (NZ) (Pentire) added a fifth win to his imposing course record with a tough front-running performance in Saturday’s Northbeam Strong Stuff (2100m). The Pentire gelding has now recorded five wins from a 30-start career, with all of those five successes coming from 15 appearances on his home track. Saturday’s win took his career earnings past $174,000. Bosch was sent out as a $3.60 favourite on Saturday, having run a gallant last-start second in the $60,000 ITM/GIB Whangarei Gold Cup Stayers’ Final over the same course and distance…

Apprentice Gareth Lahoud made good use of his 4kg claim as he guided Reptak (NZ) (Shocking) to an all-the-way victory in the Northpine Making It Tanalised (1200m) rating 75 contest at Ruakaka on Saturday. The Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott-prepared five-year-old had kicked off his latest campaign with a win at Ellerslie over 1200m back in April and in two subsequent runs had not been disgraced despite not featuring in the placings. Drawn ideally in barrier two Reptak made a swift beginning with Lahoud not afraid to keep his race…

Talented two-year-old Yokozuna (Fierce Impact) turned Saturday’s Promote Waipu 2YO (1200m) into a winning Ruakaka homecoming for former local trainer Donna Logan. Logan was based at the Northland track from 1985 until 2018, when she relocated to Singapore. She returned to New Zealand following last year’s closure of racing in Singapore and now bases herself at Byerley Park in South Auckland, but still jumps at every opportunity to return to her old stomping ground on the shores of Bream Bay. “It’s so good to be back up here at Ruakaka,…

Popular Foxton trainer Gail Temperton will take a two pronged attack to the races at Woodville on Sunday with promising hurdler Never Look Back (NZ) (Shocking) set to contest one of the feature races on the card, the Te Whangai Romneys Hawke’s Bay Hurdles (3000m). The six-year-old son of Shocking is in the early stages of his life as a jumper having won four races on the flat plus another over hurdles. A gritty effort for fifth in the Waikato Hurdles (3200m) a month ago has Temperton cautiously optimistic about…

Ka Ying Rising’s outstanding performance during the 2024/25 racing season saw the record-breaking speedster earn the Horse of the Year title at a special presentation held at the Grand Ballroom of the Rosewood Hotel in Hong Kong tonight (Friday, 11 July). In addition, he was also named Champion Sprinter and Champion Four-Year-Old at the ceremony. Owned by Ka Ying Syndicate and trained by David Hayes, last season’s Champion Griffin improved sharply in his sophomore season, scoring one of his biggest wins of the season in the HK$26 million G1 LONGINES…

Having been left in the paddock waiting to be picked up for a career in the equestrian field, Prix De Turn (NZ) (Turn Me Loose) is making a comeback to the racetrack.  Having not raced since the Yarra Valley Cup (1968m) in March last year, Prix De Turn heads to the Sportsbet Race Replays Handicap (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.  A rising seven-year-old, Prix De Turn has only two wins to his credit, including the Gr.2 Alister Clark Stakes (2040m) at Moonee Valley, from 18 career starts, but has always displayed plenty of talent.  Prix De…

Trainer Dan Meagher is banking on fresh legs with his former Singapore champion Lim’s Kosciuszko (Kermadec) when he runs at Caulfield.  Lim’s Kosciuszko is coming back in distance from 1400m four weeks ago to contest the Gr.3 Sir John Monash Stakes (1100m) on Saturday.  Meagher is banking on Lim’s Kosciuszko’s proven ability and lining up in a weight-for-age race on Saturday as being pivotal to the gelding’s chances.  Lim’s Kosciuszko won 22 of his 30 starts in Singapore and Hong Kong and has raced twice in Australia, finishing third first-up at Flemington before a midfield finish at…

Chantilly Lace will attempt to cap a series of eye-catching efforts with a return to the winners’ circle in the Scott Roberts @ Metcalfe Real Estate Handicap (1600m) at Hawera on Saturday. The stakes-performed U S Navy Flag mare has gone winless in 10 starts since taking out a 1600m Rating 75 at Wanganui at the end of November, but her recent performances have been full of merit. She has produced strong finishes for fourth in the Listed AGC Training Stakes (1600m) at Wanganui on May 31, fifth in the…