Category: Featured

Punters were licking their lips after promising mare Ima Brazen One (NZ) (Brazen Beau) landed a huge betting plunge by fighting doggedly on the fence to take victory in the Dawn Eales-Baldwin Memorial Open (1200m) at Wanganui. The Mike Breslin-prepared four-year-old was punted in to start a $2.80 Fixed Odds favourite after opening at more than $10 earlier in the week, and with apprentice Toni Davies making good use of her 3kg claim to ride the mare at a featherweight 51kgs, the daughter of Brazen Beau looked a top prospect.…

Late-season black type is on the radar for Platinum Diamond (NZ) (Hello Youmzain) after an impressive upset victory in Saturday’s Full Circle Appearance Medicine 2YO (1200m) at Wanganui. Platinum Diamond was a late foal, born on the 4th of December in 2022, and has been patiently handled by her Awapuni trainer, Lisa Latta. The Hello Youmzain filly’s first and only trial produced a second placing over 1000m at Foxton on April 15, followed by a fourth at Hawera on her raceday debut three weeks later. Platinum Diamond was an overlooked…

Apprentice Liam Kauri has continued a winning association with the Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott stable by partnering their smart three-year-old Tristar (NZ) (Exceedance) to victory in the Ambient Group 3YO (1100m) at Te Rapa, his second victory aboard the filly from just two rides. Kauri, who enjoys a 3kg claim at present, first sat aboard the daughter of Exceedance when piloting her to victory three weeks ago over 1200m at Trentham and made the trip north from his Palmerston North base to link up with her for a second…

NZB is excited to announce the addition of ten quality weanlings for the 2025 National Weanling Sale, set to take place at Karaka on Thursday 26 June.   In addition to the 134 lots originally catalogued, ten bonus lots will be offered immediately following Lot 134.  Seven of the supplementary weanlings are on account of renowned vendor Waikato Stud, who sold star Weanling Sale graduate Jedibeel (NZ), a recent winner of the Group Two Challenge Stakes at Randwick. “We were a little late getting organised, but what we’re offering at this Weanling Sale indicates the…

After a successful first season in New Zealand, talented young jockey Matthew Cartwright is back home in Victoria for a winter stint. Cartwright currently holds a spot inside the top 10 in the New Zealand jockeys’ premiership, while he also gained his first taste of Group One glory earlier this season when he won the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) on Grail Seeker (NZ) (Iffraaj). “It was very rewarding and I was so glad to get that,” Cartwright said of that top-level triumph. “I’m very proud of my efforts and what…

A successful association between Windsor Park Stud and Riverton owner-trainer Andrea Dickson has continued with A Mandarin, who will shoot for a hat-trick of wins when she lines up in the Grand Casino (2200m) at Wingatui on Sunday. A Mandarin has joined Dickson’s stable under a lease from Windsor Park Stud. That same arrangement resulted in Dickson winning races at Oamaru and Gore with the capable mare Rita Hayworth in 2021 and 2022. While Rita Hayworth ventured south as an unraced mare, A Mandarin brought established racetrack credentials. The daughter…

Runaway last-start winner Honey Badger will head to Te Rapa on Saturday as a hot favourite for the Ambient Group 3YO (1100m), where another big performance could earn her a black-type opportunity at Tauranga next month. Honey Badger has shown a real affinity for heavy tracks, with both of her two career victories coming in those conditions. That includes a spectacular performance at Rotorua on May 10, where she blew her Rating 65 opposition away by eight and a half lengths. Trainer Tony Pike is open to the possibility of…

Consistent Taranaki mare Our Jumala has a number of winter features in her future and Robbie Patterson hopes she can pick up the first of those in Saturday’s Listed AGC Training Stakes (1600m) at Wanganui. The daughter of Zed kicked off a series of stakes races on a winning note in the Gr.3 Cuddle Stakes (1600m) in late March, which she followed up with a fourth in the Gr.3 Manawatu Breeders’ Stakes (2050m), fifth in the Gr.2 Travis Stakes (2000m) and a luckless last-start third in the Listed Rotorua Cup…

Dark Destroyer is no stranger to success in Queensland, and he will be looking to replicate his past success when he heads to Eagle Farm on Saturday. Formerly trained by Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott, Dark Destroyer had a successful three-year-old winter campaign in the sunshine state, winning the Gr.3 Rough Habit Plate (2143m) and finished runner-up in the Gr.2 Queensland Guineas (1600m). He went on to Group One glory in the Tarzino Trophy (1400m) the following spring, and after a stint with Sydney trainer John O’Shea, he is now…