Category: Gallops

Nikki Hurdle had the ride of her life with Group One performer Express Yourself, and just six months after her retirement, the Palmerston North horsewoman looks to have her hands on another exciting sprinter. Express Yourself recorded six wins and eight placings from 22 starts, highlighted by her runner-up performance in last year’s Gr.1 Telegraph (1200m), where she was piloted by Hurdle’s jockey son, Ryan Hurdle. Her syndicate of owners offered her on gavelhouse.com earlier this year, where she was purchased by Wairarapa thoroughbred nursery Little Avondale Stud for $102,500.…

Summer has arrived, and Shelley Hale is hoping so too will Blue Sky At Night’s form, as she gets set to defend her crown in Saturday’s Gr.3 SkyCity Hamilton Waikato Cup (2400m) at Te Rapa. Her victory in last year’s running kicked off a lucrative summer, which culminated in victory in the Gr.3 Avondale Cup (2400m), a double Hale is hoping to repeat. “We will be trying hard,” the Cambridge trainer said. While pegged as a wet-tracker earlier in her career, Hale said Blue Sky At Night has shed that…

In-form miler Gringotts has history against him in The Ingham. Already needing to set a modern-day weight-carrying record to win the $2 million The Ingham, favourite Gringotts will now have to do it from the outside barrier. The Ciaron Maher-trained five-year-old has come up with gate 24 in the capacity field of 20 plus four emergencies, adding a fresh layer of difficulty to his task of lumping topweight of 61kg, eight kilos over the minimum. The last horse to successfully carry a comparable impost was Monton, who won the 2011 renewal with 58kg. Despite the…

Here To Shock is trained by Ben, Will and JD Hayes – who provide the only three runners backing up from the inaugural edition of the $1 million slot race. They will also saddle up last year’s runner-up Arkansaw Kid and 2024 fifth placegetter Roll On High, who is also owned by Slade Bloodstock and was previously trained by Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman. The presence of Private Eye casts a huge shadow over the event and he is $2.25 favourite with Sportsbet. Slade quipped the best chance of Private…

Promising filly Places To Be’s first two cracks at black-type didn’t go to plan, but trainer Kelly Van Dyk is hoping to get her preparation back on track in the Wentwood Grange 3YO (1200m) at Te Rapa on Saturday. The three-year-old daughter of Hello Youmzain was impressive when winning by four lengths on debut at Taupo in September but ran out on the turn when looking ominous in the Gr.2 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie in October. She took up her customary front-running role in the Listed The O’Leary’s Fillies…

Wexford Stables partners Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott have plenty to look forward to this weekend with a mix of proven and fresh talent engaged on the Waikato Cup programme at Te Rapa. After finishing a luckless second in last year’s Gr. 3 SKYCITY Waikato Cup (2400m), Sassy Lass is primed to go one better despite a formline that on the surface might not suggest as much. “Her Counties Cup run this year was actually better than last year, she only got going late and finished less than a length…

Electron returned to winning form over a mile at Otaki last-start, and owner-trainer Sam Mynott is hoping she can repeat that result at Te Rapa on Saturday in the Gr.2 Cal Isuzu Stakes (1600m). The five-year-old daughter of Turn Me Loose had been struggling to find form this preparation, but Mynott put her first few subpar runs down to the wet spring. “We didn’t get the preparation we wanted with the weather over the spring, and she was probably running in races quite unsuitable for her,” Mynott said. “She finally…

Zac Purton believes Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress) has taken another crucial step forward on Tuesday in his preparation for Sunday’s HK$28 million Gr.1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) at Sha Tin. Successful in his past 15 races, Ka Ying Rising is aiming to join Golden Sixty by securing a 16th consecutive win, one shy of Silent Witness’ all-time Hong Kong record of 17. Emerging at sunrise, Ka Ying Rising – under the hands of Purton – trotted a few laps in the sand ring before making his way to…

Cranbourne trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young have swooped on a pair of progressive three-year-olds from their native New Zealand. Two-win filly Rising Star and last-start Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) third-placegetter Shoma are welcome additions to the stable. The Tim and Margaret Carter-trained Rising Star (NZ) (Complacent) was an impressive winner at Tauranga in mid-November and will sport the colours of Seymour Bloodstock, with the filly’s original trainers also remaining in the ownership. “I thought she had a really nice turn of foot,” Busuttin said. Morgan Carter alluded…

It’s part two of Michael’s chat with Zac Purton. They chat racing in Hong Kong, Zac’s thoughts and approach to the craft, the planning that goes into each week, his future, and his bests. Plus, Michael has some news for punters and pays tribute to the retiring Orchestral. Guerin Report – S2 Ep.14 Ft. Zac Purton Pt.2