Category: Gallops

Awapuni visitors enjoyed back-to-back success at Tauranga when Omega Boy (NZ) (Time Test) claimed the feature race on the card, the Gr.2 Ultimate Mazda Japan Trophy (1600m), just one race after Platinum Pantheon (Hanseatic) defeated a handy field of three-year-olds over 1200m. Omega Boy has always appealed as a galloper with plenty of quality and has come of age in his current campaign where he had won two of his last four starts while also running a strong fifth in the Gr.3 Phar Lap Trophy (1600m) followed by an eye-catching…

Cambridge Stud stallion Sword Of State has a major Gr.1 Golden Slipper (1200m) contender in his first crop after Warwoven took out Saturday’s Gr.3 Pago Pago Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill. Warwoven wasted little time in stamping himself as a highly talented two-year-old, winning his first two starts in December and January to earn favouritism for the Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m) on the Gold Coast. However, he was scratched on the morning of the race on vets’ advice. Ever since then, expat New Zealand trainer Bjorn Baker has been playing…

Speedy mare Churchillian (NZ)(Churchill) showed what she is capable of when given her own terms in front when she bolted home in the open sprint at Tauranga, the Triton Pacific Owens Plate (1200m). The Tony Pike-prepared daughter of Churchill has always shown she can be tough to catch when she gets to dictate the pace and that worked out well on Saturday as she dominated proceedings in the hands of Sam Collett. In a race expected to be run at high speed, Collett was able to cast a spell over…

Hawke’s Bay mare Bedtime Story (NZ) (Per Incanto )has earned another crack at elite-level following her victory in the Shane Stone Builders Open (1340m) at Wanganui on Saturday. The Per Incanto mare settled in the trail behind Cooper (NZ) (Tivaci), and while jockey Bruno Queiroz elected to stick to the rail aboard the frontrunner when turning for home, the remainder of the pack, including Kelly Myers on Bedtime Story, veered to the outside of the track for better footing. Cooper looked to have stolen the race on the inside, but…

Stylish Secret’s (NZ) (Sweet Orange) victory in the A$80,000 DCE Handicap (2000m) at Caulfield on Saturday lifted his career earnings to A$398,525 – an outstanding return on the New Zealand-bred gelding’s purchase price of just $2,300 on Gavelhouse.com. Saturday’s Benchmark 84 handicap was the fifth win of a 22-start career for the son of Sweet Orange, whose first two victories came in 2024 over 1500m at Sandown and 1800m at Flemington. His last three successes have all been at Caulfield – over 2400m on July 26 last year, 2400m again…

Exciting two-year-old Ronaldo (NZ)(Ribchester) showed maturity beyond his years when winning the Palamountains Nutrition 2YO (1200m) at Wanganui on Saturday, and trainer Robbie Patterson is excited about the future with the progressive son of Ribchester as he eyes the Gr.1 Courtesy Ford Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Trentham in a fortnight. Having won on debut at New Plymouth last month, Ronaldo was backed into a $1.60 favourite for his second-up test, with the Lisa Latta-trained Pinafore (NZ) (Pinatubo) the next fancied runner at $6.20. The latter was fractious to…

Tulloch Lodge has unearthed a potential Gr.1 ATC Australian Oaks (2400m) filly after lightly raced Feminino (NZ) (Tivaci) graduated to stakes company in winning the Gr.3 Kembla Grange Classic (1600m). Feminino, having her first start since breaking maiden ranks at Warwick Farm in early February, covered extra ground before prevailing in a four-way finish over 1600m. She had a nose to spare from the $101 chance Burn The Sky (Zoustar) with Profoundly (Farnan) close-up in the minor placing and Long Legs (Russian Revolution) a similar margin away in fourth. Feminino…

Hong Kong-trained horses dominate the March edition of the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings, which were released on Thursday, 12 March, occupying the top two spots.  David Hayes-trained Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress) maintained his position as the top-rated horse in training with an international rating of 128, while Danny Shum’s Romantic Warrior (Acclamation) was ranked second with a rating of 124.  Japan’s dirt giant Forever Young (Real Steel), trained by Yoshito Yahagi, was third with a rating of 123, while the Karl Burke-trained eight-year-old Royal Champion (Street Cry) was fourth, rated…

New Plymouth trainer Robbie Patterson looks to have an exciting juvenile on his hands in Ronaldo (NZ) (Ribchester), and he is hoping he can score again at Wanganui on Saturday. Ronaldo has yet to be beaten in four public hit-outs to date, including in his debut over 1200m at his home track last month, and he will be out to continue his wining ways in the Palamountains Nutrition 2YO (1200m) this weekend. “He is a gorgeous horse,” Patterson said. “He has got a beautiful draw (2) and he will put…

Popular grey Chattahoochee (NZ) (Reliable Man) made a pleasing return to the races at Matamata last month for part-owner Lisa Anderson, and the Cambridge horsewoman is looking forward to giving him his first stakes test under her care in the Gr.2 Ultimate Mazda Japan Trophy (1600m) at Tauranga on Saturday. The son of the late Westbury Stud stallion Reliable man had his first start in nearly a year when fifth in the $350,000 Wairere Falls Classic (1500m), and Anderson was rapt with the first-up effort on a Heavy9 surface. “He…