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…
Category: Gallops
A Mandarin thriving in southern sojourn
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…
Tauranga Classic on the radar for Honey Badger
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…
Our Jumala on winter feature raid
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 to launch Queensland attack
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…
In-form trainer has strong hand at Wingatui
Robert Dennis looks set for a lucrative meeting at Wingatui with an in-form team on Sunday, headed by open sprint handicap prospects Chevron and The Hangover. The Ascot Park trainer is enjoying a breakout season with a personal best of 32 winners and stable earnings of nearly $930,000. He has several chances to further his tally with former northerner Chevron and The Hangover both appealing as strong chances in The Mosgiel Tavern Handicap (1400m). The former placed in his first two appearances for Dennis before a comfortable win over 1600m…
Heavy track to bring best out of Bradman
Roydon Bergerson only has one preference for all five of his competitive chances on Saturday at Wanganui, a rain-affected track. That was the reality earlier in the week with the abandonment of Tauranga on Wednesday, and while he wouldn’t be wanting it to get to that extent, his top galloper Bradman would appreciate a Heavy surface as he tackles the Listed AGC Training Stakes (1600m). The runner-up in last year’s edition, Bradman is a model of consistency and always a big player in the feature contests, as displayed last start…
Bishara Gears Up for Verry Exciting Weekend
New Zealand horseman Nicholas Bishara will cross the Tasman this weekend to watch his filly Belle Detelle (Zed), a three-quarter sister to his ill-fated 11-time Group One Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed), contest the Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m). The three-year-old Zed filly is out of a half-sister to the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) heroine, and while Bishara was unable to be trackside for that victory because of COVID-19 restrictions, he is intent on being at Eagle Farm in the flesh on Saturday. “Missing the Melbourne Cup really cut to the core,”…
Kiwi homecoming for Sam Collett
New Zealand will welcome a familiar face back to the riding ranks in the new season, with three-time Group One-winning hoop Samantha Collett returning from Queensland. Prior to her move across the Tasman, Collett was among the top echelon of Kiwi jockeys, winning two editions of the Gr.1 Auckland Cup (3200m) and a Gr.1 Levin Classic (1600m), as well as a domestic jockeys’ premiership crown in the 2017-18 season. In search of a new challenge in her career, Collett relocated to Brisbane in 2021 and has enjoyed plenty of success,…
Talented gelding set to follow proven path at Te Rapa
Dusty Road (NZ) (Shamexpress) often finds another gear around Te Rapa and his trainer Graeme Cameron is hoping that trend can continue in Saturday’s Captain Compost Landscape Supplies (1400m). The consistent son of Shamexpress won twice at the Waikato venue through the winter period last year, before placing in a Gr.3 Spring Sprint (1400m) during the spring carnival. On resuming this campaign, he was beaten less than a half-length when fourth behind Super Photon (NZ) (Super Seth) at Te Rapa, before filling the same position in Sterling Express’ (NZ) (Shamexpress)…