Category: Gallops

Mystic Park (NZ) (Ocean Park) produced a career-high performance during last year’s New Zealand Cup carnival, and he’s primed to rise to another level on his home turf on Wednesday. Riccarton trainers Michael and Matthew Pitman produced him to claim the Listed Stewards’ Stakes (1200m) 12 months ago and this time the son of Ocean Park has the Gr.3 TAB Mile (1600m) in his sights. Mystic Park has got home strongly for minor placings in his last two outings, and five of his seven wins have come on his local…

A big mishap last start hasn’t halted Stonybreck’s (Tavistock) preparation for the Gr.3 TAB Mile (1600m) and he’ll lead the three-pronged attack for Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson in Wednesday’s $250,000 feature at Riccarton. A six-time winner on synthetic tracks, Stonybreck has brought that form onto the turf this campaign in the South Island, headlined by a dominant five-length romp at the Christchurch venue in late September. The focus was firmly set on the TAB Mile and he lined-up against many key rivals over 1400m last month only to knuckle…

It might not be the Cup they were aiming for this spring, but trainers Peter and Shaun McKay are looking forward to heading south to Christchurch this week to contest the Gr.3 Martin Collins New Zealand Cup (3200m) with their handy stayer Wolfgang (NZ) (Puccini). The seven-year-old gelding was campaigning towards the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m), but they abandoned that mission following three unplaced runs in Melbourne. He returned to New Zealand and made an instant impact, winning under 62kg in the Waikato Cup Prelude (2400m) at Te Rapa on…

The Radiant One (NZ) (Darci Brahma) ran home well to finish runner-up behind Captured By Love (Written Tycoon) in Saturday’s Gr.3 Canterbury Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) at Riccarton, and trainer Robert Dennis is hoping she can go one better when she returns to the Christchurch track on Wednesday. The Ascot Park horseman was rapt with her weekend effort and said she has come through the race well and will back-up in the Gr.3 TAB Mile (1600m). “That was her target when she went out for a spell at the end of…

Waikato Stud was a dominant force at Pukekohe with a hat-trick of winners, and the premier nursery is hoping their celebrations continue this week during New Zealand Bloodstock’s Ready to Run Sale. The Matamata farm’s colours were carried to victory on Saturday by the exciting Smart Love (NZ) (Savabeel) and Magice (NZ) (Savabeel) while graduate Princess Elly (NZ) (Sacred Falls) showcased trainer Craig Ivil’s skills with a first-up middle-distance victory. Waikato will offer seven youngsters at the RTR Sale at Karaka on Wednesday and Thursday and a further half a-dozen…

The autumn campaign of Champions Mile winner Ceolwulf (NZ) (Tavistock) is likely to have a major bearing on whether trainer Joe Pride puts the Cox Plate, to be run at Flemington, firmly on his stable star’s 2026 spring agenda. Pride is looking to give Ceolwulf another chance to prove his effectiveness at 2000m next autumn as his biggest wins to date have been his four Gr.1 successes over 1600m, which include back-to-back King Charles III Stakes at Randwick and Saturday’s Champions Mile in his first visit to Melbourne. Speaking on…

Cambridge trainer Andrew Forsman and jockey Craig Grylls proved a potent combination at Tauherenikau on Sunday, claiming three of the eight races across the afternoon. Both were coming off the back of successful Saturday meetings, Forsman taking the Listed Legacy Lodge Sprint (1200m) at Pukekohe with Force Of Nature (NZ) (Savabeel) while Grylls rode a winning double at Riccarton including the Listed Pegasus Stakes (1000m) aboard Platinum Attack (Santos). Combining in the Central Districts, the pair took the first of their winning treble with Lassified (Stay Inside) in the LA…

Linebacker (NZ) (Super Seth) has been sent for a spell after a spring campaign that didn’t go to script. For the second year in succession, spring plans haven’t gone to plan for high-class galloper Linebacker, but his trainers remain adamant he will return bigger and better in the autumn. The Randwick Guineas winner was being prepared for a tilt at the Epsom Handicap – Golden Eagle double but when a minor injury setback ruled him out of the former, trainers John O’Shea and Tom Charlton found themselves on the backfoot.…

Otaki galloper Driftin (NZ) (Merchant Navy) picked up her first win in more than two years when causing an upset in the Challenge Carterton R75 (1000m) at Tauherenikau on Sunday. The five-year-old by Merchant Navy had been a winner on the Cambridge Synthetic in September 2023 but was unplaced in her following six starts, after which she was purchased for $5,000 through gavelhouse.com by part-owner Andre Wallace. It was more than a year later that she stepped out at the Foxton trials in late October and put the writing on…

The revamped Spring Carnival programming, which sees the Gr.1 C F Orr Stakes (1400m) run at Caulfield this Saturday, is perfect for Jimmysstar (NZ) (Per Incanto) according to his trainer Ciaron Maher. Fresh off a dominant win in the $3 million Russell Balding Stakes (1300m), Jimmysstar has returned to Melbourne in fine fettle. “He’s super. He’s in career best form,” Maher said. Already a three-time winner at 1400m, and a winner over 1500m at his second Australian start, Maher believes Jimmysstar will relish the extra 100m in Saturday’s weight-for-age contest.…