Category: Gallops

Clearview Park Stud in Timaru has announced the arrival of its exciting new stallion Snapback, a son of champion sire Snitzel, ahead of the e 2025 breeding season. Trained by the Peter and Paul Snowden and raced in the China Horse Club colours, Snapback was a talented two-year-old with strong metropolitan form and is now set to launch a stud career built on performance, pedigree, and presence. The brown entire was a winner over 1300m at two and Group Two placed when runner-up to Cifrado in the BRC Sires’ Produce…

The Lindsay Park team of Ben, Will and J D Hayes are excited by the progress their New Zealand bred stables stars are making in preparation for their spring campaigns. Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) is back galloping and is due for a jump-out early next month as he gears towards a first-up run in the Gr.1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 30. The gelding was just pipped in that race last year by Pinstriped before returning to winning form in Gr.1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington two…

Bevan and Robyn Wilson brought a formidable trio of chances into Sunday’s Crombie and Price Ltd Oamaru Cup (1600m) and all three ran with great merit, but none more so that the winner, Royal Valour (NZ) (Belardo). The Ashburton couple had accepted into the feature with Royal Valour, Lord Darci and Victorian Charm, all of which they bred and own, and each horse was well-fancied in the market, closing second, third and fourth favourite behind Iffididit. As anticipated, Royal Valour was a stride slow away from the barriers and jockey…

Richard Didham maintained the perfect strike rate with a pair of ex-Hastings gallopers at Oamaru on Sunday, headlined by Candle’s (NZ) (Super Easy) success in the Glenmoa Farms Ltd River Plate Trophy (1200m). Candle, alongside her stablemate Speed Dial (NZ) (Time Test), was formerly in the care of Hawke’s Bay conditioners Guy Lowry and Leah Zydenbos, and the mare joined Didham’s Aylesbury stable recently after collecting three wins in the north. The daughter of Super Easy covered extra ground to finish a respectable eighth in her debut for Didham earlier…

Group One winner Gringotts (NZ) (Per Incanto) has continued to improve with each campaign and connections expect that to again be the case as the rising six-year-old closes in on his seasonal return. After capturing the Big Dance (1600m) and The Gong (1600m) at the end of last spring, Gringotts returned in the autumn to claim the scalps of Fangirl and Ceolwulf in the Gr.1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m). He ended his preparation with a midfield finish in the Gr.1 Doncaster Mile, beaten less than two lengths, and trainer Ciaron…

Progressive colt El Vaquero (NZ) (Ferrando) completed the southern juvenile season on a winning note at Oamaru on Sunday, outclassing his rivals to claim the One Smart Coffee (1200m). The striking son of Ferrando had over raced when fancied on debut back in April, but since, has shown good improvement, going down by narrow margins on two occasions to Te Akau filly Cool Aza Rene. There was no Cool Aza Rene in the field at Oamaru and El Vaquero comfortably held favouritism, closing at $2.10 over fillies Ripa Time ($6)…

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Handy mare Shelbyrock’n (NZ) (Rock ‘N’ Pop) continued the winning run of pacemakers at New Plymouth on Saturday when she streeted her rivals by more than fifteen lengths in the last race on the card, the Seaton Park 1600 (1600m). The 2023 Interprovincial (1600m) winner on the track has always been a difficult customer to head off when she can get terms to her liking out in front and rider Ellie Sole made full use of the seven-year-old mare’s front running ability as she led clearly from the minute the…

The rookie pair of Joshua Brown (NZ) (Dalghar) and his owner-trainer Lance Gussey took out one of New Zealand racing’s biggest winter prizes in Saturday’s $120,000 Listed Sinclair Electrical & Refrigeration Opunake Cup (1400m) at New Plymouth. Things have happened quickly for Joshua Brown, who made his debut only 15 months ago in April 2024, and also for Cambridge-based Gussey and his wife Angela. With only five horses in work, Gussey now boasts four wins from just 20 career starters. Gussey is continuing the thoroughbred legacy of his late father,…

New Plymouth trainer Tawhiti Hina saddled back-to-back winners on his home track on Saturday with full-sisters Za Spirit (NZ) (Charm Spirit) and Charm Zafarm (NZ) (Charm Spirit). Hina has seven horses in training and had won nine races in his career before Saturday’s dream afternoon. He had trained two winners in a day once before, with Side Piece (NZ) (Jon Snow) and Summer Breeze (NZ) (Zed) combining for a pair of victories in $17,000 maiden races at Waverley on April 21. But Saturday’s heroics in races worth $50,000 and $40,000…