Category: Gallops

“Champions Day” was a fitting moniker for a day that celebrated everything great about New Zealand racing – and the first meeting of New Zealand’s richest-ever raceday takes the spotlight in the 2025 New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Annual. Headlined by New Zealand’s richest-ever race, the $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m), Champions Day featured a line-up of New Zealand’s most iconic races, the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m), the Gr.1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m), the Gr.1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m), the Gr.1. Sistema Stakes (1200m) and the Gr.2…

Opting for Cambridge apprentice Sienna Brown as Spencer’s rider at Wanganui on Saturday wasn’t a difficult decision for the talented gelding’s connections. Brown was already familiar with Spencer from his time with Waverley trainer Erin Hocquard, having ridden him twice for a win and a third placing earlier in the season. Topweight of 62kg for the Manawatu ITM 1340m meant an apprentice claim was again called for the Derryn gelding in his first start for new trainers Peter and Shaun McKay. Brown’s four-kilo claim reduced Spencer’s impost to a still…

New Zealand-bred sprinting sensation Ka Ying Rising continued his dominance on Sunday when defending his crown in the Gr.2 BOCHK Private Banking Jockey Club Sprint (1200m) at Sha Tin. Fresh off returning back to Hong Kong following his heroics in last month’s A$20 million The Everest (1200m) at Randwick, he wowed his local fans once again when running out an effortless 2-3/4 length victor and extended his unbeaten streak to 15. Jockey Zac Purton was pleased with his charge’s effort and said it was another confidence-boosting victory heading into next…

Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress) maintained a relentless pursuit of racing history and stretched his unbeaten sequence to 15 races with a devastating display of power and speed to land the HK$5.35 million Gr.2 Jockey Club Sprint (1200m) at Sha Tin on Sunday. Unvanquished since January 2024, Ka Ying Rising (128lb) obliterated nine rivals in clocking the second-fastest time in history over 1200m at Sha Tin – 1m 07.33s, marginally outside his own track record of 1m 07.20s – despite being eased down over the last 100m by jockey Zac…

When local trainer Jo-Anne Dalton put a saddle on Sestina (NZ) (Lonhro) for Sunday’s Gladvale Farms Winton Cup (1400m) at Ascot Park, she expected the $35,000 race to be little more than a pipe-opener ahead of the Cromwell Cup (2030m) next weekend – but the Lonhro mare had other ideas. Sestina swept to victory in Sunday’s open handicap, recording her second 1400m success from only three starts so far in her six-year-old season. “It’s a big surprise, to be fair,” Dalton said. “Even Tina (Comignaghi, jockey) thought she’d be flat-footed…

Join Guy Heveldt, Emily Murphy and Aidan Rodley has the break down the action from a sunny Pukekohe Park for Counties Cup day. Weigh In, November 23

Steven Ramsay and Julia Ritchie trained their 200th winner in the blue and white hooped colours of owner-breeder Sir Peter Vela when talented filly Passiflora (NZ) (Farnan) led all the way in Saturday’s Happy Hire 3YO (1200m) at Wanganui. The Ramsay-Ritchie partnership has now been credited with 200 wins from 1427 runners, with 14 black-type successes including Guiseppina in the Gr.1 Telegraph (1200m), Rasa Lila and Dolmabache in the Gr.2 Travis Stakes (2000m), and Group Three victories by Amaryllis, Pure Elegance, Rasa Lila and Island Life. “It’s a real buzz for…

Royal Flower’s (NZ) (Proisir) victory in the G Bristol & Sons 2040 at Wanganui on Saturday has earned her a black-type assignment over the same course and distance next weekend. The seven-year-old Proisir mare produced an impressive performance in the $50,000 open handicap, dragging the field up to the tearaway leader Sagunto and hitting the front before the home turn. Royal Flower gave her rider Mereana Hudson everything she asked for down the straight, and she went on to win by a length and a quarter from runner-up Comedy. Foxton…

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With a successful defence of his title in Saturday’s A$1 million The Illawarra Mercury Gong (1600m) at Kembla Grange, Kiwi-bred marvel Gringotts has now won five races worth $1 million or more within the space of barely a year. The Per Incanto gelding’s back-to-back victories in The Gong sit alongside his dual triumphs in the A$3 million The Big Dance (1600m) at Randwick, plus the most prestigious victory of his career in the A$1 million Gr.1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill last March. The Ciaron Maher-trained Gringotts has now…