Co-trainer Shaun Fannin combined with his progressive jumping talent Jesko (NZ) (Atlante) to collect a stunning victory in Saturday’s Presidential Homes Manawatu Steeplechase (4000m) at Trentham. Fannin prepares the seven-year-old son of Atlante with his wife Hazel out of their Awapuni base and looks to have a prodigious talent over fences on his hands with Jesko making it two wins from two starts over the bigger fences after scoring over hurdles last season. Successful in his chasing debut at Wanganui last month Fannin kept the gelding up to the mark…
Category: Gallops
Major Major hits his stride for Alexanders
The Te Awamutu stable of Katrina and Simon Alexander is Major Major’s (NZ) (Pins) third home, and a commanding performance in Saturday’s Trackside.co.nz (2100m) at Ellerslie suggested it could be the most successful one for the late-developing seven-year-old. Major Major began his career as a rising six-year-old in July and August of 2023, finishing outside the placings in two starts over sprint distances for Matamata trainer Daniel Miller. He was trained by Mathew Faber for all of his next nine appearances, which produced wins over 2100m at Tauranga, Pukekohe and…
Poignant win for Billy Boy in Manawatu Hurdles
Unbeaten hurdler Billy Boy (So You Think) honoured the memory of his late owner Denis Leamy with a tenacious victory in the Manawatu ITM Manawatu Hurdles (2500m) at Trentham on Saturday. Billy Boy was bought for just $5500 on Gavelhouse.com in 2021 by Leamy, who sadly died at Palmerston North Hospital last Sunday at the age of 82 – just six days before his horse’s career-best win. From 30 starts, Billy Boy has now recorded five wins and seven placings and has earned $89,865. He has a perfect two-from-two record…
Boombox makes plenty of noise at Ellerslie
Trainer Tony Pike lined up three promising juveniles at Ellerslie on Saturday and went within inches of a special trifecta in the Network Visuals 1200 (1200m). Two-year-old Spirit Of Boom gelding Boombox (NZ) (Spirit Of Boom) headed home the Pike trio with debutant Ashoka (NZ) (Hello Youmzain) closing off strongly to take second, while stablemate and fellow debutant Happy Youmzain (NZ) (Hello Youmzain) took fourth just a nose away from race favourite Pacific Breeze (North Pacific) in third. Rider Triston Moodley had Boombox relaxed outside Ocean Rules (NZ) (Ocean Park)…
Local legend looking forward to feature winter meeting
Leonard Stewart has made his presence felt on Waimate Cup Day in recent years, and the highly respected Timaru horseman is looking forward to another edition of the feature winter meeting at Phar Lap Raceway on Sunday. Stewart saddled Take The Deel to win the Dunstan Horsefeeds Waimate Cup in 2021 and Vague to repeat that result in 2022. The race was run over 2200m in both of those years but has subsequently changed to 1600m. Stewart had three runners in the 2023 edition, which was won by Zelenski. In…
Weather key for Samuel Langhorne
With Victoria in desperate need of rain, trainer Michael Kent is hopeful of getting through the early part of the Flemington meeting with not too much falling. Kent has Samuel Langhorne (NZ) (Shocking) engaged in the opening race at Flemington on Saturday, the TAB We’re On (2520m) and the trainer does not want the track to be too rain-affected. On Friday the track was rated a Soft 6 with showers developing, while on Saturday the Bureau Of Meteorology is forecasting a 95% chance of between 3 and 9mm of rain. “He’s not a wet tracker, so I’ll be…
Another age-group target for Acapelago
Two weeks after an impressive win in a 1400m three-year-old race at Te Rapa, Te Awamutu trainers Katrina and Simon Alexander are sticking to a similar formula with talented filly Acapelago at Ellerslie this weekend. The daughter of Belardo scored a commanding victory on May 24, dominating from the front in the hands of jockey Kelly Myers and keeping herself well out of the reach of placegetters Ziggy Stardust and Renovations. The Alexanders will stick to age-group company and 1400m on Saturday, saddling Acapelago in the Sistema (1400m). “I’ve been…
Winter Final in the offing for promising juvenile
Byerley Park trainer Steven Cole will head to Ellerslie with a quartet of runners on Saturday, and he is particularly upbeat about the chances of Pacific Breeze in the Network Visuals 1200. The two-year-old son of North Pacific has pleased Cole with his progression since making his debut at Te Aroha in February, and he will use Saturday’s assignment as a qualifier for the $60,000 ITM/GIB 2YO Winter Championship Final at Ruakaka later this month. “I am really happy with him, he trialled up well at Waipa the other day…
Forsman three-year-olds continue Melbourne campaigns
Andrew Forsman has four runners spread across three venues on Saturday, including a pair of three-year-olds at Flemington who will try to follow up strong last-start performances at the Melbourne track. Yaldi will step up in distance to contest the Darren Galley Mile (1600m), in which he will carry 60kg and will be ridden by Declan Bates. The winner of the Gr.2 Auckland Guineas (1400m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day, Yaldi was a last-start third placegetter over 1400m at Flemington on May 17. He carried 59.5kg in that race and…
Pike’s hand forced at Ellerslie with young talent
Tony Pike will have a quartet of runners by necessity rather than design in Saturday’s two-year-old contest at Ellerslie. The Cambridge trainer will be represented by trial winners Arthur, Ashoka, Boombox and Happy Youmzain in the Network Visuals Juvenile (1200m). “It was never the intention to run four together, but they are all nice, progressive two-year-olds that I want to give a run to,” Pike said. “They can then have a break with race day experience under their belts going into their three-year-old seasons. “This is probably the last chance…