Category: Meeting Previews

By Jonny Turner  There is only going to be one argument between Steven Reid and Samantha Ottley after Jumal’s Group 1 win on Diamonds Day. The two-year-old justified his red-hot favouritism with a brilliant win in the Group 1 Diamond Creek Farm Classic at Ascot Park. While Reid and Ottley are in complete agreement on Jumal being a classy customer, the pair are yet to agree on who is the bigger fan of the exciting youngster. “I think Steven thinks he’s his number one fan, but no, I certainly am,”…

By Mike Love  It’s a change of scene and occasion for Pinseeker today. After a huge fifth in the $1m Race by betcha at Cambridge three weeks ago, won sensationally by Leap To Fame, Pinseeker returns to action at Rangiora this afternoon. He’ll start a $3.40 favourite in the Waimakariri Businesses Rangiora Winter Cup. While The Race by betcha was a 2200 mobile against Australasia’s best, today will be a 2600m stand for $25,000 with Pinseeker and trainer-driver Jonny Cox having to overcome a 35 metre handicap. The Downbytheseaside five-year-old…

By Jonny Turner  Steven Reid will get the answers he is looking for when he starts his first horse in Southland on Diamonds Day on Sunday. The former North Island horseman will venture further south than he has before to start the red-hot favourite Jumal in the Group 1 Diamond Creek Farm Classic at Ascot Park. Reid has had a good rap on his two-year-old, but his many years in the sport have told him that it is one thing for a horse to show promise and another for them…

By Jonny Turner  On current form, Nathan Williamson appeared to have an excruciating call to make ahead of the Group 2 Macca Lodge–Nevele R Stud Southern Oaks on Diamonds Day at Ascot Park on Sunday. Williamson opted for the tried and true in Captains Mistress, who will clash with her exciting and unbeaten stablemate Utah Jazz in Southland’s premier event for three-year-old fillies. Now that it has been made, the trainer-driver won’t lose any sleep if it turns out to be the wrong one. “Obviously training both of them and…

By Michael Guerin The marker pegs were paved with pacing gold in the Group 1s at Alexandra Park on Friday night. But even for the biggest winners on the star-studded night could be excused for  feelings of “what if” after all was said and done. The three big ones for the hoppled heroes were taken out by Republican Party in the Dawson Harford Messenger, Marketplace in the Woodlands Derby and Arafura in the Pascoes the Jewellers Northern Oaks. All were on the marker pegs throughout, as were the two trotting…

By Michael Guerin Mighty Logan succeeded where so many others have failed when leading throughout in the $100,000 Fisken And Son Anzac Cup at Alexandra Park on Friday. The Dominion runner-up from last November landed some big bets when he was able to take the Group 1 in what was his first start at Alexandra Park. Some great trotters have come to Alexandra Park and been tripped up by their first right handed start but not Mighty Logan, with driver John Dunn saying it was a team stable effort to…

By Jonny Turner  Tim Williams made the perfect start to his racing week; now he just hopes his form can continue. Williams and his Stonewall Stud team got Thursday’s Diamonds Day warm-up at Ascot Park underway by producing Mandala for an overdue victory. The stars aligned for the three-year-old, which is hopefully a sign of things to come for the Steve and Amanda Telfer camp when the feature races are up for grabs at Sunday’s Diamonds Day meeting. “It was three years in the making, but she found the perfect…