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Enable beats Magical in Yorkshire Oaks

Star mare Enable secured the tenth Group One victory of her career when taking out the Yorkshire Oaks (2400m) at York on Thursday. "She felt great and she's had a great send-off in front of the English people,” jockey Frankie Detorri said. "I was always in control today. The temptation in the past on her has always been to kick a bit too soon but today I thought I'd let Ryan (Moore, on Magical) come to me before I kicked. "When I gave her a little tap she put her head down, and I knew then I'd...

Summer return likely for Hiflyer

The connections of Group One performer Hiflyer have taken a patient approach with the gelding’s return after he suffered an injury following his last start unplaced run in the Gr.2 Japan NZ International Trophy (1600m) at Tauranga. “He had a minor setback after his last race, he pulled a muscle in his back,” Lock said. “We have just given him time to get over it. We decided we weren’t going to target the Tarzino Trophy (Gr.1, 1400m) and the triple crown series at Hastings this year, s...

Waikato pair Lock in on New Plymouth targets

Te Aroha conditioner Peter Lock will take two runners south for Saturday’s New Plymouth meeting and he believes both horses are winning chances. Six-year-old gelding Viktor Vegas will tackle the feature race of the day, the New Plymouth ITM Interprovincial Challenge (1600m), and he takes some strong form into the race. The son of Tavistock has had two runs this preparation for a win first-up over 1200m at Awapuni before getting pipped at the line by The Good Fight over 1400m at Te Rapa earlier...

Allpress buzzing ahead of Japanese challenge

Lisa Allpress is hoping her competitive streak and previous experience in Japan can give her an edge in this weekend's World All Stars Jockeys series at Sapporo Racecourse in Hokkaido. The Wanganui jockey has arrived in Hokkaido ahead of the four-race series which runs over two meetings at Sapporo. She has also picked up a further three rides including Daimei Fuji in the Gr.3 Keeneland Cup (1200m) on Sunday. As well as competing for individual honours, Allpress is part of the international team,...

NZ Racing and Breeding News – 23 August 2019

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gavelhouse.com Waikato Stallion Parade

The annual gavelhouse.com Waikato stallion tour, organised by the Waikato branch of the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association, will take place this weekend. A bus will be available, however, space is limited. To book a spot or for more information contact Scott Buchanan 0226131631. Saturday – August 249.15am Bus leaves NZTBA Office – 9 Anzac Street, Cambridge9.45am – Valachi Downs (Savile Row, Zacinto, US Navy Flag) + coffee cart10.50am - Mapperley Stud (Complacent, Contributor,...

Sydney targets for Volpe Veloce

Matamata trainer Graham Richardson will head to Sydney with Group One winner Volpe Veloce after her pleasing performance at the Taupo trials when second behind More Wonder on Wednesday. “She was flying, it was good to see,” Richardson said. “She is just happy in her work.” The winner of last year’s Gr.1 Railway Stakes (1200m) has pleased Richardson with the way she has returned this season and she will attempt to add another Railway title to her tally after a Sydney spring campaign. �...

New record price for gavelhouse.com

The sale of Lubaya in gavelhouse.com’s most recent thoroughbred auction set a new price highlight for the site. A regally-bred daughter of Rip Van Winkle, Lubaya’s appeal was not lost on bidders with plenty of early interest in the Group placed mare who was offered as a breeding and racing proposition in light work. This interest led to a record sale price of $255,000, surpassing the $211,000 paid for Ampin who was sold in foal to Savabeel in June 2017. “These types of results reinforce ...

WATCH: Bred To Win- Eminent

Caroline Searcy's Bred To Win visits Brighthill Farm to film Frankel's son Eminent....

Fannin jumps at chance to ride Laekeeper

A consensus between a trainer and his first-choice jockey will see talented jumper Laekeeper contest Saturday's Corson Maize Pakuranga Hunt Hurdle (3350m) at Ellerslie with a new rider. Shaun Fannin will ride topweight Laekeeper for the first time after Morrinsville trainer Simon Rees and regular rider Emily Farr agreed she should ride last-start Riccarton winner Abacus for New Plymouth trainer John Wheeler. Farr has ridden Laekeeper in all but two of his 14 hurdle starts, winning four times on ...

Triple Tarzino threat for Team Rogerson

Team Rogerson look to have a strong hand in next week’s Tarzino Trophy (1400m) at Hastings with a potential trio of runners in the first Group One race of the season. This past weekend’s Gr.2 Foxbridge Plate (1200m) placegetter Comeback is assured of a start in the race, while trainers Graeme, Debbie and Bailey Rogerson will wait until Monday before deciding whether Aalaalune and More Wonder will contest the first leg of the Hawke’s Bay triple crown. “Comeback will definitely go to the T...

Rondinella set for Melbourne campaign

Group One performer Rondinella pleased her connections with her 1100m trial at Taupo on Wednesday ahead of her trip across the Tasman  in the coming weeks. She settled towards the tail of the field before being improved three-wide by jockey Vinnie Colgan and was strong to the line finishing third behind Aretha and Amarula. “We were very pleased with the hit-out, she certainly needed it,” said Robert Wellwood, who trains in partnership with Roger James. “She had a nice, natural blow....

Lincoln Falls to Hastings

Talented four-year-old Lincoln Falls has pleased trainer Lisa Latta as he readies for a new campaign. The son of Dundeel was strong through the line at the end of a 1000m trial at Foxton on Tuesday, finishing fourth behind Not Santa after coming from the tail of the field. A winner of two of his eight starts, Lincoln Falls finished fifth in the Gr.1 Levin Classic (1600m), and the gelding will resume at Hastings on Saturday week in a rating 72 over 1300m....

Vespa produces two trial winners

Wellfield Stud stallion Vespa’s first crop of juveniles are starting to hit the track and are showing promising signs, with two trials winners on Tuesday. A Stephen Autridge-trained filly, out of two win mare Langara, won her 650m heat at Te Rapa by half a length, while the Johno Benner and Hollie Wynyard-trained Piaggio looked impressive when taking out his 600m heat at Foxton by five lengths. “He’s a neat tidy horse with a fair bit of ability,” Benner said. “He looks like his sire an...

Baker-Forsman arsenal building ahead of Australian raid

Cambridge trainer Murray Baker knows what it takes to plunder marquee races in Australia and the astute horseman, who trains in partnership with Andrew Forsman, is once again honing-in on lucrative spring targets across the Tasman. A select team of horses will target features in Sydney and Melbourne as Baker looks to add to his Australian Group One haul, which stands at an impressive 21, with Baker rating his squad on par with previous years. “I think they’re on target. Naturally, when they...

One Moor jockey for the Count

It is not unusual to see around half-a-dozen jockeys teaming up with a horse in the course of its racing career, but for Countofmontecristo, the record reads 11 in 22 starts thus far - and as many as nine different riders at his last 14 outings. The fact that Countofmontecristo has not greeted the judge for close to two years could be a strong hint why so many jockeys got to warm the saddle for only a fleeting time. The last of Michael Clements-trained and Joe Singh-owned galloper’s seven wins...

Promising dawn to new season for Ritchie

Promising galloper Dawn Patrol made a pleasing start to the new season for trainer Frank Ritchie, deadheating his 880m trial with Magnum at Te Rapa on Tuesday. “I was happy with that,” Ritchie said. “He is a bit burly and the track was hard work, he had a real blow afterwards too. I am pleased with him, he will improve a lot obviously.” Dawn Patrol won two of his six starts last season and placed in three stakes races, including a runner-up performance in the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guinea...

Duncan chasing immediate success in Australia

Hunterville trainer Ken Duncan has stepped into new territory with his fine steeplechaser Shamal set to race at Ballarat on Sunday. Duncan will start the nine-year-old Zabeel gelding in the Grand National Steeplechase (4500m) with regular rider Buddy Lammas in the saddle. “It’s the first time I’ve had one over here in Australia so it is all part of a learning curve,” Duncan said. “I’ve always wanted to bring one over, but never had one good enough. I mightn’t have another this good...

Tofane out to boost rating at Sandown

Trainer Mike Moroney has stakes race plans in the spring for Group-placed Tofane but first the lightly raced mare needs to boost her rating. Moroney hopes Tofane can start the process at Sandown on Wednesday when the four-year-old daughter of Ocean Park resumes in the MRC Membership Renewal Handicap (1000m). Tofane, who has a handicap rating of 73, has won one of her four races and will be having her first start since finishing second in the Gr.2 Euclase Stakes (1200m) for three-year-olds in Ade...

Elleegant set to resume in Winx Stakes

Dual Group One winner Verry Elleegant is one of four Chris Waller-trained gallopers nominated for Saturday’s Gr.1 Winx Stakes (1400m) at Randwick, joining stablemates Unforgotten, Youngstar and Kings Will Dream. Originally trained in New Zealand, Verry Elleegant looks poised to make a big impression this spring, with the daughter of Zed continuing to please her conditioner. “Verry Elleegant galloped well this morning and James McDonald was on board and gave me the thumbs up post-work,” Wa...

Humidor pleases with trial victory

Humidor is set to kick-off his spring campaign in the Gr.1 New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield next Saturday and his connections are pleased with the gelding heading into the race after his 990m trial win at Cranbourne on Monday. “It was nice, the track was pretty rain-affected,” said Ciaron Maher, who trains in partnership with David Eustace. “He has made nice progression from his first jump out and first trial. His coat has come out. “I put him in the visors (for ...

Waddell return delayed

Cambridge jockey Jason Waddell has been forced to delay his return to raceday riding. Waddell underwent surgery on his right leg on May 27 and had planned to resume at the start of this season, but a setback has left him unsure of the exact date of his return. “The operation went well and I rode at the trials (Te Rapa on July 29), but I got a small infection in the leg,” he said. “I got a bit over-eager and probably tried to come back a touch too soon. “I won’t take a ride until I’...

Group One assignment for Vigor Winner

Vigor Winner may not have got the results his connections were looking for in Australia last season, but the trip across the Tasman has been the making of the now four-year-old according to trainer Lauren Brennan. He won three of his four starts in New Zealand, including dead-heating the Gr.3 Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m), before finishing unplaced in his two Australian starts. “He has improved from the trip away,” Brennan said. “Both jockeys said give him six months and he will be ...

Weekend double for Wallace

Opaki trainer Jim Wallace had a perfect weekend, recording two wins from just two starts. Five-year-old mare Showmeware kicked off proceedings by taking out the Aquashield Roofing (1200m) at Otaki on Saturday before Tipperary Mary won the Sportz Bar 2060 at Wanganui on Sunday. Wallace was pleased with Showmeware’s victory, her second from five career starts, and he said she benefits from rain-affected tracks.  “The filly at Otaki (Showmeware), she got conditions to suit her at Otaki,”...

Livamol Classic on the cards for Mauna Kea

Mauna Kea is being set on a path towards the Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) at Hastings in October after picking up his seventh career win in the Vets On Riverbank at Otaki on Saturday. It would be his second tilt at elite level, after finishing unplaced in the Gr.1 Captain Cook Stakes (1600m) last year. The six-year-old son of Per Incanto has just had the one run further than a mile, finishing third in a 2060m race last year, and his trainer Paul Moseley thinks that’s his ideal distance. “The...