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I looked at the Messenger field for Friday night and one horse just keeps jumping out to me. Every time I go to look at other runners in an outstanding field I keep being drawn back to this one horse. I don't say this horse is a good or not good bet, just that I can't look at the field without him jumping out at me. The horse: BETTER ECLIPSE. Maybe a big night for Greg Sugars who also drives Just Believe in the big trot. He and Oscar look like the quinella of the season. -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Trainers Phil D'Amato and Michael McCarthy, who have horses in the Kentucky Derby (G1), will be represented by half the field in the Charles Whittingham Stakes at Santa Anita Park.View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Life at the beach is agreeing with talented performer Shamus who will make his first appearance on Saturday from his new quarters. The lightly raced five-year-old has been sent north by former trainer Allan Sharrock to Moira and Kieran Murdoch’s Pukekohe stable and is set to begin the next phase of his career when he resumes in the Prezzy Card Sprint (1200m) at Te Rapa. The Noel and Ron Stanley-raced son of Shamexpress was runner-up in an open sprint at New Plymouth at his last appearance in February after finishing sixth in the Gr.1 Telegraph (1200m) following an interrupted passage. “Allan sent him up to us just for a change of scenery, we’ve done it before with a couple for him and using the beach and changing things up for the older horses,” Moira Murdoch said. “He’s lovely and you couldn’t get a nicer horse, he’s taken to the beach from the first day and we’ll see how he goes. He’s been with us for a wee while now and I’ve been happy with his work. “We trialled him at Pukekohe and he ran a nice second, that was just over 800m and he did that really easily. “We thought we’d go to Te Rapa where he has run well before, he hasn’t had any right-handed races so it’s a good one to kick him off.” The stable will take a race-by-race approach with Shamus and no firm goals in mind as yet. “He’s obviously a very talented horse so we’ll just see how he goes, he’s an absolute pleasure to do anything with,” Murdoch said. The model professional has also showed a particular liking for one dietary treat. “He’s no bother, but he has got a penchant for Gala apples and can sniff them out anywhere,” Murdoch said. Shamus has an impressive first-up record with four wins and two placings from eight appearances off a spell and will be partnered in his return at Te Rapa by Jasmine Fawcett. “Jasmine rode him at the trials and the Stanley boys were happy to keep her on,” Murdoch said. Shamus has been successful in six of his 13 appearances, including the Gr.2 Wellington Guineas (1400m) and finished third in the Gr.2 Waikato Guineas (2000m). As an older horse, he has also been successful in a brace of open handicap sprints and finished runner-up in the Listed Lightning Handicap (1200m). View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
A pair of Group winners take pride of place so far in the training career of David Greene who this week hit a notable milestone. The Te Rapa-based horseman sent out his 100th winner on Wednesday when Goldiluxe scored at Ruakaka in the style to befit the occasion and, for good measure, stablemate Flamboyance finished runner-up. Ghibellines mare Goldiluxe was sent out at less than even money in her 1400m maiden contest and won accordingly, romping home in the hands of Sam Spratt to bring up Greene’s century. “To be honest, I haven’t really given it too much thought, but it is nice and a reflection of an awful lot of work that a lot of different people have put into the stable over the years,” he said. Greene was involved in the industry on a smaller scale before concentrating on training. “I’ve been full time at Te Rapa for 12 years and we played around with a couple of horses before that,” he said. “We were out on the farm at Tahuna (about 15 minutes out of Morrinsville) and Heidi (wife) and I were mainly pre-training and spelling horses back then. Heidi has been key to everything.” In the ensuing years, the stable’s flagship performers have been top-class mare Stolen Dance and the well-performed stayer Justamaiz. A daughter of Alamosa, Stolen Dance was successful on nine occasions and placed a further six times from 21 appearances for Greene. She claimed top honours in the Gr.2 Cal Isuzu Stakes (1600m) and the Gr.3 Eagle Technology Stakes (1600m) and consecutively finished runner-up at Group One level in the Zabeel Classic (2000m), Thorndon Mile (1600m) and Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m). “She’s been my favourite horse so far, she was very special to me and the stable,” Greene said. Following a change in the ownership group, Stolen Dance joined the now retired Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman and the mare signed off her career with a deserved success by going one better in the Thorndon. Justamaiz was a tough staying son of Guillotine who won eight races with his most notable successes on his home track at Te Rapa. “He won the Waikato Cup (Gr.3, 2400m) and also won the Counties Cup (Gr.3, 2100m) when it was held here so it was two local Cups for us,” Greene said. “You’d love to have a stable full of geldings like him that can have long careers and he was another real favourite.” Justamaiz also finished third in an edition of the Gr.3 Wellington Cup (3200m). Greene’s most recent winner Goldiluxe broke through at Ruakaka at her fifth appearance. “She had been knocking on the door of late, she was pretty close to breaking her maiden at Pukekohe and then got tripped up by a track that was wetter than we expected at Rotorua,” he said. “It was a well-earned win for her, and the other horse (Flamboyance) is progressing well and keeps getting better with every start. “He has been a bit of a slow learner, but it looks like he’ll make the grade.” View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Wanganui trainer JJ Rayner will head to Woodville on Friday where she will kick off the campaigns of two of her stable stars, with the pair having ambitions of heading to Riccarton’s Grand National Festival of Racing in August. Hacksaw Ridge was a consistent performer for Rayner last year, placing in five of his nine outings, including a runner-up performance in the Listed AGC Training Stakes WFA (1600m). The Wanganui feature is once again in the crosshairs, however, with his improved travelling manners, a trip across the Cook Strait to tackle the Gr.3 Winter Cup (1600m) at Riccarton is also in the offing. “He has matured a lot and we are looking for a nice season with him,” Rayner said. “He does a few funny things and isn’t the easiest horse to ride or travel. “He seems a lot better in the truck, so I think the main aim for us is to try and get him to the Winter Cup. “We will also head to the AGC Training Stakes with him, he was second in it last year, and probably the Opunake Cup (Listed, 1400m).” The six-year-old son of Power will be ridden by Lisa Allpress on Friday from barrier 11 in the David & Ellen Oliver (1400m), and Rayner is hoping he can get a soft trip from that draw. “Lisa has ridden him before and gotten on well with him,” she said. “We are expecting a nice run from him first-up, without expecting too much. “He is not the easiest horse to settle, but if he can get a bit of cover he can relax a little bit, so that is what we are hoping.” Stablemate Lord Spencer was another who was in great form of Rayner last year, and she is hopeful he can add some prestige jumps titles to his record this season. The six-year-old son of Zed had five starts over hurdles last year for a win and four placings, and will prepare to head back to that discipline following his second-up run in the Roly and Phillipa Ellis (2200m) on Friday. “He has come up well, but he will need the run,” Rayner said. “He has been going to Waverley and has been doing a couple of jumping days there. “Lemmy Chief Stipelas will ride him in his first few jumping races. “His main aim this year are the big hurdle races. We would like to think we can head down to the Grand National at Riccarton with him too. “He is a lovely horse and hopefully we will have a nice season with him.” Rayner is also excited about the prospects of Tutin Cans this winter. “Tutin Cans, a half-brother to Hacksaw Ridge, is coming up nicely again,” she said. “On his day he is a very good horse, so I would like to have a bit of fun with him.” View the full article
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