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Superstars rush to Bendigo
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Big Fish, Little Fish – Auckland 18 June
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Nature Strip to tackle The Everest 2020 third up
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Spring campaign in doubt for Te Akau Shark
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Cartier primed for Blazing Bendigo debut
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Selections | Auckland, 18 June
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Excitement On The Cards
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Matthews takes big team to The Park
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Like a Rolling Stone
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Gold Rush series unearths future stars yet again
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Who Told Stevie back, meets Simon Told Helen
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Veterans find ‘fountain of youth’
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Catch The Thief lands back in Victoria
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Karen Leek funeral to be streamed
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By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Trainer Liam Birchley has long earmarked the Listed TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) for highly promising juvenile Dream Roca, and the daughter of El Roca took another step in the direction of the Ellerslie feature with a dominant win at Eagle Farm on Saturday. Dream Roca finished runner-up on debut over 1000m in October and showed the benefit of raceday experience as she closed over the top of favourite Star Of Jamaica to score over the same course and distance by two lengths on Saturday. “The fence was pretty hot that day on debut and the favourite drew inside us,” Birchley reflected. “But with the race experience and being here before, she got the drop on them today, the way the race worked out and she was quite professional. “She’ll head over for the Karaka Millions. She’s fully qualified now, but she’ll probably have another run on the way there and hopefully we can draw a gate and give them some curry.” Birchley said the filly’s relaxed demeanour will hold her in good stead. “She’s actually bred to run a mile and beyond, and let’s hope she does. But it’s good for a two-year-old to have that demeanour and not waste too much energy and save it all for when they need it,” he said. The Sunshine Coast trainer has previously enjoyed successful raids to New Zealand, having prepared Hardline to win the Karaka Millions in 2015 and Sister Havana in 2010, while Sarge In Charge finished second for the stable in 2009. Winning rider Ben Thompson was impressed with the improvement Dream Roca had derived from her debut run. “With a two-year-old, that race experience can count for so much,” he said. “I just thought taking natural benefit, albeit today looked a stronger contest of the unraced horses from the trials, she’s still been here and done it. “It always fills you with a lot of confidence riding a two-year-old for Liam Birchley and he’s got another nice one in his hands.” Thompson was effusive when pressed as to whether he’d like to make the trip to New Zealand to ride the promising youngster. “Absolutely. I’ll be there tomorrow to swim her if he needs.” Dream Roca is now a $3.50 joint favourite for the January 24 contest with the Johno Benner-trained De Armas. By Fastnet Rock’s Randwick Guineas (Gr.1, 1600m) runner-up El Roca, Dream Roca was purchased by Birchley for $75,000 from the Westbury Stud draft at this year’s Karaka Yearling Sales. The filly is out of the five-win Redwood mare Petrachor. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Underrated sprinter First Five produced a barnstorming finish to capture his first stakes victory when he took out the Gr.3 J Swap Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa Carrying the familiar colours of well-known thoroughbred identity Gerald Shand, the David Greene-prepared five-year-old has been a model of consistency in his career so far although his task on Saturday looked a daunting one with a quality line-up carded for the Group Three feature. Allowed to start at odds of better than $26 in the 16-horse line-up, First Five was spotting pacemaker Kitty Flash more than ten lengths turning for home after being shuffled back beyond midfield approaching the home turn. Jockey Lynsey Satherley didn’t panic as Kitty Flash looked the winner halfway down the straight as she shot three lengths clear, with First Five finally seeing clear air as he weaved his way into a gap between runners. First Five sprouted wings and mowed Kitty Flash down at the 100m, going on to win by more than a length from the late-closing Tuxedo and a brave Kitty Flash who held out race favourite Smart Love for third. Greene has always held a huge opinion of his charge and despite the hefty price on the tote, was confident a win was on the cards. “I can’t say it is unexpected to be honest, as we have had a massive rap on this horse for a long time,” Greene said. “We haven’t seen the best of him yet and he has stamped himself as a real Group One contender. “There are a few conversations to be had now about whether we are wanting to drop back to 1200m for something like the Telegraph (Gr.1, 1200m), which is a very hard run 1200m. “He is just so good at this distance (1400m), I think back here for the sprint (Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint, 1400m) is the big one, but how we get there is the conversation to be had. “This guy is up with the best horses we have had and it is a pleasure to watch him at trackwork each morning, with the way he goes through his gears.” Satherley was always confident during the running despite being in an awkward position approaching the home turn. “He is just so explosive this horse and he just needs the right things going for him,” she said. “He gives you an amazing feel and the gaps just came for him. “When he gets through them (the gaps) he just finds and I think he is still untapped and a definite Group One horse. “I knew the gaps would come today and when they opened I was lucky I had a horse underneath me to take them.” By Cambridge Stud stallion Almanzor out of the six-race winner Payette, First Five was bred by Shand who co-owns him along with with Jenna McLeod and Jackie and Philip Rogers. He has now won six of his 18 starts and over $206,000 in prizemoney. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
A change of tactics that saw promising mare Hinekaha go straight to the front from barrier rise paved the way for her biggest success when she scored a game win in the Gr.2 Cal Isuzu Stakes (1600m) at Te Rapa. The lightly-raced four-year-old daughter of Savabeel had never lead in any of her previous eight starts, however trainer Andrew Forsman was keen to see rider Craig Grylls take the initiative from the start in the seven-horse line-up. “I spoke to Craig and we thought the logical thing would be for Electron to lead,” Forsman said. “I thought if we hand up and they find their spots to quickly we don’t want to be caught in a situation where it is a sit and sprint home. “We really wanted to make it a strong run mile which would suit her a lot better than the others.” Grylls followed those instructions to the letter as he had Hinekaha trucking along nicely in front under her own steam with Electron and race favourite Qali Al Farrasha forced to chase him every step of the way. It was evident that Grylls had a lapful of horse turning for home and when he pressed the go button Hinekaha bounded clear to establish a winning three length break with 250m to run. Although tiring as the winning post loomed, Hinekaha held out strong late runs from Queen Zou and Jaarffi to register her second victory in stakes company. “She will get better as she strengthens and matures, but she has come on in leaps and bounds in this prep,” Forsman said. “She really has developed and has a lot of class as she has only had the nine starts and is now a Group Two winner. “We have always rated her highly, but we just had to stop at the right times and back off her as a three -year-old. “Christopher and Susanna (Grace, owners) are just so patient to let us do that and it has worked for her. “We will just enjoy today now and then start looking at where to next.” Grylls made no doubt of the high regard he has for the mare. “She was comfortable and pre-race we weren’t that sure what to do with the small field as it could have got a bit muddly,” he said. “She had been beginning well and Andrew said if she began well to let her roll along. “I have had faith in her right from the first day and while she is still maturing and is only going to get better, she had plenty more in the tank. “I thought she might be coming to the end of it but when I asked her she went again as she is tough and gritty. “I think she is a Group One horse.” Bred by co-owner Christoper Grace, Hinekaha is the first foal out of the Listed Rangitikei Gold Cup (1600m) winner Hinerangi and has now won five of her nine starts and over $232,000 in prizemoney. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Fraser Auret says he will be a proud man when Ka Ying Rising lines up in the HK$28 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) at Sha Tin on 14 December against a strong international field with hopes of adding to his 15 consecutive wins. Auret is a trainer and horse trader from the Central Districts of New Zealand’s North Island in a small country with an outsized tradition of producing champion racehorses. But whatever he achieves in those facets of the game, he will be forever remembered as the breeder of Ka Ying Rising, widely acclaimed as the world’s best sprinter. Auret insists he won’t have mixed feelings on raceday, wishing perhaps he had kept the first foal of broodmare Missy Moo (by Per Incanto) for himself to race and train. “At the end of the day, our business only survives on selling good horses. Nobody could have predicted the heights Ka Ying Rising would scale. Saying that, we pride ourselves in selling untapped young horses. We’ve loved every minute of the entire journey,” he adds. Auret trains 60 horses at the old Marton Racecourse, near Palmerston North. He trained Missy Moo to win five races for one of his clients and then took her on himself as a broodmare. It was his first venture into breeding, and Ka Ying Rising was the first horse he bred. “Missy Moo was very talented but she had issues with one of her legs and was ultimately retired. It was that same leg that later led to her having to be put down after she had just two foals. “We always do the right thing by the horse. The arthritis in the back leg meant that the more pregnant she got, the more sore she was getting. We simply did the right thing by the horse, which was our number one priority.” Auret visited the Sha Tin stables of David Hayes, who also trains Ka Ying Rising’s half-brother Ka Ying Glory, who runs in the Class 4 Fairy King Prawn Handicap (1400m), the opening race at Sunday’s LONGINES Hong Kong International Races. “It was wonderful to get the opportunity to go and see them both. Their boxes are next to each other. “When you pass the baton on to another trainer, it’s out of your hands. I guess my feeling is one of immense pride. We are in the Central Districts, and typically we punch above our weight, breeding and developing horses that can compete all around the world.” Auret now owns seven broodmares. He has just received word that three of them are in foal to Shamexpress, the sire of Ka Ying Rising. Three years on from Ka Ying Rising’s Levin Jump Out that caught the attention of David Hayes, his breeder Fraser Auret travels to Hong Kong to see ‘rocket’ shoot for his 16th consecutive victory. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
After achieving back-to-back victories as the LONGINES World’s Best Jockey, James McDonald is hoping to cap off an extraordinary season by creating more history at Sha Tin tomorrow (Sunday, 14 December) on Romantic Warrior. McDonald, who also won the LONGINES World’s Best Jockey award in 2022, will ride Romantic Warrior in search of a historic fourth consecutive HK$40 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m) victory. McDonald, 33, was presented with a crystal vase trophy on Friday night (12 December) by Mr Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Chair, International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) and Chief Executive Officer of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, at the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races Gala Dinner at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. McDonald, who also received a special LONGINES watch from Mr Patrick Aoun, President and Chief Executive Officer of LONGINES, said he was great to again win such a prestigious award. “The first was time in the clouds sort of job and I suppose if anyone gets a good horse, they can win the award once but to do it three times is pretty cool and Ryan (Moore) Frankie (Dettori) have won it four times and we are talking about the greatest jockeys on earth,” McDonald said. McDonald modestly said he would not put himself in that category and believes his success was propelled by being lucky enough to ride three exceptional horses – Romantic Warrior, Voyage Bubble and Via Sistina – in the one year. “Romantic (Warrior) is the best, Via (Sistina) is phenomenal for what she has achieved and so is Voyage Bubble,” he said. McDonald won 12 of the world’s Top 100 Group 1 or Grade 1 races. Three of those were on Voyage Bubble, one on Romantic Warrior, who was sidelined for several months following fetlock surgery, six on Via Sistina and also one each on Joliestar and Sunshine In Paris. He topped the rankings with 184 points, from Mickael Barzalona (132), William Buick (114) and Ryan Moore (102). The LONGINES World’s Best Jockey title is based on performances in the 100 highest-rated Group 1 and Grade 1 races as established for the year by the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings Committee. The scoring incorporates races from 1 December of the previous year until 30 November of the current year where jockeys accrue 12 points for a win, 6 points for second, and 4 points for third. McDonald said it had been a wonderful year but it was only through the deeds of the champion race horses he ridden throughout the year that allowed him win the award. “And I mean they are incredible race horses, a (Hong Kong) Triple Crown winner (Voyage Bubble), a Hong Kong champion (Romantic Warrior) and an Australian champion as well (Via Sistina),” McDonald said. “To get them all in one year doesn’t happen often at all and to be partnering them is just an incredible feeling and I feel very humbled to be riding them.” McDonald, who is on short-term contract in Hong Kong and will return to Sydney just before Christmas, said the standout of all the performances was Voyage Bubble’s Triple Crown victory in HK$13 million G1 Stewards’ Cup (1600m), HK$13 million G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m) HK$13 million G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2400m). A win on Romantic Warrior tomorrow could top what he has achieved this year, and if everything pans out all right, McDonald would love to return for another crack at the G1 Saudi Cup (1800m, dirt) in 2026 and attempt to avenge the narrow loss to Forever Young. View the full article
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