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Arc Hero Torquator Tasso Returns At Baden-Baden
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Sealiway Aims for Prix d'Ispahan Glory
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Shoemaker Mile Starts U.S. BC Challenge Races
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Wild Beauty Looks to Bounce Back in Prix Alary
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Lester Piggott On The Mend In Switzerland
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Elector Gets Class Test in Triple Bend
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‘Memories’ Meets ‘Love’ in Honeymoon
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Stilleto Boy Sharp for Hollywood Gold Cup
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Half to Tenebrism Starts at Navan
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Full Speed Ahead for Annapolis in Penn Mile
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It is going to be very interesting to see how the yearling sales go this year? There is less horses going through the sales than what there used to be in Christchurch so figures may hold up pretty well! However you would have to wonder whether there are going to be enough buyers prepared to pay the big money for a yearling that wont be racing for a couple of years? There is no doubt whatsoever that these horses when they race will be racing for stakes that are going to be significantly less than what they are currently racing for! How much less would only be a guess, but unless things change and they start to manage things properly, I would not be surprised if stakes were half What they are now! HRNZ need to be speaking to the TAB and get them to be encouraging wagering rather than restricting it badly or things are not going to be flash! Interesting times indeed! -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
With the weather closing in again towards the tail end of a memorable Matamata Breeders’ Stakes day, it was left to durable stayerDiamond Jak (NZ)(Jakkalberry) to add some further sparkle to proceedings as he bolted away with the Listed Matamata Veterinary Services Kaimai Stakes (2000m). The enigmatic seven-year-old has proven a head scratcher at times for trainer Mark Brosnan, often ruining his chances with a tardy getaway from the starting gates. On his day however he is a force to be reckoned with and Saturday was his day as he relished the Heavy9 underfoot conditions to race clear in the home straight after dictating the pace throughout for rider Rory Hutchings. Hutchings had the son of Jakkalberry away swiftly to head the six-horse field after just 200m and once allowed his own way in front it was evident his mount would be hard to peg back. Eventual runner-up He’s A Doozy (NZ) (Zacinto) tried his heart out in the run home but there was no stopping Diamond Jak as he maintained a powerful gallop to collect his ninth career victory and first at stakes level. Brosnan was pleased with his charge leading into the race and when the track came up a Heavy9 it played into his hands even more. “That was very satisfying as once the rain came I knew he was a good chance,” Brosnan said. “He needed the run the other day and although I wasn’t going to come here, once it rained I decided to run him. “I told Rory to be positive out of the gates and although he was a little more positive than I thought he would be, it worked for him.” Brosnan will now have to decide where to head next with his charge as his aim had been the Gr.2 Auckland Cup (3200m) on 7 March at Ellerslie, but owner Gary Hodel had talked him out of that plan. “I honestly don’t know where to now as I had him nominated for the Auckland Cup, but my owner talked me into pulling him out,” he said. “I don’t know where to go now so we will have to take a look around.” Hutchings, who had employed similar tactics when winning aboard My Lips Are Sealed (NZ) (Ace High) in the Listed Lisa Chittick Champagne Stakes (1400m) earlier in the day, was keen on his chances when track conditions came up in the Heavy range. “He got the track to suit today and when I was able to hold the top (lead), that was the difference between winning and losing,” he said. “He was a rock-hard fit stayer and I was able to put the pressure on early and maintain a strong gallop. “He built through his gears and was strong through the line.” Bred and owned by Gary and Linda Hodel, Diamond Jak has now won eight of his 40 starts and over $349,000 in prizemoney. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Trainer Sophie Price put aside her regular Clerk of the Course duties at Invercargill on Saturday to watch her promising three-year-old fillyHello Hayley (NZ)(Hello Youmzain) take out the Listed ILT Ascot Park Hotel Southland Guineas (1400m) at Ascot Park on Saturday. Price, who prepares a small team from her Winton stable, has had the daughter of Hello Youmzain in her team since late last year after she had one run for Karaka-based trainer Lance Noble. Successful second up at Ascot Park, Hello Hayley then finished sixth in the Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes (1400m) at Wingatui before producing another game effort for fourth behind race-rival Luna Capella (NZ) (Tivaci) over 1200m a month ago. Rider Donovan Cooper was prepared to play a waiting game with Hello Hayley as he allowed her to find her feet in the early rush and was still last of the 14 runners with a little under 600m to run. Cooper and Hello Hayley stuck hard up against the running rail turning for home and when the gaps opened up she barged through and quickly sprinted clear to defeat her last-start nemesis, Luna Capella by a neat length at the line. Price had a smile a mile wide as she described the juggling act she goes through when she has runners in on a raceday that she is officiating at, especially as she was returning from a painful leg injury. “That was very impressive, even though I did think she was a little underdone,” Price said. “She’s a good wee girl. “I thought we might have won the Gore Guineas and maybe this field might have been a bit too tough for her. “Blinkers on and she has got the job done and they have definitely improved her. “I watched the race from the corner (home bend) as it can be pretty tough and especially today as it is my first day back after rupturing my calf muscle. “The other clerk, Sarah Beck, has been riding her for me so she has done a good job with her. “It’s just wonderful to win as this is for a great group of owners who will be having a lot of fun.” Cooper was also full of praise for the effort of his mount. “It was absolutely massive (the victory) as I thought I would take her back today because I knew there might be a little bit of carnage early on,” he said. “We got to bide our time before I asked the question at the 600m, where I actually dropped my stick (whip), but boy was she tough and what acceleration she has got. “I definitely think the blinkers on played a big part as she was a lot more focussed and she is pretty exciting.” Bred by Cambridge Stud principals Sir Brendan and Lady Jo Lindsay, Hello Hayley is out of the Thorn Park mare Hayley Grace (NZ) and is closely related to multiple Group One winner Te Akau Shark (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle). She has now won two of her six starts and just under $100,000 in prize money. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
A heady front-running ride from Rory Hutchings helped underrated mare My Lips Are Sealed (NZ) (Ace High) bounce back to winning form in the Listed Lisa Chittick Champagne Stakes (1400m) on her home track at Matamata on Saturday. Heavy rain in the previous 24 hours had a major effect on proceedings as runners on the day were faced with a testing Heavy9 surface that had many struggling to make ground in the final stages of their races. Hutchings took the bull by the horns to put the Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson-prepared daughter of Ace High in front from barrier rise as they dictated affairs ahead of the well-fancied Mary Shan (NZ) (Almanzor), who sat on their heels throughout. Although unsighted since finishing midfield at Ellerslie in November last year, My Lips Are Sealed was travelling powerfully turning for home and she never looked like stopping as she held out the late challenges of Our Jumala (NZ) (Zed), Mary Shan and Lux Libertas (NZ) (Almanzor) to claim her second victory at stakes level and the fifth of her career to date. Bergerson admitted that while the team had been rueing the rain that had arrived on Friday, making track conditions tough for most of their runners, he was confident that if My Lips Are Sealed was near her best, she would tough to beat. “She was the one of our team in on the day that I felt would really handle the underfoot conditions,” Bergerson said. “She put in a sparkling effort 12 months ago when running third behind Legarto (NZ) (Proisir) in this race and I just thought if she was back to somewhere near her best she would be a good chance. “She had been disappointing in the Spring and we were wondering if she was telling us it might be the right time to become a mum, but she freshened up nicely and she showed her true class today.” Bergerson was quick to commend the ride by Hutchings who took the initiative to put the mare in front which hadn’t been the pre-race plan. “We had a good chat with Rory before the race and he said he would probably ride her two or three pairs back and then make a run,” he said. “He (Hutchings) said she jumped so well and was so keen he decided to go forward and put the pressure on and that paid dividends as she never looked like getting caught. “As long as she gets through the race well we might look at the Cuddle Stakes (Gr.3, 1600m) at Trentham for her next, but we won’t make those sort of decisions until we have had a chance to see how she pulls up.” Co-bred by Rich Hill Stud, who offered her in Book 1 at Karaka in 2022, the mare was purchased by Te Akau Racing boss David Ellis for $160,000. Raced by the Te Akau Not A Word Racing Partnership she has now had 22 starts for five wins, four placings and earned $264,710 in stakes. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Te Akau Racing continued their golden run in the Gr.2 J Swap Contractors Ltd Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) on Saturday when recording their fifth consecutive victory in the race courtesy ofLara Antipova(Russian Revolution). The daughter of Russian Revolution was impressive when winning on debut at Te Aroha in November for trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson, and once again in the Gr.2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m) at Trentham a month later, and was well-supported by punters in her fresh-up run on Saturday, backed into a $1.20 favourite. From her outside draw, Lara Antipova had a fair bit of speed inside her, but jockey Opie Bosson let his charge balance up and soon sent her forward to capture the lead from the 900m mark. Te Encuentro (Frankel) and Hawea (Hellbent) loomed up alongside her rounding for home, but Bosson pushed the go button at the top of the straight and Lara Antipova quickly bounded away, improving her advantage with every stride, eventually running out a 3-1/4 length victor over Te Encuentro, with a further three-quarters of a length back to Hawea in third. “She is a very special filly,” Bosson said. “She wasn’t 100 percent in the ground and she had a bit of a stumble turning in but that actually made her pick the bit up a bit more and she got up underneath me, she is pure class. “She was a little bit fresh and a little bit keen early in the running, but with that run under her belt she is only going to improve.” The Matamata Breeders’ Stakes has been a great springboard for previous stable winners, with Maven Belle (NZ) (Burgundy), Captured By Love (Written Tycoon) and La Dorada (NZ) (Super Seth) all going on to win at elite-level, and that’s the goal with Lara Antipova. She will get that opportunity at her next start in the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie on Champions Day, which Te Akau won last year with Return To Conquer (Snitzel), who will join Waikato Stud’s stallion roster this coming breeding season. “She is a very good filly,” Walker said. “The next port of call will be the Sistema and then all going well and she was still 100 percent, you would consider going over to Australia. We do think a lot of her. “It is great for John and Jessica (Galvin) and the Fortuna team to have another nice one.” Lara Antipova was purchased by Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis, in conjunction with Fortuna Racing, for A$100,000 out of Vinery Stud’s 2025 Magic Millions Gold Cost Yearling Sale draft. Her prominence extends the great run of success the two entities have shared over the last few years, which includes the likes of 14-time Group One winner Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands) and Group One performer Bellatrix Star (Star Witness). Lara Antipova has won all three of her career starts to date and has earned more than $240,000 in prizemoney. View the full article
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