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By Wandering Eyes · Posted
It might be the calm before the storm with a pair of Group Ones next week and the Classic Mile the week after, but there are still 11 winners to be found on Sunday’s card at Sha Tin. Jay Rooney is in the hot seat to provide an extended rundown of his selections. Race 1 – Class Five Rugby Sevens Handicap (2,000m) In a field of stayers who struggle to win, Chateau Le Peche could be a value play with a return to the course and distance of his only victory and a good draw. Race 2 – Class Four...View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Expat Irish jockey Joe Doyle scored an emotional victory in front of his visiting parents at Trentham on Saturday when taking out the Gr.2 Harcourts Thorndon Mile (1600m) aboard Doctor Askar (NZ) (Derryn). The pair settled off the pace early and had just three runners behind them when turning for home, but Doyle guided his charge out wide where he was able to chase down Marotiri Molly (NZ) (Per Incanto) to win by half a head. “I got a good drag into it off Pitman’s horse (Mystic Park (NZ) (Ocean Park)),” Doyle said. “I usually ride him more forward, he doesn’t have to be ridden like that. It wasn’t really until the 200m that he really got down to it and I thought ‘we are going to do this’. I am really happy to get the result.” Doyle was particularly rapt to get the victory in front of his parents. “What a super horse,” he said. “My Mum and Dad are here today, so it was nice to ride a big winner in front of them. “We are horse racing people to the bone and it means everything to us. I am gutted that it is not a Group One still, but any big win on a Saturday is fantastic for super connections, and having Mum and Dad oncourse just adds to it.” Doyle was runner-up on the Joanne Moss-owned and trained gelding in the Gr.3 Phar Lap Trophy (1600m) at Trentham a fortnight ago, and he was bemused by his $10.90 winning odds. “He has been a very good horse to me,” Doyle said. “He was difficult to get going last year, we got to the right side of him, he fired a warning shot on the last day (in the Phar Lap Trophy). I don’t know why he was so friendless on the TAB, we went into it with a fair bit of confidence and he proved us right.” Moss was jubilant following the victory, Doctor Askar’s third at stakes level following his wins in the Gr.3 Easter Handicap (1600m) and Listed Flying Handicap (1400m) last year. “I am really blown away, that was quite a good field,” she said. “I just said to Joe, ‘he has done really well, he has eaten every day, he is working well, I have done my job’. I am absolutely rapt.” The five-year-old son of Derryn had put in a few subpar performances late last year, which Moss admitted to having her stumped, until she found the cause of the problem, a stone bruise. “He had a stone bruise and that took two races,” Moss said. “I didn’t know what was wrong with him, he was still running but wasn’t himself. Once I found that (stone bruise) I rang Joe and told him what I found, so we were back on track.” Moss is yet to lock in Doctor Askar’s next target, but Doyle believes he is better kept to handicaps for now. “I am really rapt with the horse,” he said. “There is more in him in handicaps at this stage and I am hoping he can progress to weight-for-age level.” View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Classy southern stayer Mayor Of Norwood (NZ) (Ghibellines) showed he will be more than a runner’s chance in the Gr.3 NZ Campus of Innovation & Sport Wellington Cup (3200m) at Trentham in a fortnight when he lumped the topweight of 61kgs to a comprehensive victory in the Skevingtons Waikouaiti Cup (2200m) at Wingatui on Saturday. The Brian and Shane Anderton-prepared seven-year-old had taken the 2025 version of the race and was looking to go back-to-back, albeit with an extra 2.5kgs on his back for regular pilot Corey Campbell. Punters felt the additional handicap, 7kgs more than his nearest rival, was of no consequence and so it proved as he sat relaxed in midfield for Campbell before tracking into contention rounding the home bend. Noble Knight (NZ) (Ghibellines) had shot clear at that point, however, Mayor Of Norwood was winding up strongly and joined issue with 200m to run before forging clear for a comfortable one length victory which indicated he is right where his trainers want him to be ahead of a Wellington Cup hit-and-run mission on 31 January. Shane Anderton was pleased with the win and said he had to show his best to warrant a trip to Trentham. “He was pretty impressive with the big weight today in a good, strong run race which helped him out a lot,” Anderton said. “We knew he was very well, but if we are going to make the big trip up to Trentham he had to win like he did. “Corey knows him well and it was a nice ride as he let him find his feet and get balanced around the home bend before asking for his best. “He has a really good turn of foot as he has won over a mile twice before and we had toyed with running him in the sprint (1400m) instead of this one today. “We did feel though that if he was going to Trentham, the middle distance suited him best and thankfully we pulled the right rein.” By former White Robe Lodge stallion Ghibellines, who passed away late last year, Mayor Norwood is raced by the estate of his breeder, the late Patrick Smith, and is out of the useful race mare Gallant Babe (NZ) (Gallant Guru). He is the younger brother of the stakes placed Capo Dell Impero (NZ) (Ghibellines) who took out the 2024 edition of the Waikouaiti Cup. He has now won eight of his 35 starts, with six of those coming on his home track at Wingatui, and over $281,000 in prizemoney. TAB Bookmakers have shortened him into a $10 Fixed Odds quote for the Wellington Cup where another southerner in Gr.3 Trentham Stakes (2100m) winner Rosso (Camelot) sits as the $3.20 favourite in the market. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Cambridge trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood sent a pair of up-and-coming three-year-old fillies to Trentham on Saturday for the time-honoured Gr.3 NZB Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) and received the perfect return when they formed the quinella in the event after a thrilling home straight battle. Stablemates Fairy Dream (NZ) (Proisir) and Waimea Bay (NZ) (Savabeel) were having just their third and second career starts respectively in the seventh event of the prestigious NZB Filly of the Year Series, however, the pair belied their lack of raceday experience as they fought out a titanic struggle, with Fairy Dream coming out on top at the winning post by a short head. Wellwood was thrilled by the performance of the stablemates, especially the winner who he had feared may not be at her best on the Soft6 track surface. “She (Fairy Dream) had a little bit of a traffic issue and didn’t get out until late, but it was a good effort,” Wellwood said. “She is a top-class filly and I do think with some more time and a better surface we are going to see her do some special things in the future. “Even in her maiden win, she won on the bridle, and it was good to see her with the blinkers on today as she travelled a lot better and with some more time and 2000m you might see her sweet spot. “Waimea Bay had a little set back in the spring but has come back nicely and won really well at her last start. “For her to pick up some black-type is great as she is a well-bred Savabeel filly, owned by the Chittick family.” Fairy Dream holds a nomination for both the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Ellerslie on 21 February and the Gr.1 Trackside New Zealand Derby (2400m) a fortnight later, with the stable undecided on which event to target at this stage. “It’s hard to say where we will go with her although the Fillies Classic (Gr.2, 2100m at Te Rapa on 7 February) may be next and then you may see her in both an Oaks and a Derby,” Wellwood said. “We will stick to the fillies path at this stage and the Oaks is just an hour-and-a-half up the road to Ellerslie this year, which makes it easier to head that way, but who knows and the way she has won today, she has opened a lot of doors.” Owned by Colin and Helen Litt, who also raced star mare Orchestral from the stable, Fairy Dream was a $360,000 purchase from the Elsdon Park Book 1 yearling draft at Karaka in 2024. Bred by Ian and Mel Heyns, Fairy Dream is out of the stakes-placed Viscount mare Fairygem and is from an extended family that includes Gr.1 Captain Cook Stakes (1600m) winner Penny Gem. The victory earns her six points in the NZB Filly Of The Year series which is currently headed by Well Written and Lollapalooza on 20 points apiece. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Trentham has long been Michael and Matthew Pitman’s favourite track, and that sentiment was further enhanced on Saturday after they recorded a memorable double at the Upper Hutt track. The meeting kicked off in perfect fashion for the Riccarton trainers, with the father-and-son partnership recording their 600th victory together when Enterprise Gem (NZ) (Reliable Man) took out the Happy Hire 2100. “We thought we would get it (600 wins) at the Coast but it couldn’t happen at a better place, this is my favourite track, I just love coming here,” Michael Pitman said. “This horse has been a certainty beaten in his last few starts, but they were on tight-turning tracks. “It is especially pleasing because Diane (wife) and Matthew race this horse. My very good friend Graeme Rogerson sent him down to us and we lease him off Rogie, so it is very special.” Two races later Pitman was back in the winner’s circle welcoming back Rosso after his victory in the Gr.3 Totara Lodge Trentham Stakes (2100m). The Irish-bred son of Camelot had won three of his previous five starts since joining the Pitman barn earlier this season and the five-year-old gelding was backed into $3.50 favouritism by punters. Like Enterprise Gem, Rosso was piloted by Australian-based hoop Daniel Stackhouse, who settled his charge midfield. They followed He’s A Doozy (NZ) (Zacinto) into the race from the 400m and Stackhouse presented Rosso beautifully down the centre of the track where he showed his class when running out to a half-length victory over a fast-finishing Royal Flower (NZ) (Proisir). “He is a beautiful stayer,” Stackhouse said. “The Pitman team have done a fantastic job in getting him here in perfect order. “He began well and the race shaped well for him. We made a mid-race move to get a little bit closer in the running, but he just travelled the whole way, he has got a beautiful momentum stride on him and we used that to our advantage and let the horse that we were following take us into the race. I asked him to extend late and he was able to do that.” Rosso has subsequently shortened into $3.20 favourtism on the TAB’s futures market for the Gr.3 NZ Campus Of Innovation & Sport Wellington Cup (3200m) at Trentham in a fortnight, and Stackhouse has no qualms about the step-up in distance. “It took me a while to pull him up so I think two miles won’t worry him at all, he switched off great,” he said. “He has ticked every box going forward into that race, I have just got to talk with Michael and the team about the weight, so we will have a little think about that (whether Stackhouse returns to ride).” Michael Pitman was rapt with the win and is looking forward to returning to Trentham in a fortnight with his progressive stayer. “We will be away home tomorrow, he will be back in his own paddock tomorrow night, and we will be back here in two weeks,” he said. “Bring on two miles, it will be great.” Pitman has plenty of memorable moments at Trentham, including back-to-back Gr.1 Telegraph (1200m) wins with Enzo’s Lad (Testa Rossa), and Saturday’s results have added to that growing list. “I am 70 years old but I have a love for this game and I love training winners. I am still as keen as I have ever been,” he said. “Matthew and I drove up with the truck on Thursday together and Diane flew up. The three of us are up here today because we thought we would have a special day together, and so it has proven.” View the full article
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