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By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Derek Leung Ka-chun is optimistic Lucky Sweynesse will bounce back from his Group One Sprinters Stakes (1,200m) defeat when he takes on superstar sprinter Ka Ying Rising in Sunday’s Group Two BOCHK Private Banking Jockey Club Sprint (1,200m) at Sha Tin. A strong second to Ka Ying Rising in the Class One HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup (1,200m) at the start of the season, Lucky Sweynesse travelled to Japan for his first overseas mission but could only manage 11th behind Win Carnelian in the Sprinters...View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Top northern driver Crystal Hackett will be back to defend her title when the New Zealand Junior Driver Championships are held later this month. The three legs of the Championship will be held over four days at Cambridge, Addington and Methven. Last year Hackett won the Championship at her third attempt, edging out Kerryn Tomlinson and Olivia Thornley. She’ll be joined this year by other young guns like Wilson House, Carter Dalgety and Sam Thornley and three newcomers in Harrison Orange, Hayden Douglas and Mia Holbrough. The 12 drivers are (in alphabetical order) : Ellie Barron Carter Dalgety Hayden Douglas Crystal Hackett Seth Hill Mia Holbrough Wilson House Emily Johnson Harrison Orange Monika Ranger Gemma Thornley Sam Thornley In this year’s Junior Premiership House leads on 79 wins, eight clear on Dalgety while Orange is third on 50. The qualifying period for this year’s Championship was from January 1 – November 2, 2025 with drivers accruing points throughout the season. They ranged from seven for first down to one for fifth. The 12 drivers consist of the top four points-scorers in Canterbury, the top two in the North Island, the top two in the Southern region (south of the Waitaki), the next two highest points scorers overall and a wild card, selected by HRNZ Chief Executive Brad Steele. He chose Monika Ranger. It’s planned to have six heats in total starting at Cambridge on Thursday November 27 and then moving to Addington the next day before the third and final round of heats at Methven on Sunday, November 30. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Lyle Hewitson is hoping to turn some “frustrating” seconds into victories when he partners Samarkand, Oriental Surprise and Exceed The Wish at Happy Valley on Wednesday night. The South African has enjoyed a strong start to the campaign, saluting on nine occasions, but there is an element of ‘what could have been’, with 12 seconds and a further 11 thirds on the report card. He rides three of those near misses at the city circuit on Wednesday and Hewitson is hoping to get back on the winning...View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
The 100th National Yearling Sale in New Zealand will feature a refreshed format to celebrate the milestone. Off the back of another record-breaking Ready to Run Sale, New Zealand Bloodstock has catalogued 1009 yearlings to be offered at Karaka from January 25-29. Book 1 will be conducted across two days, composed of 567 horses with Book 2 to follow with a further 281 yearlings, while a third session has also been re-introduced with 161 yearlings catalogued to sell on the Thursday for the new Karaka Summer Sale. “Coming off the back off what was an incredible week for the Ready to Run Sale, there is sense of momentum building ahead of Karaka 2026,” NZB’s Managing Director Andrew Seabrook said. “The support and interest from people eager to attend in January, including those that have not been here in a few years is very encouraging, and a sign of how incredible the milestone of 100 National Yearling Sales is. “Auction houses are renowned for claiming they have assembled their best yearling catalogue, but I’m confident that rings true this year given the increased vendor support, the smaller numbers catalogued and tough selection decisions, which naturally has increased the quality across the board. “We’re also incredibly proud of the New Zealand-bred and Karaka graduates over the last twelve months, as they just continue to get results and prove themselves wherever they race.” Blockbuster performances by Kiwi-bred horses on major stages across Australasia and Asia in recent times have given ample reasons for buyers from around the world to converge on Karaka in January. Karaka 2026 will kick off at Ellerslie on Saturday, January 24 with the TAB Karaka Millions race day, now offering more than $5 million in prizemoney and headlined by the $1m TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) and $1.5m TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) for graduates. Book 1 will then run from Sunday, January 25 to Monday, January 26 with selling starting at 10am and Book 2 will also start at 10am on Tuesday, January 27 while the Karaka Summer Sale will take place from 11am on Thursday, January 29. “The new Karaka Summer Sale is a fresh addition to the week, we’ve committed a variety of resources for it, and it has been supported by a number of top vendors,” Seabrook said. “We look forward to seeing everyone back at Karaka to celebrate the 100th National Yearling Sale, and of course to view an incredible line up of yearlings. If there was ever a year to ensure you’re at Karaka, this is it.” All yearlings purchased at Karaka 2026 are eligible for the Karaka Millions Series, including the new NZB Mega Maiden Series which offers an additional $1m in bonuses across 40 maiden races each season in New Zealand. The Karaka Summer Sale is further boosted by a new $200,000 Karaka Summer Sale bonus for yearlings purchased this year. For the first Karaka Summer Sale graduate home in both the 2027 $1m TAB Karaka Millions 2YO and 2028 $1.5m TAB Karaka Millions 3YO, $100,000 will be split evenly between the vendor and purchaser. Catalogues for Karaka 2026 can be viewed online at www.nzb.co.nz, or downloaded on the Equineline app for tablets or Thoroughworks app for mobile, with physical copies set to arrive in mailboxes soon. Online bidding is available for all prospective purchasers via bidonline.nzb.co.n z, plus an extensive online catalogue via www.nzb.co.nz that will host pedigrees, parade videos and photos, updates, and important information to assist buying decisions. All prospective buyers are welcome to attend on-farm parades, with the schedule to be announced soon. NZB and NZ-based agents are also available for inspections and evaluations. International buyers attending Karaka 2026 can enquire about accommodation options and travel assistance by emailing travel@nzb.co.nz. To request a catalogue or for general sale information, contact info@nzb.co.nz or call +64 9 298 0055. For bloodstock enquiries, contact NZB Bloodstock Sales Manager Kane Jones on kane.jones@nzb.co.nz or call +64 27 274 4985. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Cambridge trainer Paul Mirabelli is now eyeing the Gr.1 Trackside New Zealand Derby (2400m) with Shoma following his pleasing placing in last Saturday’s Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton. The son of Contributer wasn’t wanted by punters in the three-year-old feature, drifting out to a $104 outsider, but that didn’t quash Mirabelli’s hopes. “We have had belief in him the whole way through,” he said. “He has always shown that he has got really good ability. “I guess the punters were put off him from last time because he was a bit questionable (when seventh) in the War Decree Stakes (Gr.3, 1600m). But there was quite a big headwind, and he was outside the leader and he just did it tough the whole race because he was just going that little bit keen.” Jockey Sam Collett adopted different tactics with the gelding on Saturday, riding him quietly off the pace, and it paid off, with Shoma running home strong late to finish third behind the Pam Gerard-trained pair of Romanoff and Affirmative Action. “Once you get cover with him, he absolutely drops the bridle, and that is the key with him going forward,” Mirabelli said. “When he gets clear air in front of him, he thinks he has to go, but once he has got cover, it is a completely different story with him.” Mirabelli was rapt with the placing and said he got animated a long way out. “I started yelling a long way out and it was exciting,” he said. “For a moment, halfway down I thought he was going to go past them, but Pam’s horses had also had good runs and they fought right to the line, but he was closing on them, so it was quite exciting. “It was excellent. He has been pretty consistent all year, so it was really good.” With the result, Mirabelli was also able to better his previous best placing in a Group One, which was recorded by Shoma’s dam Big Dreamer, who was fifth in the 2016 edition of the Gr.1 Captain Cook Stakes (1600m) at Trentham. “We trained the mother and she was previously my most successful horse in a Group One race, she was fifth in a Captain Cook Stakes, and her son is now my best placing. It has been a good family for me,” Mirabelli said. Following her retirement from racing, Big Dreamer joined Mapperley Stud’s broodmare band, where she has been a solid producer, having also left Group Three winner He’s Lucid. When Shoma was offered through Mapperley’s 2024 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 2 Yearling Sale draft, he immediately caught Mirabelli’s attention and he was able to secure him with a final bid of $20,000. “He appealed to me because he was out of the mare I raced, and she had really good ability, and you can’t go wrong with Contributer, you couldn’t even pay for his service fee for what I paid him for,” he said. Shoma has gone on to more than recoup Mirabelli’s initial outlay, having earned more than $80,000 in his 10 starts to date. Shoma will now head to the spelling paddock with some big autumn targets in-mind, including the New Zealand Derby on Champions Day at Ellerslie in March. “He will go to the paddock for a freshen-up when he arrives back tomorrow (Tuesday),” Mirabelli said. “Sam Collett (jockey) said straight after the race that she will ride him in the Derby, so I will hold her to that, and that is the way he will head. “It took a long time for her to pull him up on Saturday, he went right around to the far steeplechase fences, so running 2400m is going to be no problem for him. “We won’t have too many races beforehand. He is pretty naturally fit, he doesn’t blow in his work, his heart rate is always incredibly low. Even after Saturday, we gave him a hose and his heart rate had come back to 18 beats per 15 seconds already. “The mother had an incredibly low heart rate too and I think horses with low heart rates, once they get over longer distances, they have got an extreme advantage.” While purchased out of Karaka, Shoma isn’t eligible for the Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) in January, but Mirabelli is hopeful his stablemate Taylor Square can make the field. “I never nominated him for the Karaka Millions,” Mirabelli said. “I nominated another one called Taylor Square, who is reasonably high up in the three-year-old. If he doesn’t head down for the Gore Guineas (Listed, 1335m) he will head towards the Karaka Millions.” Meanwhile, Mirabelli is looking forward to heading to Pukekohe on Saturday where his in-form gelding Prometheus will contest the Gr.3 Myracehorse Counties Cup (2100m). A $7,100 purchase off gavelhouse.com, Prometheus has been a standout for the stable in recent months, winning one and placing in five of his last six starts, and Mirabelli believes he is up to the challenge of stepping up to stakes company. “He is fantastic,” Mirabelli said. “His work has been out of this world and he is galloping very confidently. “We bought him off gavelhouse for not a lot of money and he has been a money-spinner so far.” While he has been in a purple patch of form of late, it hasn’t been all plain sailing with the Ace High gelding, who previously battled soundness issues. “We have had a few problems with him,” Mirabelli said. “He slipped over one day at the races and pulled a muscle behind and it just hindered us for such a long time. “We were battling his muscles for at least eight months. All of a sudden he just came right and he has put it behind him and hasn’t had a problem. “Touch wood, he is completely sound, and he is just working the house down. “I know he is going to be a lowly rated horse in that particular race, but they will certainly know he is there.” View the full article
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