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    • By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk      Margo Nyhan has been training winners for more than 20 years but yesterday’s victory with Knowing Me at Nelson was a stand out.   It came just less than a fortnight after her mother Denise died “unexpectedly” at age 87. She suffered a stroke just before Christmas and died in Christchurch Hospital on December 29.   “We tried really hard to get a win over on the Coast over Christmas time before Mum passed and we missed out but to get one yesterday was pretty special for sure.” To make it even more poignant Knowing Me was bred by her parents, the late Denis and Denise Nyhan.   “And to race in their colours was really great.”   The Nyhans are one of the great harness racing families with Denise born into the sport. Her father Bill Doyle was a legend in his own right and that has carried on with her and her sisters Helen Pope and Lynn Smith.   After marrying,  Denis and Denise Nyhan had two children, Margo and Kim.   “Mum was very hard working, very loyal, and a very good horsewoman,” says Margo, “up until her 70s she still drove fast work.”   “Even just before Christmas she was talking about breeding another horse!”   She was also someone who did things her own way.     “She was eight months pregnant with Kim and she’d ride Johnny Globe around the roads to keep him fit for stud season.”   She is also credited with making a decision that would change the trajectory of their greatest horse.   “It was Mum who took the hobbles off Robalan.”   As a free legged pacer Robalan was a cult hero. Trained and driven by Denis, he won 39 races between 1969 and 76, with his New Zealand Cup win in 1974 his fourth attempt in the biggest race of them all.   In the past week or so the Nyhans have been humbled by the support they’ve had from within the racing community.   “People have been amazing with a lot of lovely messages and flowers.”   In yesterday’s race Knowing Me, driven by Margo’s partner Peter Davis, started safely and then pressed on to the lead in the Tyre General Trot. Briefly in the run home she was headed by Bullit Train but rallied to win by a length.   Fittingly, Knowing Me is out of With Intent, a Sundon mare bred and owned by Denis and Denise Nyhan, who won 13 races from 97 starts (2007-14). She is also a full sister to It’s So Easy (7 wins).   Coincidentally Margo had recently come across a photo showing her mother at the Nelson races in 1965.   “So that’s 60 years since she was there and when we had our winner.”   And the celebration didn’t end there.   Nellie Doyle, a trotter named after Denise Nyhan’s mother, won Race 3 at Nelson yesterday for trainer Tim Trathen.   “I recorded the races on My Sky before we left for the races and when we get home we will go to the (family) farm and have a bubbles and watch the races like we used to with Mum every time we won a race.” View the full article
    • To Cap It All winning Saturday’s Listed Wellesley Stakes (1100m) at Trentham. Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North) To Cap It All was clearly headed in the straight in Saturday’s Listed Wellesley Stakes (1100m), but the highly rated first-starter fought back fiercely to kick off her career on a stakes-winning note at Trentham. The Capitalist filly had always been held in high regard by the Stephen Marsh stable and scored a two-length win in her only trial at Pukekohe on December 17. Saturday’s $100,000 Wellesley Stakes was a daunting debut assignment, coming up against a talented 10-horse field that included last-start Group 2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m) winner Intention along with several other promising rivals. But the buzz around To Cap It All saw her drop from $5 all the way into $2.60 favouritism by the time the starting gates opened. To Cap It All jumped only fairly from gate five, and jockey Sam Spratt had to use up some petrol and urge her forward to take up a leading position alongside the second favourite Carsolio. To Cap It All sprinted again and pulled ahead of Carsolio early in the home straight, but then she faced another big challenge from Abbakiss and Intention. Abbakiss quickly drew up alongside the favourite and thrust her head in front in what looked like a winning move less than 200m from the finish. However, To Cap It All summoned another almighty effort and clawed her way back into the contest. By the time they reached the finish line, To Cap It All had regained the ascendancy and won the Wellesley by a short head. Intention was another neck away in third. “That was a huge run,” Spratt said. “She’d had only the one trial, and that was a quiet trial, so it’s a big effort. “She was pretty green and having a good look around, but I was very impressed by the way she knuckled down. I thought she was 100 percent beaten, so for her to fight back the way she did was brilliant. “She’ll improve lengths on that performance. I don’t think she let down as much as she can do. She’ll only be better with time, including as a three-year-old next season, but she’s pretty good as a two-year-old already.” To Cap It All was the second impressive debut two-year-old winner within the space of a week for the Marsh stable, who sent out Tale Of The Gypsy for a stylish victory at Te Aroha last Saturday. That filly will attempt to book herself a spot in the Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) field when she lines up again at Ellerslie on Sunday. Marsh Racing and Dylan Johnson Bloodstock bought To Cap It All from the 2024 Inglis Sydney Easter Yearling Sale, where they secured her from the Ridgmont draft for A$280,000. To Cap It All is out of the winning Snitzel mare Oh My Mimi, whose dam Mimi Lebrock won the Group 2 Tristarc Stakes (1400m) and placed in the Group 1 Myer Classic (1600m) and Emirates Stakes (1600m). “We loved this filly right from the moment we first saw her,” Johnson said. “You have to pay a bit of money to buy nice fillies like her, but we’re lucky to have an amazing group of owners that put their support behind us to do that. “She’s a big, strong filly who moved beautifully at the sales. She looked great in the parade today and acquitted herself very well on debut. “We were confident coming into today. Stephen has had a big opinion of her all the way through, and she’s a filly with a lovely attitude. “It’s never easy for a first-starter in a race like this, going up against proven stakes horses. It was a massive effort to travel this far and win on debut.” To Cap It All is ineligible for the Karaka Millions 2YO, but she is likely to be set for other black-type targets later in the summer. “She’s a stakes-winning filly with a big pedigree and has done a great job already,” Johnson said. “If we could push forward now to a race like the Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (Group 2, 1200m) in February, that would be an ideal target.” Marsh and Johnson have put their faith in the progeny of Capitalist, securing another filly for A$180,000 during the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale on Friday. “We love the Capitalist and Written Tycoon sire line, the stable has had a lot of success with it in the past,” Johnson said. “We’re always keen to go back and try to find gold where it’s been found before.” Horse racing news View the full article
    • What Sha Tin Races Where Sha Tin Racecourse – Tai Po Rd, Sha Tin District, Hong Kong When Sunday, January 12, 2025 First Race 1pm HKT (4pm AEDT) Visit Dabble Hong Kong racing resumes at Sha Tin on Sunday afternoon, with a mixture of turf and all-weather races lined up for a bumper 10-race program. The rail is in the C+3 position for all races on the course proper, and with nothing but sunny skies forecast across the weekend, punters are ensured a genuine Good 4 surface. All the action is scheduled to get underway at 1pm HKT. Best Bet at Sha Tin: Masterofmyuniverse Masterofmyuniverse steps into Class 3 company for the first time after a dominant win at this course and distance on December 29. The son of Havana Gold was far too classy for his rivals on that occasion, bounding clear to score by 2.3 lengths as the untapped four-year-old prevailed relatively untested. Zac Purton should have no issues slotting in for cover from stall eight, and provided he can unleash his devasting turn-of-foot when asked the ultimate question, Masterofmyuniverse appears well placed to secure back-to-back wins. Best Bet Race 8 – #6 Masterofmyuniverse (8) 4yo Gelding | T: John Size | J: Zac Purton (56kg) Bet with Neds Next Best at Sha Tin: Rubylot Rubylot was sensational in defeat at this track and trip on December 8 and came within a whisker of claiming Packing Hermod. The Rubick gelding simply had a worse run in transit, with the four-year-old forced to circle the entire field in the concluding stages. He gets a 2.5kg swing in the weights on his key rival this time around, and with Brenton Avdulla likely to sit closer from gate two, watch for Rubylot to turn the tables at a good price with BlondeBet. Next Best Race 7 – #6 Rubylot (2) 4yo Gelding | T: David Hayes | J: Brenton Avdulla (56kg) Bet with BlondeBet Best Value at Sha Tin: Positive Smile The David Hayes-trained Positive Smile drops back into Class 4 company after being unplaced in his four starts. The son of Per Incanto has been a big improver in his last two performances, however, with the Australian import closing impressively down the Sha Tin straight course on December 29. He maps to get a soft run throughout the 1200m journey, and provided he can flash home once again, expect Positive Smile to be a major player at the each-way price with horse racing bookmakers. Best Value Race 2 – #1 Positive Smile (2) 4yo Gelding | T: David Hayes | J: Keith Yeung (61kg) Bet with Picklebet Sunday quaddie tips for Sha Tin Sha Tin quadrella selections January 12, 2025 1-4-6-12 5-6-9 2-3-5-6-7 2-4-6-8-9-11-14 Horse racing tips View the full article
    • Hakkinen will contest Sunday’s Listed Gingernuts Salver (2100m) at Ellerslie. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) The $1 million Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) is less than two months away and Te Akau Racing is hoping to unveil a couple of key prospects in Sunday’s Listed Gingernuts Salver (2100m) at Ellerslie. The first of their three-year-olds will be the lightly-tried Hakkinen, who comfortably put away a Rating 60 field as a maidener in his second raceday appearance last month. Sam Bergerson, who trains the gelding in partnership with Mark Walker, indicated a staying future has always beckoned for the son of Savabeel. “Running a maidener in a 60 is always a throw at the stumps, but it was a nice race for him on his home track,” he said. “He’s a really progressive horse, a natural, clean-winded stayer who has trained on well since winning there. His work on Tuesday was very good. “It gives him a look around Ellerslie with a view on getting to the Derby, we think it’s a soft enough race on paper and he certainly gets his chance. We think a lot of him.” Joining him will be stablemate Class, who has finished in the first three in each of his four career starts, most recently a third-placed effort at Ellerslie to Willydoit and Group Three winner Tuxedo. “We’re testing the distance a bit for him, we would love to get him to a Derby potentially if he was able to take the step-up to black-type company,” Bergerson said. “I thought his run in the three-year-old mile there was really good, he stuck on gamely against a couple of handy ones. We think the step-up to 2100 will suit, he’s another horse that is very consistent and hasn’t missed the top three yet. “We’re sure he’ll run well, and they are two really nice chances.” While a Derby has alluded Te Akau in recent times, they have not been short of $1 million Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) winners, and they are hoping to boost this year’s contenders in the Trackside.co.nz 1200. To Bravery Born won the first juvenile race of the season back in August, but since then, missed an important target in the Listed Counties Challenge Stakes (1100m), which was won by impressive stablemate Return To Conquer. “He was obviously very good on debut in the first two-year-old race of the year, then we had him all set to run at Pukekohe, but he twinged a shoulder muscle a day out so that was a little bit disappointing,” Bergerson said. “We thought his Karaka Million hopes were over, but he bounced back quicker than we thought and we wanted to give him the chance. He looks like a very natural two-year-old, we would’ve loved to give him a trial, but the schedule didn’t work out that way, but he’s had a trip away from the stable and a gallop. “We think we’ve got him fit enough to run a race there, we’d love to see him run well and put his hand up for the Karaka Millions.” The son of Snitzel is currently 19th on the order of entry for the million-dollar feature, while Dare To Proisir will need a big performance in Sunday’s contest to get his opportunity on January 25. “He had the debut run at Tauranga, he did a little bit wrong so we gave him a freshen-up and his trial at Pukekohe was very good,” Bergerson said. “Following that trial, he certainly deserves his chance at the Karaka Millions as well, and we thought the race to do it would come here, getting a look at Ellerslie. “It’s a bit of a throw at the stumps with him, but I thought off his trial, he certainly deserved it in an even-enough field.” Horse racing news View the full article
    • What Warrnambool Races Where Warrnambool Racing Club – 2/64 Grafton Rd, Warrnambool VIC 3280 When Sunday, January 12, 2025 First Race 1:20pm AEDT Visit Dabble Racing heads to the Warrnambool Racing Club on Sunday afternoon, where a competitive eight-race meeting is set down for decision. Clear skies are forecast for the ‘Bool on Sunday and despite the track being rated a Soft 5 at the time of acceptances, the track should be a Good 4 come the opening race. The rail will be out 6m the entire circuit, with action getting underway at 1:20pm AEDT. Best Bet at Warrnambool: Active Duty If Active Duty brings his best to the Warrnambool finale, the even money on offer at Neds will look like a late Christmas present. The four-year-old gelding unleashed a strong finish when beaten by the barest of margins at the Warrnambool 1700m, and as he returns to the track and trip, the son of National Defense looks poised to go one better. Jarrod Fry will need a touch of luck from barrier one, but if the breaks go his way, Active Duty should be saluting. Best Bet Race 8 – #1 Active Duty (1) 4yo Gelding | T: Lindsey Smith | J: Jarrod Fry (58.5kg) +100 with Neds Next Best at Warrnambool: Precious Charm Precious Charm returned from a spell with a dominant victory at the Warrnambool 1200m and as she steps up to 1400m, she looks just as hard to beat on the weekend. Despite the margin being just a length, the Per Incanto mare came with a withering burst down the heart of the track and seemingly had plenty left in the tank to suggest the extra 200m will be no issue. In a race that is no harder, if Precious Charm gains a similar run in transit on Sunday, she will prove too hard to hold out once more. Next Best Race 6 – #5 Precious Charm (7) 5yo Mare | T: Symon Wilde | J: John Allen (57kg) +200 with BlondeBet Best Value at Warrnambool: Aqueduct Aqueduct looks to be screaming out for the 1200m from what he has produced through his first three starts. The Tony & Calvin McEvoy-trained son of Dubious was hitting the line strongly on debut at Mornington before seemingly not handling Heavy going at start two. He then had excuses when racing up on speed at Murray Bridge when beaten four lengths in what is shaping as a strong form race. With plenty of speed drawn underneath, John Allen will likely have Aqueduct settled midfield, and with a strong finish, he can salute at the each-way price on offer with Picklebet. Best Value Race 4 – #4 Aqueduct (10) 3yo Gelding | T: Tony & Calvin McEvoy | J: John Allen (58kg) +750 with Picklebet Sunday quaddie tips for Warrnambool Warrnambool quadrella selections Sunday, January 12, 2025 1-2-5-7-12 5-7 2-3-4-7-11 4 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip Horse racing tips View the full article
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