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    • A return to black-type competition is just around the corner for Midnight Edition (NZ) (Wrote), who kicked off his four-year-old season with a runaway victory in the Power Farming – We Keep You Growing (1200m) at Te Rapa on Sunday. The Wrote gelding gave a glimpse of his potential as a three-year-old last season with three wins and three placings, headed by a second in the Gr.2 Auckland Guineas (1400m) at Ellerslie. He initially dead-heated with Yaldi in that Boxing Day feature, but was relegated in the inquiry room. Midnight Edition also beat a strong field in his maiden win at Te Rapa last spring, where Checkmate and Levakia filled the minor placings, and he later ran fifth in the Gr.3 Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m), fifth in the Gr.3 King’s Plate (1200m) and eighth in the Gr.2 Waikato Guineas (2000m). He signed off his season with a hard-fought win over Celestial Wonder in a 1200m race at Te Rapa in April. Some 154 days later, Midnight Edition returned to racing on Sunday over the same course and distance –this time in open company and against a highly talented sprint line-up. But Midnight Edition proved to be a class above them. Midnight Edition jumped well from gate seven among a nine-horse field, and jockey Masa Hashizume slotted him into a handy position in second behind Caitlyns Wish. The challengers were lining up and breathing down the neck of the leader coming up to the home turn, and none of those were travelling better than Midnight Edition. He pounced at the top of the straight while Hashizume still had him under a tight hold. The favourite Twain briefly loomed as a danger down the middle of the track, but Hashizume shook the reins and Midnight Edition kicked away. He opened up a margin of three and a quarter lengths over Twain, with the winner’s half-sister Midnight Scandal crossing the line another two lengths away in third. Midnight Edition has now had 13 starts for four wins, three placings and $153,050 in stakes. He is the only horse in work and the pride and joy for Pukekohe trainer Bruce Wallbank. “He’s a bloody good horse,” Wallbank said. “He had a very good spell and I thought he was a bit fat coming into this race and would probably need the run. But he’s been galloping brilliantly and he’s shown that he’s a very good horse. “We’ll probably head towards the big sprint race at Otaki next month. In the meantime, I’d like to dedicate this race to my brother, who’s very unwell in hospital.” That potential target is the Gr.3 Spring Sprint (1400m), which will be run for a stake of $120,000 at Otaki on October 11. “It was good to see his half-sister run well in that race today too,” Wallbank added. “The mare’s had three good horses from three foals to race (three-race winner Midnight Mass and black-type performers Midnight Scandal and Midnight Edition), so she’s a fantastic broodmare.” View the full article
    • Improving six-year-old Agera (NZ) (Complacent) stepped into open company for the first time in Sunday’s Vision Complete Earthworks/Stronger Together (1600m) at Te Rapa, and he passed that test and carried on his winning way. The $50,000 race was the third win from four starts in the 2025-26 season for Agera. The Complacent gelding scored back-to-back wins on the Cambridge synthetic track in August, then carried 62kg into a close sixth behind Mizella in a 1600m Rating 75 on Proisir Plate Day at Ellerslie last Saturday. Cambridge trainer Tony Pike backed Agera up eight days later at Te Rapa, rising in class while dropping sharply in weight to 54kg. Jockey Matt Cartwright took up a prominent position on the outside of the front-running Gigi, then pressed forward and took command at the home turn. Despite drifting towards the outside, Agera forged clear down the straight and never looked like being caught. He went on to win by two and a quarter lengths from Aftermath. Gigi finished another length and a half away in third, while Group One horses Sharp ‘N’ Smart and Ladies Man ran fourth and fifth under big weights. “It was good to see him step up into open company today and continue the good form that he’d been putting together in the lower grades,” Pike said. “I thought it was a brave effort last week under his big weight at Ellerslie. Dropping to 54kg today made a massive difference and the rain-affected ground seemed to suit him well. “He hasn’t been the soundest horse at times in his career, but now that he’s getting a bit older, he’s developed into a stronger and more mature horse and has found a real purple patch of form in this campaign. “He does need that bit of cut in the ground, so if the tracks continue to be rain-affected for a few more weeks, a race like the Matamata Cup (Listed, 1600m) could be a nice target for him to aim at.” The $80,000 Team Wealleans Matamata Cup will be run on October 4. Agera was bred by Hamish and Karyn McQuade and is out of the Pentire mare Shelly Bee, whose other four winning progeny include the Listed Ryder Stakes (1200m) winner Ima Roca Bee. Mapperley Stud offered Agera in Book 2 of Karaka 2021, where Waikato Bloodstock bought him for $70,000.Agera has now had 22 starts for five wins, eight placings and $160,240 in prize-money. View the full article
    • Blue-blooded colt War Of Silence (Snitzel) threw his name into the ring for the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) with a stylish debut victory in Saturday’s Vale Tony Dennis (1200m) at Riccarton. War Of Silence is by Snitzel out of the Gr.1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) winner Silent Sedition. The chestnut colt was bought by David Ellis for A$700,000 from Arrowfield Stud’s draft in the 2024 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. Sent out as a $3 favourite for his first raceday appearance on Saturday, War Of Silence travelled comfortably on the speed for jockey Opie Bosson. He was challenged on both sides early in the run home, with Dubonnet Rouge trying hard on his inside while Swoomee Swan came with a strong finish out wide, but War Of Silence lifted and held on well to win by a head. “We really liked him early on, but he went off the boil a little bit, so we put him out and he’s come back nice and strong this time,” Bosson said. “He’s still learning his trade, so he’s changing legs and getting a bit unbalanced, but he’s got ability. “He was wandering a little bit, but when asked, he was up for the challenge.” War Of Silence is trained by Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson. “It was a good debut win, especially because it’s never easy having your first start down the chute at Riccarton after going around a bend in his trials,” Walker said. “He looked vulnerable when challenged hard over the last 100m, but he really knuckled down and we know how hard Opie (Bosson) is to beat in a tight finish. “I do think he’ll be better next start, when he’s going 1400m and around a bend, and he’ll most likely head towards the Guineas Trial for three-year-olds on September 27 at Riccarton. “He’s certainly a nice colt, has the best nature, and a lovely laid-back sort of fellow. Dave (Ellis) bought him at the Sydney Easter Sale, and he’s definitely on a path towards fulfilling his nomination in the 2000 Guineas down there in November.” War Of Silence is now rated a $31 chance in a New Zealand 2000 Guineas market that is headed by his stablemates He Who Dares and Hostility at $6. View the full article
    • The Christchurch Casino South Island Racing Awards were presented during a function at Riccarton Park Racecourse on Friday, with standout three-year-old filly Pivotal Ten (NZ) (Ten Sovereigns) named Horse of the Year and Champion Three-Year-Old. The Samantha Wynne-trained daughter of Ten Sovereigns had seven starts last season for five wins including three at stakes level. She won the Listed NZB Insurance Stakes (1400m) at Wingatui on Boxing Day, then romped home by six lengths in the Listed Gore Guineas (1355m) and by eight and three-quarter lengths in the Listed Southland Guineas (1400m). She earned $296,550 in stakes. Pivotal Ten is raced by Colin Wightman, who bought her for $15,000 from the 2022 National Weanling Sale. He was later joined in the ownership by Cambridge Stud’s Sir Brendan and Lady Jo Lindsay. Pivotal Ten is now being trained in Australia by Ben, Will and JD Hayes. Full list of winners: 2024/25 SOUTH ISLAND HORSE OF THE YEAR: Pivotal Ten  TWO-YEAR-OLD: Cool Aza Rene  THREE-YEAR-OLD: Pivotal Ten  SPRINTER: Mystic Park  MILER: Matscot  STAYER: Riviera Rebel  POLYTRACK: Spartan  NZ Bloodstock SOUTHERN FILLY OF THE YEAR: Dream Of The Moon  BROODMARE: Inferno  STALLION: War Decree  TRAINER: Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson (Te Akau Racing South Island) JOCKEY: Tina Comignaghi  TOP APPRENTICE JOCKEY: Yogesh Atchamah  MOST PROMISING JUNIOR RIDER: Floor Moerman  ASHLEE MUNDY MEMORIAL JOCKEY CHOICE AWARD: Floor Moerman  OWNER: Glenn Ritchie  BREEDER: Greg Tomlinson, Nearco Stud View the full article
    • Faraglioni’s retirement has left a big hole in Josh Shaw’s stable this season, but the Group One performer’s half-sister Chart The Stars (NZ) (U S Navy Flag) has started to do her bit to continue the family legacy. Chart The Stars opened her winning account in the second start of her career in the Hoult Contractors & Crowley Forge Master Farriers (1200m) on the Awapuni synthetic track on Sunday. The four-year-old was sent out as one of the outsiders of the five-horse field at $13.30, but she went straight to the lead and dominated from the front under jockey Kavish Chowdhoory. Good Craic, Niemi and Vigor Happiness all threw everything they had at the leader down the straight, but Chart The Stars dug in and held them all out by three-quarters of a length. Chart The Stars is by U S Navy Flag and is now the fifth winner from five foals to race out of the Zabeel mare Catch Your Idol. That list is headed by Shaw’s former stable star Faraglioni (NZ) (El Roca), who won five of her 29 starts and earned $447,125. She was runner-up in the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m), Gr.1 TAB Classic (1600m), Gr.2 Westbury Classic (1400m), Gr.2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) and Gr.2 Manawatu Challenge Stakes (1400m). Faraglioni injured a suspensory ligament in June of this year and has been retired to the broodmare paddock, visiting high-profile new Coolmore stallion City Of Troy this spring. “It was sad to see Faraglioni go, but she really did us proud through her career,” Shaw said. “It’s nice to have a talented half-sister to carry on with, and hopefully she has a bit more ahead of her. “That was a good, tough win today. She really stuck her neck out when she needed to and held on well.” Sunday’s win came 127 days after Chart The Stars’ only other raceday appearance, in which she finished eighth in a 1000m maiden race at Trentham on May 10. “She’s always shown us a huge amount of ability, right from the start, but she’s just been a bit of a time job,” Shaw said. “Her legs can go pretty fast, but sometimes her brain goes even faster. It’s just been a matter of giving her the time and education that she needs. “Today’s win shows that she’s starting to get there now. She might head out in the paddock now and then come back even better with this bit more experience under her belt.” View the full article
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