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Darren Flindell on memorable calls, potential Hong Kong recruits and succulent Chinese meals
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From deep sand to deep end: Duke Wai prepares for Lucky Sweynesse showdown in Premier Bowl
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SCMP Best Bets: Globe to light up the Valley
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Caspar Fownes supports Vincent Ho as Capital Delight returns to the races without banned jockey
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David Hayes has options with Classic Mile-bound Lucky Encounter: ‘he was never going to lose’
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SCMP Best Bets: Snaffle a bit of value
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Vincent Ho and Francis Lui hoping Sha Tin is a more Joyful hunting ground this time around
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Meet the worn-out old Australian vet loving life with some worn-out old Hong Kong horses
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Dream Winner ‘looks better now’ as Frankie Lor backs his speedster to shine at six furlongs
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Hugh Bowman’s big week: the Valley, ‘probably the most open Everest I’ve seen’, and Spangle
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But i did hear somebody from TAB met with customer who wanted to remain anonymous….not sure if it was true he was offered cash out even though it wasnt cash out option -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Champion trainer Ciaron Maher prepared the Big Dance trifecta as Gringotts (NZ) (Per Incanto) showed there is no substitute for sheer class with his second successive win in the $3 million feature race at Royal Randwick on Tuesday. Gringotts made light of his 62kg impost under a brave but brilliant Nash Rawiller ride to beat Vivy Air in a repeat of the stable exacta from 12 months ago. But Maher, who was at Flemington for the Melbourne Cup, went one better with a memorable 1-2-3 podium finish for the stable as early leader Lugh held on for the minor placing. “We tried to show off last year with the first two, but first three, all credit to the team,” said Maher’s stable representative Johann Gerard-Dubord. “It’s a real team effort, to get all three peaking today and running as well as they did. “This is a great day today, a lot of prizemoney, the racing in Sydney is great and it’s good to get the job done.” Gringotts, the only Group One winner in the field, was backed into $3 favouritism and was burst between rival runners to sprint clear and win by a widening one-and-a-quarter lengths, relegating a game Vivy Air ($16) to another Big Dance second placings with Lugh ($31) nearly a length away third. But it was Rawiller’s ride on Gringotts that was the difference between winning and losing. Rawiller went for the same run as Adam Hyeronimus attempted on main rival Headley Grange ($5) near the 250m. But there was only room for one and Gringotts shouldered Headley Grange aside as he sprinted through the gap. “I don’t think I beat him (Hyeronimus) to it, he saw me coming and tried to do his best to hold his line,” Rawiller said. “But to my bloke’s credit with the big weight he was full of running then. I was mindful of how I rode him the other day, contain energy the whole way and he can be quite explosive, and he was. You can tell he’s a serious horse, when I let him rip he was quite exciting. “He had the feel of a really good horse, he’s been terrifically placed off a setback earlier in the preparation. “This is a lovely race for a horse like him, carrying 62kg, $3 million you’ve got to go a long way to find that sort of prizemoney and I’m just thrilled to be a part of it.” Gringotts, who improved his record to 11 wins from 24 starts and took his career earnings over the $5.5 million prizemoney barrier, came out of the Big Dance to win The Gong at Kembla Grange last year but is unlikely to follow a similar route this spring. But Gerard-Dubord said Gringotts will most likely be given his chance to defend his title in the Gr.1 George Ryder Stakes next autumn. Vivy Air and Lugh are likely to back up in the Listed $2 million Five Diamonds (1800m) at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday. “If they come through this race well, then they are every chance to go to the Five Diamonds,” Gerard-Dubord said. “Vivy Air was tough. She was good again late and she is very honest. Lugh, it was his biggest test he had to face, he went forward, did a bit of work and fought hard to the finish.” Gringotts was bred by Totara Park Stud and is by Little Avondale Stud’s outstanding sire Per Incanto out of the Savabeel mare Miss Bluebell (NZ). Herself unraced, Miss Bluebell is a daughter of Operavega (NZ) (Stravinsky), whose half-sister Vegas Showgirl (NZ) (Al Akbar) was the dam of the legendary Winx (Street Cry). Miss Bluebell is the dam of two stakes performers from three foals to race. The other is Millefiori (NZ) (Iffraaj), who has won seven races for Te Akau Racing and placed in the Listed Great Easter Stakes (1400m), while the other full sibling to Gringotts, Dan Vegas, was sold to Hong Kong. Gringotts was offered by Archer Park in Book 1 of Karaka 2021, where Kasa Bloodstock bought him for $100,000. He was re-offered at the Ready to Run Sale later that year, but failed to meet his $450,000 reserve. He was subsequently sold privately after winning a trial at Waipa for Simon and Katrina Alexander. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh was a relieved man following El Vencedor’s (NZ) (Shocking) return to winning form in the Gr.3 Elsdon Park Balmerino Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie on Tuesday. The reigning New Zealand Horse of the Year was a standout in autumn, winning four consecutive Group One races before heading to Hong Kong where he was unplaced in the Gr.1 FWD QEII Cup (2000m). He returned this season to finish fifth and seventh in the Gr.1 Proisir Plate (1400m) and Gr.1 Howden Insurance Mile (1600m) respectively before finishing runner-up in the Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) where he was run down late by the fast-finishing Waitak. Punters took confidence from that run and backed El Vencedor into a $1.50 favourite on Tuesday. He jumped well and jockey Wiremu Pinn pushed him forward to take an early lead before quickly handing up to Sagunto, who set a solid temp upfront. Pinn kept a cool head and stalked the leader, drawing alongside him at the turn before putting in his customary powerhouse performance down the home straight to score a 2-1/4 length victory over Diamond Jak, with a further three-quarters of a length back to Sharp ‘N’ Smart in third. “I was bloody nervous before that race,” Marsh said. “There’s the expectation and you just hope such a horse is back to his best. “I thought Wiremu rode him beautifully, he didn’t panic, and the race panned out how we thought. I am very relieved. “I am very proud of the horse, it is great to see him back at his best. There is a lot of satisfaction for me and our team, there is nothing better than that.” Pinn has established a strong partnership with El Vencedor, and Marsh was quick to heap praise on the talented hoop. “Wiremu gets on well with him. I am happy for him too, he helps us out a lot and he deserves that,” Marsh said. El Vencedor is now set to follow a similar programme he did last summer and Marsh is hoping he can replicate those results that landed him the New Zealand Horse of the Year crown. “It is a pretty easy path to follow,” Marsh said. “We might end up down at the TAB Mile (Gr.1, 1600m) and then come back up for the Zabeel (Gr.1, 2000m). “We will get him home and make sure he is good. Those big summer 2000m races is where he will be.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
A sharp front-running performance by headlined a dominant afternoon for trainers Brian and Shane Anderton at Wingatui on Melbourne Cup Day. The local father-and-son training partnership won three races through the card, all of which they quinellaed, including the feature Grand Casino Open Handicap (1400m) where they had a trio of runners engaged. Inflamed (NZ) (Ghibellines) had been slightly disappointing first-up but was still fancied in the market, closing third-favourite behind Bouyant and Martell, while her stablemates Mayor Of Norwood and Capo Dell Impero were the outsiders resuming over a sprint trip. With just 52kg on her back courtesy of Donovan Cooper’s claim, Inflamed came out flying from an outside draw with blinkers applied, finding the front and running along at a strong tempo through the first quarter of the race. Cooper gave the mare a breather at the 600m and she was travelling on the bridle turning for home, kicking clear from Bouyant and powering to the line to score by 2-½ lengths, with Capo Dell Impero defying his $38 quote and 60kg impost to run into a clear second. “She was a lot sharper today, I just felt in a couple of trials that she wasn’t putting in so we put the blinkers back on and she showed a lot of speed,” Shane Anderton said. “It was good to see her get the job done. “Capo was an amazing run for an old nine-year-old, he hit the line pretty strong and there were a lot of good sprinters behind him. Mayor Of Norwood wasn’t far behind him either (fifth), so for a couple of stayers I was pretty happy with them first-up.” It was the stable’s third one-two finish of the meeting, having taken out the Property Brokers – Ray Kean R75 (1200m) with No Party ahead of stablemate Move On, and the Otago Engineering R65 (1400m) taken out by Afire ahead of Southern Country. “You can’t complain with three winners, three quinellas is even better,” Anderton said. “It gets you out of bed in the morning and keeps you enthused.” At just his fifth start, No Party continued on his upward trajectory going back-to-back after winning first-up at the course in October. Stepping into Rating 75 grade on an improved track, the Proisir gelding looked right at home, sitting in midfield before coming down the centre of the track and putting away Move On comfortably in the closing stages. “He’s really matured this year, he was a bit wayward last year but he’s left that behind and has done everything we’ve asked him to do so far,” Anderton said. “I think he’s going to be better when we step him up over a bit more ground. “It was a bloody good run by Move On as well, she was hung out to dry a bit early out three-wide, then she really toughed it out. She’s normally one that gets back and runs on, so it was a great effort. “It was great to see the pair of them back it up on top of the ground today as well.” Afire’s victory was particularly fitting as a full-sister to Group One winner Smokin Romans, who took his place in the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on Tuesday afternoon. In the hands of Kylie Williams, Afire sat in behind the speed throughout and put a margin on her rivals in the straight, saluting by 2-½ lengths to a rapidly-closing Southern Country. “She just got a fair way back last time and was still second-last on the corner, so she just had too much to do,” Shane Anderton said. “We put blinkers on her today for the first time and they really motivated her, she was on the pace and did a great job. “Southern Country was also a good run, he drew out pretty wide and went back, then really hit the line strong. If he can bring that form to the rest of the season then he’s going to have a bit of fun.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Sisters Sophia Nolan and Hanna Orting recorded the first win in their fledgling training partnership in impressive fashion at Ellerslie on Tuesday, courtesy of exciting gelding Golden Wings (NZ) (Super Seth). The four-year-old son of Super Seth and Group One-winning mare Xanadu had shown plenty of promise, undefeated in his three trials and was runner-up in both of his starts prior to Tuesday’s Yourride 1200. He rocketed out of the gates in the sprint for jockey George Rooke, who immediately pressed forward with his charge to take up the lead. He settled nicely up front before Argo came up alongside him to apply some pressure. Golden Wings continued to travel nicely for Rooke and entered the home straight with a length advantage, which continued to widen, with the gelding going on to score a comfortable 4-1/2 length victory. “We are very pleased,” Sophia Nolan said. “We thought he was ready today and he delivered. George rated him perfectly today, he relaxed for him, and it all worked out. “It was pretty smart (performance) and I think he is going to keep on improving. I think we will see the best from him over 1400m and a mile.” Golden Wings finished runner-up first-up over 1200m at Ellerslie last month, and Nolan said he took plenty of improvement from that run. “We missed one trial, and we would have liked to have given him another trial, but there is good prizemoney on offer, so he went and ran a good race and he came on a lot from that race,” she said. “I think he is still learning too.” Nolan was particularly excited to record her first training win in partnership with her sister Hanna, something that has been in the works for some time. “That was brilliant, it all worked out today,” Nolan said. “It (training partnership) is something that we have been wanting to do. We have been working closely together for a long time and it made sense.” The Swedish natives have been in New Zealand for several years and spent lengthy periods working for Cambridge trainers Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman, a grounding Nolan said has held them in good stead as they entered their own training careers at Stephen McKee’s former training property in South Auckland. “When we came to New Zealand we both spent a lot of time working for Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman, and we spent a bit of time in Australia with horses,” she said. “We got a really good grounding and thanks to Stephen McKee we are really lucky to have the facilities where he trained so many good horses from. “Hanna moved up our way from Cambridge a couple of years ago. We always worked well together so it is great to now be in partnership in this new venture.” Nolan and her husband Derek are busy preparing for next week’s New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale at Karaka where they will offer a 19-strong draft under their Lilywhites Lodge banner. “We have got a really nice draft,” Nolan said. “We have got a couple of lovely Satono Aladdins that look like they have got a lot of upside. One is out of (Group One performer) Postman’s Daughter (lot 46), who was a very good race mare. “We also have got a lovely Per Incanto (lot 66), out of Quick Choice, and a beautiful Proisir colt (lot 281).” Lot 146, the Earthlight gelding out of two-win Tavistock mare Taco Tiger, had the fastest breeze-up time in their draft of 10.62 seconds over the 200m, and Nolan said he is a very precocious juvenile. “He is a ready-made racehorse,” she said. “He is so mature in everything he does. In his breeze-up he pricked his ears and he could have gone quicker.” While looking forward to next week’s sale, Nolan is also excited to grow her racing team with her sister, and she said they have plenty to look forward to over the summer months. “It (racing team) is something we would love to grow together,” she said. “We have got a couple of nice up-and-coming fillies, and (Group Three performer) Master Brutus has been out for a while with some setbacks, but he is coming back in the next week. It will be exciting for the summer to get him back. We will take it race by race with him. There are a lot of good sprint options for him over 1200m and 1400m.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk View the full article
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