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By Wandering Eyes · Posted
By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk Australian representative Gary Hall Junior will take a 15 point lead into the second day of the World Driving Championship at Kaikoura on Monday. On Sunday the multiple Group 1 winning driver from Perth had almost the perfect start to WDC 2025 with two wins and a second from the opening three heats. He has 44 points, with Italian Giampaolo Minnucci second on 29, and former world champion Pierre Vercruysse third on 21. New Zealand’s representative Blair Orange is sixth equal on 17 points. His best performance was a third with Ohoka Cobra in the day’s third heat. Hall was installed the outright favourite for the WDC after the fields were released for the opening day at Kaikoura and he didn’t disappoint. “Everyone told me if you are not leading after the first day they’ll be something wrong with you – so I’m pretty happy,” Hall said post race. He won the first heat comfortably when the in-form Tom Bagrie-trained Hoof It Hagrid held on from a game Rachmaninov and Granny Rose while hotpot Midnight Diamond was drawn one the second row in Heat 2 but found space early on and cruised by her rivals to win easily. It was the Ross Houghton-trained mare’s fourth win in a row. In the day’s third and final heat Hall was leading with Spirit Downunder only to be run down by Scrunch (Giampaolo Minnucci), trained by Robert and Jenna Dunn. The two wins and a second capped off a big few days for Hall after he couldn’t find his passport and was in danger of missing his flight, only to get a replacement at the very last minute. “It was the most stressful day of my life I reckon,” he says. Monday will see two more heats, Race 3, the Donegal House Heat 4 (1.20pm) and the Kaikoura ITM-sponsored Race 5 at 2.16pm The day will also feature the 100th running of the Alabar NZ Kaikoura Cup at 4.40pm. After Kaikoura’s two day meeting the WDC heads to Cambridge on Wednesday where there will be another five heats. Then it’s on to Addington on Friday (Nov 7) and Winton (Nov 9) before the grand finale on IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup day at Addington on Tuesday, November 11. Points (after 3 heats at Kaikoura) : Gary Hall Junior (Australia) 44 Giampaolo Minnucci (Italy) 29 Pierre Vercruysse ( France) 21 Santtu Raitala (Finland) 18 Brett Beckwith (USA) 18 James MacDonald (Canada) 17 Blair Orange (New Zealand) 17 Mats Djuse (Sweden) 9 Michael Nimczyk (Germany) 7 Jaap van Rijn (Netherlands) 5 Both Vercruysse (2013) and MacDonald (2017) are both previous winners of the WDC. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
This year's G1 Prix de la Foret winner Maranoa Charlie has been retired from racing and will stand at Tally-Ho Stud in 2026. Trained by Christopher Head, Maranoa Charlie was beaten just once in four starts as a two-year-old, notably winning the G3 Prix Thomas Bryon at Saint-Cloud by eight lengths. “I don't think I've ever trained a horse like Maranoa Charlie, one with his desire to run and who can take the others on like that,” said Head in the aftermath of that impressive victory. “He gets better with every run and I don't know what his limits are.” The son of Wootton Bassett registered two further Group 3 successes in the first half of this year, winning the Prix Djebel at Deauville and Prix Paul de Moussac at ParisLongchamp, before ending his career with three consecutive starts at the top level. After finishing second in the Prix Jean Prat at Deauville and third in the City Of York Stakes on the Knavesmire, he then signed off with a deserved Group 1 breakthrough in the Prix de la Foret at ParisLongchamp, making virtually all to beat Zarigana (Siyouni) by a length and a quarter. Bond Thoroughbred Limited will remain as part of the ownership of Maranoa Charlie, having purchased the colt from Peter Maher, Carl Fitzgerald and John Baxter prior to his narrow defeat in the Prix Jean Prat. “Tally-Ho are one of the best studs out there and we're thrilled to be teaming up with them,” said Charlie Bond on behalf of the owners. “The eight-metre stride pattern that Maranoa Charlie has is up there with the very best and will prove the key to his progeny. “Christopher Head said from day one that he is the best he has ever trained and the data technology that Christopher uses showed that Maranoa Charlie what does at home was transferred on to the track. “He goes out at the top winning the G1 Prix de la Foret in such good fashion. By Wootton Bassett out of a Galileo mare, he's from one of the fastest lines out there that also produced champion two-year-old Tiggy Wiggy. He is a very exciting horse for the future for many breeders.” Maranoa Charlie is out of the winning Galileo mare Koubalibre, a half-sister to the G1 Cheveley Park Stakes heroine Tiggy Wiggy (Kodiac). Koubalibre, in turn, is out of a winning half-sister to the G3 Norfolk Stakes scorer Masta Plasta (Mujadil). “We are delighted to welcome such a talented horse as Maranoa Charlie to Tally-Ho,” said the Mullingar operation's Roger O'Callaghan. “With his two-year-old form and G1 record at three, he will be an excellent complement to our roster, especially being by Wootton Bassett, whose early sons to stud supplied this year's G1 winners Woodshauna and Gezora. We look forward to supporting him strongly with our broodmare band.” The post Prix de la Foret Hero Maranoa Charlie Retired to Tally-Ho Stud for 2026 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Vincent Ho Chak-yiu started his Sunday by taking part in the torch relay for the upcoming National Games and ended it with a Happy Valley winner after saluting aboard Brave Star at the city circuit. Ho was one of nine torch-bearers from the Jockey Club, with chairman Martin Liao Cheung-kong and chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges also among the contingent, and the rider carried the flame through Tsim Sha Tsui. It was Ho’s first time taking part in the relay and an experience he will...View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Sometimes the best things are unexpected and that was definitely the case for trainer David Hayes as super-sub Storm Rider took out the Class Two Guangzhou Handicap (1,200m) at Happy Valley on Sunday. First reserve for the race, Storm Rider snuck into the contest at 10am on Saturday morning after Packing Bole was withdrawn, just after Hayes had already galloped his five-year-old at Sha Tin. That was no barrier to success, however, as Storm Rider was gifted the inside gate and after being smashed...View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Zac Purton continued his winning ways with a treble on Sunday as Hugh Bowman, Danny Shum Chap-shing and Douglas Whyte fired in doubles at Happy Valley’s only day meeting of the season. Purton extended his lead in the jockeys’ championship to 17 wins over nearest rival Luke Ferraris when he booted home Ragnarr, Hakka Radiance and Harmony N Blessed at the city circuit. The eight-time champion Hong Kong rider produced his best ride in the opener, the Class Five Dongguan Handicap (1,200m), when he...View the full article
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