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Progressive four-year-old Cross Tasman (NZ) (Super Seth) recorded his fourth victory at start number seven when landing the TAB Handicap (1500m) at Rosehill for the in-form stable of John O’Shea and Tom Charlton. The son of Super Seth was perfectly positioned one-out and one-back under Dylan Gibbons and put his rivals to the sword when presented at the top of the straight, going on to score by three and a quarter lengths. The winning rider reported the gelding didn’t relish the Heavy 8 conditions but was a class above his opposition. “He never grabbed the bit at all when I would have liked,” Gibbons said. “He was funny, he got into his spot and dipped and dived a bit. When I was having to encourage him through that I thought it might take away from his finish, but he might be pretty good. “I got to the 300m and I thought it was going to be hard work but I had a cheeky look a long way out because I just felt him go into over-drive. “This guy, with his attitude and the way he races, I’m going to say it was an unpreferred surface and the way he blew them away late, I love the way he did it today.” Bred by Waikato Stud, Cross Tasman is by Super Seth out of the versatile triple Group One winner Daffodil (NZ) (No Excuse Needed), whose elite level victories included an Australian Oaks and New Zealand 2000 Guineas. Cross Tasman appears to have inherited a fair degree of versatility as he scored for a loyal band of stable owners while sporting the colours of long-time supporter Ron Finemore’s Finemore Thoroughbreds “Off that win, you wouldn’t rule out 2000m and even beyond,” Gibbons said. “He has just got that perfect temperament, he just switches off and once I got stuck into him, where I thought I was really going to have to get into him, he just clicked into another gear and away he went.” O’Shea went to $260,000 to secure Cross Tasman in partnership with Suman Hedge Bloodstock from the draft of Waikato Stud at the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale. With the Karaka Sales commencing on Sunday 25th January, Super Seth is well represented with 46 yearlings by the boom young Waikato Stud sire. View the full article

A sage ride by Michael Dee has aided Supernima (NZ) (Super Seth) to claim a gutsy victory in the Thank You Volunteers Trophy (1400m) at Flemington on Saturday. The Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained son of Super Seth had a declared change of tactics with the intention to settle further back. But Dee summed up the situation perfectly after jumping away well and there being little to no pressure on leader Prancing Spirit (Sir Prancealot), electing to roll forward and sit outside the pacemaker as the contest turned into a sit-and-sprint affair. Sporting the colours of Wylie Dalziel Roy Higgins Racing, the four-year-old gelding dug deep in the straight to defy Ndola (Justify) and Prancing Spirit as he notched his fourth win from 18 starts with a further eight placings. “We had a bit of a theory in place today,” Coleman said. “We thought he was better when he was ridden a little bit colder and we weren’t 100 percent sure on the 1400m. But he’s put pay to both of those questions today and it was a great ride from Mick. “We’d worded him up beforehand that we wanted to try and ride the horse a little bit colder and when it wasn’t going to work out, instead of sitting back there in no man’s land, he took the race into his own hands and elected to roll forward when there wasn’t much pace on. “It was the ride that won the race. “It was a tough gritty win and I’m really pleased for these connections as well. It’s always special to get a win in the Wylie Dalziel colours but this crew especially, they’ve been very patient. “He’s always promised to deliver them a nice Saturday city winner and to get it at Flemington it’s extra special. “He’s very, very honest. He doesn’t know how to run a bad race and if we can just keep placing him to advantage, I think he can keep delivering.” Supernima is by Waikato Stud’s outstanding young sire Super Seth and is out of the Dubai Destination mare Purnima (AUS), making him a half-brother to stakes winners Tomelilla (NZ) (Tavistock) and Viktor Vegas (NZ) (Tavistock). Bred by Bob Emery, Supernima was purchased by Dalziel Bloodstock and Moody Racing for $80,000 from the draft of Woburn Farm at the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales. View the full article

The Nathan Doyle-trained Aroha Stone (NZ) (El Roca) scored a deserved victory in the Thank You Noel Cuthbert Handicap (1500m) at Rosehill on Saturday. The four-year-old daughter of El Roca was partnered by Regan Bayliss who said the mare relished the Heavy 8 conditions and atoned for a luckless effort at Randwick a fortnight ago. Aroha Stone defeated the favourite Changing Colours (The Autumn Sun) by three-quarters of a length to notch the fourth win of her career from 15 starts with a further five minor placings. “I really liked her today,” Bayliss said. “I had no luck last start but she had a nice soft barrier today and with the rain about she’s at her best. “She has been going really well this preparation and it is good to get another win on the board. “She always felt like the winner and even going to the barriers she just glided over that track. “I had a lovely run in transit and although I did feel Nash (Rawiller) and Changing Colours giving a tough contest there inside the last 150m, to our mare’s credit she dug deep and won well.” The stable had been confident Aroha Stone could return to the winner’s circle at her third run this campaign after winning in good style at Newcastle fresh-up. “She is a very tough mare,” stable representative Grace Willoughby said. “We knew she’d run well today, and it was just a case of putting a line through her last start. She had won third-up before, so we were pretty confident. “She has won on a worse track than this before so that was never going to bother her. “I think this is going to be one of her best preparations. Last time in she just needed to go out, grow a little bit and mature and she has done that this prep.” Aroha Stone was purchased for just $25,000 from the Westbury Stud draft from the Book 2 Sale at the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales. She is the second foal of the Makfi mare Luminescent (NZ) who in turn is out of the four-time stakes winner and Group One performer Illuminates (Strategic). View the full article

Former Kiwi Bella Montagna claimed a deserved metropolitan success when landing the Ranvet Handicap (2400m) at Rosehill on Saturday for trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott. Given a perfect ride by Josh Parr, the four-year-old daughter of Belardo overcame barrier 12 to find the fence midfield and tracked into the race effortlessly on the rain-affected track, going on to score by a length and a half from Forbidden Riff and Bestower. The victory continued the good partnership between stable and rider, with Parr successful on his past three rides for Waterhouse and Bott. “It was a perfect setup for her today,” Parr said. “I was filled with confidence by the stable this morning and 2400m on rain-affected ground, she was licking her lips. “I ended up in a really good spot from a bad barrier and she travelled really well and there were horses that were under pressure a long way from home. It was the perfect scenario for me as I could wait for the gaps to open before I asked for an effort. “It was just a push-button easy ride and it is the third one of the week that Tim Clark has handballed me, so I might owe him a favour or two.” Bella Montagna was the only ride of the day for Parr, whose other carded rides were scratched on the downgraded Heavy 8 surface. Originally prepared by Darryn and Briar Weatherley in New Zealand, Bella Montagna joined the Waterhouse and Bott stable as a maiden but she had finished runner-up in the Gr.2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2000m) won by Real Class just over 12 months ago. By Belardo out of a So You Think mare, Bella Montagna is a graduate of New Zealand Bloodstock’s Book 2 Yearling Sale where she was presented by Haunui Farm and originally purchased by David Archer’s Archer Equine Investments Ltd for just $25,000. Sold privately after five starts in New Zealand, Bella Montagna sports the colours of Mt Hallowell Stud and has two wins and four placings from 12 starts, with career earnings of A$211,746. View the full article

I think a valid point is the fact that clubs only receive commission from oncourse turnover.  Reefton's might go a tad further than Ellerslie's.

I understand,  but I thought the assessment was on turnover figures not the type of turnover.  Those scenarios have little to do with total turnover in my view.

It might be the calm before the storm with a pair of Group Ones next week and the Classic Mile the week after, but there are still 11 winners to be found on Sunday’s card at Sha Tin. Jay Rooney is in the hot seat to provide an extended rundown of his selections. Race 1 – Class Five Rugby Sevens Handicap (2,000m) In a field of stayers who struggle to win, Chateau Le Peche could be a value play with a return to the course and distance of his only victory and a good draw. Race 2 – Class Four...View the full article

Expat Irish jockey Joe Doyle scored an emotional victory in front of his visiting parents at Trentham on Saturday when taking out the Gr.2 Harcourts Thorndon Mile (1600m) aboard Doctor Askar (NZ) (Derryn). The pair settled off the pace early and had just three runners behind them when turning for home, but Doyle guided his charge out wide where he was able to chase down Marotiri Molly (NZ) (Per Incanto) to win by half a head. “I got a good drag into it off Pitman’s horse (Mystic Park (NZ) (Ocean Park)),” Doyle said. “I usually ride him more forward, he doesn’t have to be ridden like that. It wasn’t really until the 200m that he really got down to it and I thought ‘we are going to do this’. I am really happy to get the result.” Doyle was particularly rapt to get the victory in front of his parents. “What a super horse,” he said. “My Mum and Dad are here today, so it was nice to ride a big winner in front of them. “We are horse racing people to the bone and it means everything to us. I am gutted that it is not a Group One still, but any big win on a Saturday is fantastic for super connections, and having Mum and Dad oncourse just adds to it.” Doyle was runner-up on the Joanne Moss-owned and trained gelding in the Gr.3 Phar Lap Trophy (1600m) at Trentham a fortnight ago, and he was bemused by his $10.90 winning odds. “He has been a very good horse to me,” Doyle said. “He was difficult to get going last year, we got to the right side of him, he fired a warning shot on the last day (in the Phar Lap Trophy). I don’t know why he was so friendless on the TAB, we went into it with a fair bit of confidence and he proved us right.” Moss was jubilant following the victory, Doctor Askar’s third at stakes level following his wins in the Gr.3 Easter Handicap (1600m) and Listed Flying Handicap (1400m) last year. “I am really blown away, that was quite a good field,” she said. “I just said to Joe, ‘he has done really well, he has eaten every day, he is working well, I have done my job’. I am absolutely rapt.” The five-year-old son of Derryn had put in a few subpar performances late last year, which Moss admitted to having her stumped, until she found the cause of the problem, a stone bruise. “He had a stone bruise and that took two races,” Moss said. “I didn’t know what was wrong with him, he was still running but wasn’t himself. Once I found that (stone bruise) I rang Joe and told him what I found, so we were back on track.” Moss is yet to lock in Doctor Askar’s next target, but Doyle believes he is better kept to handicaps for now. “I am really rapt with the horse,” he said. “There is more in him in handicaps at this stage and I am hoping he can progress to weight-for-age level.” View the full article

Classy southern stayer Mayor Of Norwood (NZ) (Ghibellines) showed he will be more than a runner’s chance in the Gr.3 NZ Campus of Innovation & Sport Wellington Cup (3200m) at Trentham in a fortnight when he lumped the topweight of 61kgs to a comprehensive victory in the Skevingtons Waikouaiti Cup (2200m) at Wingatui on Saturday. The Brian and Shane Anderton-prepared seven-year-old had taken the 2025 version of the race and was looking to go back-to-back, albeit with an extra 2.5kgs on his back for regular pilot Corey Campbell. Punters felt the additional handicap, 7kgs more than his nearest rival, was of no consequence and so it proved as he sat relaxed in midfield for Campbell before tracking into contention rounding the home bend. Noble Knight (NZ) (Ghibellines) had shot clear at that point, however, Mayor Of Norwood was winding up strongly and joined issue with 200m to run before forging clear for a comfortable one length victory which indicated he is right where his trainers want him to be ahead of a Wellington Cup hit-and-run mission on 31 January. Shane Anderton was pleased with the win and said he had to show his best to warrant a trip to Trentham. “He was pretty impressive with the big weight today in a good, strong run race which helped him out a lot,” Anderton said. “We knew he was very well, but if we are going to make the big trip up to Trentham he had to win like he did. “Corey knows him well and it was a nice ride as he let him find his feet and get balanced around the home bend before asking for his best. “He has a really good turn of foot as he has won over a mile twice before and we had toyed with running him in the sprint (1400m) instead of this one today. “We did feel though that if he was going to Trentham, the middle distance suited him best and thankfully we pulled the right rein.” By former White Robe Lodge stallion Ghibellines, who passed away late last year, Mayor Norwood is raced by the estate of his breeder, the late Patrick Smith, and is out of the useful race mare Gallant Babe (NZ) (Gallant Guru). He is the younger brother of the stakes placed Capo Dell Impero (NZ) (Ghibellines) who took out the 2024 edition of the Waikouaiti Cup. He has now won eight of his 35 starts, with six of those coming on his home track at Wingatui, and over $281,000 in prizemoney. TAB Bookmakers have shortened him into a $10 Fixed Odds quote for the Wellington Cup where another southerner in Gr.3 Trentham Stakes (2100m) winner Rosso (Camelot) sits as the $3.20 favourite in the market. View the full article