Chief Stipe

Murray Baker, Andrew Forsman, Matt Cameron and the China Horse Club have already won one New Zealand’s classics this season, and blue-blooded filly Queen Of Diamonds is the favourite to give them another after a stylish win in today’s Gr. 2 Little Avondale Lowland Stakes at Hastings. The trainer-jockey-owner combination scored a dominant victory in the New Zealand 2000 Guineas in November with Madison County, who also won the Gr. 1 Levin Classic and Gr. 2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas. After a potential sale to Hong Kong fell through, Madison County has this week travelled to Sydney to prepare for the Gr. 1 Randwick Guineas on March 9. Queen Of Diamonds is the perfect replacement on the New Zealand domestic scene, with the Gr. 1 New Zealand Oaks at Trentham on March 16 squarely in her sights. By Savabeel and from Cambridge Stud’s iconic Eight Carat family, Queen Of Diamonds was a $640,000 yearling purchase at Karaka. She showed special talent in the spring, winning a Te Rapa maiden by almost five lengths and adding the Gr. 3 Eulogy Stakes at her next start. Since then she has been third in the Gr. 2 Eight Carat Classic, fourth in the Karaka Million 3YO Classic and third in the Gr. 2 Sir Tristram Fillies’ Classic. But today she took a big step forward. After breaking well from a wide gate, Queen Of Diamonds slid forward to trail the front-running Miss Labasa as the field swung out of the home straight with a lap to go. Cameron was happy to ease back to third as Miss Labasa and Jakkalbomb lifted the tempo down the back straight, but she was moving forward with ominous ease coming up to the home turn. Queen Of Diamonds quickened in the straight and took the lead with 250 metres to go, then held on strongly to beat the fast-finishing Imelda Mary and Shezathinka by a length and a half. “She’s not very lucky with the draws, but she has got that tactical speed at the start,” Cameron said. “They weren’t making much ground all day. The inside is pretty hot and she got there and went to sleep with the blinkers off and she settled nicely and was too good for them. “She’s bred to do anything and I think the penny is just starting to drop. She has had a few runs and she did a few things wrong last start and the start before, but she’s up against big girls now and she is stepping up.” Queen Of Diamonds has now had eight starts for three wins, three placings and more than $162,000 in prize-money. This was the second Lowland Stakes win in three years for the Baker-Forsman team. They previously won it with Bonneval, who took out the New Zealand and Australian Oaks in her next two starts. Queen Of Diamonds also holds an Australian Oaks nomination. But the first target is the Trentham classic. Previously the $8 equal second favourite alongside Elate, Queen Of Diamonds has now moved to the top of the New Zealand Oaks market at $3.20. “There were a few handy fillies in behind her today, so that gives us a lot of positive thoughts heading forward,” Forsman said. “I guess the 2400 metres at Trentham is another kettle of fish altogether, but she seems to be going the right way.” Former favourite Imelda Mary remains at $4 in the Oaks market, while Shezathinka has been the big mover from $61 into $10 equal third favouritism. Queen Of Diamonds also collected eight points in the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series, moving her to a total of 18. She now shares the top spot with Imelda Mary, whose two points for third lifted her from 16 to 18. The series continues with the Gr. 3 Sunline Vase at Ellerslie on Saturday, then concludes with the New Zealand Oaks, which is worth 12 points to the winner. View the full article

Group Two performer Langkawi is back in winning form, taking out the Time Test 1400 at Hastings this afternoon. The Peter McKay-trained runner had been on a path towards the Gr. 1 Vodafone New Zealand Derby, but disappointing performances in the Karaka Million 3YO Classic and Gr. 2 Waikato Guineas forced a change of plan. Following today’s win, the son of Helmet now boasts a record of two wins and three seconds at the Hawke’s Bay track. “He does love racing here,” McKay said. “It was a bit of a drop back in distance, we were trying to go to the Derby. “The last couple of runs have been a bit indifferent. Last start we tried to ride him back because he drew the widest and they walked and sprinted home. “I think he may be more of a 1400-metre to a mile horse. I’m really pleased to get back in to winning form.” Langkawi will now head to Trentham next month to contest the Gr. 2 Norwood Family Wellington Guineas. “There’s the Wellington Guineas over 1400 metres, that was the main aim if he happened to win here today,” McKay said. “We may have one more go at getting him over ground. He’s had a long enough season, but he’s enjoyed himself.” View the full article

Millwood Tilly, seen here as a yearling, became Terror To Love’s first winner as a sire last week. Photo: SUPPLIED. Three-time New Zealand Cup winner Terror To Love is on the board as a sire. From his first crop of 61 live foals, 10 have qualified and the first of those to win came across the ditch on Saturday night. Millwood Tilly, a New Zealand-bred filly, won her debut at Newcastle for Christchurch trainer/driver Mark Jones, who is based in Sydney with a team of horses at present. He selected her at last year’s Karaka yearling sale from the draft of Katie Carville, paying just $13,000. She’s owned by three clients of leading Queensland trainers, Peter McMullen and Chantal Turpin, who have purchased numerous good horses off Jones in recent seasons. “I’ve had a long association with Peter McMullen and Tony Turpin and sold Mattgregor (A$141,374; 1.50.6) to them,” said Jones. “She’s from the same family as him and when I liked her at the sales, they bought her. “She’s big and a good-gaited type of filly. I didn’t think much of her early on but she keeps improving. “Perhaps lacking in sheer speed but keeps going.” Jones rushed her off the arm in the six-horse field and never looked like getting beaten, running 2.00.8 for the mile in the A$6,120 event. Millwood Tilly tackles the Group 2 A$50,000 Sapling Stakes at Menangle on Saturday night, where she will strike a field of quality colts. She’s joined by stablemate Lulu Le Mans while another Jones juvenile. Mister Finnigan, is second emergency. “It’s a tough race against the colts, but she needs a run before the Pink Bonnet the following week. “Ultimately, though, she’ll keep getting better and make a nice horse.” Jones hasn’t had a big sample size of Terror To Love’s stock, but says if she is typical of them, he’ll do ok as a stallion. “She’s the only Terror I’ve had and I can’t fault her gait or attitude-wise.” Mark Jones is enjoying good success in New South Wales Jones took the three juveniles over to Aussie earlier this month and they linked up with The Bus and Life Lavros at his satellite stable in Whittingham, Sydney. He views the experiment as successful as this stage, The Bus now well over A$100,000 in earnings and the likes of Whittaker and Delightful Memphis doing a job before going to America. “The Aussie team is going great. The two-year-olds are winning and earning money when they would have struggled to earn anything at home, so financially it’s been successful. “We have so many options. “The plan is to have a fulltime stable based at a new training farm run by Aaron Goadsby and numbers will continue to rise. “Aaron is a high strike-rate trainer so I have a very capable horseman running it and where we are based, we have many options. “I will still be based in Burnham a majority of the time but travel over for major races. “It’s a great option for my owners to earn a lot more money with their horses.” Jones has trained 18 winners in New Zealand this year, down on previous seasons, but that’s a result of having a small racing team and over 40 juveniles. View the full article

Don’t expect rampant filly Belle Of Montana to be gifted the lead in Friday night’s Northern Oaks at Alexandra Park. Want to read this content? For free user content sign up here Free Online Content View our subscription options and get behind The Informant paywall Already a member? Login here View the full article

TARANAKI THURSDAY RACE 1 ANGUS BURGA (8) has the quality to be winning this one. Never tried on the grass track before but he’s a big strong guy who should enjoy it. On talent a very good bet. ADDINGTON FRIDAY RACE 11 MIDNIGHT IN MEMPHIS (5) has looked rather classy at the trials and clearly […] Want to read this content? For free user content sign up here Free Online Content View our subscription options and get behind The Informant paywall Already a member? Login here View the full article

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The running joke around the Tamahere stables used by Sean McCaffrey is that the average age of his staff is 78 years’ old. Want to read this content? For free user content sign up here Free Online Content View our subscription options and get behind The Informant paywall Already a member? Login here View the full article

Form around some of New Zealand’s star three-year-olds has northern raider Naval Fleet well drilled ahead of Saturday’s NZB Insurance Stakes at Wingatui. Want to read this content? For free user content sign up here Free Online Content View our subscription options and get behind The Informant paywall Already a member? Login here View the full article

Race tempo made Field Marshal famous, now it is the key to him extending that legacy in Saturday’s A$1million Miracle Mile. Want to read this content? For free user content sign up here Free Online Content View our subscription options and get behind The Informant paywall Already a member? Login here View the full article

The New Zealand Derby at Ellerslie has a few unsuspected similarities with its English counterpart. Want to read this content? For free user content sign up here Free Online Content View our subscription options and get behind The Informant paywall Already a member? Login here View the full article

JONNY TURNER STEP UP R9 ALEXANDRA PARK Brave behind Dream About me at Addington. Doesn’t meet anything like her class tomorrow night. GARRICK KNIGHT MIKEMARO R1 ADDINGTON (Friday) The big boy has caught the eye in all three runs to date. Not a strong field this and he should be winning. FRANK MARRION CHEERFUL R7 […] Want to read this content? For free user content sign up here Free Online Content View our subscription options and get behind The Informant paywall Already a member? Login here View the full article

Poster Boy was a brilliant winner of the Chariots of Fire, coming from last in the hands of Chris Alford. Emerging Australian star Poster Boy can go from the horse that can do it all to the horse that won the Miracle Mile at Menangle on Saturday night. Champion reinsman Chris Alford teams up with […] Want to read this content? For free user content sign up here Free Online Content View our subscription options and get behind The Informant paywall Already a member? Login here View the full article

The two black-type juvenile features at Matamata last Saturday showcased New Zealand’s latest generation of first-season sires. Want to read this content? For free user content sign up here Free Online Content View our subscription options and get behind The Informant paywall Already a member? Login here View the full article

Some successes are deserved and none were more so than Spellbound’s win on debut at Addington last Friday night. Want to read this content? For free user content sign up here Free Online Content View our subscription options and get behind The Informant paywall Already a member? Login here View the full article

Ideally suited by the set weights and penalties conditions, under-rated sprinter Princess Kereru will attempt to deliver a fitting result in Saturday’s Gr. 3 Waikato Stud Plate at Ellerslie. Want to read this content? For free user content sign up here Free Online Content View our subscription options and get behind The Informant paywall Already a member? Login here View the full article

Barry Purdon had a couple of royally-bred youngsters step out at the Pukekohe trials on Saturday and both look nice horses in the making. Want to read this content? For free user content sign up here Free Online Content View our subscription options and get behind The Informant paywall Already a member? Login here View the full article

A roll of the dice produced excellent results for Canterbury breeder Brian West at last week’s national yearling sales. Want to read this content? For free user content sign up here Free Online Content View our subscription options and get behind The Informant paywall Already a member? Login here View the full article

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She is an incredible animal. I'd love to see what she could really do time wise.

Isn't against the rules to pass the jockey ANYTHING once mounted other than perhaps a glass of water? Equally isn't against the rules for the jockey to pass something to that strapper?

Caulfield Cup-winning jockey Pat Cosgrave will make a flying visit to Auckland this weekend to partner the Chris Waller-trained Nobu in the Gr. 1 Vodafone New Zealand Derby at Ellerslie. The 36-year-old Northern Irishman shot to prominence in this part of the world when he partnered Benbatl to win the Gr. 1 Caulfield Stakes last October and added the Gr. 1 Caulfield Cup a week later aboard Best Solution. Cosgrave, who is currently based in Dubai, won’t arrive in Auckland until Saturday morning but is looking forward to the challenge and linking up with the Waller stable once again. “I rode Comin’ Through for Chris Waller in Dubai a couple of times earlier in the year and I know his racing manager Charlie Duckworth well, so the ride has come through that,” Cosgrave said. “Chris asked if I would be interested in going down and riding Nobu, and I had never been there (New Zealand) before. Chris is a world-class trainer, so I have taken the opportunity to go down and see how it goes. If Chris is sending it there, he must think it has a live chance in the big race.” Cosgrave said he had already watched some videos of past New Zealand Derbys to get an idea of what awaits and he would be doing more homework before making the journey. “Between now and Saturday I’ll be going through all his races and looking through some of the opposition as well and hopefully see how the race is going to pan out,” Cosgrave said. “I want to learn as much as possible, there is not much point in going all the way down to ride this horse and not have my homework done. “I’ll be there early and I’ll walk the track a couple of times and Charlie has helped me pick up another ride beforehand.” Cosgrave will ride the Graham Richardson and Gavin Parker-trained Stilton in the Gr. 3 McKee Family Sunline Vase. Cosgrave was impressed with Nobu’s last-start fourth in Rating 65 company at Ellerslie over 2100 metres, closing late after going back to last. “Charlie said his closing sectionals were very good and that he should improve with the step up in distance, so he looks a nice ride,” he said. The seven-time Group One winning rider is embracing the challenge of riding in another jurisdiction, having clocked a few air points throughout his career. “I rode in the UK all summer last year and then went to Melbourne for three or four weeks to ride for Godolphin,” Cosgrave said. “Then I came back here to Dubai in the second week of November and I’ve been here since. “I’m really looking forward to getting to New Zealand, it is going to be interesting and something new and hopefully the horse will run a big race. “I’ve ridden in Ireland, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Turkey, South Africa, Dubai, Australia and now New Zealand. There’s not many places left, probably the only place I haven’t been is the US.” Cosgrave has four rides at Meydan in Dubai tomorrow night before boarding a plane to Auckland and is hoping to amass some nice rides ahead of the world’s richest raceday, the Dubai World Cup meeting on March 30. With six Group One races on the programme and three Group Two races, the total purse for the World Cup meeting is a mind-boggling US$35 million. Cosgrave said the Super Saturday meeting on March 9 would provide a clearer indication as to which horses might figure on World Cup night, but he already has some irons in the fire. “I’m hoping to ride a horse in the UAE Derby (Group Two, 1900m) for (American trainer) Kenny McPeek, a horse called Grecko, but things are more finalised after the 9th of March. “That confirms what is going to get in and what is going to run, but I’m also hoping to pick up a ride for Saeed (bin Suroor). Something might pop up between now and then, fingers crossed. “Between myself and Christophe Soumillon, we ride the horses for Saeed bin Suroor and freelance after that. Saeed is first and after that we pick up what we can. It is tough racing during the carnival, but it is good.” Cosgrave reported that last year’s Gr. 1 Dubai World Cup winner was on-track for another tilt at the carnival’s feature. “I galloped Thunder Snow on Tuesday morning, he is in good form and he is going to run on Super Saturday and crack on to World Cup night,” he said. Meanwhile, the jockey said he would love to return to Australia at some stage following his success in spring. “I really enjoyed coming down to Australia and obviously, I did pretty well winning the two Group Ones,” Cosgrave said. “I’d love to come back but have nothing planned yet, but you never know what could come from riding for powerful owners and a good trainer like Chris Waller.” View the full article

Geez give us a break there isn't a horse in Australasia that can get within cooee of her. Last win she breaks the track record on her ear!

video-1551042168.mp4

Ellerslie Race Scratchings R1: R2: R3: R4: R5: 3 R6: R7: R8: R9: R10: 1 TAB Meeting #2 with the first of 10 races starting at 12:15pm Doubles: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, 9-10 Trebles: 1-2-3, 4-5-6, 8-9-10 Quaddies: 2-3-4-5, 7-8-9-10 Pick 6: Starts on race 5 with a $25,000 Guaranteed Pool Track conditions: Good 3 […] Want to read this content? For free user content sign up here Free Online Content View our subscription options and get behind The Informant paywall Already a member? Login here View the full article