Wandering Eyes

Jay Rooney DAZZLING FIT - R11 (2) Trialled well since his laststart defeat and can atone from a good draw Owen Goulding ALL'S WELL - R7 (3) Ran on well despite a nightmare trip last start and can strike here Trackwork Spy HAPPY INDEX - R10 (4) Can build on a nice third on his Hong Kong debut with Purton hopping on Phillip Woo LUCKY EIGHT - R2 (1) Should prove too good in this grade despite a wide draw Shannon (Vincent Wong) PATCH OF STARS - R9 (4) Performed well in recent trial and looks...View the full article

Expat Kiwi jockey Logan Bates returned home to record his biggest moment in racing when scoring his first elite-level success aboard Jigsaw in the Gr.1 Sistema Railway (1200m) at Ellerslie on Saturday. The 24-year-old hoop has been making a name for himself in Victoria under the tutelage of his employer Cindy Alderson, who trains Jigsaw, and he was rapt to bring up the milestone in her silks. “It means everything,” Bates said. “I remember before I even started riding, Cindy and I had a conversation and she said one of her greatest achievements would be to see me win a Group One and the comment at the end was that it would be even better if it was in her colours for the Alderson family, and we have done it.” Bates has formed a formidable partnership with Jigsaw, having won their previous three starts before heading to New Zealand, including the Gr.2 McEwen Stakes (1200m) and A$1 million Meteorite (1200m), and Bates said the seven-year-old gelding his belying his age. “What a beautiful horse,” he said. “You wouldn’t think he was a seven-year-old gelding to come back like this and get better and better. Every day I ride him going this way (right-handed) and all the work that we have done with him I just grew in confidence.” The pair sat outside pacemaker Alabama Lass for most of the journey and when Bates asked his charge the question down the home straight he immediately responded, kicking clear to score by three-quarters of a length over fellow Australian raider Arkansaw Kid. “The plan was either to lead if it was there or if they were rolling along at a tempo where he was happy in his rhythm,” Bates said. “When I gave him a squeeze and he ranged up to Alabama Lass, he grew with confidence and gave me an unbelievable kick.” Bates had plenty of support in the crowd, with his mother Kylie Williams, who had ridden earlier in the card, and his father, former jockey Jamie Bates, both cheering him home. “There are so many people to thank. I have got Mum and Dad here, my partner, my good mate Jake, and to do it for Cindy is just unreal,” he said. “It was like it was meant to be, to come back to where I grew up in New Zealand. Even his (Jigsaw) mother was from New Zealand. Coming here and racing on one of the best days here and taking out one of their bigger Group Ones in the Railway is just incredible.” Williams was beaming with pride following the win, and she was delighted to be trackside to share in the moment with her child. “I couldn’t get a Group One, but I produced one,” she quipped. “He knows this horse inside and out. To see them accomplish it together, and for Cindy, is awesome. “It is good to see him grow and mature into such a professional young man. I am very proud of him.” The win capped a great day for Bates, who bookended the six-race card, having ridden the Margaret Falconer-trained Moschino to victory in the HKJC World Pool Jo Giles Stakes (1400m). View the full article

For those looking for a succinct summary of the result in the $1.5 million TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) at Ellerslie, the answer was very simple – Well Written first, daylight second. The unbeaten daughter of Written Tycoon was not just a red-hot favourite for the event, she was the horse that so many of the massive on-course crowd had specifically come to see, and she didn’t disappoint as she let rip with 200m to run and simply powered away from a quality field to win by an ever increasing six-length margin. Trainer Stephen Marsh has made no secret of the fact the filly could be the best horse he has ever trained and Well Written is living up to that mantle with five victories in a row, including four at stakes level. Marsh had admitted he had been nervous when his charge resumed at Ellerslie on Boxing Day in the Gr.2 Auckland Guineas (1400m) and had cause to be as she won but not in her normal dominant fashion. That however was just the prelude to the first of two enormous target races and she stripped much fitter for this assignment in the hands of regular pilot Matt Cartwright. Brilliantly away to lead clearly from barrier three, Cartwright eased the filly back as Fleeting Star and He Who Dares took up pacemaking duties. The legion of supporters on the $1.50 Fixed Odds favourite had cause from concern when Cartwright found himself in a pocket approaching the home turn, although he was tracking second favourite La Dorada into contention. Cartwright forced his way clear at the 250m and in a twinkling of an eye Well Written burst away and put the result beyond doubt before receiving a massive round of applause as she hit the finish line. Cartwright’s assessment of the effort summed the victory up perfectly. “The best horse I have ever ridden, this horse is an absolute weapon,” he said. “It’s so exciting as we got the right run, we got through and wow I nearly fell off the back of her. “She was very keen today but I have always wanted to ride her with cover as she just drops her head relaxes and shows that good turn of foot. “I think we have seen a very special win today. I’m speechless and I think she is right up to Australia’s best.” Marsh was suitably relaxed despite the pressure of preparing a filly as good as Well Written. “Everything went well although we probably got back a length further than I wanted,” Marsh said. “I thought she paraded so well today as I was a shade of green before last start, but I was relatively relaxed today and we have just seen something pretty special.” Marsh also praised Cartwright for his handling of the filly as he has repaid his faith in having him aboard the now $1 million earner. “People have asked me how good is she and I just hope she keeps improving the way she has, as it is very exciting. “I always say to Matt don’t panic, have faith in yourself and the horse and if you are going well on one with this ability it will happen (winning). “He didn’t panic and that is what I like about him. “This makes me feel bloody good and this is why we do it, why we get out of bed and I just love seeing the owners and everyone so excited. “You will now see her in the Kiwi next.” Marsh was referring to the $4 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) that will be run at Ellerslie on March 7. Marsh and his bloodstock agent Dylan Johnson paid a sale-topping $80,000 to buy Well Written from Brighthill Farm’s draft in the 2024 NZB National Online Yearling Sale on Gavelhouse Plus. Marsh’s large syndicate of owners that originally raced Well Written all sold down their share after she scored a seven-length victory in the Gr.2 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m), with major international player Yulong Investments coming into the ownership before she took out the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton in November. Her five race victories have rewarded her connections to the tune of $1,4 million in prizemoney. – View the full article

Letham Stud stallion Unusual Suspect was credited with his second stakes winner when Anemacore lived up to his long-held potential and pre-race favouritism with victory in Saturday’s A$160,000 Listed Coastline BMW Sunshine Coast Cup (1400m). Ridden by Michael Rodd for trainer Shaun Dwyer, Anemacore had only three horses behind him with 300m to run but produced a powerful finishing burst to get up and win by a length and a quarter. Anemacore has now had 20 starts for six wins, nine placings and A$364,760 in stakes. But a series of setbacks have prevented him from fully achieving what Dwyer has long believed him to be capable of, including a bleeding attack at Eagle Farm last May. “We’ve probably only seen half of what the horse should’ve been able to do,” Dwyer said. “He had a back issue very early and we got on top of that, and then he bled.” The six-year-old has made a strong return since then, winning three of his four starts this season along with a third in the Listed Lough Neah Stakes (1300m) at Eagle Farm on December 20 in his previous start. Anemacore was bred by Nigel and Adaire Auret, who stand Unusual Suspect at Letham Stud. He is the sire of 52 winners from just 84 runners, with Anemacore joining Listed Champagne Stakes (1200m) winner Unusual Countess as his second stakes winner. Unusual Suspect is also the sire of black-type placegetters Unusual Legacy and Unusual Culture. Anemacore is out of the Rip Van Winkle mare Saintly Ripa, a daughter of Gr.1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) winner Saint Cecile. Anemacore was a trial winner at Foxton in December 2022 for the Aurets’ son Fraser before being sold to Australia. View the full article

NZB Kiwi slot holder The King’s Men had massive grins on their faces following Belle Cheval’s victory in the Gr.3 Cambridge Stud Almanzor Trophy (1200m) at Ellerslie on Saturday. A day prior they made the announcement that they had secured the Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson-trained filly as their representative for the $4 million Champions Day feature in March, and their choice was quickly vindicated. The daughter of Savabeel jumped away well from her inside barrier and settled three back on the fence for jockey Craig Williams. The leading Australian hoop was able to extricate his filly off the fence when turning for home and Belle Cheval began to chase down the leaders, bounding to the front at the 100m mark and comfortably put away her rivals to win by 1-1/4 lengths over Bulgari, with a further short neck back to stablemate Drops Of God in third. “She is a very nice filly,” Williams said. “She was favourite for a reason and the fact that she was first-up over 1200m and she could utilise her barrier draw, she won untouched today.” The lightly-raced filly had three prior starts in the spring, culminating in her placing in the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton in November, and Walker believes that southern trip has proven to be the making of her. “That’s why we love taking horses to Riccarton in the spring,” he said. “The trip down to Riccarton just made her. Mentally she was just a bit soft going down there but with that experience she has come back more mature, more experienced and she has got it all ahead of her.” With the NZB Kiwi (1500m) now firmly in their sights, Walker said Belle Cheval will likely be given one more start before the March 7 feature, before they potentially look across the Tasman for further targets. “1500m will be right up her alley,” Walker said. “Perhaps we will go to the Lisa Chittick (Listed, 1400m) at Matamata (on February 14) where she will have home track advantage. “Obviously, Lisa Chittick was a very special person to all the Te Akau crew and we would love to win that race. “There is obviously the NZB Kiwi and then we would like to get her to Australia.” Bred by prominent racing identity David Archer, Belle Cheval is a half-sister to his former three-time Group One winner Bostonian, and he races the filly in partnership with his partner Diane Wright and children Simon Archer and Natalie Micarone. Belle Cheval has now won two and placed in two of her four starts to date and accrued more than $216,000 in prizemoney. View the full article

Queensland trainer Liam Birchley continued his great association with the TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) when recording his third win in the juvenile feature at Ellerslie on Saturday. He had previously won the $1 million race in 2010 with Sister Havana before doubling his tally in 2015 with Hardline, while he also finished runner-up in the race in 2009 with Sarge In Charge. He returned to New Zealand with two contenders for his year’s running, including Dream Roca and Vanzadee, and it was the former who gave Birchley his third Karaka Millions crown following a gun ride by Australian hoop Ben Thompson. From her ace draw, the daughter of El Roca enjoyed an economical trip in the trail behind pacemaker Magill throughout, and while she needed the entire length of the straight to nab the Hawke’s Bay gelding, she showed her tenacity in the closing stages to reel in her foe to win by a long head. “We were lucky enough to draw number one, which saves you a lot of work in the run, she could take it easy and save her best for the end, which we needed to,” Birchley said. “From barrier one you are going to get the best run no matter what if you have got the right jockey. He (Thompson) is an emerging superstar.” Birchley was rapt to record his third win in the race and said it was particularly sentimental given one of her owners passed away just weeks before the race. “It’s tremendous to get it three times, I know how hard it is to win it, and the standard here of the two-year-olds has improved markedly over the last 10 years,” he said. “I have got a lot of really close friends in this horse that go back a long way. One of the owners has just died recently and he named her, so it means a lot.” It was the first meeting Thompson has ridden in in New Zealand, and he was duly rapt with his immediate success. “It is very surreal, it is an amazing track,” he said. “She is just a class filly. All credit to Liam Birchley, he is a brilliant trainer and it fills you with so much confidence when riding any horse of his, especially a two-year-old. It is the third time he has won this race, so it is great to partner up with him. “The track has been playing so fair, I had to just be patient and wait for a run, and she gave me a great kick.” Bred by Westbury Stud principal Gerry Harvery, Dream Roca is out of five-win Redwood mare Petrachor, a half-sister to stakes performer Niobe. She was offered through Westbury Stud’s 2025 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 2 Yearling Sale draft where she was purchased by Birchley, under his Bloodstock Solutions banner, for $75,000. She has now won two and placed in one of her three starts to date and has earned more than $625,000 in prizemoney. View the full article

The addition of blinkers and a super ride by Opie Bosson resulted in Tuxedo taking out the first $1 million race on Karaka Millions night at Ellerslie, the Gr.3 Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic (1600m). The Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray-prepared four-year-old has always shown massive promise and was a dual stakes winner during his three-year-old campaign before resuming with two meritorious performances in Group One company in the spring. Given a break after finishing sixth in the Gr.1 Howden Insurance Mile (1600m) at Te Rapa in September, the son of Waikato Stud stallion Tivaci resumed with a runner-up finish in the Gr.3 J Swap Sprint (1400m) before running a cracker second-up for fifth in the Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day. With blinkers added to sharpen him up for his main assignment, Tuxedo proved an armchair ride for Bosson who had him positioned beyond midfield in a strung-out field early in the running, before taking gaps between horses as he forced his way into the clear after straightening. Hinekaha, who had had the drop on the leaders around the home turn, burst to the lead and looked the winner at the 200m, however, Bosson and Tuxedo were in the clear and powering home as they swamped the gallant mare in the shadows of the post to score by a long neck, with Aussie raider Knobelas running on strongly to take third. Ritchie, who along with the connections of the horse, looked resplendent in the group’s signature black tuxedo worn to every meeting the four-year-old races at, thanked the large group of owners albeit with a tongue-in-cheek caveat on their next purchase. “He has always shown us plenty of ability and I felt the blinkers would help him,” Ritchie said. “I’m delighted for my clients who have been with us for years and years and have put a lot of money in. “Days like this are what it is all about although I hope they don’t buy a filly and call it Mini Skirt as I won’t look that flash. “They have been at the Sales this week having a look around and they enjoy every moment of it.” Ritchie was quick to advise he hadn’t given Bosson any riding instructions prior to the horse heading out on to the track. “You don’t give Opie Bosson instructions on Karaka Million night,” he said. “I did say one thing in that when you do go for him, I think the blinkers will swich him on like they did in trackwork last week. “I’d love to have a little crack in Australia with this horse but we will stay at home now where maybe the Otaki mile (Gr.1, 1600m) and Bonecrusher Stakes (Gr.1, 2000m) would be nice targets.” A win in the Gr.1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie on March 7 would be a poignant moment for Ritchie, who was the strapper for the champion galloper the race is named after. Bosson was confident he was on a winning chance a long way from home and was delighted to win another of the richest race on a night where he has obtained cult status from a massive group of supporters who descend on the meeting each year. “The blinkers made a big difference as he travelled beautifully and across the top he started coming up underneath me,” he said. “All I needed was a split and when he got out and got balanced up, he just did the rest. “When I got clear I knew I was a big chance but then they kicked clear on the inside, but he stuck his head down and got the job done. “I missed this meeting last year so to get back in the saddle and win a big one is a great feeling.” Tuxedo was a $70,000 purchase from Book 1 of Karaka 2023. His 12-start career has produced five wins, three seconds and $1,037,235 in stakes. View the full article

Alexis Badel is hoping to continue his flawless record on My Wish when he looks to cause an upset against Romantic Warrior and Voyage Bubble in Sunday’s Group One Stewards’ Cup (1,600m) at Sha Tin. The Mark Newnham-trained five-year-old put up some huge efforts last year, including wins in the Hong Kong Classic Mile and a close-up fourth in the Group One Champions Mile when only a length and a half behind Voyage Bubble. It has been mixed fortunes this season, however, with the Flying Artie...View the full article

Byerley Park conditioner Barbara Kennedy made her first foray to the South Island on Saturday a successful one as her handy mare Pour The Wine dominated her rivals in the closing stages of the Listed Speight’s Timaru Stakes (1200m) at Riccarton. The Daniel Nakhle-bred and part-owned daughter of Telperion had been struggling to recapture her form of old that had seen her finish in the top three in 13 of her 31 starts, and it had been nearly two years since she had featured in the winners’ enclosure. A last start seventh at Ellerslie, less than three lengths behind Sweynesday, hinted at better things and she stripped a fit horse for Kennedy and rider Kendra Bakker, although punters remained unconvinced as they let her start at odds of $24.80 on the tote. Bakker allowed her to find her feet early in the contest as she sat back near last on the inner before saving many lengths on her rivals by pushing up inside of runners rounding the home bend. Pour The Wine let down with a terrific sprint at the 300m and quickly burst to the front and went clear before easing down to beat the late closing Betty Spaghetti and Tomasina who filled the minor placings. Kennedy, who flew down from Auckland for the race, was overjoyed with her first stakes victory and also that she could provide apprentice Bakker with the same result. “That is my first stakes win and the same for Kendra so it is such a great feeling,” Kennedy said. “I had expected her to go well but when she got caught down on the inside I didn’t think she would finish off like that, but she handled the track really well. “She normally has quite a short sprint and then sort of peaks, but Kendra produced a pearler of a ride and she was just so strong at the end.” Kennedy had felt the mare could return to her best despite not having won for such a long period of time. “She has had some really hard luck stories and is always just in behind them,” she said. “This is going to be her last season before she goes to stud, so we thought she might get her best chance of a black-type win down here and I’m thrilled for Daniel and her other owners we could achieve that. “She is likely to stay down here for another couple of months as we have some more stakes races planned for her. “I do have to thank Lance Robinson, who has been looking after her for me since we sent her down last week, as he has done a great job keeping her ticking along in preparation for today.” Out of Nakhle’s O’Reilly mare Needlly, who won six races and was placed at stakes level, Pour The Wine is closely related to stakes winners Tomorrowland, Sahrhys and former top Hong Kong-based performer Flame Hero. She has now won five of her 32 starts and over $250,000 in prizemoney. View the full article

A clever ride and some good old-fashioned kiwi grit resulted in Savabeel filly Acer (NZ) (Savabeel) collecting her maiden victory in some style as she took out the Listed Grangewilliam Stud Oaks Prelude (1800m) at New Plymouth. Consistent rain during the week and some heavy showers earlier in the day presented a very testing Heavy10 track surface, which had many struggling to cope with conditions a long way from the winning post. Wexford Stables pair Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott prepare Acer, who appealed as one who would get through the ground as she is a daughter of stakes-winning mare Sweet Treat, who scored her five career victories on wet tracks. Rider Erin Leighton made good use of an inside barrier draw to position her mount in behind pacemaker She Suits Herself, despite having her heart in her mouth immediately after the jump where the filly blundered before picking herself up and moving into the trail. Leighton took advantage of a slackening pace and charged through to dispute the lead at the 800m before hugging the rail around the home turn and seizing a two-length advantage. She Suits Herself was nothing if not game and fought hard to draw level once again, however, Acer was too tough and held her out by a neck at the line with Unbounded making up many lengths in the closing stages to take third. “I was really confident she had that residual fitness under her belt today and her Mum was a swimmer, so she had the breeding on her side to get through the track,” Leighton said. “Wexford knew what they were sending down as they looked at the forecast yesterday and told me she had water wings, so I was really confident. “I was advised to go forward, but if you look at the start she completely spreadeagled and we were about two feet from the ground. “She picked herself up and we went to Plan B which saw us get a prefect rails run and when she poked through on the inside she was tough enough to hold them all out.” Bred by the Smithies family under their Monovale Holdings banner, Acer failed to reach her $150,000 reserve at the 2024 New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale and has been retained for racing by the family. She holds a nomination for the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Ellerslie on 21 February where she now sits at a $21 quote in the TAB Fixed Odds market behind current favourite and stablemate Ohope Wins and Group One placed filly Tajana, who are both at $5. View the full article

Up-and-comer Taken (NZ) (Ardrossan) recorded his sixth win from only 12 career starts with another impressive performance in the A$150,000 A Caulfield Kind Of Summer Handicap (1700m) at Caulfield on Saturday. The New Zealand-bred gelding made a big impression with his progress through the grades last year, stringing together five consecutive victories at Pakenham on April 24, Sandown on May 24, Flemington on June 7, Flemington on June 21 and Caulfield on November 15. That winning sequence came to an end when he was unplaced in the A$1 million Supernova (1400m) at Pakenham on December 13, but Taken bounced back to form in style on Saturday. The four-year-old was ridden by Jamie Melham and took up a position on the outside of the front-running Slane before kicking away at the top of the straight. His six rivals tried to reel him in down the straight but made little headway, and Taken went on to score comfortably by a length. Trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, Taken has now had 12 starts for six wins, five placings and A$489,360 in prize-money. “We were a bit perplexed after his performance in the Supernova,” Price and Kent’s racing manager Tom Sheahan said. “We ran over him with the vet and nothing was amiss. He’d run really well fresh before that, and it’s possible he was just a little bit dull second-up. We did also throw him in at the deep end. “We just took stock after that, gave him a nice tick-over trial in between, and as you saw today, he’s back up and firing. “The race worked out perfectly. We had him dual-accepted in Sydney as well, but this race came up light in numbers. The map looked super. We thought we’d be able to sit outside the lead, travel and win. “The 1700m is a new box that he’s just ticked today, so that might open up a few more doors for him going forward.” Originally prepared in New Zealand by Sam Mynott, Taken was sold to the Price-Kent stable following a trial win at Tauranga. By Waikato Stud’s emerging young sire Ardrossan, Taken is out of the Henrythenavigator mare Katherine Wright and stems from the same family as Ardrossan’s Group Three winner Beau Dazzler. Taken was bred by the Dewar Partnership, which was put together to support Ardrossan when he launched at stud by some people who raced the Group One-performed son of Redoute’s Choice. View the full article

Ka Ying Rising’s bid to equal Silent Witness’ Hong Kong record of 17 consecutive victories is “just another race” for a composed Zac Purton, who is just focusing on getting the job done in Sunday’s Group One Centenary Sprint Cup (1,200m). The David Hayes-trained superstar, who was crowned Timeform’s Horse of the Year and the joint second-best horse in the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings earlier this week, will level the record that has stood since 2005 if he manages to defeat a field of...View the full article

There will be plenty of music at Gulfstream Park Jan. 24 on a typically festive Pegasus World Cup day. The DJs in the hospitality areas will probably be playing lots of pop and hip-hop. But on the racetrack, it could be Disco Time. View the full article

Prominent owner David Archer’s silks have been carried to victory in some of New Zealand’s most prestigious races, and in March, he is hoping he can tick off another – the $4 million NZB Kiwi (1500m). Archer has teamed up with NZB Kiwi Slot Holder The King’s Men to contest the southern hemisphere’s richest three-year-old race with his Group One-performed filly Belle Cheval (NZ) (Savabeel), and he is excited about the joint venture. “Cameron George (The King’s Men member) came to us initially,” Archer said. “We have had five others (Slot Holders) talk with us subsequently, but Cameron was always consistent, so we are very happy to be with him and the team.” Archer is particularly looking forward to sharing the experience with his partner, Diane, and children Simon and Natalie. “It’s a thrill, there is a bit of excitement about it,” he said. “My two kids that are in the ownership with Diane and I, live in Australia and these sort of things to them, even a country away, are massively exciting. I think they will be there for the Kiwi.” Trained by Te Akau Racing’s Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson, Belle Cheval has won one and placed in two of her three starts to date, including running third behind fellow NZB Kiwi contenders Well Written (AUS) (Written Tycoon) and Lollapalooza (NZ) (El Roca) in the $600,000 Group One Barneswood Farm 53rd New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m). She has subsequently been freshened and The King’s Men Slot Manager Andrew Forsman is pleased they have locked in their NZB Kiwi representative ahead of her next target in the $250,000 Group Three Cambridge Stud Almanzor Trophy (1200m) at Ellerslie on Saturday. “Obviously everyone wanted Well Written and when she was off the table you have got to look for a horse that you feel has scope to improve and train on,” Forsman said. “We went through what was around and what was finishing in behind Well Written and thought given her pedigree, she looked the right sort of horse. “We are hopeful and confident in her and I feel that she has been trained for it (NZB Kiwi). I like the fact that they have freshened her up and she will race over 1200m (on Saturday) and I think that is a nice stepping-stone to then go to the 1500m.” Belle Cheval hails from a rich pedigree, with several of Archer’s topline gallopers featuring close-up in her family. She is out of broodmare gem Keepa Cheval (NZ) (Keeper), who is a half-sister to Archer’s most successful horse – 10-time Group One winner Mufhasa (NZ) (Pentire) – and a half-sister to the dam of Group One performer Sacred Satono (NZ) (Satono Aladdin). While she only won one race on the track herself, Keepa Cheval has left her mark as a broodmare, being the dam of three-time Group One winner Bostonian (NZ) (Jimmy Choux), Group Three winner Cheval D’Or (NZ) (Almanzor) and Vitesse (NZ) (Makfi), the dam of Group One winner Kovalica (NZ) (Ocean Park). Belle Cheval has inherited the family’s talent and Archer said that was evident from an early age. “Thanks to Opie Bosson (jockey) and the Te Akau team, they have all been very hot on Belle Cheval from the early days,” he said. “We have taken our time with her, which was the big thing with her. She has always shown a lot of promise.” With the NZB Kiwi deal locked in, Archer is now looking forward to heading to Ellerslie to watch Belle Cheval compete this weekend, and if victorious, she becomes eligible for the $1 million in bonuses up for grabs in the NZB Kiwi. “It’s nice to see her back on the track,” he said. “Like all owners, we have got our fingers crossed that she is going to run well on Saturday. If she is lucky enough to win, she will get the bonus in the Kiwi, and we are on track. “They (trainers) said she is spot on. She looks magnificent and is in good condition.” With Bosson unable to make the 55kg allotted weight, Archer is utilising the services of visiting Australian hoop Craig Williams. “Opie always wanted to ride her from day one, but he can’t ride the filly’s weight and Mark (Walker) said they could get Craig Williams, and you don’t turn your back on him very often on a light weight,” Archer said. NZB Kiwi hot favourite Well Written ($2.20) will also head to Ellerslie on Saturday where she will contest the $1.5 million TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m), and while Archer has plenty of respect for the Stephen Marsh-trained filly, he is hopeful his filly can show enough progression over the next six weeks to usurp her. “Well Written is clearly an out-and-out top horse and she is certainly the benchmark, we just hope our girl gets the breaks and gives it a shot,” he said. View the full article

The nominees for the 2026 George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award include Tyler Baze, Alex Birzer, Julien Leparoux, Jareth Loveberry, and Tim Thornton. View the full article