Wandering Eyes

By Michael Guerin It was worth the wait. It may have taken Leap To Fame a little longer to get to New Zealand than harness racing fans would have liked but it took him a lot less time to get around Cambridge than his rivals would have liked in Friday night’s Race by Betcha. The magnificent Queensland pacer was supposed to make his New Zealand debut in the New Zealand Cup back in November but missed that iconic race with a blood complaint. He came to Cambridge on Friday night and turned the $1million Race by Betcha into something iconic instead. The six-year-old and his trainer-driver Grant Dixon were on a mission, a mission to turn the 2200m race into a fight, survival of the fittest, or bravest or greatest. “Larry” as he is known, was all three. Dixon had to take his medicine early as every horse drawn inside him wanted to head forward and he was forced back to last but with cover as first Republican Party, then Don’t Stop Dreaming and eventually Merlin worked to sit parked outside Don Hugo, who had led effortlessly from the start. While they were all happy to hand up the dreaded park position, when Dixon got there he saw it as a launching pad for a one-lap attack on the leader. Dixon, usually quiet in the cart, was all motion and motivation, asking Leap To Fame to go faster. And then a bit faster. He wanted to know, maybe wanted us all to know, who could go the fastest for the longest. At the 500m Don Hugo looked for a few seconds as if he was sneaking away. Larry reeled him back in on a string made of sheer guts. Once they were eyeball to eyeball at the top of the straight it was Don Hugo who blinked first, Larry set sail for the post and Chase A Dream and Merlin chased. They did not gain. At the line Australia’s best pacer has recorded one of the most stunning wins of any code in this country, a thing of beauty by the beast. It was win 50 for Leap To Fame from 63 starts, he heads home with the promise to return for this year’s New Zealand Cup, a promise rival trainers hope he will break. “That was a great relief,” said Dixon, who was driving his first ever winner in New Zealand. “I had a lot of people telling me how to drive him and I just wanted to turn it into a staying race. “I got up in his [Don Hugo’s] face and it paid dividends.” Leap To Fame’s national record time of 2:33.6 was 1.5 seconds inside the previous record, a 1:52.4 mile rate on a wet night when the Australians emphatically continued their recent domination of New Zealand’s best horses. That put a smile on owner and slot holder Kevin Seymour’s face. “I was thrilled he could come here and beat the very good local horses and show everybody here how good he is,” said Seymour. While there were no excuses for those beaten behind the harness hero, Chase A Dream was brave in second and has put his career back on track in the last week while Merlin was excellent in third, probably performing to at least the same level as when he won The Race last season. Don Hugo punctured to run fourth after being Larry’s punching bag for the second lap after setting the record speed for the first. And as is so often the case in big races, one horse has its moment of arrival and on Friday night that was Pinseeker, flashing late into fifth, beating home five horses he wouldn’t have been considered as good as just a month ago. He was by his standards he was a star. At this level they are all stars. But they are stars who on Friday night found themselves trapped in the Larryverse. View the full article

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk The legend of “Larry” went next level in tonight’s $1m The Race by betcha at Cambridge’s Night of Champions. Leap To Fame, affectionately known as Larry, had to go three wide and then sit parked before overwhelming arch rival Don Hugo in a new track record. Trainer Grant Dixon wouldn’t let Don Hugo out of his sight and the pair went to war with 600 to go. Despite getting a tough trip Leap To Fame was too tough when it mattered. It was an incredible performance. Don Hugo just couldn’t stay with the champ with Chase A Dream second and defending champion Merlin third. Remarkably it was Leap To Fame’s 50th career win from just 63 starts including the Inter-Dominions and the Miracle Mile. First out first home. That was the way Australian visitor Arcee Phoenix won tonight’s $600,000 TAB Trot on Cambridge’s Night of Champions. Arcee Phoenix was fourth in the race last year and tonight Chris Svanosio, known as Snooze to his mates, wasn’t mucking around at the start. He went to the lead as leading Kiwi Oscar Bonavena sensationally galloped out of contention. Not As Promised did the same. Arcee Phoenix then dictated the tempo, and never really looked like getting beaten. “It’s great to come here and win,” said Svanosio. Queen Elida was a huge improver in finishing second. Her earnings took her past the million dollar mark, as did fourth placed Muscle Mountain. Favourite The Locomotive sat parked throughout and was brave in finishing third. It was the second consecutive Australian win in the big race, following Just Believe’s triumph last year. In the support races, Kimberly Butt won the second edition of the Dorothy Cutts Invitational. She got the perfect passing lane trip with 18-to-one shot Ohoka Achilles to down favourite Iron Brigade. Trained by Owen Gillies it was the Art Major 10-year-old’s ninth win. Dorothy Cutts was on course to make the presentation. She made history when she became the first woman ever to win a full totalisator race in this country, at Cambridge in 1979. The night also featured an extra special moment for Cambridge Raceway Chief Executive Dave Branch. The Night of Champions has been a huge undertaking for Branch and his team but he was trackside with a big group of supporters as the eight-year-old gelding went to the front and starved off the challenge of Castana and favourite High Energy. He is in the ownership group that races Romeo Foxtrot. The gelding, who is trained by Dave’s mother Susan Branch, made it career win number 12 in the Charlie Hunter Northern Championship Final Handicap Trot. Without You upset hot favourite Beside Me in the Magness Benrow Sires’ Stakes 3YO Semi final while Bettors Anvil got home, paying $20, as he led and held on the 3YO Colts and Geldings Semi Final from Greased Lightnin and hot favourite Got The Chocolates. More to come View the full article

By Michael Guerin The patience of one man and passion of another put Arcee Phoenix in the position to win the $600,000 TAB Trot at Cambridge on Friday night. The Victorian trotter led home an Australian-trained trifecta for the second year running in the slot race after working his way to the front in a bizarre opening 200m. Arcee Phoenix has never been a fast beginner but trainer-driver Chris Svanosio declared his hand pre-race saying he had to go forward on him and try to lead the 2200m mobile event, seeing that as his best chance of beating favourite The Locomotive. He, nor anybody else, could have predicted the obstacles that nearly derailed that plan. Another of the Australian reps Not As Promised galloped at the mobile sped away to start the race, hardly ideal as he was directly to the outside of Arcee Phoenix, who didn’t need any distractions as he was trying to trot fast but keep his cool. Then seconds later the second favourite Oscar Bonavena went into a wild gallop just metres to Arcee Phoenix’s left, Svanosio having to carefully avoid him as Oscar Bonavena was eased wide and effectively out of the race. Somehow Arcee Phoenix ignored them both as best he could and rolled to the front, from where his only danger was the trailing Queen Elida, who threatened in the home straight but never looked the winner, with The Locomotive a brave third after sitting parked. For all the drama the final result was almost effortless for Arcee Phoenix, who has previously contested this race and two other Group 1s at Cup week in Christchurch and finished fourth every time. Those trips and the experience gained were part of Svanosio teaching Arcee Phoenix to be a racehorse. He has learned his lessons well. He had a good teacher. “This is amazing,” said the Victorian of his national record run. “To grow up watching these big trotting races in New Zealand and even be a part of them is very special. “But to win it with this horse and to see him overcome those early distractions means the world to me. “He was having a good look at them at the start, especially Oscar when he galloped, but he held together. “I have always thought he was a good front runner but I haven’t been able to get him there as often as I would like because of teaching him to race early on. “He is an awesome horse, he was just jogging in front but in the home straight I just wanted the line to come up.” As popular as the victory will be for Svanosio and his stable star it was also the ultimate triumph for one of trotting’s most deserving ambassadors in slot owner Duncan McPherson. McPherson owns Aldebaran Farms in Victoria and 15 years when the very existence of trotting as a gait in Australia was under threat, with the gait even being dropped as part of the Inter Dominions, McPherson never lost faith. He loves trotters and has travelled the world and spent a fortune trying to build ties between Australia, New Zealand, North America and the trotting stronghold of Sweden. For him, a man who fought for trotting when others wanted it shrunk or gone all together, to dance and hug in the Waikato rain on this Friday night was as sweet as payback comes. “I love trotting and to do this with this horse and a great mate in Ash Haynes, who owns him, it doesn’t get any better,” he said. Or any more deserved. View the full article

First out first home. That was the way Australian visitor Arcee Phoenix won tonight’s $600,000 TAB Trot on Cambridge’s Night of Champions. Arcee Phoenix was fourth in the race last year and tonight Chris Svanosio, known as Snooze to his mates, wasn’t mucking around at the start. He went to the lead as leading Kiwi Oscar Bonavena sensationally galloped out of contention. Not As Promised did the same. Arcee Phoenix then dictated the tempo, and never really looked like getting beaten. “It’s great to come here and win,” said Svanosio. Queen Elida was a huge improver in finishing second. Her earnings took her past the million dollar mark, as did fourth placed Muscle Mountain. Favourite The Locomotive sat parked throughout and was brave in finishing third. It was the second consecutive Australian win in the big race, following Just Believe’s triumph last year. In the support races, Kimberly Butt won the second edition of the Dorothy Cutts Invitational. She got the perfect passing lane trip with 18-to-one shot Ohoka Achilles to down favourite Iron Brigade. Trained by Owen Gillies, it was the Art Major 10-year-old’s ninth win. Dorothy Cutts was on course to make the presentation. She made history when she became the first woman ever to win a full totalisator race in this country, at Cambridge in 1979. The night also featured an extra special moment for Cambridge Raceway Chief Executive Dave Branch. The Night of Champions has been a huge undertaking for Branch and his team and he was trackside with a big group of supporters as the eight-year-old gelding went to the front and starved off the challenge of Castana and favourite High Energy. He is in the ownership group that races Romeo Foxtrot. The gelding, who is trained by Dave’s mother Susan Branch, made it career win number 12 in the Charlie Hunter Northern Championship Final Handicap Trot. Without You upset hot favourite Beside Me in the Magness Benrow Sires’ Stakes 3YO Semi final while Bettors Anvil got home, paying $20, as he led and held on in the 3YO Colts and Geldings Semi Final from Greased Lightnin and hot favourite Got The Chocolates. View the full article

Yeomanstown Stud resident Supremacy (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire} became Europe's latest first-crop sire to get off the mark when his Rod Millman-trained debutante Anthelia (Ire) broke through going a shade over five furlongs in Friday's Happy Birthday Lynn Cullimore British EBF Fillies' Restricted Novice Stakes at Bath. Squeezed for room at the break and racing off the tempo in seventh through the early fractions, the 18-1 chance made rapid headway into contention once past halfway and swooped late to easily outpoint Canyouhearthedrums (GB) (Lope Y Fernandez {Ire}) by an ultimately comfortable 2 1/2 lengths. Anthelia is the latest of seven reported foals and second scorer produced by Listed Rose Bowl Stakes third All On Red (Ire) (Red Clubs {Ire}), herself a half-sister to the stakes-placed Applecross (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}). The January-foaled bay, whose third dam is Listed Sweet Solera Stakes and Listed Rose Bowl Stakes third Halloa (GB) (Wolfhound), hails from the family of GI Secretariat Stakes and G1 Cox Plate-winning sire Adelaide (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Anthelia with an impressive run to win the Fillies' Restricted Novice Stakes at Bath to get off the mark! Lewis Edmunds | Rod Millman pic.twitter.com/zK6j6kWeR9 — The Horse Racer (@OlliCarter) April 4, 2025 The post Yeomanstown Stud’s Freshman Sire Supremacy Off the Mark at Bath appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Everyone recognizes that with the glut of entertainment options today, it's harder and harder to provide experiences that really wow people. In the old days, a trainer would accept a horse from an owner, and hope to never hear from him again, or, to quote an old Charlie Whittingham adage, “Treat owners like mushrooms. Keep 'em in the dark and feed 'em horse manure.” Those days are gone, and racing syndicates are now taking the game one step beyond mere communication—not only providing a constant stream of videos, trainer messages, and other information—but providing experiences that enhance and deepen a member's appreciation of the sport, and their bond with racing. That's good news for racing, and good business for everyone. Medallion Racing, a Taylor Made Farm partnership group that invites partners to invest in biannual groups of horses—they're currently on Medallion V—has taken the concierge and experience theory to the ultimate extreme. Matt LeTexier retired this week after a 30-year career at NAPA Auto Parts, and just in time; this year, he will participate in Medallion's Derby handicapping seminar, Kentucky Oaks owners' suite, trip to Deauville for the Arqana August sale with a healthy dose of sightseeing, and has just returned from their spring trip to Ireland. Medallion is also arranging a trip to Royal Ascot, and a suite at the Breeders' Cup for members of the partnership. “One of the reasons we invested with Medallion and Taylor Made were the European experiences,” said LeTexier, part of Medallion V, who went on the Ireland trip with his wife, December, and nephew Josh Tangen. “So when this opportunity came up, we were all over it.” On the trip, the partners visited trainer Donnacha O'Brien at his facility in County Tipperary to learn about the European style of training. “We had access to his yard, and went out two different mornings to watch them breeze,” he said. “We jumped in the Range Rover with him, and rode alongside the horses as they were running. It was kind of magical.” December LeTexier, Josh Tangen, and Matt LeTexier at Naas | courtesy Medallion Racing They also toured Coolmore with a special guide. “We had a great visit at Coolmore where M.V. Magnier gave us a tour. That was amazing. He showed us their stallions and walked us around the farm and to the breeding shed and through the museum. He was great. That's the kind of experience that just wouldn't happen without the relationships that the Taylor Made team has there.” The group also visited Ballydoyle, stayed at the Cashel Palace, dined at Mikey Ryan's, and spent a day at Naas Racecourse with their chairman, Dermot Cantillon. “Part of my retirement plan was to get involved in horse racing, and this has just really helped facilitate it,” said LeTexier, who looks forward to one day racing his own horses under the name of Pegasus Farms. Medallion V currently consists of two horses—both of which won last weekend. Grand Job (Justify) was second last out in her 2025 debut in the GIII Royal Delta Stakes, and won an allowance at Gulfstream Friday. Public Assembly (More Than Ready) won an allowance at Santa Anita. The plan, said Phillip Shelton, Medallion's racing manager, is to expand the group to 8-12 horses. Each partner in each individual Medallion unit owns a piece of every horse in the group. Medallion IV included two-time Royal Ascot winner Porta Fortuna and the multiple graded stakes-placed Vodka With a Twist (Thousand Words). LeTexier and Tangen at Donnacha O'Brien's training facility in Tipperary | December LeTexier photo Shelton said that over the past few years, he has been traveling to Europe to sales and to visit the horses that Medallion has in Europe, like Porta Fortuna. “I thought I'd put it out to people, and just see if anybody wanted to go.” As it turned out, they did. The group included the LeTexiers and Tangen, and other Medallion partners Steve Weston and Jimmy Lee. Lee, who has been in four Medallion partnerships, also owns horses on his own and with other partnerships. “If you tried to develop this on your own, it would never happen,” said Lee. “You'd never get there. The level of folks in the horse racing business that I met on this trip alone is mind-boggling to me. You're getting to meet the O'Briens, Donnacha is going to train a horse for us in the group, we go to Coolmore and M.V. comes out and meets us in the parking lot and walks with us and chats with us. We had dinner with Donnacha one night, dinner with Fozzy Stack, and dinner with Paddy Twomey. Being able to see how each one does their own thing and learn and sort of get to know the people instead of just reading their names in the paper, that's cool. Just getting in the game to have that level of access is really almost unheard of. It was really, really, impressive.” “It's an appealing thing to get to experience,” said Shelton. “And that's what we're trying to do—leverage our resources and our connections. The mission statement of Medallion is an exclusive ownership opportunity at the highest levels of Thoroughbred racing. That's what we're selling. We don't want 200 partners. It's a smaller group.” What he's learned organizing these events, he says, is that money is a motivating factor, but time is almost as much so. “The more of your own free time you have to invest in planning, figuring things out, the more of a deterrent it is,” he said. “Here, everybody sends me their flight information, and as soon as you land, everything else is taken care of.” They plan shows and events, dinners and racing. The upcoming Deauville experience will offer guided tours of the D-Day landing sites and a trip to Le Mont Saint Michel, among other things. They will also visit stud farms, and accompany Shelton to inspect yearlings in the mornings. The motivation? “How can we make it as easy as possible for people to say yes?” asked Shelton. The bottom line? “I think it's a huge selling point for us,” said Shelton. “The great thing about all of these partnerships is that they're allowing you an opportunity that you cannot get on your own.” For LeTexier, the behind-the-scenes peek at racing was the secret sauce that will draw him further into the game. “For me, specifically, I'm just trying to soak it in and learn as much as I can about the business and how we can go about building our Pegasus Farms team along with them,” he said. “It has been a great experience here thus far, early on, and we're looking forward to what's ahead. You can't think of better partners, for sure.” Lee agrees. “It would be hard to be disappointed with this group,” he said. “It has exceeded everything they promise. And the guys at Taylor Made are as good a guys as you'll deal with in the industry.” The post `It Has Exceeded Everything They Promise’: Medallion, Where Racing Meets Hospitality appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) has announced several enhancements to the prizemoney for Jumps Racing, including immediate increases covering the remainder of the current season (May to July 2025), as well as the full 2025-26 racing calendar. NZTR’s total investment across 18 meetings and 57 Jumps races over this period will reach approximately $2.57 million. The increases highlight NZTR’s ongoing commitment to the development and promotion of Jumps racing throughout the country. Highlights of the revised stakes include: Uplift in stakes for Feature Steeplechases across the season, with increases ranging from $15,000 to $50,000 per race. Restricted Open Jump Races will see stakes boosted from $30,000 to $40,000. In cases where these races are split into separate events for winners and maidens, winners will compete for $40,000, while maidens will race for $20,000. The Racecourse Hotel & Motor Lodge 150th Grand National Steeplechase at Riccarton Park on Saturday 9 August celebrates its 150th renewal this year, with the Canterbury Jockey Club set to announce a further stakes increase to this race in the coming weeks. These new stakes enhancements complement previously announced strategic initiatives, which include: A shortened jump racing season comprising 18 racing days, running from 11 May to 21 September 2025, concluding with an exciting two-day event at Te Aroha. A strategic shift towards non-Saturday racing days, with nine of the 18 Jumps racing days scheduled for Sundays, along with King’s Birthday Monday and a feature Friday meeting on 19 September for the Great Northern Hurdle. Streamlining of venues to improve infrastructure, reducing host venues from previous seasons to seven locations. Notably, Jumps racing will no longer be held at Rotorua or Waverley this season. Introduction of the Amateur Series, primarily held at Jumps meetings, concluding with the prestigious Duke of Gloucester Cup on 19 September at Te Aroha. NZTR Chief Operating Officer Darin Balcombe commented, “These enhancements deliver immediate benefits for participants this season while supporting the ongoing development of Jumps racing.” “Following our strategic review last year, we’re focused on improving the experience for participants and fans as we head into next season,” he said. Full details of NZTR’s 2025-26 Jumps Racing Stakes are available to view below. View the full article

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) has announced several enhancements to the prizemoney for Jumps Racing, including immediate increases covering the remainder of the current season (May to July 2025), as well as the full 2025-26 racing calendar. NZTR’s total investment across 18 meetings and 57 Jumps races over this period will reach approximately $2.57 million. The increases highlight NZTR’s ongoing commitment to the development and promotion of Jumps racing throughout the country. Highlights of the revised stakes include: Uplift in stakes for Feature Steeplechases across the season, with increases ranging from $15,000 to $50,000 per race. Restricted Open Jump Races will see stakes boosted from $30,000 to $40,000. In cases where these races are split into separate events for winners and maidens, winners will compete for $40,000, while maidens will race for $20,000. The Racecourse Hotel & Motor Lodge 150th Grand National Steeplechase at Riccarton Park on Saturday 9 August celebrates its 150th renewal this year, with the Canterbury Jockey Club set to announce a further stakes increase to this race in the coming weeks. These new stakes enhancements complement previously announced strategic initiatives, which include: A shortened jump racing season comprising 18 racing days, running from 11 May to 21 September 2025, concluding with an exciting two-day event at Te Aroha. A strategic shift towards non-Saturday racing days, with nine of the 18 Jumps racing days scheduled for Sundays, along with King’s Birthday Monday and a feature Friday meeting on 19 September for the Great Northern Hurdle. Streamlining of venues to improve infrastructure, reducing host venues from previous seasons to seven locations. Notably, Jumps racing will no longer be held at Rotorua or Waverley this season. Introduction of the Amateur Series, primarily held at Jumps meetings, concluding with the prestigious Duke of Gloucester Cup on 19 September at Te Aroha. NZTR Chief Operating Officer Darin Balcombe commented, “These enhancements deliver immediate benefits for participants this season while supporting the ongoing development of Jumps racing.” “Following our strategic review last year, we’re focused on improving the experience for participants and fans as we head into next season,” he said. Full details of NZTR’s 2025-26 Jumps Racing Stakes are available to view below. View the full article

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) has announced several enhancements to the prizemoney for Jumps Racing, including immediate increases covering the remainder of the current season (May to July 2025), as well as the full 2025-26 racing calendar. NZTR’s total investment across 18 meetings and 57 Jumps races over this period will reach approximately $2.57 million. The increases highlight NZTR’s ongoing commitment to the development and promotion of Jumps racing throughout the country. Highlights of the revised stakes include: Uplift in stakes for Feature Steeplechases across the season, with increases ranging from $15,000 to $50,000 per race. Restricted Open Jump Races will see stakes boosted from $30,000 to $40,000. In cases where these races are split into separate events for winners and maidens, winners will compete for $40,000, while maidens will race for $20,000. The Racecourse Hotel & Motor Lodge 150th Grand National Steeplechase at Riccarton Park on Saturday 9 August celebrates its 150th renewal this year, with the Canterbury Jockey Club set to announce a further stakes increase to this race in the coming weeks. These new stakes enhancements complement previously announced strategic initiatives, which include: A shortened jump racing season comprising 18 racing days, running from 11 May to 21 September 2025, concluding with an exciting two-day event at Te Aroha. A strategic shift towards non-Saturday racing days, with nine of the 18 Jumps racing days scheduled for Sundays, along with King’s Birthday Monday and a feature Friday meeting on 19 September for the Great Northern Hurdle. Streamlining of venues to improve infrastructure, reducing host venues from previous seasons to seven locations. Notably, Jumps racing will no longer be held at Rotorua or Waverley this season. Introduction of the Amateur Series, primarily held at Jumps meetings, concluding with the prestigious Duke of Gloucester Cup on 19 September at Te Aroha. NZTR Chief Operating Officer Darin Balcombe commented, “These enhancements deliver immediate benefits for participants this season while supporting the ongoing development of Jumps racing.” “Following our strategic review last year, we’re focused on improving the experience for participants and fans as we head into next season,” he said. Full details of NZTR’s 2025-26 Jumps Racing Stakes are available to view below. View the full article

Danny Shum’s superstar chases a Hong Kong record 11th Group One win and a maiden Dubai Turf victory for the city.View the full article

Habana will make his raceday return at Ellerslie on Saturday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Group 2 winner Habana has bounced back from a health scare and will make a welcome return to action in Saturday’s Elsdon Park (1300m) at Ellerslie. The Zoustar gelding has won eight of his 21 starts and more than $420,000 in stakes, headed by a victory in last year’s Group 2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m). Habana was last seen on October 24 at Ellerslie, where he was beaten by a long head by Meaningful Star in a 1600m open handicap. “He was coming up well, but then he had a bout of colic just before Christmas and they ended up having to operate on him,” trainer Lance Noble said. “Thankfully he’s made a full recovery, but it obviously ended up ruling him out for the whole summer. “That’s a bit of a shame when you look at what El Vencedor has been doing this season. Those two horses clashed a few times last summer, and we managed to beat him in the Rich Hill Mile and the Fulton Family Stakes (Listed, 1500m). So it makes you wonder what might have been, but we’ve still got the horse, which is obviously the main thing.” Noble will use Saturday’s $65,000 open sprint as a stepping stone towards the Group 3 Easter Handicap (1600m) at Ellerslie on April 19. Habana will attempt to become the second consecutive winner of that race for Cambridge Stud owners Brendan and Jo Lindsay, who won it with top-class mare Snazzytavi last year. Habana himself finished second behind White Noise in the Easter Handicap in 2023. “He looks good,” Noble said. “He’s fully matured now and hasn’t been over-raced, so there’s no reason to think he can’t get back to his best. “It’s getting quite late in the season now, so he’ll probably just have a couple of runs this time in and then we’ll save him for the spring. He’ll run on Saturday, and then the plan is to go to the Easter from there. “He’s drawn 14 on Saturday and has to carry 61.5kg, so he faces a pretty big task. But we need to get a run into him before the Easter and this fits in well.” Noble’s other runner at Ellerslie on Saturday is two-year-old filly Heloisa in the Entain/NZB Insurance Pearl Series (1200m). In her only previous start, Heloisa ran third at Matamata behind Tajana and Hostility. Both of those rivals went on to place behind La Dorada in last Saturday’s Group 1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m). “It was pleasing to see the two that beat her go on to run second and third in the Group One,” Noble said. “She had to do a bit of work to lead in that debut race, so it wasn’t a bad effort. She’s improved with the run and I’ve been very happy with her. If that form stacks up, she should be a nice chance. “We’ll see how she goes on Saturday, but we could look at taking her back to Ellerslie for the Star Way Stakes (Listed, 1200m) in a couple of weeks’ time. She’s a really nice filly that I think is going to be even better at three.” Heloisa comes from the first New Zealand crop by Cambridge Stud shuttle stallion Hello Youmzain. The Lindsays have already seen their colours carried to two-year-old victories at Ellerslie by Hello Youmzain fillies Remala and Lucy In The Sky. “It would be nice for another member of our stable to be a two-year-old winner in his first crop,” Noble said. “I’ve got quite a few of them and I really like them all. They’ve always looked like they would start to come into their own in the second half of their two-year-old seasons and go on with it at three, and I think that’s how they’re tracking.” Habana and Heloisa could kick off a big day for the Lindsays, whose colours will also be carried by last-start Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) winner Joliestar in the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick. Horse racing news View the full article

Cambridge trainer Tony Pike. Photo: Nicole Troost Sydney’s weather provided an extra challenge for horses heading into Saturday’s Group 1 Australian Derby (2400m) via the Group 2 Tulloch Stakes (2000m), but Tony Pike believes Golden Century will be less disadvantaged than most. The Tulloch was originally scheduled to be run at Rosehill last Saturday, but that meeting was postponed to Tuesday. Golden Century lined up in the rescheduled race and finished seventh, making up ground despite racing greenly down the straight. Pike is happy to press on into Saturday’s Derby at Randwick with the Pierro gelding, who had previously run third behind race rivals Willydoit and Thedoctoroflove in last month’s Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie. “I thought he ran reasonably well in the Tulloch,” the Cambridge trainer said. “He just raced a little bit fresh. We deliberately kept him on the fresh side for the step back down to 2000m, and he probably just travelled a bit too keenly and wasn’t the easiest horse to ride. He can sometimes be like that. “In that sense, I think the four-day turnaround into the Derby might actually help him a bit more than some of the others. He worked nicely on Thursday, and if he can settle a bit better in the running, there’s no reason to think he can’t run well in the Derby. He’ll run out a strong 2400m around Randwick better than most. “Whether he can actually win the race, I’m not sure, but I’d be confident that he won’t be too far away from them at the finish.” Pike will also keep a close eye on proceedings back home, where he will saddle seven runners at Ellerslie – Wind Rush in the TAB (1600m), Pink Gin in the Entain/NZB Insurance Pearl Series (1200m), Dimaggio and Overdrawn in the Cambridge Stud Easter Yearlings (1500m), course specialist Rudyard and the resuming Cannon Hill in the Elsdon Park (1300m), and Arundel Castle in the Auckland Co-Op Taxis (1500m). “We’ve got a nice, solid team at Ellerslie,” Pike said. “I thought Wind Rush ran well for second without much luck at Matamata the other day (March 23). He’d have to be a big chance of going one better on Saturday. “I’ve got a bit of time for the two-year-old filly Pink Gin as well. If she’s able to get across from her wide gate, she’ll be a genuine chance in that race too. “Hopefully those two can start the day off on a good note for us.” Horse racing news View the full article

Wingman will contest the Manawatu Thoroughbred Racehorse Owners Association 3YO (1350m) at Wanganui on Saturday. Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North) Saturday’s Manawatu Thoroughbred Racehorse Owners Association 3YO (1350m) is likely to be the final start of the season for Wingman, who is the only horse to have beaten Group 1 star Leica Lucy. The Roydon Bergerson-trained Wingman showed bright promise in the spring with two wins from his first three starts. That included a 1400m three-year-old race at Trentham in early December, where he edged out Leica Lucy by a head. That filly then went on to win five Group races in a row, culminating in last month’s Group 1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m). Wingman was subsequently unplaced in the Group 2 Levin Classic (1400m) and Group 2 Wellington Guineas (1400m), which bookended a runner-up effort behind Ballon d’Or at Trentham. “The Wellington Guineas was a bit of a hard watch,” Bergerson said. “Nothing really went right for him there. The jockey got off and apologised afterwards. That’s the way it goes in racing sometimes. “I’ve been very happy with the horse since then. We were thinking about taking him up to Auckland for the three-year-old race there on Saturday, which would have been a chance to see how he goes at the mile. But the Wanganui race doesn’t look quite as strong, so we’ll stay closer to home and stick to the 1350m. As long as there’s not too much rain around, he should be a good chance.” The Wanganui track was rated a Soft5 on Friday morning, with morning rain expected to ease to showers in the afternoon. Regardless of Saturday’s result, this is likely to be the final three-year-old appearance for Wingman, who has earned $65,575 for owner-breeder Gerry Harvey in his six-start career to date. “He’ll probably head to the paddock after this,” Bergerson said. “We think a fair bit of the horse. We’ll give him a decent break now and then start thinking about the spring.” Wingman headlines a three-pronged contingent for Bergerson at Wanganui on Saturday. The Wanganui Insurance Brokers Maiden (1600m) features the well-bred Our Giulia, who is by Savabeel out of Bergerson’s dual Group 3 Winter Cup (1600m) winner Karla Bruni. Our Giulia was a last-start second placegetter at Waverley on March 19, beaten by a nose by Rainbow Delight. “That was a really good run and I thought she’d got up on the line,” Bergerson said. “A bit of sting out of the track never worried her mother, so this mare should be okay too if there’s a bit more rain. “Karla Bruni was a maiden winner at Wanganui herself (in May of 2011), so it would be nice to see her daughter follow in her footsteps.” Vee Vee will step back down in distance for Saturday’s Happy Birthday Big Don Could Surprise (1600m). “He just over-raced in that last-start run over 2040m,” Bergerson said. “Jimmy Chung rode him and he couldn’t really get him to settle. Going back down to the mile and with a senior rider aboard (Craig Grylls), hopefully the horse will relax a bit better this time. We’ll try stepping back up to 2000m again after this.” Horse racing news View the full article

Love Poem will contest the Group 3 PJ Bell Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Stephen Marsh believes all the key indicators point to his well-bred three-year-old Love Poem giving her Australian rivals a serious run for their money at Randwick on Saturday. The Cambridge trainer will be trackside for Love Poem’s Australian debut in the Group 3 PJ Bell Stakes (1200m) and can only see positives ahead of the opening leg of her two-start offshore campaign. “She’s great, she travelled over on Tuesday and hasn’t turned a hair,” he said. “She’s drawn well, the track should be beautiful, set weights and penalties suits her so we couldn’t be happier. I think she’s right in it.” Love Poem has fashioned the excellent domestic record of two wins and five stakes placings, including a runner-up finish in the Group 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) behind top colt Savaglee. The only time she has finished out of the top three was a week later at Riccarton when fourth in the fillies’ classic. She then went for a break and booked her passage across the Tasman when successfully resuming at Tauranga over 1200m earlier this month. Should Love Poem run up to expectations in the hands of Jason Collett, she will make one more appearance before returning to New Zealand. “There’s another race over 1400m (Group 3, James HB Carr Stakes) in two weeks’ time at Randwick and then she’ll definitely come home and have a nice spell and get ready for the spring,” Marsh said. Raced by Wellingtonian Lib Petagna, the Snitzel filly was purchased for A$280,000 from breeder Arrowfield Stud’s draft at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale and is out of a half-sister to multiple Group 1 winner and leading sire Pierro. Marsh is also confident an all-out attack on the Barfoot & Thompson (1500m) at Ellerslie with Penman, Erin Go Bragh, Bourbon Proof, Sexy And I Moet and Dramatic Lass won’t go unrewarded. He finds it hard to split his three-year-olds, but said barriers would favour Penman (four), Erin Go Bragh (five) and Bourbon Proof (two). “The three boys have all got good draws whereas the girls have got wide gates, we have a lovely hand in the race and it’s probably going to come down to who gets the most luck in the running.” Penman claimed three on the bounce before he lost a shoe when unplaced in The NZB Kiwi (1500m), Erin Go Bragh has won two from three, including an impressive resuming victory, and Bourbon Proof was a multiple stakes placegetter before he was out of the frame in the Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2400m). Dramatic Miss was a bold last-start third in the Group 2 Wellington Guineas (1400m), in which Sexy And I Moet made late ground for ninth after drifting well back from an awkward barrier. Horse racing news View the full article

Theoden will contest the Ascot Sports Bar Handicap (2225m) at Ascot Park on Sunday. Photo: Race Images South Winton galloper Theoden holds a strong record at Ascot Park, and trainer Leda Beck is hoping that continues on Sunday, with an eye towards the Riverton Cup (2147m) in a fortnight where the Southern Cups bonus is on the line. The six-year-old son of Proisir sits within range of securing the $50,000 winner-takes-all bonus, with 10 points up for grabs for the winner of the Riverton Cup, and Theoden is just five points in arrears of series leader Lofty’s Gift. Beck will use Sunday’s Ascot Sports Bar Handicap (2225m) as a fitness run for her gelding, and she is hoping he can continue his golden run of form at the venue, with Theoden having had six starts at the Southland track for a win and five placings. Theoden will be joined in Sunday’s race by stablemate Par Tee, who is also an outside chance of securing the Southern Cups bonus at Riverton. “They are going to have a run before they head to Riverton. If they go well that would be great and I am thinking Theoden wants to run in the top two,” Beck said. Beck will head to Ascot Park with four other runners, including debutant Aozora Note in the Entain/NZB Insurance Pearl Series (1200m), Amalfi Coast in the Northern Sports Bar & TAB Handicap (2225m), Firoden in the Waxy’s Irish Pub Handicap (1600m), and Leisure Dollar in the Our Dad Is Still Funny 10 Years On (1400m). “They have all trialled pretty well,” Beck said. “Aozora Note is a nice three-year-old filly will be a nice horse next year. “With Amalfi Coast, it was a shame there wasn’t a mile, it would have been nice to kick-off over a mile. She is an out-and-out stayer. “Firoden is my daughter’s horse, so he is just going around and any money is a bonus. He has gone down a massive grade and he is more than capable of running in the money. “Leisure Dollar is the one whose raceday manners might let him down a little bit. He is straight fresh with no trials or anything. He can gallop but everything has to go right for him.” Horse racing news View the full article

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk He’s harness racing’s hype horse. And now both Marketplace’s mum and sister are up for sale. Gavelhouse Standardbred is currently selling Cullen Who, the dam of the sensational Marketplace, and also his weanling full sister. Cullen Who is Lot 14, the weanling is Lot 1. Adding to Cullen Who’s value is the fact that she is in foal. Cullen Who won five races before starting her broodmare career where she’s had five progeny, all by Bettor’s Delight. Marketplace so far has been the stand out. The 2024 NZ 2YO Colt/Gelding Pacer of the Year and multiple Group 1 winner has won seven of his last eight races and is widely recognized as a future superstar. Cullen Who has also left two black-type performers in nine-race winner Who’s Delight and Who’s Bettor. Cullen Who, the 12-year-old daughter of Christian Cullen, has given her connections including well-known race caller George Simon the ride of a lifetime but they believe now is the right time to sell their stellar mare. “Myself, Tony Barron, Gordon McKenzie and Tony Clark bought her after she won her first race at Forbury Park and then she won about four or five races for us,” Simon told NZB Standardbred. “A couple of the boys said that maybe we should sell Cullen Who (last year). At that stage she was in-foal and we asked around but there were no takers, so we carried on. Just after that Marketplace came out and started winning everything in sight.” His success changed the game. “We got together again and had a bit of a chat about it and we thought if the feeling was that there were a couple in the group that wanted to sell, now is the time to strike on the back of what Marketplace has done, and we thought the best and fairest way to do it was is to put her on Gavelhouse Standardbred and let the market decide.” The ownership group also decided to put up for auction Marketplace’s full sister, a weanling. She is at $62,500 has met her reserve while Cullen Who has not yet met her reserve. She is at $80,000 though the auction only went live last evening. “This is an opportunity to buy into the family with the filly or buy the family jewels, which is the mare in-foal to Bettor’s Delight,” says Simon. The pair are part of a 19 Lot catalogue that closes on Wednesday, April 9 at 7pm. To see the auction click here View the full article

With the new National Bureau starting on Monday, Harness Racing New Zealand would like to advise of a temporary arrangement regarding nominations,driver engagements and scratchings. The protocol will be in place for the next fortnight until a new National Bureau Hotline is established. In the interim, trainers are encouraged to continue using the online system for nominations and driver engagements. “While we acknowledge that some users are experiencing issues with the mobile app, our IT team has confirmed that these issues are not present on the web-based system,” says HRNZ’s Racing and Wagering manager Matthew Peden. “We therefore recommend that anyone encountering problems with the app access My HRNZ via their mobile or desktop browser.” Until such time as the National Bureau Hotline is established, the following individuals can be contacted regarding the meetings listed below: Wairio – April 10 Contact: Jason Broad NZMTC – April 11 Contact: Richard Bromley ATC – April 11 Contact: Kevin Smith Methven – April 13 Contact: Richard Bromley NZMTC – April 15 Contact: Richard Bromley Waikato BOP – April 15 Contact: Kevin Smith Winton – April 17 Contact: Jason Broad ATC – April 17 Contact: Kevin Smith NZMTC – April 19 Contact: Richard Bromley Contact details for Bureau members: Jason Broad – 021 127 2912 Kevin Smith – 027 435 8560 Richard Bromley – 021 888 900 For any wider Bureau-related queries, please contact Cameron Kirkwood – 03 964 1200 The Bureau is a significant step forward in streamlining the nomination, acceptance, and field release process for the sport across the country through a centralised system overseen by HRNZ. Race programmes will also be produced directly by HRNZ as part of this transition. Importantly, the current timelines for nominations and acceptances remain unchanged: Nominations close at 12 noon Acceptances close at 2:00pm Both deadlines fall on the same day. Please also note that all scratchings are to be advised to the relevant Bureau member listed above in the short term. Once the Bureau Hotline is operational, these notifications will be relayed through that system. “We appreciate your patience and support during this transition and will continue to keep you updated as new systems come online,” says Peden. For any further queries contact: matthew.peden@hrnz.co.nz View the full article

By Jonny Turner Big brother showed Merlin how it’s done just a day out from $1m The Race by betcha. In slightly quieter surrounds to Friday’s Night Of Champions at Cambridge, Durrant ran to career win number eight at Ascot Park on Thursday for trainer Ross Hope and driver Nathan Williamson in the Final Touch / Clean-Biz Mobile Pace. After facing trickier draws in his recent starts, Durrant made full use of barrier 4 when Williamson found him a perfect trip in the trail, turning around an unlucky last start effort at Winton. “I think he has been going pretty well right the way through, but he hasn’t always had the luck go his way,” Hope said. Both Merlin and Durrant are by Art Major from Imaginary Bet, who was crowned New Zealand’s Pacing Broodmare Of The Year at this year’s national harness racing awards. While Durrant hasn’t competed at the same level as Merlin, he has delivered Hope and his wife Dianne plenty of thrills. “He is a great horse to have around the place, he’s easy to look after.” “He’s done a great job for us, when young Carter Dalgety won on him he liked him.” “He’s just an old gentleman.” There are no surprises around who the Hope camp will be cheering for in the $1m The Race by betcha. “I think Merlin can do it, but it will be hard up against the Aussies who are seasoned with all the hard racing they’ve had,” Hope said. Another of Imaginary Bet’s progeny will be in action in Southland on Friday. Group 1-winning star Captains Mistress, a half-sister to Merlin and Durrant, will take another step back towards the races when trialling at Winton. Trainer-driver Nathan Williamson is targeting a heat of the Sires Stakes Series at Addington next week with New Zealand’s reigning two-year-old pacing filly of the year. Captains Mistress’ full brother Magician hasn’t been sighted since his win at Ascot Park on Group One Invercargill Cup Day. Another of the progeny of Imaginary Bet, the four-year-old has recently been brought back into work by trainers Cran and Chrissie Dalgety after he suffered a minor injury in Auckland, which derailed a planned northern campaign. View the full article

James McDonald and Wodeton storm home in the Chandon Handicap in race 1 at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday, January 18. Photo: Bradley Photos Golden Slipper runner-up Wodeton will spearhead a blockbuster day at Randwick for champion jockey Ryan Moore, as the colt prepares to step out in Saturday’s Group 1 Inglis Sires’ (1400m). Trained by Chris Waller, Wodeton will wear winkers once again and is expected to be ridden conservatively from barrier nine. Waller was full of praise for the way the Wootton Bassett colt has bounced out of his Slipper performance, describing him as “thriving” ahead of his first test over 1400 metres. “You don’t have to overtrain them after their grand final,” Waller said. “He’s a colt, he’s a young horse. He has come through the Slipper really well and the 1400 will be no problem.” Wodeton heads Saturday’s market as horse racing bookmakers’ favourite at $2.80. It will be Moore’s first time aboard Wodeton, but the pair headline a strong book of five rides for the visiting UK hoop, who also partners exciting colt Switzerland for Coolmore in the T.J. Smith Stakes (1200m) and Desert Hero for William Haggas in the Chairman’s Quality (2600m). The international flavour continues Moore’s long-standing success on Australian shores, with Saturday shaping as a pivotal afternoon for the star jockey across multiple feature races. Horse racing news View the full article

Plymouth ridden by Mark Zahra heading to the barriers before the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas. Photo: bradleyphotos.com.au Trainer Glen Thompson is optimistic Plymouth can deliver a career-best performance in Saturday’s Group 1 Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick, provided he gets the right run in transit. The son of The Autumn Sun was a strong fourth in the Rosehill Guineas last start, finishing just 1.5 lengths off Broadsiding despite being held up for a run early in the straight. “I thought he ran very well,” Thompson said. “He was a bit unlucky. Mark was of the same opinion that if he’d got out at the top of the straight and got a bit more momentum, he would have made it pretty interesting. “But it is what it is, he got stuck on the fence and ran very well.” Thompson believes the step up to 2400m on Saturday will only enhance Plymouth’s chances. “I think he’ll be better again up to 2400 metres,” he said. “I was up watching him work on Tuesday, and he worked great.” Mark Zahra will once again take the reins aboard Plymouth and will jump from barrier three—a gate the stable is happy with, though Thompson knows luck will still play its part. “We wanted to draw well so he gets some sort of an easy run,” he said. “We drew well last time and he didn’t have much luck, so we need things to go our way. “But with any sort of luck in running, up to 2400 metres, I think he’ll run very well. I think he’s right in the mix.” Plymouth is rated a +1100 chance with horse racing bookmakers in the Group 1 Australian Derby. Horse racing news View the full article

Yulong Investments runner Kimochi winning the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield. (Photo by Reg Ryan/Racing Photos) Yulong has announced the appointment of Jun Zhang as its new general manager, following the recent resignation of Vin Cox. In a statement shared to social media, Zhang acknowledged the legacy left by his predecessor and outlined his vision for the future of the operation. “Having seen the positive impact Vin had in his time at Yulong, I am confident we can continue to build on this as we head towards the 2025 breeding season,” Zhang said. “I feel it is important as a company that we keep moving forward, and this week has given us an opportunity to learn and grow. “The positions and duties of our current management staff will remain the same as they continue to drive the company towards further success.” Zhang also expressed gratitude for the ongoing support Yulong has received during a standout year for the operation. “Thank you to all those who have and continue to support us in what has been a phenomenal year for Yulong,” he said. “I am excited to take the reins and lead the team as we seek to develop Mr Zhang’s vision and look forward to meeting you all very soon both at the sales and on the track.” Horse racing news View the full article

Reigning Eclipse champion turf female Moira and three-time North American grade 1 winner Anisette are set to make their seasonal debuts April 5, but they'll do so south of the Equator in the Doncaster Mile (G1) at Randwick Racecourse.View the full article

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Group One winner Pier is set to make his raceday return at Trentham next week after nearly a year away from the track. The five-year-old gelding was a revelation in his three-year-old term, winning three and placing in two of his six starts, including victories in the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) and Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m). The son of Proisir has been plagued by issues in subsequent years, only having four starts last season, three of those in the spring, before returning to win over 1300m at Te Aroha in his last raceday outing last June. “He has just had a couple of issues, he had a bit of a problem with a knee, but more than anything it’s been immaturity and time is a great healer,” said Darryn Weatherley, who trains in partnership with his daughter Briar. “This time in he has been really good, we gave him plenty of time. He spent a bit of time on the water treadmill at Mark and Shelley Treweeks, and we brought him up quietly and he’s ticking all of the boxes.” Pier made his first public appearance this year when winning his 800m heat at the Ellerslie trials on Thursday, much to the satisfaction of Weatherley. “It was a nice hit-out,” he said. “He has been off the scene for quite some time, so we were looking forward to getting him back out there for a day out. He had a bit of a shake and a sweat before the trial, but then afterwards he walked in like he had been doing it all his all life. “He pulled up really well, he recovered quickly, so hopefully he comes through it okay and then he may look to Trentham for the Listed sprint (City of Napier Sprint, 1200m) next Saturday. “We will just take one step at a time. The first hurdle has been completed, and it will be nice to get to the Hawke’s Bay sprint next Saturday and once we are over that hurdle we will sit down and discuss where we go. Whether we go to Brisbane for the winter or stay around here, it all depends on the horse, he comes first.” Stablemate Vito also pleased when finishing runner-up in his 800m heat. “He is a half to Ess Vee Are and Arby, he is by Vadamos and out of the same mare as the other two,” Weatherley said. “That was his second trial and he has had two seconds at the trials. He is a horse with a bit of family ability, and we will have a lot of fun with him when he gets to the races.” Looking ahead to the weekend, Weatherley will return to Ellerslie on Saturday where he will be represented by two runners. Debut winner Inside Out will be looking to double-up in the Auckland Co-op Taxis 1500, while Perspective will contest the Cloudsoft Accounting 2200. “Inside Out is a beautiful horse and he has come on well since his maiden win,” Weatherley said. “He doesn’t show a lot in his work, but he is a racehorse and I will be expecting another bold showing, I think a bit of him. “Perspective was a bit ordinary last start, but I think the ground was soft enough for him whereas Ellerslie has got quite a nice footing out there, even if we do get rain, and it is a different Soft to what Pukekohe was. His work has been good so we can hopefully get back to the form that he showed at Matamata.” View the full article

Consistent galloper The Good Shepherd will aim to add to his career-best season at Ascot Park on Sunday, starting among the favourites in the Editor’s Cut Sports Bar Handicap (1200m). The Power seven-year-old is nearing the $100,000 mark in the current term, with three wins and a number of placings in good company across the South Island. He is trained by trainer-jockey Lee Callaway, but often the topweight, the gelding has established a successful partnership with rising apprentice Ruvanesh Muniandy, who will be back on board and decreasing his weight to 57kg. A month since his last appearance at Wingatui, The Good Shepherd will turn up in a fresh state having pleased Callaway in the lead-up. “He had a couple of weeks off to freshen him up and he’s been working well, he should be nice and fresh and feeling well for Sunday,” Callaway said. “I think he prefers the better tracks now, but we’ll go here and then head to the open sprint at Riverton over Easter.” The Waikouaiti horseman will have a six-strong representation at the Southland meeting, with last-start winner Pete’s Pride stepping up in class after winning a competitive Rating 65 contest on Otago Classics Day. “He’d been working well and went a great race that day, he had a week off as well after that,” Callaway said. “He should be really competitive.” Callaway has called upon another claimer in Yogesh Atchamah for Pete’s Pride, while senior hoops Rohan Mudhoo and Ashvin Goindasamy take the ride on stablemates Shooting Stride and Empress Suiko in The Ave Sports Bar Maiden (2225m). “They’re pretty evenly matched, Shooting Stride came from back last-start and it was a very good run, he just wanted to do a couple of things wrong,” Callaway said. “The distance should be perfect for him. “Empress Suiko didn’t handle the wet track last-start, I’ve taken the blinkers off and giving her a go over the 2200 this time, she’s bred to go this distance. I would’ve preferred to go in the 1800 but I think she’ll get away with it.” Completing the stable runners will be Mininjagirl (Waikiwi Tavern and The Foundry Restaurant Handicap, 1400m) and Hestikitiboo (Northern TAB and Sports Bar Handicap, 2225m). “I would’ve liked to get another 1200 race in for Mininjagirl, she had a decent go over that last time, but on a better track, I think she’ll go a nice race,” he said. “Hestikitiboo is probably working the best of most of my horses to be honest.” View the full article