14 March 2026
Omega Boy takes out Tauranga feature
Awapuni visitors enjoyed back-to-back success at Tauranga when Omega Boy (NZ) (Time Test) claimed the feature race on the card, the Gr.2 Ultimate Mazda Japan Trophy (1600m), just one race after Platinum Pantheon (Hanseatic) defeated a handy field of three-year-olds over 1200m.
Omega Boy has always appealed as a galloper with plenty of quality and has come of age in his current campaign where he had won two of his last four starts while also running a strong fifth in the Gr.3 Phar Lap Trophy (1600m) followed by an eye-catching sixth in the Gr.2 Thorndon Mile (1600m).
Trainers Peter and Trent Didham placed their faith in apprentice Sam McNab to get the job done on the five-year-old son of Time Test and he handled the task with aplomb as he positioned his mount one off the fence in midfield during the early running which was set up by noted pacemaker Leroy Brown.
McNab didn’t panic when runners swooped around on his outside at the 600m, moving Omega Boy into a gap entering the home straight as he set out after race favourite Sterling Express (NZ) (Shamexpress) who had assumed command inside the 250m.
McNab got the best out of Omega Boy in the closing stages as he charged late to snatch victory from Sterling Express in the shadows of the post while Khafre held out Qali Al Farrasha (NZ) (Almanzor) for third.
McNab was delighted to secure the victory.
“That was awesome as I’ve been getting great support lately and to get these wins after working so hard is quite rewarding,” McNab said.
“The plan was to settle behind the speed somewhere and he jumped well so I elected to hold him up a little and we got into a nice spot.
“I went to the fence and when Michael (McNab aboard Qali Al Farrasha) got going I got a nice track into the race and just had to run down the leader which he did.
“That last little bit Sterling Express just folded up a little and my horse was tough and got through the ground.”
Peter Didham was also thrilled with the result and especially for owners Ian and Dave Scott who race the horse under their Homeview Bloodstock banner.
“We thought it was a good race for him as he has just kept on improving and he only finished three lengths off them in the Thorndon Mile where he was down in the worst part of the track,” he said.
“I’m just really happy for Ian and Dave (Scott) who bred and own him as he is a horse going places and is doing a really good job for them.
“We do think he will run 2000m as he relaxes beautifully and while he is still learning he is just the coolest horse to have around as he is so professional, carries weight well and doesn’t’ know when to give in.”
As the trainers of the winning horse of the Japan Trophy, the Didhams will receive a trip for two to Japan, and Didham senior is preparing to argue his case against son Trent for the trip.
“If the story is true about the Japan trip, I may have to let my wife adjudicate on who gets to go,” he said.
“I think the main thing for us is that the win is a great advertisement for our stable as we only have 25 in work and we need wins in races like these to raise our profile and attract new owners.”
Omega Boy is out of the Duke Of Marmalade mare Bit of Crumpet (NZ) and comes from an extended family that includes Australian stakes winners Sir Luminar (Choisor) and Luminia (Semipalatinsk).
He has now won $215,640 in prizemoney from five wins and six placings from his 22 starts.- By Kevin Robertson, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
Winner: Omega Boy (NZ) 2020
Owners: Homeview Bloodstock
Trainer: Peter and Trent Didham / Awapuni
Breeding: by Time Test (GB) out of Bit of Crumpet (NZ) by Duke of Marmalade (IRE)
Breeder: I L & D W Scott & Ests late R I & W D Scott
Sword Of State colt stamps Slipper credentials
Cambridge Stud stallion Sword Of State has a major Gr.1 Golden Slipper (1200m) contender in his first crop after Warwoven (Sword Of State) took out Saturday’s Gr.3 Pago Pago Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill.
Warwoven wasted little time in stamping himself as a highly talented two-year-old, winning his first two starts in December and January to earn favouritism for the Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m) on the Gold Coast. However, he was scratched on the morning of the race on vets’ advice.
Ever since then, expat New Zealand trainer Bjorn Baker has been playing catch-up in the countdown to the A$5 million Golden Slipper next Saturday. Warwoven returned to the races with a fourth in the Gr.2 Skyline Stakes (1200m) on February 28, after which his career earnings of A$156,750 left him in 18th in the Golden Slipper order of entry and unlikely to make the field.
Baker had no choice but to line up Warwoven again in the Pago Pago, where a top-three finish would likely secure him a spot. The exciting colt did that and more.
Warwoven was ridden by Rachel King, who took up a handy position in second behind the front-running Star Of Jamaica (Profiteer).
Warwoven effortlessly cruised up alongside the leader coming up to the turn, then hit the front early in the run home.
He shook free of Star Of Jamaica at the 200m mark, and his strong kick put him out of the reach of the late-finishing Outspan (Bivouac) and Central Europe (Frankel).
Warwoven crossed the finish line a length in front, improving his career record to three wins from four starts and A$297,750 in stakes. He is now guaranteed a start in the Golden Slipper next week, for which the TAB rates him an $8 chance.
“He’s qualified now, and so he should be,” King said. “We would have been devastated if he wasn’t there, because as he’s proven today he deserves his spot.
“We knew he was going to be slightly underdone last start. We were hoping class would get us though, and probably the track brought us undone a touch. But he’s come out today and showed us what he can do.
“He’s still got improvement to come, he’s still very casual. He was very casual mid-race, very casual when he got to the front. But I love a colt like that, he’s got a fantastic attitude, nothing worries him.
“He improved massively from the other day, but I still think there’s a good 10% more there. I think there’s more under the bonnet, and I think if he gets challenged, there’s even more under the bonnet than today. He’s very exciting.”
Baker now has a powerful hand for the Golden Slipper next Saturday, with last-start Gr.2 Todman Stakes (1200m) winner Paradoxium (Extreme Choice) also among the favourites.
“We’re not counting our chickens, but it’s exciting to have two in the Slipper,” he said. “It was great to see him do that, he’s a promising horse. He had to do a bit of work early today, so hopefully he can peak next week. We’ve got to first and foremost see how he’s come through.
“The little setback he had might even have helped him in the long run – I’ll tell you in about seven days and three hours whether it did or not. It could well be. Things have a funny way of working in this game. You can be down and out, and it only takes one runner to get back on track.
“He’ll be able to have a very easy week now, rest and relax, unlike his trainer and connections.”
Warwoven is the first foal of the Makfi mare Needle And Thread, who was the winner of the Gr.2 Royal Stakes (2000m) and placed at Group Two level in the Sir Tristram Fillies’ Classic (2000m) and Eight Carat Classic (1600m). Warwoven was sourced by Baker’s bloodstock agent Jim Clarke at the Gold Coast Yearling Sale, where he was offered by breeder Kia Ora Stud and knocked down for A$380,000.
Himself a Group One winner as a juvenile and New Zealand’s champion two-year-old in the 2020-21 season, Sword Of State has sired three winners from his first crop of two-year-olds. Warwoven’s black-type success has followed on from Torture (NZ) (Sword Of State), who won the Listed Debutant Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield in the spring and placed in the Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) in January.
Another of Sword Of State’s progeny, State Of Valour (NZ) (Sword Of State), ran third in last Saturday’s Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) on Champions Day at Ellerslie, while winning filly State The Obvious (NZ) (Sword Of State) also finished fourth in the Gr.2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m). – NZ Racing Desk
Bargain buy closes in on $400,000 in stakes with Caulfield win
Stylish Secret’s (NZ) (Sweet Orange) victory in the A$80,000 DCE Handicap (2000m) at Caulfield on Saturday lifted his career earnings to A$398,525 – an outstanding return on the New Zealand-bred gelding’s purchase price of just $2,300 on Gavelhouse.com.
Saturday’s Benchmark 84 handicap was the fifth win of a 22-start career for the son of Sweet Orange, whose first two victories came in 2024 over 1500m at Sandown and 1800m at Flemington. His last three successes have all been at Caulfield – over 2400m on July 26 last year, 2400m again on January 31, and over 2000m on Saturday.
Stylish Secret was ridden by Luke Cartwright on Saturday and jumped well from the outside gate in a field of seven. Cartwright initially looked like pushing forward to try to take up a handy position, but then changed tack and eased back to settle at the tail of the field after the first 400m.
Cartwright got him rolling forward again before the turn, and Stylish Secret had slid up into third by the time the field straightened for home.
He slowly but surely moved up alongside the leaders Xtra Rush (Xtravagant) and Foujita San (Maurice) down the straight, hitting the front in the very last stride and winning by a half-head.
“He’s just so tactically versatile,” Cartwright said. “You can have him wherever you want and he always goes out and gives you 110%, and today that’s exactly what he did.
“I wanted to roll forward, because I didn't think there was going to be a lot of speed early, but they went a nice clip so I was able to tuck in behind them. He settled beautifully.
“He doesn’t lay in or lay out, he goes pretty much as straight as an arrow.
“I wasn’t sure if we were going to pick them up, but he loves a photo finish, this fella.”
Mornington trainer Mick Nolan is keen to give Stylish Secret a crack at a black-type feature on his home track on April 18.
“I don’t deserve much credit for this horse, he’s pretty easy to train,” he said. “He loves this place, though, doesn’t he?
“We happen to live in Mornington, and there’s a race down there called the Mornington Cup (Listed, 2400m) in April. We thought we might target that and give him a couple of 2000m runs to try to get there.”
Stylish Secret was purchased in New Zealand by part-owner Helen Thomas off Gavelhouse.com as a weanling for just $2,300.
A highly-acclaimed journalist, broadcaster and author, Thomas was on the hunt for a staying type and sought the advice of long-time friend, the late Deane Lester, one of Australia’s most respected form students, who approved of the pedigree, which includes six-win half-brother Unseen Ruler (NZ) (Mongolian Khan).
“Deane (Lester) did suggest that I have a look on Gavelhouse because it is a really great website to find horses, particularly broodmares and young horses,” Thomas said.
“I jumped on and lot number one was this happy, little horse – he looked like a bit of a ragamuffin as a weanling.
“He was by Sweet Orange out of a Savabeel mare called Scarlett Secret (NZ) and bred and raised at Windsor Park Stud.
“Daqiansweet Junior by Sweet Orange was doing really well at the time, and I thought, here’s a horse that is certainly bred to be a middle-distance horse, if not a fully-fledged stayer and wouldn’t it be good to grow him up and have a bit of a fun with him.
“A month or two after I bought him, his half-brother won a trial and was sold to Australia and that’s Unseen Ruler (winner of six races).” – NZ Racing Desk
Winner: Stylish Secret (NZ) 2021
Owners: Mr R K Walker, Mr P B Dobson, Mrs J E Wood, Mr N Wood, Mr L Holmstrom, Mrs E Holmstrom, Mr M Thomas, Mr J McFadden, Mrs K G Spillane, Mr F J Spillane, Mr C J Seel, Mrs M F Seel, Ms H E Thomas, Mr T McDornan, Mr J S Hogg, Mr M Noble, Mr D B Walker, Ms GJ Bastian, Mrs D M Leyden
Trainer: Mr Mick Nolan /Mornington
Breeding: by Sweet Orange (USA) out of Scarlet's Secret (NZ) by Savabeel (AUS)
Breeder: J A Nicholls
Sales: Gavelhouse.com Thoroughbred 21 March 2022 Auction - V: Windsor Park Stud Price, P: $ 2,300
Joshua Smith
Kevin Robertson
Joshua Smith
