New Zealand
Jim Pender is on a fact-finding mission as he prepares to saddle his first Australian runner in more than a decade. The Tauranga trainer has crossed the Tasman with six-race winner and last-start Listed placegetter Gospodin, who will make his Australian debut in Saturday’s Listed Takeover Target Stakes (1200m)
New Zealand
Fresh off celebrating the success of their former stable runner Heberite’s success in the Grand Annual Steeplechase (5500m) on Thursday, Wingatui trainers Brian and Shane Anderton have turned their attention to Riccarton’s Saturday meeting. The father and son duo will line-up just the one runner at the Christchurch
New Zealand
Multiple stakes winner Germanicus is in the right condition to turn his fortunes around with a return to top form at Te Rapa on Saturday in what may be his final appearance of the season. The six-year-old will be aided in his quest to add the Wig (Noel) Wilson Memorial
Australia
David Vandyke is banking on the sheer talent of Gypsy Goddess (NZ) (Tarzino) to help her overcome a distance drop when she returns to her home state for an important winter carnival stepping stone. After fine performances to finish third in the Gr.1 Vinery Stud Stakes (1850m) and runner-up
Australia
Heberite (NZ) (Raise The Flag) continued the New Zealand-bred dominance of the Grand Annual Steeplechase (5500m) at Warrnambool with his all the way victory in the jumping feature on Thursday. It was the fifth consecutive win in the race by a Kiwi-bred, with Gold Medals (NZ) (Elvstroem) taking out the
New Zealand
Canterbury horsewoman Centaine Spittles can now add training the first winner on Riccarton’s polytrack to her CV. The former jockey lined up Eulogy Show in the Vast Billboards & Wai Design Maiden (2200m) and the four-year-old mare showed her liking of the new surface with a dominant win. The
Breeding
Tarzino’s emergence as a serious source of quality staying performers has earned the Westbury Stud resident a service fee increase for the 2022 season. The dual Group One-winning son of Tavistock’s flagship representatives have been the current Gr.1 Queensland Oaks (2200m) favourite Gypsy Goddess, while his son
Australia
New Zealand-bred gelding Ayrton (NZ) (Iffraaj) will have his second taste of the Queensland winter carnival when he contests the Gr.2 Hollindale Stakes (1800m) at the Gold Coast on Saturday. The four-year-old gelding experienced a successful trip Brisbane last year when he finished runner-up in the Gr.3 Fred
Breeding
Multiple Group Two winner Ocean Emperor will once again stand at Gary and Jenny Hennessy’s Weowna Park this coming breeding season for a fee of $10,000+GST, an increase of $3,000 from last season’s fee. A son of Zabeel, Ocean Emperor was a $450,000 yearling
New Zealand
Lisa Latta once operated a Riccarton stable but that hasn't stopped the Palmerston North trainer from getting visitor’s draws with her promising two-year-olds Diss Is Dramatic (NZ) (Dissident) and Cheveux (NZ) (Belardo). The pair started from barriers 13 and 15 respectively in last month's Ladies
New Zealand
Te Rapa has proved to be the happiest of hunting grounds for Tevere (NZ) (Contributer) and a return to the Waikato course on Saturday may again bring out the best in the gifted mare. The Contributer four-year-old has made five appearances on the course for three wins and a runner-up
New Zealand
Wednesday’s Ruakaka meeting will live long in the memory of local trainer Darren Smith and jockey Kelsey Hannan, with the pair picking up their respective first wins courtesy of Tazimoto (NZ) (Tarzino) in the Lion Red Punters Challenge (1200m). Tazimoto was only fair out of the gates, but at