Racing
Cranbourne trainer Gavin Bedggood will spend Christmas on this side of the Tasman as he prepares his Group Three winner Kingswood for Group One action at Ellerslie on Boxing Day. With a view towards Kingswood’s prospective stallion career, Bedggood is heading to New Zealand in the hope of securing
Racing
Taranaki gelding Tisse (NZ) (Belardo) took an impressive step forward to his major summer target in a couple of weeks when dominating the Bill Tito Book Repair Specialist 2100 at Trentham on Sunday. The Allan Sharrock-trained five-year-old has been in a purple patch of form, winning one
Racing
Wexford Stables’ exciting juvenile filly Dashing Dixie (NZ) (Alabama Express) is TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) bound following her debut victory at Te Rapa on Saturday. The daughter of Alabama Express had placed in her two trials over 800m leading into her first raceday appearance, and trainers Lance O’Sullivan
Racing
Stakes performer Smooth Operator hasn’t had the best of luck over the last month, but trainer Stephanie Faulkner believes he is back on track to defend his title in Saturday’s Howley Joinery Southland Crystals (2200m) at Ascot Park. The six-year-old gelding headed into New Zealand Cup
Racing
Dual Group One winner Ladies Man has been retired. Bred by Grangewilliam Stud, Ladies Man, a son of their resident stallion Zed, was the younger half-brother to Gr.1 Auckland Cup (3200m) winner Ladies First, and accordingly bore the weight of expectation from a young age. Like his older
Racing
Nikki Hurdle had the ride of her life with Group One performer Express Yourself, and just six months after her retirement, the Palmerston North horsewoman looks to have her hands on another exciting sprinter. Express Yourself recorded six wins and eight placings from 22 starts, highlighted by her runner-up
Racing
Summer has arrived, and Shelley Hale is hoping so too will Blue Sky At Night’s form, as she gets set to defend her crown in Saturday’s Gr.3 SkyCity Hamilton Waikato Cup (2400m) at Te Rapa. Her victory in last year’s running kicked off a lucrative summer,
Racing
Promising filly Places To Be’s first two cracks at black-type didn’t go to plan, but trainer Kelly Van Dyk is hoping to get her preparation back on track in the Wentwood Grange 3YO (1200m) at Te Rapa on Saturday. The three-year-old daughter of Hello Youmzain
Racing
Electron returned to winning form over a mile at Otaki last-start, and owner-trainer Sam Mynott is hoping she can repeat that result at Te Rapa on Saturday in the Gr.2 Cal Isuzu Stakes (1600m). The five-year-old daughter of Turn Me Loose had been struggling to
Racing
Group One winner La Dorada (NZ) (Super Seth) will make her New Zealand return at Te Rapa this weekend following a frustrating spring in Melbourne. The daughter of Super Seth was a standout juvenile last term for trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson, winning four of her five starts, including
Racing
Just weeks after tasting the bitterness of a short-margin defeat in a Group One, jockey George Rooke is savouring the sweetness of scoring his first elite-level success over the weekend. The expat Englishman thought he had nailed his first Group One victory aboard Affirmative Action in last month’
Racing
Dual Group One winner Orchestral has been retired. The Roger James and Robert Wellwood-trained mare suffered an atrial fibrillation when running 10th in last month’s Gr.2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m), and the decision was made to bring the curtain down on her racing career. “Unfortunately, she