Racing
An untimely injury has ruled champion jockey Michael McNab out for the bulk of spring racing. McNab was set to partner a two-year-old at Tuesday’s Ellerslie trials when he was kicked and subsequent x-rays at Auckland Hospital revealed a leg fracture below the knee. “I have spoken to Michael,
Video
It’s part two of Michael’s chat with Opie Bosson, this time, it’s Opie the jockey. They look at his time in the industry, his best wins, and chat his favourite jockeys, trainers and horses. And Horse of the Year awards and Ka Ying Rising’s latest win
Breeding
Just a few days after the catalogue was launched for the 2025 Ready to Run Sale at Karaka, the world’s leading sale of two-year-olds celebrated another new stakes-winning graduate – Arigato (NZ) (Charm Spirit). Bought for $150,000 from the 2020 Ready to Run Sale, Arigato led from start to
Racing
Trainer Jamie Richards sent out a double on the opening-day of the Hong Kong season as he looks to build early momentum. The Kiwi expat was all smiles after Groovy Feeling stormed home to narrowly win the second section of the Class 4 Ma On Shan Handicap (1200m) before Bulb
Racing
A trans-Tasman ownership double prompted long and enthusiastic celebrations for Ashburton’s Barneswood Farm. Husband-and-wife Chris and Sarah Green and business partner Ger Beemsterboer’s colours were carried to victory at The Valley by Desert Lightning and at Ellerslie by progressive mare Arabian Songbird. “It was brilliant and we were
Racing
Group One glory eluded Wexford Stables at Ellerslie, but trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott were nevertheless buoyed by the performances of their representatives. Tomodachi fared best of the stablemates when third in the Gr.1 Proisir Plate (1400m) while Checkmate and Waitak were less than four lengths off
Video
Join Guy Heveldt, Emily Bosson and Jayne Ivil as they celebrate the first G1 of the season, dissect the stories for spring, here and in Australia.
Racing
Former Kiwi galloper Desert Lightning (NZ) (Pride Of Dubai) landed a deserved victory in the So You Think Stakes (1500m) at The Valley on Saturday for trainers Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman, digging deep to stave off the challenge of high-class Canadian mare Moira. The six-year-old gelding has been unfortunate
Racing
The early spring has tended to bring the very best out of Quintessa, and that trend continued at Ellerslie on Saturday with a spectacular last-to-first performance at $36 odds in the Gr.1 Proisir Plate. The $400,000 weight-for-age triumph came almost exactly a year after the Te Akau Racing
Racing
Lollapalooza went into Saturday’s Gr.3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie as a maiden, but she came out of it as one of the leaders of her generation and the clear favourite for the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m). The $150,000 three-year-old fillies’ feature was
Racing
A booming late run out wide on the track has carried promising stayer Crouch to an eye-caching victory in the first run of a new campaign as he took out the feature race at Otaki on Saturday, the Cavallo Farms and Chris Rutten Bloodstock Handicap (1400m). The Mike Breslin-prepared six-year-old
Racing
Trainer Pam Gerard had been confident of a good showing from her lightly raced three-year-old Affirmative Action and that’s exactly what she got when the showy gelding upset the applecart at a Fixed Odds quote of $91 when taking out the Listed Sir Colin Meads Trophy (1200m) at Ellerslie.