New Zealand
An autumn trip to Canterbury has turned out to be career-defining for Matamata mare Sassy Merlot (NZ) (Burgundy), who added a valuable black-type win to her record in Saturday’s Listed Daphne Bannan Memorial Great Easter Stakes (1400m) at Riccarton. A placegetter in the Gr.2 Wellington Guineas
New Zealand
Robbie Patterson has already won twice as many Group and Listed races in 2023-24 as any other season in his career, and the New Plymouth trainer has three chances to add to that tally at Riccarton on Saturday. Patterson’s 44 wins so far this season include six at
New Zealand
Stephen Marsh has made a habit of excelling at this stage of the season with his emerging two-year-old talent, and the Cambridge trainer is hoping to continue that trend in Saturday’s Listed TAB Star Way Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie. Marsh, who also saddled juvenile first-starter Super
New Zealand
The brand-new $350,000 TAB Southern Alps Challenge (1600m) was created with the goal of giving lower-profile southern stables their moment in the sun, and the inaugural running at Riccarton on Saturday could hardly have done that better. The race was won by the underrated local Matscot, whose
New Zealand
New Plymouth trainer Janelle Millar secured the seventh black-type win of her career in Saturday’s Listed Hawke’s Bay Cup (2200m) at Otaki, and this one meant more than most. Millar also co-bred and part-owns the emerging stayer Testify Me, who added Saturday’s $120,000
New Zealand
The Listed Riccarton Park Function Centre Welcome Stakes (1000m) has been moved to a new position on the South Island’s racing calendar, but its first autumn running at Riccarton on Saturday brought no change to Te Akau Racing’s dominance of the two-year-old feature. The Welcome Stakes
New Zealand
After 10 wins, more than $4 million in stakes and three seasons of putting Go Racing’s name in lights in Australia, the Kiwi syndicators’ remarkable ride with Atishu is set to come to an end in Saturday’s Gr.1 Queen of the Turf (1600m) at Randwick. The dual
New Zealand
Having already secured a special place in South Island racing history through a career spanning more than four decades, it would be fitting for Riccarton trainer Michael Pitman to take a share of the spotlight during an exciting raceday on his home track on Saturday. The nine-race programme features
Breeding
Rich Hill Stud’s managing director John Thompson is hoping to make a habit out of million-dollar racetrack success on the eve of New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sales. Members of the high-flying Rich Hill stallion roster sired both big winners at last year’s Karaka Million