Consistent mare Quintabelle (NZ) (Embellish) upset the applecart with a resolute finishing run to take out the Gr.3 Winning Edge Presentations 129^th Winter Cup (1600m) on Saturday for local Riccarton trainer Anna Furlong.

The six-year-old daughter of Embellish had looked to be building nicely to the feature event on the first day of the Riccarton Winter Carnival with a pair of eye-catching runs at Ashburton and Oamaru respectively after resuming following a mild tendon strain and some breathing issues ended her summer campaign when finishing last over 2200m back in February.

Ridden by Central Districts apprentice Toni Davies, who had taken out the preceding event with Wire Rope (NZ) (Darci Brahma), Quintabelle was ignored somewhat in an even betting market, starting at a Fixed Odds quote of $27.

Those odds looked well off the mark when Davies asked the mare to make her run nearing the 600 mark after sitting back as pacemakers Turn The Ace (NZ) (Turn Me Loose) and Riviera Rebel (NZ) (Pure Champion) set up a hot speed at the head of affairs.

With the field spread across the track at the 300m perennial Winter Cup placegetter Bradman (NZ) (Pins), shooting for his first win in the contest after securing minor placings in the previous two years, had hit the front with Quintabelle and Prioress (NZ) (Proisir) chasing hard out wide.

Quintabelle swept to the lead at the 100m to defeat a gallant Bradman by two lengths with Prioress taking third a further two lengths in arrears.

Furlong was quietly confident she had the mare ready for a big effort in the feature black type event after she dropped from carrying 62kgs at her previous start to a featherweight 53kgs.

“Third up and with a huge drop in weight we thought she was going to be a key player,” Furlong said.

“I thought Toni got her in a nice spot as you can’t bustle her, you need to let her relax into things. She tracked through and then came wide and really let down beautifully.

“I’m thrilled for everyone at work (in the stable) as they work so hard and I’m so appreciative and also for the owners.

“Some (owners) are here and they will be over the moon, as it is a large group and they will be pumping.”

Promising apprentice Davies, who enjoyed a break-out season in 2025/26 with 38 wins to her name, was beaming after claiming her biggest race success.

“That’s an amazing feeling,” she said.

“I was pretty happy how it turned out as she relaxed beautifully even though we got back a little bit.

“I was able to track something into the race and she has just kicked for home.

“Anna had said she goes best third up and this is right up there for me as it is hard for apprentices to ride in this type of race and win them, so I can’t thank Anna enough.”

Out of the Tavistock mare La Quinta (NZ), Quintabelle has some strong staying blood in her veins being the younger half-sister to Gr.3 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2400m) winner Dionysus (NZ) (Ocean Park) who also finished third in the 2023 Gr.3 Wellington Cup (3200m).

Purchased by trainer Robert Dennis, who remains in her ownership, for $25,000 from the Epona Park draft during the Book 2 sale at Karaka in 2022, Quintabelle has now won six of her 26 starts and $234,955 in prizemoney. - Joshua Smith

Touchdown too good at Flemington

Comeback jockey Blake Shinn has predicted a black-type future for New Zealand-bred galloper Touchdown (NZ) (Almanzor), who lived up to his reputation and hot favouritism with a dominant victory in the A$130,000 2026 Melbourne Cup Carnival On Sale (1620m) at Flemington on Saturday.

The son of Almanzor made eye-catching progress through the grades as a four-year-old last season, winning four of his six starts between September and January.

Touchdown earned plenty of attention again with his resuming run at Sandown on July 15, where he dropped back to third-last from a wide gate and launched a big late finish into second.

Sent out as a commanding $1.95 favourite on Saturday, Touchdown had another tricky draw in barrier nine but found a perfect position in third and one off the rail.

Shinn switched across heels and presented Touchdown on the outside of the leaders at the 400m mark, and the favourite began to move through his gears.

Touchdown strode to the lead with 200m remaining and drew away to win by two lengths with his ears pricked.

The performance made a big impression on Shinn, who was back in winning form on Saturday in his first day back riding after more than nine months on the sidelines with a broken leg.

“This horse has a lot of promise and I’m really grateful to the connections for putting me on him today,” Shinn said.

“He’s a real raw talent. He’s not the finished product just yet. He has a great length of stride, and I think he’ll be better over further and probably in about 12 months’ time as well.

“The race didn’t really go the way I thought it would, there was an unexpected leader, but I was able to get a nice bit of cover and he relaxed beautifully.

“He had the race in his keeping a long way out. The further he went, the better he felt. He won with authority. He has a lot of scope and gave me the feel of a Group-class horse in the making.”

Trained by Ben, Will and JD Hayes, Touchdown has now had nine starts for five wins, three seconds and A$223,915 in stakes.

The Lindsay Park team has been delighted with the way Touchdown has come back for his latest preparation.

“While he didn’t win at Sandown, we thought it was a great run,” Ben Hayes said. “We had to go back from that draw, first-up on a heavy track, and he was super through the line and just peaked on his run. He really came through that well.

“Blake put him in a great spot today and it was an easy watch in the end. He was strong through the line and there was a bit of space between them. There’s a lot more to come and he’s an exciting horse going forward.

“We’re not going to get too carried away for now, we’ll just take him through the grades, but he might end up in a nice race a bit later in the preparation.”

Touchdown was bred by Brett Wilkinson and is by Cambridge Stud stallion Almanzor out of the Shamardal mare Shamardal Luck. Herself a two-time winner on the track, Shamardal Luck is the dam of five winners from five foals to race including Gr.3 Rough Habit Plate (2000m) winner Shocking Luck (NZ) (Shocking) and Listed placegetter Analytica (NZ) (Shocking).

Offered by Sullivan Bloodstock at the 2023 Australian Easter Yearling Sale, Touchdown failed to meet his $100,000 reserve. - NZ Racing Desk

Stage ‘N’ Screen stars at Flemington

Trans-Tasman syndicators Te Akau Racing wasted little time in opening their account for the 2026-27 season, with their very first runner Stage ‘N’ Screen (NZ) (Ace High) capturing the A$130,000 Horses’ Birthday Handicap (1410m) at Flemington on Saturday.

The daughter of Ace High trialled three times in New Zealand as a two-year-old, but since then has been based across the Tasman in trainer Mark Walker’s Cranbourne stable.

She showed bright promise as a spring three-year-old with a debut win at Seymour and a fourth placing in the Listed Amanda Elliott (1400m) at Flemington in only her second start. Her third appearance was in the Gr.1 Thousand Guineas (1600m), in which she finished ninth but only three and three-quarter lengths behind the winner Another Prophet (Brazen Beau). She went on to add another two wins to her CV in May and December of last year.

Saturday’s Benchmark 78 handicap was the third start this time in for the freshly turned five-year-old, and she hinted that there could be a successful spring in store.

Stage ‘N’ Screen was ridden by expat Kiwi apprentice Logan Bates and took up a handy position in fourth along the rail.

She appeared to be travelling well coming up to the home turn, and all Bates needed in the straight was a way through. He got that when the leader Takeko (Saxon Warrior) drifted away from the fence with 350m to run, and Stage ‘N’ Screen showed a smart turn of foot when Bates pushed the button.

She burst to the front at the 250m, then kept finding to hold out the late challenge of Cherish Me (Brazen Beau) in a tight finish.

“Credit to Mark and his team, they had her beautifully prepared,” Bates said. “She looked amazing in the yard and gave me a lovely feel going to the gates.

“Even though she was only sixth at Sandown last start, I thought it was actually a really good run. The track was quite chopped out, which didn’t suit her, but she rounded the race off nicely.

“Everything went to plan today. We had a beautiful run in behind, and then just had to bide our time and wait for a run. Once the leader rolled off the fence, she quickened well and was very tough to the line.

“I was probably a bit surprised by how quickly she stepped at the start. She’s had some trouble in the barriers in the past and has always been quite hot, but she’s starting to come of age now. Mark and his team have done a wonderful job. It’s great to get another win for Mark and these connections.”

Walker was pleased to have started off the new season on a winning note.

“She was our first runner for the new season, so it’s great to get underway with a win,” he said.

“This horse has just been a bit of a challenge mentally, but Ben (Gleeson, assistant trainer) and the team have got her going really well.

“We were sweating on a run up the inside, but she was very good once she got through.

“She ran fourth at stakes level as a three-year-old, so it would be good if we could do better than that this time in. She’s bred to go 2000m, and we did try that in her last campaign. We’ll get her home, see how she pulls up from this and go from there.”

Stage ‘N’ Screen has had 17 starts for four wins, seven placings and A$209,950 in stakes for the Te Akau Centre Stage Racing Partnership.

She was offered by Kiltannon Stables at the 2023 NZB Ready to Run Sale at Karaka, where Te Akau principal Sir David Ellis bought her for $200,000.

Stage ‘N’ Screen was bred by Trevor Luke and Perrin Farm Ltd. She is by Rich Hill Stud stallion Ace High and is out of the O’Reilly mare Inthespotlight (NZ).

Herself unraced, Inthespotlight has made her mark as a broodmare with three winners from four foals to race, including Gr.1 Australian Guineas (1600m) placegetter Japanese Emperor (NZ) (Satono Aladdain). - NZ Racing Desk

Carbonados caps Clark’s big birthday 

Victory aboard the Kiwi-bred Carbonados (NZ) (Belardo) in the A$160,000 NSW Jockeys Association Handicap (1300m) at Rosehill on Saturday capped a memorable 40^th birthday for jockey Tim Clark.

It was the third win of the afternoon for Clark, who had previously won aboard Funshow (Cosmic Force) and Steel Strike (Exceed And Excel).

Carbonados also provided a winning end to a mixed day for trainers Ben, Will and JD Hayes. The Lindsay Park team had celebrated earlier victories by Touchdown at Flemington and Run Harry Run (Written Tycoon) at Rosehill, but they also had hot favourite War Machine (NZ) (Harry Angel) late-scratched from the Gr.3 Aurie’s Star Handicap (1200m) after bursting through the starting stalls.

Talented gelding Carbonados has been known to mix his performances, with his seven victories sitting alongside several disappointing performances. His form was at a low ebb heading into Saturday, having failed to beat a runner home in his last two appearances at Geelong on January 3 and Caulfield on June 27.

But the good version of Carbonados is a quality racehorse, and the six-year-old proved that point at Rosehill on Saturday.

Clark found himself in traffic trouble just behind the leaders early in the home straight, but he found a way through with just under 300m remaining. Carbonados accelerated through that gap and kicked away to win by a length and a quarter.

“Carbonados travelled up really well,” Clark said. “But then, coming into the straight, I had to figure out how well the horse (Gatsby’s) was going outside the leader. It looked like the leader was going better, so I was happy to stay where I was.

"I had the horse to make a run when the slightest of gaps appeared, and he was able to push his way through and win well.

“Carbonados has been a little hit and miss and hard to catch, but the switching of states and changing things up for him worked well.”

Carbonados has had a total of 22 starts for seven wins, three placings and A$388,710 in stakes.

The Belardo gelding began his career in the New Plymouth stable of Allan Sharrock, and he made a huge impression with a five-length victory on debut on his home track in May of 2023. The runner-up that day was Chantilly Lace (NZ) (U S Navy Flag), who went on to be a multiple Listed winner and Group Three placegetter. Carbonados was subsequently sold to clients of Lindsay Park.

Bred by David Paykel, Carbonados was purchased for $30,000 by Sharrock out of the Haunui Farm draft during the National Yearling Sale Book 2 session at Karaka in 2022.

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