Saturday, 04 April 2026
Tyler gains stakes success with Better Shared
A thrilling finish to the rescheduled Listed Liquorland Gore Guineas (1200m) went in favour of local Riverton filly Better Shared (NZ) (Overshare) who added some valuable black type to her career record at just her fifth start.
The Kelvin Tyler-prepared daughter of Overshare had cleared maidens in fine fashion at her previous run, winning over the same 1200m as Saturday’s feature event when leading all the way.
Apprentice Amber Riddell adopted similar tactics against her three-year-old rivals and led them a merry chase as she strung the field out throughout the middle stages before turning for home in front with a full head of steam.
It was apparent at the 250m that nothing was making ground from back in the field as Better Shared’s nearest challenger was Riccarton visitor Queen Of Sheba (NZ) (Impending) who had been stalking her before angling for one last shot at the leader in the concluding stages.
Despite tiring late Better Shared had enough in reserve to hold out Queen Of Sheba by half a head at the line, with race favourite Miss Starlight holding third comfortably from the late closing Cool Aza Rene (Cool Aza Beel).
Bred by Rayner and Lynn Bonnington under their Little River Thoroughbreds Partnership, Better Shared is raced by her breeders alongside Allan and Maree Tyler.
Rayner and Lynn were at home watching the race on television with Rayner admitting there was confidence in the camp before the race.
“We are just over the moon and couldn’t be happier, especially as we were quietly confident she would run well,” Rayner Bonnington said.
“She had run against some of the good ones early on and we found she had a growth in her throat that had to be removed. We had that done and gave her plenty of time off with Kelvin bringing her up slowly after her recovery.
“When we saw this race had been rescheduled it seemed to fit in nicely for her as the win she had to break maidens was good and she had trained on well since then.”
Bonnington was also quick to praise the ride of Riddell who had told the team her plan would be to go forward and put the pressure on her rivals.
“Amber picked it nicely as she told us she wanted to jump and run and try and be first around the home bend,” he said.
“Funnily enough her older half-sister Radiant Reach (NZ) (Vadamos) likes to be two lengths last in the running, not in front like this girl, but the way the track played being in or near the lead was a real advantage and she just kept going.
“I’m not too sure what Kelvin wants to do next but the reports we have had said she pulled up a treat so there is a nice Pearl Series bonus race on Monday where we could see her next.”
Better Shared is out of the More Than Ready mare Eagle’s Reach and comes from an extended family that includes the former top colt on the 2007-2000 New Zealand two-year-old Free Handicap, Fully Fledged who won the Gr.1 Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie as a juvenile.- LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
Winner: Better Shared (NZ) 2022
Owners: Allan Tyler, Marie Tyler & Little River Thoroughbreds
Trainer: Kelvin Tyler / Riverton
Breeding: by Overshare (AUS) out of Eagle's Reach (AUS) by More Than Ready (USA)
Breeder: Little River Thoroughbreds Partnership
Rue De Royale breaks through million-dollar barrier
Talented Kiwi-bred galloper Rue De Royale (NZ) (Per Incanto) took his career earnings past A$1 million with victory in Saturday’s A$130,000 Evergreen Turf Geoff Murphy Handicap (1200m) at Caulfield.
The Benchmark 78 handicap was the third win of a 26-start career for the Per Incanto gelding, who has placed on a further 12 occasions including seconds in the Gr.2 VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m), Gr.3 Blue Sapphire (1400m) and Restricted Listed Inglis Millennium (1100m), along with third placings in the Gr.2 Stutt Stakes (1600m) and the Listed Bendigo Guineas (1400m). He has now earned A$1,070,950.
Rue De Royale earned a reputation as something of a perennial bridesmaid, winning only once in his first 20 starts while being a nine-time placegetter. But he has started to turn that around as a four-year-old this season, with a victory at Flemington on New Year’s Eve followed by another one four starts later on Saturday.
“He’s won a lot of money,” co-trainer Tony McEvoy said. “We’ve placed this horse really aggressively, and I probably left him entire for a year too long. We just felt that he might have had a stakes win in him, but we never quite got there.
“Since he’s been gelded, he’s become very tough, very honest and a very good racehorse.
“We’ve got a few options we can look at now. He’s a gelding and he’s fit and well, so we’ll just keep racing him while he’s racing well.
“We could go to the Goodwood (Gr.1, 1200m) in Adelaide if we want to get aggressive again. Every time we’ve run him in a big race, he’s run well, so you wouldn’t shy away from that. There’s also the Hareeba (Listed, 1200m) and the Wangoom (Listed, 1200m).”
Rue De Royale was ridden on Saturday by Molly Bourke, who brought up her first metropolitan win since making the move from Sydney to Melbourne.
Bourke took up a handy position on the outside of front-runner Celsius Star (Zoustar), then pounced at the top of the straight.
Rue De Royale thrust his head in front with 250m to run, and he dug deep to repel the late challenge of the favourite Duchess Zou (Zoustar) in a tight finish.
“It’s definitely a bit of a breakthrough,” Bourke said. “I made the big decision to move from Sydney, where I had established myself up there, to come and give it a crack down here. To get that first winner off the back is a great feeling.
“I can’t thank the McEvoy team enough here today for giving me the opportunity on this horse. They had him right and ready to go.
“We were all on the same page going into the race, which is always nice. I’d previously ridden Celsius Star, so I knew it would go forward and give us a good cart across. As long as we got the first half of the race right, I thought he (Rue De Royale) should be strong at the finish, which he was.”
Rue De Royale was bred by Little Avondale Stud and Buzz and Susie Williams. He is by Per Incanto out of the Exceed and Excel mare Urban Royal – a winning three-quarter-sister to the dam of Group One-winning Godolphin stars Alizee (Sepoy) and Astern (Sea Link).
Offered by Sledmere Stud during the 2023 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale in Sydney, Rue De Royale was bought by McEvoy Mitchell Racing Pty Ltd and Belmont Bloodstock Agency for A$180,000.
Since producing Rue De Royale, Urban Royal has foaled fillies by Ardrossan in 2024 and Per Incanto in 2025. She was served last spring by Per Incanto’s son, the Gr.1 Blue Diamond (1200m) winner Little Brose, who stands alongside his sire at Little Avondale and will have his first foals on the ground next season. - NZTM, NZ Racing Desk
Winner: Rue De Royale (NZ) 2021
Owners: Mr S Petrevski, Mr L Petrevski, P P P Golf Club Racing, Mrs C Beck, Mr W D McGuire, Mr D Kostovski, Peake Racing, Mr P R Orrico, Mr G J Donnelley, Mrs L B Donnelley, McFarlane-Rennie Racing, Mr J J Grant, Mr D J Small, Mr R G Taylor, Mr M J O'Shea, Mr J T Eivers, Mr R J Bramich, Mr R Turner
Trainer: Tony & Calvin McEvoy (Flemington)
Breeding: by Per Incanto (USA) out of Urban Royal (AUS) by Exceed and Excel (AUS)
Breeder: Little Avondale Trust & R A Williams
The Western Front shows staying prowess
The Mornington Cup (2400m) could be on The Western Front’s (NZ) (War Decree) agenda after the New Zealand-bred gelding outstayed his opposition in the A$80,000 Bert Bryant Handicap (2400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
The Ben, Will and JD Hayes-trained five-year-old was previously a four-time winner between 1535m and 2025m, but the latter – a Benchmark 70 handicap at Cranbourne two starts ago on February 20 – was the longest distance he had attempted in his career until Saturday.
The Lindsay Park team decided to test his stamina with the step up to 2400m at Caulfield, and The Western Front gave them exactly what they were hoping to see.
Jockey Daniel Stackhouse initially went back to second-last with The Western Front, then allowed him to surge forward into fourth in a promising move approaching the home turn.
The Western Front showed plenty of greenness down the straight, lugging in while turning his head towards the Caulfield grandstand, but he nevertheless finished over the top of Xtra Rush (Xtravagant) and Kurakka (Medaglia D’Oro) and went on to win by three-quarters of a length.
JD Hayes indicated that The Western Front may now be given a black-type opportunity in the A$300,000 Listed Mornington Cup on April 18.
“It was a terrific ride by Daniel,” he said. “We put the earmuffs on, because he’s a little bit of his own worst enemy, and you will have seen there was a little bit of a discussion between horse and jockey early in the race. But thankfully he put his head down and travelled through the field strongly and he was very strong to the line.
“It was lovely to see him out over this trip and rounding off a strong race. We could potentially look at the Mornington Cup – that’s a Monday discussion.”
Racing in the colours of syndicators Ace Bloodstock, The Western Front has now had 15 starts for five wins, three placings and A$178,150 in stakes.
The Western Front was bred by the late Kevin Hickman and is by Inglewood Stud stallion War Decree out of the winning Zacinto mare Rosaeflora (NZ).
Offered on Gavelhouse.com as a weanling in June 2021, The Western Front was bought by Ralph Manning for just $1,300. The gelding had two trials for Manning, winning the second one at Cambridge in May of 2024 before being sold to Ace Bloodstock.
“It’s great to get this result for the Ace Bloodstock boys, because we sourced this horse together in New Zealand,” Hayes said. “He’s been a work in progress. He’s won quite a few races, but he’s still so green and raw. We do feel he’s a very nice stayer in the making.”
The Western Front is one of two winners from two foals to race out of Rosaeflora. The Western Front’s older half-sister Elsie May (NZ) (by Time Test) won twice from just five starts in 2022 and 2023 and finished sixth in the Listed Gore Guineas (1335m) and seventh in the Listed Dunedin Guineas (1500m).
Rosaeflora was offered during the same June 2021 auction on Gavelhouse.com as her son, in which she was picked up for $500 by Steve Young. She produced filly foals by Vespa in 2021 and Wyndspelle in 2022, and she was served by young Grangewilliam Stud stallion Hilal last spring. – NZTM, NZ Racing Desk
Winner: The Western Front (NZ) 2020
Owners: Ace Bloodstock Racing Pty Ltd, Mr P A Millson, Mr A Henwood, Ace Racers 5, Mrs C A Paisley, Mr K J Paisley, Mangan Racing, Mr S A Bira'm, Mr D Selkrig, Barnyard Syndications, Mr A Zulli, Mr P Presti, Generations, Mr R M Jarvis, Mrs S D Jarvis, Mr C Colaneri, RWR Racing, The Bowlers Stables, Mr S W A Millson, Lindsay Park 18
Trainer: Ben, Will & JD Hayes (Pakenham 3)
Breeding: by War Decree (USA) out of Rosaeflora (NZ) by Zacinto (GB)
Breeder: K J Hickman ONZM
Sales: gavelhouse.com Thoroughbred 14 June 2021 auction V: Stephen Witte $1300, P: Robert Manning
Joshua Smith
Joshua Smith
Joshua Smith
Kevin Robertson
Kevin Robertson
