Emerging top hurdler Squire (NZ) (Savile Row) will bid for his first prestige jumping crown at Te Rapa on Saturday as the gelding takes on the Fairview Motors Waikato Hurdle (3200m).

The Peter and Jessica Brosnan-trained gelding won the maiden hurdle at the same meeting 12 months ago and went on to finish that season with a second in the Pakuranga Hunt Hurdle (3100m) and fourth in the Great New Zealand Hurdle (4200m).

Picking up where he left off in 2025, the five-year-old won over 2400m on the flat before defeating the promising Roc Up Ralph (NZ) (Roc de Cambes) over fences at Te Rapa last start, the pair now set to face off again in a quality field for Saturday’s $60,000 feature.

His Matamata-based trainers were pleased to tick off their first target early in the new season at the Waikato course, where the gelding has won four of his five starts.

“We were pretty rapt with him, these are the two races we were targeting, that race and the Waikato Hurdles,” Brosnan said.

“It has been business as usual for him over the past three weeks, a similar build-up to his last race.”

Australian hoop Jordan Hart will be back in New Zealand to ride Squire and stablemate Jakama Krystal (NZ) (Jakkalberry), the latter lining up in the Signature Homes Waikato Steeplechase (3900m).

“It’s pretty good to have Jordan over to ride him, he knows this horse well now and has had a ride around Te Rapa,” Brosnan said. “The rider is in form, as is the horse, so it’s a big plus.”

A course and distance winner at Te Rapa, Brosnan expects to see a fitter version of Jakama Krystal in the Waikato Steeplechase following a tidy effort to finish third in the Waikato Hunt Cup (3900m), won by West Coast.

“She’s improved a lot off the run the other day, she probably needed it,” he said.

“She could probably do with a bit more rain, which we aren’t going to get, but she’s definitely improved.”

Completing their trio of jumpers will be Rocem (NZ), an El Roca mare who lines up in the Ken and Roger Browne Memorial (3900m) for the maiden steeplechasers. Set to carry 63kg with Brandon Holliday’s claim, Brosnan plans to implement a change of tactics to her last start when fifth at Te Aroha.

“She’ll be pretty competitive, we’ll ride her a bit more positively at Te Rapa and put her in the race,” he said. “Her last start wasn’t a bad run, she just got a little bit out of her ground.”

Their team has been bolstered this season with the return of Auld Jock (Adelaide), who finished just a length off West Coast in the Grand National Steeplechase (5500m) in 2024, and was third in the Great Northern Steeplechase (6500m), also won by the champion jumper.

Building fitness on the flat, Auld Jock will run in the Platinum Homes Taranaki (2000m) at New Plymouth today before setting his sights on a return to Christchurch.

“He’s coming up well, hopefully we can get through tomorrow (Friday) and head to a jumping race in a few weeks,” Brosnan said. “His main target is the Hawke’s Bay Steeples and the Grand National.” - Jess de Lautour

Group Two performer to resume at Matamata

Group Two performer Quondo (Wootton Bassett) will resume this weekend when he heads to Matamata on Sunday to tackle the Team Wealleans 1200.

The three-year-old son of Wootton Bassett showed plenty of promise earlier this season when winning on debut in September before finishing runner-up in the Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m), both on Heavy tracks.

He was unplaced in his next two runs before placing over a mile at Te Rapa in January and subsequently went out for a spell.

Trainer Andrew Forsman is looking forward to resuming him on a Heavy track this weekend, with Matamata rated a Heavy8 on Friday morning.

“He performed well on rain-affected surfaces and as the tracks got firmer he probably struggled a little bit and needed time to mature, which was the reasoning behind stopping when we did,” Forsman said.

“He has come back in good order, he is on the way up, we elected to only given him the one trial (won over 1100m at Pukekohe last week), so he will take good improvement out of it. I am looking forward to having him back at the races.

“We will just see how far we get with him and decide whether we give him a freshen-up and maybe do more with him in the springtime.”

A day prior at Te Rapa, stakes performer Twilight Tale (Savabeel) will make her New Zealand debut in the See You @ Te Rapa Tavern 1400.

The four-year-old daughter of Savabeel won two of her 13 starts in Western Australia for trainer Michael Grantham and placed in the Listed Natasha Stakes (2200m) and Listed Ascot 1000 Guineas (1800m).

She was purchased by New Zealand-based syndicator Go Racing earlier this year out of Magic Millions’ Digital Sale in January for A$115,000 and was subsequently entrusted to the care of Forsman.

She has had two trials for the Cambridge horseman, including a runner-up effort over 1100m at Pukekohe last week, and he is looking forward to getting more of a line on her after her first-up run.

“She has had a couple of nice hit-outs at the trials. The first one was quiet and then I just wanted to see how she handles these winter surfaces,” Forsman said. “I don’t think she would have seen tracks like this in Perth.

“We will be on a bit of a fact-finding mission, maybe she only has one or two runs and then we freshen her for a spring preparation.

“She has got good ability, she has got a bit of black-type and has been in the mix in some three-year-old fillies’ company in Australia, so that is always nice and she is here to try and add some more to that CV.

“She does show good ability and we are hopeful she can slot into our pattern of racing here.”

Forsman will also be represented at Te Rapa by Force Of Nature (NZ) (Savabeel) in the Thanks Bernard Kneebone – 25 Years On The Clock 1200, and Desert Jewel (NZ) (Proisir) in the RDA Charity Raceday @ Cambridge Wednesday 1400.

“Force Of Nature is going very well,” Forsman said. “I think it is the right race, I just think it is a shame we have ended up with the weight (60kg) we have. He is not an overly big horse and it will be interesting to see how he does handle carrying the big weight.

“Desert Jewel didn’t have much luck last start, she was held up at a vital time and from a good draw (2) hopefully she gets her chance. I think she is over the odds and capable of running top three.”

Forsman will also be represented by a trio of runners at Wanganui on Saturday, including promising juvenile Furston (NZ) (Circus Maximus) in the Wanganui Function Centre 2YO 1200.

“He was very green in his first start and then we elected to put the blinkers on straight away and that certainly helped him,” Forsman said. “He almost got to the front too soon at Tauranga and thought the job was done. Off a wide run too I thought it was a very game effort.

“He should be suited being back to his own age group.”

Stablemate Released (NZ) (Turn Me Loose) will resume in the Manawatu-Whanganui Civil Contractors NZ Maiden 2YO & Up 1600, while Mr Mojo Risin’ (NZ) (Deep Field) will be seeking to bounce back to form in the Hirepool Open 1360 following a disappointing ninth placed in the Listed AGC Training Stakes (1600m).

“Released has come back in good order,” Forsman said. “Ultimately, we will need slower tracks than what he will strike on Saturday, but in a fresh state we think he will have the speed in his legs to be hard to beat.

“Mr Mojo Risin’ was disappointing last start, but I don’t know if he really ran out a strong mile. We have freshened him as much as we can on a relatively quick turnaround and I think back in trip helps.

“He has ended up quite high in the weights quite quickly and he is not an overly big horse. Like Force Of Nature, it will be interesting to see how he handles that.”

Meanwhile, Forsman said Group One performer Single Red (NZ) (Vanbrugh) has pulled up well following her season swansong in the Gr.1 Queensland Oaks (2200m) at Eagle Farm last Saturday and will head for a well-deserved spell.

Her three-year-old season netted three wins and three placings from nine starts, including placings in the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m), Gr.2 David & Karyn Ellis Filles Classic (2100m) and Listed Gold Coast Bracelet (1800m).

“I just think 2200m was always going to be the extent of her range,” Forsman said. “She covered a lot of ground trying to make her run off the back of a slow tempo and came to the end of it in the last couple of hundred, and Jason (Collett, jockey) just eased her down.

“She has pulled up fine, she will head home this weekend for a well-deserved break and she will come back and target some mares races and four-year-old races over a mile where I think she will be much better suited.” - Joshua Smith

Mixed fortunes for Faulkner pair with Waimate Cup transfer

The transfer of the Dunstan Feeds Waimate Cup (1600m) to Oamaru on Sunday has brought mixed feelings for Stephanie Faulkner.

The Timaru trainer was set to contest the mile feature on her home track last Sunday with He’s Tunza Grunt (NZ) (Pure Champion) and O'Riordan (NZ) (Proisir), however, that meeting was abandoned due to safety concerns following a slip in the third race, which she won with Sunningdale (NZ) (Eminent).

Faulkner said the Heavy8 conditions would have been ideal for He’s Tunza Grunt, but stablemate O'Riordan may benefit from the change of track, with Oamaru producing a Soft5 rating on Friday morning, slightly deteriorating from its Good4 rating earlier in the week.

The Prioisir mare performs well on better surfaces, which was showcased two starts back when she won on a Good4 track at Riccarton.

“It would have been better for He’s Tunza Grunt at Timaru because it was wetter there and he would have enjoyed that,” Faulkner said. “I wanted both of them to have a go on their home track because they both go well there, but it wasn’t to be.

“I am looking forward to Sunday, the firmer nature of the track is definitely going to favour O'Riordan. She is a tough mare with no weight on her back so I will expect a bold run from her with Tina (Comignaghi, jockey) onboard.

“It’s nice to get a good draw (3) with O’Riordan, who has been plagued with bad draws.”

He's Tunza Grunt has had just the one run this preparation, beating one runner home over 1400m at Wingatui last month, and Faulkner said he should have derived plenty of benefit from that first-up effort.

“He has never gone well first-up so I expect natural improvement,” she said. “It is possibly on the firm side for him, but you never know what is going to happen between now and Sunday.

“He's Tunza Grunt is a horse that tries every time he goes out. It wouldn’t surprise me if he went okay.”

Later on the card, Faulkner is looking forward to stepping out former northern mare Way Out West (NZ) (US Navy Flag) for the third time in the Oamaru Club (1600m).

The U S Navy Flag mare was formerly trained in Cambridge by Andrew Forsman, for whom she won on debut last season before running fifth in the Gr.3 Manawatu Classic (2100m).

She was unplaced in her subsequent seven starts before transferring to Faulkner, who now shares in the ownership of the mare with a large group, including co-breeder John Hargreaves.

She was a convincing first-up victor at Wingatui for Faulkner in April and returned to the Dunedin track last month where she ran home well to finish third over 1400m.

Faulkner has a high opinion of the mare and believes she can work her way through the grades.

“She is a lovely mare who is improving all the time. She is maturing every week, looking a bit stronger and racing accordingly,” she said.

“I gave her plenty of time to get over that fresh-up run because she took a while to recover. She was almost spot on for that second up run and she was getting home nicely.

“The way she is, it wouldn’t surprise me if she works her way up to open company. She is just a lovely type of horse.”

Meanwhile, Faulkner has welcomed back Timaru Cup (1600m) winner Shaking Stevens (NZ) (American Pharoah) to her barn, with stakes targets in the crosshairs early in the new season.

The rising six-year-old gelding was in a purple patch of form late last year, posting four wins from five starts, and Faulkner is hoping he can regain that form.

“He has had a month of pre-training at Amber Hoffman’s on the beach,” she said.

“We will see how he goes, if he comes up quick enough he will go to the Winter Cup (Gr.3, 1600m) if it is not really Heavy. He will be ready for a mile by then after having that month at Amber’s, she gets the miles into them.”- Joshua Smith

Wigram scurries away to first win

South Auckland apprentice jockey Tom Wigram is currently on cloud nine after riding home his first winner at New Plymouth on Friday.

He scored the win aboard Bridie (NZ) (Ocean Park) for local trainer Allan Sharrock in the Naki Plumbing And Gas (1600m), Wigram’s first ride of the day at the annual Platinum Homes Taranaki Apprentice Raceday, which was unfortunately abandoned following the starting gates malfunctioning at the start of race four.

Wigram’s first win comes less than a week after his debut ride at Ellerslie last Saturday, and he was delighted to get on the board so early in his career.

“I am really rapt, it’s great to get my first win,” Wigram said. “I didn’t expect it to come this early, but it did and it was awesome.”

His charge had been working towards a win, having placed in her first two starts, and Wigram was pleased to deliver the desired result for her connections.

“The horse jumped super and we sat in behind in midfield,” Wigram said. “Coming around the bend I had plenty of horse underneath me, I just had to find somewhere to get out and as soon as I came back in and got a run she came home really well.”

The 16-year-old has been riding his entire life, but it was experiencing the thrill of competing in the LOVERACING.NZ Pony Scurry Series that lit a fuse to pursue a career as a jockey.

“From when I was about five I rode ponies and every weekend we went show jumping,” Wigram said. “I wasn’t hugely successful, but I loved horses and the thrill of going fast and jumping.

“I saw the pony scurries come up and I thought ‘what better way to get into it (racing)’.

“The pony scurries is a very good initiative, it was very popular and it still is. It was a good introduction to racing.”

Wigram naturally progressed to riding track work before he started to work for Byerley Park trainer Donna Logan last year to pursue his apprenticeship.

“I used to go down to Cambridge during the school holidays to ride track work,” Wigram said. “I rode a lot for Shaun Phelan and he has been super helpful, and Elen Nicholas (fellow apprentice jockey) has been great.

“My friend’s mother used to work for Donna years ago and when I was looking for somewhere to go she put me onto her and it has all gone from there.”

Wigram’s first win came at just his third ride, and he said he has learned a lot from each experience.

“From the first ride it opened my eyes to how it is more competitive than riding at the trials and I have learned heaps,” he said.

Wigram is hoping to quickly add to his win tally when he heads to Te Rapa on Saturday where he will have four rides, and he is particularly upbeat about the chances of last-start winner Hasstobeawinner (NZ) (Vadamos) in the Waikato Stud Foxbridge Plate 22/8 Mile (1600m) and the Shaun Phelan-trained Arjay's Flight (NZ) (Highly Recommended) in the Andrew (Ledge) Leadbeater Memorial (1300m).

“I am really looking forward to them all,” Wigram said.

“Hasstobeawinner is very exciting, he is a last start winner in open class, so I am very lucky to get the opportunity to ride him.

“Arjay’s Flight is resuming over a shorter distance and he goes well fresh, so hopefully he will be a good chance as well.” - Joshua Smith

Chaldean filly catches Group One eye

A unique individual went under the hammer at the Great Southern Weanling Sale and was warmly embraced by the buying bench.

The first Southern Hemisphere youngster to be offered at auction by exciting young stallion Chaldean was purchased out of Burnewang North Pastoral’s draft by former Group One-winning jockey Scott Seamer.

Now operating a breeding enterprise in New South Wales, Seamer had the final say on the filly (Lot 218) by Frankel’s multiple elite level-winning son at A$180,000.

The youngster is out of the unraced Too Darn Hot mare Summerinthecity, a half-sister to multiple Group winner Need I Say More who was also twice successful in Hong Kong as Spirited Express.

Chaldean will be represented by two youngsters (Lots 3, 54) at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Weanling Sale at Karaka on June 25. - NZ Racing Desk