Back to Blog

Brave colt flying Nearco flag for Millions

By Paul Vettise, LOVERACING.NZ News DeskUnbeaten colt To Bravery Born powered into TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) contention with his comeback victory at Ellerslie on Sunday.The gifted son of Snitzel showed his precocity when successful on debut in the opening race of the two-year-old season at Wanganui back in August and was subsequently laid low by injury.Trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson had doubts he would be back in Karaka Millions contention but quickly bounced back and Sunday’s vi...

Brave colt Karaka Millions-bound

By Jess de Lautour, LOVERACING.NZ News DeskA short time ago, To Bravery Born was unlikely to get a shot at making the $1 million TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) field, but the colt took his opportunity at Ellerslie on Sunday with a commanding victory in the Trackside.co.nz (1200m).To Bravery Born was a comfortable winner of the first juvenile race back in August and was later set to run in the Listed Counties Challenge Stakes (1100m) on November 23, before an injury took him out of contention.Hi...

Real Class sold to Australian Bloodstock

By Richard Edmunds, LOVERACING.NZ News DeskThis week’s Gr.2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2000m) winner Real Class has been sold across the Tasman to Australian Bloodstock, but the promising filly may remain with her Byerley Park trainer Jenna Mahoney for a $1 million Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) campaign.Nearco Stud-bred and Curraghmore raised, Real Class has made a big impression in a career that spans only four starts dating back to early November. She finished eighth ...

Classy win by promising filly in Ellerslie feature

By Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News DeskPromising filly Real Class has put herself firmly into $1 million Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) calculations following her victory in the Gr.2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day.The daughter of Vadamos settled midfield for jockey Rory Hutchings, who elected to improve his filly three-wide from the 800m mark and hit the lead within 200m. Her rivals were looming on the...

Snazzytavi reigns in Zabeel Classic for Cambridge Stud

By Jess de Lautour, LOVERACING.NZ News DeskThis year’s phenomenal rise of Snazzytavi was fittingly capped off in the Gr.1 Cambridge Stud Zabeel Classic (2000m) on Boxing Day, but another star mare didn’t let her away with an easy victory in the Ellerslie feature. Snazzytavi, owned by race sponsors Brendan and Jo Lindsay, has been carefully handled by trainers Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall, having just her 15th start on Thursday. The mare’s eight vic...

Snazzytavi storms to victory in Te Rapa feature

Raging hot favourite Snazzytavi more than justified the torrent of support she received in the final minutes of betting prior to Saturday’s Gr.2 Cal Isuzu Stakes (1600m), the feature event for the fillies and mares at Te Rapa.The Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall-prepared five-year-old was making her first appearance since taking out the Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) at the venue in October with a barn-storming late run and she repeated the pattern of that victory on Saturday.Punters who back...

Snazzytavi chasing further Group honours

Top mare Snazzytavi is ready to kick off her summer campaign, which will revolve around further Group One weight-for-age opportunities.Under the guidance of Matamata trainers Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall, the Cambridge Stud-raced daughter of Tavistock has swiftly moved through the grades to establish herself as an elite level performer.An effortless winner of the Gr.3 Easter Handicap (1600m) earlier this year, she went to another level in the spring to romp away with the Gr.1 Livamol Clas...

Riccarton test for Horowhenua raider

By Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News DeskJosh Shaw admits he is heading a long way this week for just the one run with his aptly named mare Predecessor, but he is hoping the trip pays dividends in the long run.The Horowhenua horseman has trekked down to Christchurch this week with his four-year-old mare, who will be vying to breakthrough for her maiden victory in the Haase Marshall Drainage Premier (2000m) at Riccarton on Wednesday.“The trip away will just bring her on,” S...

Kelsos have another exciting filly on their hands

By Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News DeskKen and Bev Kelso have a knack for unearthing quality fillies, and they may have another one on their hands in Levakia, who broke through for her maiden win in impressive fashion in the Dunstan Horsefeeds 1400 at Pukekohe Park on Wednesday.She was only fair away and drifted back to sit at the rear of the field for jockey Sam Spratt, where they remained throughout. Turning for home, the pair had all before them, ...

Snazzytavi stuns in Livamol romp

A trophy that slipped through Brendan and Jo Lindsay’s grasp in their early days of racehorse ownership now has pride of place in the Cambridge Stud trophy cabinet, thanks to a stunning coming-of-age performance by Snazzytavi in Saturday’s Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) at Te Rapa.The Lindsays’ foundation mare J’Adane went agonisingly close to winning the 2007 edition of the spring showpiece, where she was beaten by a whisker by superstar mare Princess Coup.Multiple Group One wins have fol...

Richardson on weather watch ahead of weekend features

Snazzytavi is one of three Cm graduates in the Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) on Saturday, alongside No Compromise and Malt Time. Richard Edmunds, caught up with her trainer Graham Richardson for LOVERACING.NZ News Desk:Matamata trainers Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall are on weather watch as they prepare to shoot for $650,000 in prizemoney across a pair of Group races this weekend.They will saddle emerging mare and Snazzytavi in the Gr.1 Livam...

Fortune for Faraglioni ahead of Arrowfield

By Jess de Lautour, LOVERACING.NZ News DeskUltra-consistent mare Faraglioni is out to shed her bridesmaid’s tag in Wednesday’s Gr.1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m) at Matamata.Three weeks’ ago, the daughter of El Roca finished a game runner-up to Grail Seeker in the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m), an identical result to last season’s Gr.2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m), Gr.1 TAB Classic (1600m) and Gr.2 Westbury Classic (1400m).Josh Shaw, who trains Faraglioni out of Levin, ...

Livamol locked in for Snazzytavi

By Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News DeskSnazzytavi has booked her ticket south to Hastings next month to contest the Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) following an eye-catching victory at Te Rapa on Friday.The Group Three-winning daughter of Tavistock was second-up in the BCD Group Mile (1600m) after finishing ninth in the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) at Hastings earlier this month, and trainers Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall were hoping for a confidence-boosting result.Snazzytavi was b...

Lightly raced Lilac lands Listed prize

Well-related filly Lilac has wasted little time in adding valuable black type to her CV, landing Saturday’s A$175,000 Listed NJT Jim Moloney Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield in only the fourth start of her career.A graduate of Gordon Cunningham’s Curraghmore draft at the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale at Karaka, Lilac is trained by Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald and kicked off her career with a win, a second and a fourth from three starts in Sydney.Neasham and Archibald sen...

Empire Rose a possibility for Tarzino runner-up

By Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News DeskLevin trainer Josh Shaw is daring to dream with Faraglioni this spring following her eye-catching runner-up effort in Saturday’s Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) at Hastings.The six-year-old daughter of El Roca was a bridesmaid at elite level for the second time after posting the same result in last year’s Gr.1 TAB Classic (1600m), and now Shaw is eyeing further Group One targets on either side of the Tasman.Faraglioni&nbs...

Malt Time set for Hastings Group One challenge

By Kevin Robertson, LOVERACING.NZ News DeskClass performer Malt Time showed she is more than ready to make her presence felt in the Gr.1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m) at Hastings with the perfect dress rehearsal at Ruakaka.The Shaun and Emma Clotworthy-prepared daughter of former Gr.1 Cox Plate (2040m) winner Adelaide was attempting to make it four wins from just four starts at the venue when she tackled the Harcourts Bream Bay (1400m) on Saturday.Punters were firmly in her camp as she started t...

Te Akau Racing strike in two-year-old opener

By Kevin Robertson, LOVERACING.NZ News DeskThe familiar tangerine and blue colours of Te Akau Racing were back to doing what they do best when To Bravery Born took out the traditional opening two-year-old race of the season at Wanganui on Saturday.Despite there being only four runners to face the starter, the Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson-prepared son of Snitzel showed he has what it takes to feature later in the season with a professional performance in downing race favourite Toretto by a comfo...

Northern raider scores at Cambridge

By Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News DeskBrucey Lee made the seven-hour round trip from Ruakaka worthwhile for trainer Kim Knight on Wednesday when taking out the TAB 2000 at Cambridge Synthetic.The son of U S Navy Flag had placed in his previous start over 2100m on his home track earlier this month and Knight was confident of an improved result despite his topweight of 60kg.Punters shared her thoughts and backed him into $4.40 favouritism, and he didn’t disappoint, running out a...

Stable quinella in Ruakaka feature

By Kevin Robertson, LOVERACING.NZ News DeskThe Bruce Wallace and Grant Cooksley training partnership had plenty to celebrate on Saturday when they produced a superb quinella in the feature event at Ruakaka, the Gr.3 Cambridge Stud Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m), with stable runners So Naive and Toruk Makto.So Naive, a stunning son of The Oaks Stud resident stallion U S Navy Flag, had won twice from four starts during his two-year-old campaign and was fitted for his new season resumption wi...

Malt Time maintains perfect Ruakaka record

By Richard Edmunds, LOVERACING.NZ News DeskThe class of Group One performer Malt Time shone through again at Ruakaka on Saturday, recovering from a sluggish start to score a runaway win in the ITM/Gib Sprinters’ Winter Championship Final (1400m).Malt Time was sent out as a $2.30 favourite for the $60,000 sprint feature, having scored impressive wins in both of her two previous starts at the venue including a six-length romp over the same distance two starts ago on June 8. In between times she ...

Curraghmore delighted with weanling draft

Curraghmore is one of the foremost names among vendors at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Weanling Sale every year and again their 2024 crop of weanlings catalogued for Karaka on Thursday is right up to the respected nursery's usual high standard.Gordon Cunningham’s Curraghmore has collected more than a dozen leading vendor titles at Karaka’s weanling sales, and past graduates include Group One winner Sousa, Group Three winner Kinane and other stakes performers such as What Choux Want, B...

Class prevails in Ruakaka feature

Quality mare Malt Time showed her undoubted class when she blitzed her rivals in the closing stages of the feature event at Ruakaka on Saturday, the Porthouse Bar Eatery Bream Bay Sprint (1400m).The Shaun and Emma Clotworthy-trained mare was having her second run in a new campaign and stripped a lot fitter after finishing fifth first up over 1300m at Te Rapa last month.Ridden by apprentice Ace Lawson-Carroll, who reduced her 59kgs impost down to 57kgs with his 2kg apprentice allowance, the multi...

Imperialist oozes class in The Phoenix triumph

Trainer Chris Waller has a good opinion of progressive two-year-old Imperialist, who came with a perfectly timed run under James McDonald to claim the Listed The Phoenix (1500m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday in impressive fashion.The New Zealand-bred son of Churchill notched his first win from just three starts and relished the solid tempo of the juvenile feature to close in the manner of a horse that has an exciting Classic season ahead of him.Waller will now ponder whether to push on to next week�...

Kelsos hoping to unveil another promising Proisir filly

By Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News DeskTrainers Ken and Bev Kelso have raced two outstanding daughters of Proisir in the colours of Philip and Catherine Brown, and on Wednesday they are hoping they can unveil another at Taupo.The Browns have struck gold in the last few years with Group One winners Levante and Legarto, and they are hoping Levakia can reach the same lofty heights.The couple purchased her out of Curraghmore’s 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Online Yearling Sale draft for $105,000 un...

Group One Star Ruthless Dame a Late National Highlight

Outstanding Group One winner Ruthless Dame will present buyers with another world class opportunity at next week's Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale on the Gold Coast. Connections of the star four-year-old daughter of Tavistock will offer the mare on Day One of the Southern Hemisphere's premier breeding stock auction alongside the likes of Imperatriz, Chain of Lightning, Madame Pommery, Affaire a Suivre, Belclare, Platinum Jubilee and Ulanova.An unbeaten Group winner as a two-year-old,...