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Shaw eyeing elite-level targets with Faraglioni

By Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News DeskJosh Shaw tasted Group glory with Hinepara last year and he has got a craving for more.The Horowhenua horseman came close to tasting it again last Saturday when Faraglioni was runner-up behind Campionessa in the Gr.2 Dunstan Horsefeeds Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) and Shaw was duly rapt with the result.“I was pretty confident going into the race and I was rapt that she ran up to my confidence levels,” Shaw said.“The only question ...

Faraglioni ready for long-awaited stakes challenge

By Paul Vettise, LOVERACING.NZ News DeskJosh Shaw will head north this weekend in the hope of executing a long-term plan with his in-form mare Faraglioni.The Levin trainer set the daughter of El Roca for Saturday’s Gr.2 Dunstan Horsefeeds Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) at Pukekohe nearly 12 months ago and recent form suggests she is firmly on target.“It’s been the goal since she raced there last December in the Stella Artois Final, it was worth a bit of money. The other f...

Faraglioni produces impressive Group Two audition

By Richard Edmunds, LOVERACING.NZ News DeskA stylish come-from-behind win in Saturday’s $50,000 Courtesy Ford Redcraze Bowl (1400m) at Trentham has put talented mare Faraglioni firmly on track for a black-type mission in the north later this month.The El Roca mare, who was bred by Arkle Bloodstock and Gordon Cunningham, made good progress through the grades last season with three wins, and her five-year-old preparation had kicked off with promising placings behind Express Yourself at Awapuni a...

Didham’s southern undertaking a dual purpose exercise

Paul Vettise, LOVERACING.NZ News DeskPeter Didham will be on a two-fold mission to Christchurch this month with his promising three-year-old Danjuro.The Awapuni trainer is firstly focussing on a crack at the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton on November 11, but is also mindful of the future benefits the southern venture will bring.Danjuro has earned his place in the age group feature with quality performances in his two appearances and the trip away will...

Kiwi-bred on target for Golden Eagle

LOVERACING.NZ News DeskNew Zealand-bred mare Ruthless Dame is on song for Saturday’s A$10 million Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill according to trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace.The daughter of Tavistock was runner-up in the A$2 million The Invitation (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday, giving her connections confidence to back her up this weekend in the rich feature.“We took her to the beach on Sunday morning and she trotted up nice and free. She is a good doer and has licked the bin. I ...

Wallace/Cooksley juveniles dominant at Pukekohe

By Jess de Lautour, LOVERACING.NZ News DeskByerley Park trainers Bruce Wallace and Grant Cooksley produced their promising contingent of juveniles to an impressive quinella in the Ellerslie Events 2YO 1100 at Pukekohe on Saturday. In a compact field of six, the Wallace/Cooksley stable presented half of the two-year-old field and managed to fill the first two placings with So Naïve and Toruk Makto respectively. A son of U S Navy Flag, So Naïve jumped from the inside draw and was hustl...

Feature mile targets await Malt Time

By Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News DeskIt may have taken a few years and 21 starts, but trainers Shaun and Emma Clotworthy may have found Malt Time’s new pet distance.The seven-year-old mare, who had previously been kept to sprint distances, winning the Listed Legacy Lodge Sprint (1200m) last November, was tested over a mile for the first time in the Gr.1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m) at Hastings on Saturday, where she finishedrunner-up behind Mustang Valley.Her connections were imp...

Financier rewards Marsh’s belief with Hastings victory

Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh was thrilled to see his consistent four-year-old Financier return to the winner’s circle in the Collier’s Commercial HB Premier (1400m) at Hastings on Saturday.The lightly-raced son of Tavistock settled midfield on the fence under a no-panic ride by Opie Bosson, and cruised through the field rounding the home turn to burst into contention at the 150m mark.Financier had been caught late when placing second to Jimmysstar on the first day of the Hawke’s Bay Spr...

Dimaggio hits it out of the park at Hastings

By Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News DeskThe connections of Dimaggio are hoping their gelding is in for a big spring following his gritty win in the Hastings – Heart Of Hawke’s Bay Premier (1600m) on Saturday.Jumping well under jockey Kozzi Asano, the son of Almanzor went straight to the front and was shortly joined on his outside by local chance Gohugo.The pair went toe-to-toe for the remainder of the journey and Dimaggio was able to dig deep in the closing stages to see off his rival to win...

Bezique Riccarton bound after stylish win

By Kevin Robertson, LOVERACING.NZ News DeskLocal galloper Bezique has booked a ticket south later in the spring with a decisive, front-running victory over 1400m on his home track at Ruakaka on Saturday.The compact son of Rich Hill Stud stallion Ace High had impressed in breaking maidens at the venue last month and showed he had made good progress since then for trainers Ken Rae and his daughter Krystal Williams.Taken straight to the front by rider Jasmine Fawcett, Bezique set up his own terms a...

Bezique victory a win of firsts

Rich Hill Stud is celebrating a first success for young resident sire Ace High following Bezique’s dashing victory on his home track at Ruakaka on Saturday.A son of the influential High Chaparral, Ace High was an Australian star during his racing career with a brace of top-flight victories from the Sydney stable of David Payne and has now made his mark early in his stallion career.“That was great, it’s really exciting and a fantastic feeling. That’s going to be the first of many winners ...

Firmer track key to Not An Option

Not An Option relished the Good 4 surface presented at Flemington on Saturday, with a strong win in the Brian Beattie Handicap (1420m).It was the sixth career victory for the Mike Moroney-trained gelding who sports the colours of Brendan and Jo Lindsay of Cambridge Stud, who race the five-year-old along with a host of prominent trans-Tasman owners.Given a peach of a ride by Patrick Moloney, Not An Option stalked the speed set by the Ben and JD Hayes-trained stablemates Monarch Of Egypt and Cross...

Ocean Park weanling draws Group One comparison

Gordon Cunningham is a man that knows a good Ocean Park.The Curraghmore principal has sold two of the stallion’s Group One winners Tofane and Kovalica and he was delighted to secure a colt by Ocean Park from the High Chaparral mare Rolling in Thedeep at Friday’s New Zealand Bloodstock National Weanling & Broodmare Sale at Karaka.Presented by Windsor Park Stud as Lot 132, Cunningham went to $120,000 for the well-related colt and said he had similarities to recent Gr.1 Queensland Derby (24...

Mulcaster comes up trumps again with Kovalica Derby romp

The Chris Waller-trained Kovalica ran out an arrogant winner of the Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday, with the son of Ocean Park always travelling like the winner from the moment the barriers opened. The rising star became the third successive New Zealand-bred winner of the three-year-old feature, following Pinarello (2022) and Kukeracha (2021). Fittingly, Kukeracha, who also races in similar ownership, was back in the winner’s circle at Eagle Farm on Saturday ...

Kovalica a class above in Queensland Derby

Rising star Kovalica lived up to his red-hot favouritism with a dominant display in Saturday’s Gr. 1 Queensland Derby (2400m) at Eagle Farm, continuing an astonishing season of Australian Group One success for New Zealand-breds.The A$1 million classic was the 21st win from 69 Group One races in Australia so far this season – an extraordinary success rate of 30 per cent, despite making up only 8 per cent of runners.Three-year-olds have shone particularly brightly, with Group One victories fro...

Kovalica heads strong Waller hand in Queensland Derby

Trainer Chris Waller has a stranglehold on Saturday’s Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m) with a two-pronged attack, headed by $1.70 favourite Kovalica and impressive last-start winner Special Swey ($9.50).A son of Ocean Park, Kovalica has long been set for the A$1 million feature.The winner of five of his eight starts, Kovalica won the Gr.2 Queensland Guineas (1600m) two starts back but missed his intended target of the Gr.3 Rough Habit Plate (2000m) a fortnight ago due to a foot abscess.  &nb...

Daytona Bay gets important bob

A ‘Goldilocks’ track has helped Daytona Bay (American Pharoah) find his way back to the winner’s circle when he nosed out the previously unbeaten Altivo (Wootton Bassett) in a photo finish at Flemington on Saturday in the In Memory of Dean Holland (1800m).Prepared by Peter Moody, Daytona Bay won four of his first five starts, with the consistent galloper returning a winner for the first time since August.Bred by Rangiora’s Geoff Taylor, the son of American Pharoah sat second throughout u...

Curraghmore and Sir Owen Glenn team up for second Group One

From a select group of only four broodmares based at Curraghmore, Sir Owen Glenn has now bred two Group One winners on opposite sides of the Tasman and over wildly different distances.Three-year-old filly Ruthless Dame produced an outstanding performance to defeat older mares in last Saturday’s Gr.1 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville. It was just the sixth career start for the high-class daughter of Tavistock. She has now earned more than A$500,000 for an ownership syndicate ...

Ruthless Dame soars to Sangster triumph

The Group One gold rush for New Zealand-bred horses in Australia this autumn kept on rolling with three-year-old filly Ruthless Dame conquering an elite field of older mares in Saturday’s A$500,000 Furphy Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville.The daughter of Tavistock recorded the 10th elite-level victory for a New Zealand-bred since the start of April, following on from Militarize in the Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) and Champagne Stakes (1600m), I Wish I Win in the TJ Smith Stake...

Kovalica all class in Queensland Guineas triumph

The Chris Waller-trained Kovalica further enhanced his Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m) claims with an arrogant performance to win the Gr.2 Queensland Guineas (1600m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.The son of Ocean Park was posted three-deep throughout but clicked into gear late under Nash Rawiller to get the better of Perfect Thought and The Vowels.Raced by proud Queenslander Neville Morgan and David Devine, the Derby in the Sunshine State has long been on the cards for the high-class three-year-old.Th...

Outback Opal seeking fairytale ending

It would be a comeback story for the ages if Outback Opal were to take out the Gr.2 Travis Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa on Saturday.The daughter of El Roca has been in terrific form of late, winning her last three starts on-end, but she has had to overcome some hurdles to get there.“She had a serious problem early on, she’s not really meant to be here,” trainer Mark Brosnan said.“She had a slab fracture of her back cannon bone and it was very touch and go of whether she survived or not.“T...

Ballarat win sets Bitcoin on Derby path

Kiwi three-year-old Bitcoin (NZ) (Tarzino) made a good impression at his Australian debut when winning the Brandt Maiden Plate (2000m) at Ballarat on Wednesday for new trainer Lindsey Smith.The son of Tarzino had been placed twice from four starts for Cambridge trainer Andrew Forsman, including a third placing in the Listed Gingernuts Salver (2100m), after which he was partially sold to Spicer Thoroughbreds.After finishing down the track in a muddling-run Gr.2 Avondale Guineas (2100m), connectio...

Caboche relishes extra distance at Bendigo

New Zealand-bred gelding Caboche was a placegetter in last year’s Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m), and a return to that distance paved his way to the winner’s circle in Saturday’s A$130,000 IMMIX, Metal Recycled Right Handicap (2400m) at Bendigo.Third behind fellow Kiwi-breds Pinarello and Paternal in the Derby at Eagle Farm in May of last year, Caboche had faded from prominence with only two placings from eight starts since.But after starting his latest preparation with three runs in Sydney...

Not An Option back in the winner’s circle

Nearly 12 months to the day, last season’s Listed Hareeba Stakes (1200m) winner Not An Option was back in the winner’s circle when scoring an easy win in the A$150,000 Choices Flooring Handicap (1400m) at Flemington.The Mike Moroney-trained five-year-old has raced solidly in stakes company since joining the Flemington trainer’s stable, and relished the drop back to a handicap as he notched his fifth win from 23 lifetime starts.Originally prepared by Tony Pike in New Zealand, Not An Option ...

Bonecrusher hope in line for Sydney

Wexford Stables have moved on from the unfortunate circumstances that blighted Asterix’s last outing and the talented son of Tavistock remains on target for the Sydney autumn carnival.It’s a case of forgive and forget for trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott with last season’s Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) winner, who had a valid excuse when he finished well off the pace in the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m).Asterix pulled a plate at Te Rapa and a post-race veterinary examination...