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Riverplate too tough in Rangitikei Gold Cup

Consistent performer Riverplate showed his rivals no mercy as he ran them into the dust when taking out the Listed James Bull Rangitikei Gold Cup (1600m) at Otaki on Saturday.The Andrew Campbell-prepared galloper has been in a purple patch of form of late and that continued in the hands of red-hot apprentice Toni Davies who claimed a winning treble with a heady frontrunning ride.After jumping well from barrier two, Riverplate held out Cambridge galloper Khafre for the early pacemaking duties and...

Life’s a beach for Riverplate

Riverplate is loving life on the Kapiti Coast and that has been reflected in his recent results.The seven-year-old gelding made a comeback from retirement late last year and Campbell has been working him on the beach, with his new environment agreeing with the son of Flying Artie, who has won two of his last five starts.“We work him on the beach and he is loving life, he is doing well,” Campbell said. “We have got a little stable at the beach so we use that and keep him there permanently. ...

Gosford Gold Cup completes black-type double for Asterix

Former Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) winner Asterix took 11 races and more than a year to record his first stakes victory in Australia, but now he has gone back-to-back.The seven-year-old added a supreme weight-carrying performance in Saturday’s A$300,000 Listed Guardian Safety Solutions Gosford Gold Cup (2100m) to his last-start success in the Gr.3 JRA Plate (2000m) at Randwick on April 18.Asterix was lumbered with 61 kilograms on Saturday against a highly competitive Gosford Gold Cup line-u...

Financier scores satisfying win

While Stephen Marsh has enjoyed plenty of success this season, highlighted by the deeds of his unbeaten Group One-winning filly Well Written, the Cambridge trainer scored one of his most satisfying results at Te Rapa on Saturday when Financier took out the PGG Wrightson Grain Mile (1600m).The six-year-old son of Tavistock had shown plenty of ability as a younger horse, winning four races and finishing runner-up in the Gr.2 Japan Trophy (1600m) before he injured a tendon, which sidelined him for ...

Fillies deliver memorable day for Nearco Stud

Drops Of God’s dazzling display at Te Rapa at the weekend set up a quickfire inter-Island black type double for Nearco Stud with the second leg stylishly closed out soon after at Riccarton by Perlino. The lightly raced pair of homebred fillies are now both three-time winners prepared by Te Akau’s Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson, with the former also carrying the colours of farm principal Greg Tomlinson. Drops Of God’s victory romp in Saturday’s Gr.3 Cambridge Breeders’ Sta...

Drops of God dominant in Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes

Exciting filly Drops Of God proved to be too good for her rivals at Te Rapa on ANZAC Day when running out a dominant victor in the Gr.3 Windsor Park Stud Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m).The Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson-trained three-year-old had shown plenty of ability in her three prior starts, winning her first two outings before running third in the Gr.3 Almanzor Trophy (1200m) behind stablemate and subsequent Gr.1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) winner Belle Cheval.She was subsequently fres...

Perlino enjoys Warstep glory

Exciting filly Perlino added significant value to any future breeding career she may have when she strode clear to win the Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Warstep Stakes (2000m) at Riccarton on Saturday.The daughter of Super Seth is prepared by Te Akau Racing duo Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson and has been based in their South Island base in the care of assistant trainer Hunter Durrant for the last four of her six starts, where she has crafted an impeccable record of two wins and a third-placed fin...

Campbell duo in line for stakes assignments

By Paul Vettise, LOVERACING.NZ News DeskAndrew Campbell is eyeing off black type events with two members of his stable in the coming week.The Otaki trainer has Friday’s Listed Manawatu ITM Anzac Mile (1600m) at Otaki in mind for comeback wonder Riverplate, while Hayworth will run in the Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Warstep Stakes (2000m) a day later at Riccarton, travel and track conditions permitting.Curraghmore graduate Riverplate won for the second time since an un...

Asterix lands JRA Plate

Smart stayer Asterix resumed as a strong winner of the Gr.3 JRA Plate (2000m) for trainer Chris Waller at Randwick on Saturday. The seven-year-old son of Tavistock enjoyed a good preparation last campaign and had been trialling well in the lead-up to Saturday’s victory. Punters backed the former Kiwi from $31 into $15 and the gelding showed a ready turn of foot when finding clear air under Collett, tracking runner-up You Wahng throughout, with well-fancied stablemate Travolta fi...

Unique Ambition breaks through at Randwick

Five-year-old Tavistock mare Unique Ambition returned to winning form with a determined performance in the Midway Handicap (1400m) at Royal Randwick, delivering a timely result for trainer John Sargent and jockey Nash Rawiller.The New Zealand-bred mare, who had been knocking on the door in recent runs, produced a strong finishing effort to secure victory, ending a frustrating run without a win and reaffirming her ability at metropolitan level.Sargent has long held an opinion of Unique Ambition, ...

To Bravery Born Hong Kong bound

By Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News DeskTo Bravery Born will continue his racing career in Hong Kong following his recent sale.Bred by Nearco Stud, the son of Snitzel was purchased by Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis out of Curraghmore’s 2024 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft for $200,000.Trained by Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson, he went on to win two of his five starts as a juvenile and placed in the Gr.3 Matamata Slipper (1200m).He made a winning start to his three-year-o...

Strong Trade Continues During 2026 Online Yearling Sale

The strong demand from the 100th National Yearling Sale continued onto NZB’s 2026 National Online Yearling Sale on Gavelhouse Plus, which saw 104 lots catalogued and over $800,000 in receipts in a quick-fire digital session on Wednesday evening.The highlight of the Sale came early, with Lot 18 being sold to Japanese buyer Golden Orchid Brothers Inc. for $70,000. The daughter of Sword of State from Savabeel mare, Sade was offered by Curraghmore, who shortly after offeredLot 29, a...

Bigger things tipped for Levakia

By Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News DeskPhilip and Catherine Brown’s colours have been to the fore over the last few years through the deeds of multiple Group One winners Levante and Legarto, and while both mares are now retired, the Ancroft Stud principals are excited about the prospects of another.Like Levante and Legarto, four-year-old mare Levakia is by Rich Hill Stud stallion Proisir and has been handled by Matamat...

Stakes assignment in the offing for La Diem

By Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News DeskLa Diem belied her odds at Ellerslie on Saturday when taking out the MyRacehorse 1600, and now stakes targets are in the offing for the regally bred filly.By Wooton Bassett, La Diem is out of Group One winner La Bella Diosa, and she had won one of her five prior starts for trainer Stephen Marsh prior to her Easter Weekend assignment.In a competitive line-up, La Diem drifted in the market to a 19-1 outsider. ...

Roadcone sibling Karaka bound

Cambridge Stud stallion Almanzor (Fr) was credited with a winning double at Caulfield Heath on Saturday when Roadcone held on for an all-the-way victory in the A$130,000 Magic Millions Digital Handicap (1500m) bringing a pedigree update for his half-sister by Ghaiyyath (IRE) that heads to Karaka Book 1 for Curraghmore.Almanzor opened his account with up-and-comer Touchdown in the first race on Saturday’s card, and Roadcone followed suit to improve his own record to 16 starts for five wins, fou...

To Bravery Born continues impeccable fresh record

By LOVERACING.NZ News DeskTrainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson now have their sights set on the Gr.3 Cambridge Stud Almanzor Trophy (1400m) at Ellerslie on Karaka Millions night with To Bravery Born following his eye-catching first-up win at Te Rapa on Saturday.The three-year-old gelding has a strong first-up record, having won on debut as an early two-year-old before repeating the result when fresh-up at Ellerslie in January. He then resumed as a three-year-old with victory over 1100m at Taup...

Asterix back on top in The Beauford

Former Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) winner Asterix returned to top form and scored his first Australian victory in the A$300,000 NZB The Beauford (2300m) at Newcastle on Saturday.The Chris Waller-trained gelding showed signs that he might be finding form with a close last-start fifth in the A$500,000 St Leger (2600m) at Randwick on October 18, and his stamina and class were on full display on Saturday as he outstayed his 11 rivals in the hands of jockey Jason ...

Homebred Harry brings big result

Manawatu dairy farmers Mark and Tania Stratford had a result to savour on the opening day of the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale when their homebred colt by Harry Angel out of Ocean Spray fetched $425,000 to the bid of Hong Kong trainer Mark Newnham and Sweetbriar Equine. The attractive bay was sold from the draft of Curraghmore and after breezing in an easy 10.75, drew plenty of interest. The Stratfords purchased Fastnet Rock ...

Driftin sprints to impressive upset at Tauherenikau

By Jess de Lautour, LOVERACING.NZ News DeskOtaki galloper Driftin picked up her first win in more than two years when causing an upset in the Challenge Carterton R75 (1000m) at Tauherenikau on Sunday. The five-year-old by Merchant Navy had been a winner on the Cambridge Synthetic in September 2023 but was unplaced in her following six starts, after which she was purchased for $5,000 through gavelhouse.com by part-owner Andre Wallace. It was ...

State of excitement for Cambridge Stud

In a week where Cambridge Stud’s focus is largely around Joliestar’s tilt at the A$20 million Gr.1 The Everest (1200m), it was their first-season sire Sword Of State who was making headlines across the Tasman on Wednesday. A champion juvenile by Snitzel, Sword Of State retired to the Cambridge nursery after his three-year-old term and was the leading New Zealand-based first season sire at the yearling sales in 2025. Among his progeny to go through the ring at Karaka was a...

Torture inflicts pain on Debutant rivals

Trainers Ben, Will and JD Hayes have unleashed another promising juvenile when two-year-old filly Torture proved too good for her rivals on debut in the Listed Debutant Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield. Sent out a $21 chance, Torture came from just behind the leaders to score by half a length from stablemate Free Flying in the hands of Ethan Brown in what was a professional performance. The well-related filly is the first winner and stakes winner by freshman sire Sword O...

Danjuro puts Didham partnership on the board

By Richard Edmunds, LOVERACING.NZ News DeskThe father-son training partnership of Peter and Trent Didham recorded their first win when Danjuro scored a tough victory in Friday’s The Tele Otaki Handicap (2100m).A fourth generation of trainers was added to the Didham dynasty when 27-year-old Trent joined his father in partnership earlier this month, and the pair made a promising start with two seconds, a fourth and a fifth from their first six starters.The breakthro...

Shaw strikes with Faraglioni’s half-sister

By Richard Edmunds, LOVERACING.NZ News DeskFaraglioni’s retirement has left a big hole in Josh Shaw’s stable this season, but the Group One performer’s half-sister Chart The Stars has started to do her bit to continue the family legacy.Chart The Stars opened her winning account in the second start of her career in the Hoult Contractors & Crowley Forge Master Farriers (1200m) on the Awapuni synthetic track on Sunday.The four-year-old was sent out ...

Taupo success sets up Wanganui return for To Bravery Born

By Richard Edmunds, LOVERACING.NZ News DeskA visit to Wanganui last spring put To Bravery Born on a path towards elite age-group competition, and the son of Snitzel is set to follow a similar formula after another first-up success at Taupo on Sunday.To Bravery Born took out the first two-year-old race of the New Zealand season at Wanganui last year, beating Toretto and Ensign Aria by two lengths over 800m on August 31. The Te ...

Faraglioni to visit City of Troy

By Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News DeskGroup One performer Faraglioni recorded one of her biggest moments on the track when runner-up in last year’s Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m), but she won’t feature in the renamed Proisir Plate at Ellerslie next month.The now seven-year-old daughter of El Roca has been retired to the broodmare paddock after injuring a suspensory ligament in June.“She was getting ready for that fillies and mares race at Tauranga (Listed Tauranga Classic) over 1400m at the...