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Tofane’s Lightning stepping stone

In-form trainer Mike Moroney will use Saturday’s Gr.1 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) as a stepping stone for Tofane (NZ) (Ocean Park) as he targets the G1 Newmarket Handicap with rising sprinter. The four-year-old will resume from a spell in Saturday’s A$750,000 feature race, with Moroney keen to give her more experience down the straight ahead of her first target race. Moroney said the Lightning was the perfect race for Tofane to resume in. “The main first target is going to be the Newmar...

Cm graduate named Horse of the Year

Gr.1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (1800m) winner I’m Incredible (Lope De Vega) was crowned 2019 Singapore Horse of the Year on Thursday evening.  The characteristically on-pace galloper won five consecutive races last year culminating with a trio of stakes wins – the Gr.3 Committee’s Prize (1600m), gr.3 Ultima El Dorado Classic (2000m) and the Gr.1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup. The five-year-old gelding joins an elite list of Singapore Horse of the Year honourees including: Elite Invincible (2018...

Open company a doddle for Mr Intelligence

Owner-trainer duo Nikki and Barrie Blatch are eyeing black type with their $4,750 gavelhouse.com purchase Mr Intelligence, who was dominant when stepping out against open company for the first time on Saturday. The son of Niagara was sold in March 2018 as a two-year-old and in two seasons he has raced on 17 occasions to return the stable over $44,000 with Saturday’s win his third. Born and raised at Gordon Cunningham’s Curraghmore, he was prepared for the Ready to Run Sale however as his ad...

Failure Not An Option for Karaka Million aspirant

Trainer Tony Pike is confident smart two-year-old Not An Option will be hard to beat in Saturday’s $1 million Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) at Ellerslie. The attractive colt by Not A Single Doubt has won two of his three starts to date, including the Gr.2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m). Despite having his colours lowered by Play That Song in the Gr.2 Eclipse Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie earlier this month, Pike believes Not An Option can turn the tables on Saturday. The Cambridge horseman gav...

Taroni set for Karaka Million

Showcasing filly Taroni will be vying to make it back-to-back wins in the Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) at Ellerslie on Saturday for Brendan and Jo Lindsay. The Cambridge Stud principals won last year’s edition with Probabeel and will have two chances in this year’s race with Not An Option and Taroni who were both consigned by Curraghmore at the 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale. Taroni has had the two starts to date for a runner-up performance on debut and a last start victory over 110...

Hayes keen to conquer Ellerslie again

Victorian trainer David Hayes will be in New Zealand later this week as he puts the finishing touches on three-year-old colt Conqueror ahead of Saturday’s $1 million Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m). The good looking son of Fastnet Rock and Kiwi Group One winner Diademe will be out to replicate his year older former barn-mate Long Leaf, who plundered the prize when successful in the race last year. Hayes, who trains in partnership with son Ben and nephew Tom Dabernig, can’t fault the prep...

Pike gearing up for Karaka assault

As he puts the finishing touches on star juvenile Not An Option’s bid for the $1m Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) at Ellerslie later this month, Cambridge trainer Tony Pike is already well into the operational requirements for the second phase of his Colts Syndicate initiative that he successfully launched in 2019. Pike put together a war chest from a group of investors to target a handful of well-bred colts during the National Yearling Sale at Karaka last year in the hopes of developing a future s...

James McDonald to ride Conqueror in NZ

Premier Sydney jockey James McDonald will ride Curraghmore graduate Conqueror in the Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m) as he and the Lindsay Park stable chase back-to-back wins in the race at Ellerslie on January 25th. They combined to win in 2019 with fellow Curraghmore graduate Long Leaf and McDonald will ride Conqueror for the first time in the $1 million race for graduates of the Karaka sale. Like Long Leaf last season, Conqueror was placed in the Sandown Guineas at the back end of the Melb...

Curraghmore grad conquers Caulfield

Curraghmore are hoping history repeats at Ellerslie later this month when Conqueror (Fastnet Rock x Diademe) takes his place in the Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m).The Cambridge Farm produced the winner of the 2019 edition Long Leaf (Fastnet Rock x Frustrating), who is the now-retired Lindsay Park Racing stablemate of the Group-performed colt Conqueror was resuming from a let-up with to win at Caulfield on Saturday. Having his first start since finishing second in the Gr.2 Sandown Guineas (16...

Curraghmore grads celebrate at Awapuni

Curraghmore graduates brought up a winning double at the Marton Jockey Club's Cup meeting at Awapuni on Saturday. First to enter the winner's circle was Blue on Black (Camelot x Arlington Rock) who was resuming after an eight month spell. The Anne Herbert-trained four-year-old jumped cleanly in the Southern Rangitikei Veterinary Services 1400 and travelled one off the leader under Trudy Thornton. Once on the straight he responded to Thornton's urgings and strode clear of his rivals to hold off a...

Private Thoughts picks up Randwick win

A missed opportunity for a provincial win has had a silver lining for Private Thoughts (Snitzel) who has instead racked up a metropolitan victory at Randwick. Private Thoughts was supposed to run at Gosford on Tuesday but the meeting was called off after two races because of extreme heat. Trainer John O’Shea fortuitously kept her in the Yulong Australia Handicap (1000m) at Randwick on Wednesday and the filly delivered to give the stable the middle leg of a winning treble to start the new year ...

Three-year-old to conquer Caulfield

Curraghmore graduate Conqueror (Fastnet Rock x Diademe) will be racing for a trip to New Zealand for a rich sales-restricted race when he returns from a short break at Caulfield on Saturday. The Lindsay Park Racing-trained Conqueror will run in a benchmark 78 race over 1400m on as a lead-up to the $1 million Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie on January 25. Former Lindsay Park stablemate and fellow Curraghmore graduate, the recently retired Long Leaf, won the Ellerslie feature race ...

Taroni tops at Ellerslie

Curraghmore graduate Taroni (Showcasing x Alagant Satin) secured her spot in next month’s Karaka Million with a win in the Stella Artois 2YO (1100m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day. It was the second start for the daughter of Showcasing who was relegated to second on debut in November for causing interference. This time nothing was left open for dispute with the two-year-old filly racing in fourth spot before hitting the front 200 metres from home. She then let down nicely to win in effortless fash...

Weaponry wins at Tauranga

Southland Guineas winner Weaponry recorded his fourth career win for the Te Akau Weaponry Syndicate on Friday at Tauranga.Taking luck out of the equation in a small field of five, jockey Chelsea Burdan had Weaponry outside the leader and although tackled in earnest at the 200m, he lifted stylishly to justify favouritism in the Rob Pinny Realty R72 (1400m). On footing rated Dead4, he ran the 1400m in 1:23.8 and paid $2.50 & $1.30 on the NZ TAB tote. “He was very good the other day Awa...

Weekend Wrap Up- December 9 2019

It was a successful weekend at the track for Curraghmore graduates with three runners recording victories. Nerve not Verve (Shocking x Bilancia) was the first to score when successful at Moonee Valley on Friday night. The four-year-old mare was bred by Graeme Hunt, co-breeder of Efficient, and purchased by Bruce Perry out of Curraghmore’s 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock select draft for $60,000. Like Tofane, she is another Curraghmore graduate delivering for the Ballymore Stable. Nerve not Verve a...

Defeat not an option for Wakefield winner

Cambridge visitor Not An Option showed he will be a force to be reckoned with in the juvenile features this season when he produced a powerful finishing burst to take out the Gr.2 Platinum Homes Taranaki Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m) at Trentham. The regally bred Not A Single Doubt colt is from multiple stakes winning mare Chintz and turned plenty of heads when he made a winning debut at Pukekohe back in September when successful over 800m. Patiently handled by trainer Tony Pike, Not An Opt...

Weekend Runners- 6.12.2019

Good luck to all CM grads running this weekend:MORNINGTON FRIDAY Race 4 Ladbrokes Back Yourself Maiden P., A$23000 1200m Fezforsure (NZ) 2013 (G. by Pour Moi-Ferazzure) (trainer: D J Cave) SINGAPORE FRIDAY Race 9 Class 4 H., S$50000 1200m Beer Garden (NZ) 2016 (G. by Proisir-There's No Doubt) (trainer: Zl Mok) AUSTRALIA SATURDAY Newcastle JC- Race 4 Jarrad Mitchell Construction Maiden P., A$33300 900m Private Thoughts (AUS) 2016 (F. by Snitzel-Tip the Wink) (trainer: J A O'Shea) Pakenham RC- Rac...

Failure isn’t an option for gun Pike colt

There's no denying Cambridge trainer Tony Pike's strong personal attachment to a two-year-old he believes is his best chance of winning a Karaka Million yet. Pike will produce exciting Not A Single Doubt colt Not An Option in Saturday's Gr.2 Platinum Homes Taranaki Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m) at Trentham, the unbeaten two-year-old's next step towards a start in the $1 million Karaka Million (1200m) at Ellerslie on January 25. And while it's the ability that has seen Not An Option win twic...

Pike has options for Curraghmore graduate

Cambridge trainer Tony Pike has a few races in consideration for smart two-year-old Not An Option (Not A Single Doubt). The winner of his only raceday start at Counties, Not An Option won a trial at Cambridge on Tuesday over 800m and looks one of the early lamplighters amongst the juvenile division.   “I was really happy with his trial,” Pike said. “Obviously, the first time he trialled back in August he was a bit fired up on the speed but won. Then he led on the fence on race...

AUDIO: Jamie Richards

Trackside Radio’s Des Coppins speaks with trainer Jamie Richards after In A Twinkling’s win in the Gr.3 Counties Cup (2100m) on Saturday. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN...

In A Twinkling stars in Counties Cup

A brilliant front-running ride by Opie Bosson aboard In A Twinkling saw the pair combine to take out the Gr.3 Ssangyong Counties Cup (2100m) on Saturday. Sporting the tangerine and blue colours of Te Akau Racing, In A Twinkling and Bosson dictated play from the moment the field for the Group Three feature race left the starting gates. Allowed some soft sectionals throughout the middle stages, Bosson upped the tempo on the Fastnet Rock four-year-old with 600m to run and immediately had his neares...

Manolo Blahniq Railway bound

Manolo Blahniq (NZ) (Jimmy Choux) will make the trip to Perth to run in Saturday’s Gr.1 Railway Stakes, with connections confident he will gain his spot in the A$1million 1600m feature. The six year-old was scratched from Saturday’s Sandown Stakes (1500m) on the morning of the race, but trainer Tony Noonan is confident the small setback won’t impact on his Railway’ chances. “I wasn’t happy with his blood picture, I was happy with him but I wasn’t happy with what his blood work was ...

Weekend Runners- 16.11.19

Good luck to all CM runners racing this weekend:AUSTRALIA SATURDAYIllawarra TC- Race 6 Southern IML Pathology H., A$35000 1200m Power Lift (NZ) 2015 (G. by Power-Highflying) (trainer: R & L Price) Sandown- Race 4 Sandown S. Gr.3, A$160750 1500m Manolo Blahniq (NZ) 2013 (G. by Jimmy Choux-Floramour) (trainer: A W Noonan)                  Race 7 Sandown Guineas Gr.2, A$251000 1600m Conqueror (AUS) 2016 (C. by Fastnet Rock-Diademe) (trainer: D & B Hayes ...

Karaka Million option for Conqueror

Could Curraghmore produce another Karaka Million 3YO winner?Three-year-old Conqueror (Fastnet Rock) could follow in the footsteps of stablemate and fellow Curraghmore graduate Long Leaf (Fastnet Rock) and target the Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m) after he contests the Gr.2 Sandown Guineas (1600m) on Saturday. Long Leaf won the Ellerslie million dollar feature in January, two starts after a Sandown Guineas placing and Lindsay Park co-trainer Tom Dabernig said the rich sales-restricted race on...

Tofane strikes at Flemington

Tofane scored her second consecutive Group Three victory when successful at Flemington on Saturday. Jockey Dwayne Dunn steered the Mike Moroney-trained Tofane to a 1-1/4-length success in Saturday's Gr.3 Furphy Sprint (1100m) for mares at Flemington, bringing up a winning double on the program for the jockey. Tofane defeated Pippie with Miss Iano another three quarters of a length away third. "It's been an excellent day," Dunn said. "I thought I had some really good chances coming into today and...