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Not An Option ready for Randwick Test

Trainer Tony Pike has been overseeing Not An Option's preparation from afar due to New Zealand being in lockdown in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Cambridge trainer opted to leave the son of Not A Single Doubt in the care of Richard Freedman after he elected to bring stable employees Mark Hills and Chris McNab back to New Zealand before the country went into response Alert Level 4. “Not An Option is with Richard Freedman at Rosehill,” Pike said. “He was based beside us when we were...

Righteous reward in Hong Kong

Righteous Mate had only one horse behind him with 300m to race in the Class 4 Pui O Handicap at Sha Tin on Wednesday but rolled past the rest to land a 92/1 shock under Brazilian Vagner Borges. “He’s been running quite well and his last run wasn’t bad either, it’s just he was drawn a little bit wide last week and didn't get the clear run; he pulled up well so I decided to run him back,” trainer Tony Millard said of the New Zealand-bred son of Savabeel. “Today they went very fast up f...

Weekend Wrap Up- 30.3.2020

Things may be quiet on the domestic racing front but three of Curraghmore's New Zealand Bloodstock graduates clocked up wins over the weekend. First off the mark was Kinane (Reliable Man x Tres Rapide) who cleared maiden ranks when successful at Wyong. The Chris Waller-trained three-year-old was having just his third start and was backing up off a runner-up finish a fortnight earlier. Bred by Nearco Stud, Kinane was sold as a weanling through Curraghmore’s 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock May Sale ...

Weekend Runners- 28.3.2020

Good luck to connections of all Cm runners this weekend including:ROSEHILL SATURDAY: Race 7 Vinery Stud S. Gr.1, A$505000 2000m Aspect Ratio (AUS) 2016 (F. by Declaration of War-Poste Restante) (trainer: J G Sargent)  Race 8 Emancipation S. Gr.2, A$202000 1500m Unforgotten (AUS) 2014 (F. by Fastnet Rock-Memories of You) (trainer: C J Waller) ARMIDALE SUNDAY Race 8 De Bortoli Wines H., A$22000 1100m Bridges to Babylon (NZ) 2016 (F. by Proisir-Sarajay) (trainer: Melanie O'Gorman) TASMANIA SUN...

Cm Weekend Wrap Up – 23.3.2020

Tofane justified her connections decision to race her in Group One company this season in Saturday’s Gr.1 The Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill.  The four-year-old Ocean Park mare’s bold run to finish third repaid the faith of her trainer Michael Moroney and we’re sure there’s plenty more in store for her in the future.  Also in Australia on Saturday, we were pleased to see Manolo Blahniq put in an excellent run for sixth in the Listed Hareeba Stakes (1200m) at Mornington, on a track ...

Weekend Runners- 21.03.2020

Good luck to connections of Cm graduates running this weekend including the following:Singapore, Friday (Saturday am NZ Time)01:20 Race 5 Singapore TC Class 3 H., S$70000 1200mRed Dawn (NZ) 2011 (G. by Align-Danness) (trainer: S Baertschiger)03:25 Race 9 Singapore TC  Class 4 H., S$50000 1400m War Frontier (NZ) 2016 (G. by Declaration of War-Bay Star) (trainer: K S Tan)New Zealand, Saturday15:35 Race 7 CJC Sonia and Garry Thompson H., NZ$35000 1200m&n...

Tofane gets another G1 chance in Galaxy

Trainer Mike Moroney reckons jockey Michael Dee will be out to make amends in the Group One Galaxy on Tofane after a luckless unplaced run in the Newmarket Handicap. Tofane, who was bred by Curraghmore's Gordon Cunningham and sold privately to Ballymore Stables, finished seventh in the recent Gr.1 Newmarket (1200m) but Moroney believes the mare should have finished closer after striking traffic issues and being shuffled back before regrouping to finish the race off well. "She's coming off a pret...

Noonan chasing another Mornington feature

Mornington Cup day is special for local trainer Tony Noonan who is hoping to rekindle some good memories when Manolo Blahniq runs in the feature sprint. Noonan won three successive Cups with Gunnamatta but is yet to win the day's feature short-course race, the Listed Hareeba Stakes. Manolo Blahniq lines up in the 1200m race on Saturday with Noonan taking a different path this year with the sprinter. Last year Manolo Blahniq finished seventh in the Hareeba Stakes after racing during the summer wh...

Warwick Farm 1-2 for Curraghmore grads

Curraghmore graduates were on song at Warwick Farm on Wednesday filling the first two placings in the TAB Venue Mode Plate (1400m). The Mark Treloar-bred Good Stock was having his third career start and went straight to the front from the outside gate under a positive ride from Tim Clark. The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained three-year-old was never challenged and cruised away to win by 1.8L. Good Stock, a son of the late Tavistock and Duke of Marmalade mare Big Voices, was purchased in pa...

I'm Incredible nearing racing comeback

Singapore Horse of the Year I’m Incredible is close to making his much-awaited racing comeback after he was seen at his first barrier trial from a break on Tuesday.Last year’s winner of the supreme equine title has not popped up on a racecard since his unplaced run in the Singapore Gold Cup (2000m), blotting a copybook that had up until then featured a five-in-a-row, including a feature race hat-trick blitz, with the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (1800m) in October the career highlight.That late bl...

Weekend Runners- 07.03.2020

Good luck to connections of CM graduates running this weekend including the following:AUSTRALIA SATURDAYRandwick: Race 7 Randwick Guineas Gr.1, A$1007000 1600m Conqueror (AUS) 2016 (C. by Fastnet Rock-Diademe) (trainer: D & B Hayes & T Dabernig) Hawkesbury RC: Race 4 Robert Oatley Wines H., A$33300 1600m Switching to Win (AUS) 2015 (G. by Frankel-Give Me Five) (trainer: P & P Snowden) TTC: Race 6 PFD Food Services H., A$20000 1200m Ruettiger (NZ) 2011 (G. by Duporth-Be Inspired) (trainer: Scott ...

Not An Option gearing up for Aussie campaign

Talented two-year-old Not An Option has crossed the Tasman.The son of Not a Single Doubt was an impressive winner of his first two starts including the Gr.2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m), then placed in the Gr.2 Eclipse Stakes (1200m) before a tough run from a wide gate when unplaced in the Karaka Million 2YO (1200m). “He travelled over with The Bostonian and is set to trial at Randwick on the 12th,” trainer Tony Pike said. “The most likely plan with him is to have two trials, then ru...

Aspect Ratio chasing G1 win

Curraghmore graduate Aspect Ratio will be looking to score an upset victory in Saturday's Gr.1 Surround Stakes.Aspect Ratio will be one of the outsiders at Randwick against a quality field of fillies led by Funstar, Flit, Lyre, Kiamichi and New Zealand raider Probabeel.Last week John Sargent produced a Gr.2 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) upset with Brandenburg and is hoping for a repeat performance. While Sargent is realistic about the chances of pulling off boilover results on successive weekends, ...

Weekend Runners- 28.2.2020

Good luck to connections of all CM graduates running this weekend including: AUSTRALIA FRIDAY Canterbury Park: Race 5 Phil Gilbert Kia H., A$50000 1900m Power Lift (NZ) 2015 (G. by Power-Highflying) (trainer: R & L Price) SINGAPORE FRIDAY Race 5 Class 4 H., S$50000 1400m Beer Garden (NZ) 2016 (G. by Proisir-There's No Doubt) (trainer: Zl Mok) AUSTRALIA SATURDAY Randwick: Race 6 Surround S. Gr.1, A$505000 1400m Aspect Ratio (AUS) 2016 (F. by Declaration of War-Poste Restante) (trainer: J G Sargen...

Weekend Wrap Up- 24.2.2020

Two Curraghmore graduates were in the winner's circle over the weekend. On Friday night Heart of Courage (Fastnet Rock x Myrrh) scored a well-deserved victory in Singapore taking out the Class 5 Handicap over 1100m. The five-year-old gelding, who had been placed at his previous three starts, jumped well and traveled up on the pace behind early leader Uncle Lucky before leveling up on the straight and racing past to win by a length. Bred by Katom, Heart of Courage was purchased by Te Akau Racing ...

Weekend Runners- 14.02.2020

Good luck to all CM graduates running this weekend including:AUSTRALIA SATURDAYFlemington- Race 7 Lightning S. Gr.1, A$737500 1000m Tofane (NZ) 2015 (F. by Ocean Park-Baggy Green) (trainer: M D Moroney) NEW ZEALAND SATURDAY Ellerslie- Race 8 Auckland Co-Op Taxis H., NZ$27500 2100m You're Welcome (AUS) 2015 (G. by Camelot-Chorus of Angels) (trainer: J W Richards) Ascot Park- Race 5 White Robe Lodge H., NZ$25000 2200m Perfecto (NZ) 2014 (G. by Makfi-Springtime Fever) (trainer: Anna Hewitson) ...

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...