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Weekend Runners - 2.11.2019

AUSTRALIA SATURDAY Rosehill- Race 5 TAB H., A$125000 1200m Lisdoonvarna (NZ) 2014 (F. by Super Easy-Axislass) (trainer: Ms A Turner & M Poletti) Newcastle JC- Race 6 Roberts Legal Maiden P., A$35000 1850m Tyrrhenian (NZ) 2015 (G. by Ocean Park-Italian Princess) (trainer: J G Sargent) Flemington-  Race 1 TAB S. Gr.2, A$302000 1200m Long Leaf (AUS) 2015 (C. by Fastnet Rock-Frustrating) (trainer: D & B Hayes & T Dabernig)                   &nbs...

(LONG) Weekend Wrap Up- 29.10.19

In A Twinkling caught punters napping on Labour Day at Te Rapa winning with a defiant performance in the NZB Ready to Run Sale Nov. 21 – 22 Rating 82 (2100m). Beaten a nostril in the G.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) before finishing fifth in both the Gr.2 Tulloch Stakes (2000m) Gr.1 ATC Derby (2400m) in Sydney, In A Twinkling was only a one-win horse but lumbered with 61-kilos. “He was very well within himself and it’s always a thrill to see a slightly out of form horse come back into form wi...

I'm Incredible lands Queen Elizabeth II Cup by a nose

I’m Incredible’s unbelievable run at the highest level keeps soaring to another dimension after he held sway in an outstanding field of some of Kranji’s best stayers to land the S$800,000 SING.Gr.1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (1800m) on Sunday in Singapore. Although the winning margin was razor-thin, the Lope De Vega five-year-old was racking up his fifth win in a row in the second Leg of the Singapore Triple Crown series, with the last two wins coming at Group Three level in the Committee’s ...

Tofane claims Group Three win at Caulfield

A week after a filly in her family raced to a Group One win at Randwick, four-year-old mare Tofane (NZ) (Ocean Park) has claimed a valuable stakes race victory of her own at Caulfield. The Mike Moroney-trained Tofane unleashed a powerful turn of foot under jockey Dwayne Dunn to sweep past her rivals at the business end of Saturday's Gr.3 Bass Strait Beef Steaks (Northwood Plume Stakes), winning the 1200m race for mares by a length. Lightly raced Tofane was runner-up at Group Two level in the Euc...

Weekend Runners- 12.10.2019

Good luck to the connections of CM grads running this weekend:AUSTRALIA SATURDAY  Emerald JC- Race 5 Bentleys Country Cup Challenge H., A$15000 1850m Calypso Bay (NZ) 2012 (G. by High Chaparral-Alagant Satin) (trainer: J H Manzelmann) Hamilton RC- Race 4 Callaghan Motors H., A$22000 2200m Entirely Perfect (NZ) 2009 (G. by Pentire-Clarissa) (trainer: B I Stanaway) Caulfield- Race 2 Weekend Hussler H. L, A$175500 1400m Manolo Blahniq (NZ) 2013 (G. by Jimmy Choux-Floramour) (trainer: A W Noona...

Same again for Age Of Chivalry in Toorak Handicap

Nothing changes for Age Of Chivalry despite Saturday’s Gr.1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield being his first run over 1600m. Curraghmore graduate Age Of Chivalry has relished 1400m at his three previous runs, which have produced two wins and a fighting second to Begood Toya Mother in the Gr.1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes last time out. Sportsbet has Age Of Chivalry as an $8 chance to win the Toorak Handicap at his first go at a mile but co-trainer Simon Zahra said the gelding’s on-pace racin...

Another Oaks filly for Sargent?

Trainer John Sargent has a happy knack for producing quality three year-old fillies that invariably run well in Oaks races and we may have seen a contender for the Gr.1 VRC Oaks at Warwick Farm on Monday.By Declaration of War (USA), who sired this year's Gr.1 BRC Queensland Oaks winner Winning Ways, Aspect Ratio showed her class two starts back when second in the Gr.3 ATC Ming Dynasty Quality and broke the ice for her first win in this 1600 metre maiden. She travelled smoothly back in the f...

Cup week spoils lure He Kin Fly

Christchurch trainer Neill Ridley will get a tangible assessment of his chances with He Kin Fly in the Gr.2 Coupland's Bakeries Mile (1600m) during New Zealand Cup week after the son of Darci Brahma runs at Riccarton on Saturday. The seven-year-old gelding will tackle the Coupland's Bakeries Mile Trial (1400m) as a stepping stone towards the Group Two feature on November 13 and has pleased Ridley in his lead up. He Kin Fly was no match for Melody Belle when he finished 12th resuming in the Gr.1 ...

Weekend Runners- 27.9.19

AUSTRALIA FRIDAY Moonee Valley- Race 2 Bill Stutt S. Gr.2, A$201500 1600m Conqueror (AUS) 2016 (C. by Fastnet Rock-Diademe) (trainer: D & B Hayes & T Dabernig) SINGAPORE FRIDAY  Race 7 Class 2 H., S$85000 1200m Sacred Sham (NZ) 2013 (G. by O'Reilly-Mexican Rose) (trainer: M W Walker) AUSTRALIA SATURDAY Dawson JC- Race 4 Phipps Family Trust H., A$8550 1400m Granola State (NZ) 2013 (G. by Cape Blanco-Tip the Wink) (trainer: R T Hay) Twin Hills RC- Race 4 Twin Hills Cup, A$12050 1300m Calypso ...

Failure Not An Option for promising juvenile

Tony Pike went to Karaka in January in search of his next potential star and he may just have found him. Promising juvenile Not An Option is part of a colts syndicate Pike formed prior to the sale and the son of Not A Single doubt has quickly repaid his trainer’s faith, winning on debut at Counties on Sunday. “It was a good performance,” Pike said. “We really wanted to barrier trial him again but with Avondale being an extremely heavy track and obviously the long trek up to Ruakaka wasn�...

Weekend Wrap-Up: 23.09.2019

The weekend kicked off with a bang after I'm Incredible scored his second consecutive feature win in Singapore in the S$150,000 Gr.3 Ultima El Dorado Classic (2000m) on Friday night.Sold out of the Curraghmore draft for $260,000 during the Premier session of the 2016 National Yearling Sale, I'm Incredible won two trials in Australia under the name Miraculous Moment before being on-sold to his Singapore owner for whom he has now won five of his 11 starts.2016 has proved to be a star-studded ...

Aspect Ratio under the radar in G2

John Sargent reckons his Gr.2 Tea Rose Stakes contender Aspect Ratio has snuck under the guard of punters as boom three-year-old Libertini maintains a stranglehold on the market. The winner of the Silver Shadow and Furious Stakes, Libertini is the $1.85 favourite to add the Tea Rose (1400m) to her resume, despite being untested on heavy tracks and rising 200 metres in distance. Sargent saddles up rival runners Aspect Ratio and Emeralds who at $81 and $61 respectively rank among the outsiders of ...

I'm Incredible one step closer to Gold after conquering El Dorado

Rising staying star I’m Incredible showed that his first feature success coming off a Class 4 win was no fluke when he did it again for a second consecutive ‘black type’ race win in the S$150,000 Gr.3 Ultima El Dorado Classic (2000m) on Friday night. The Lope De Vega five-year-old sent many form analysts in a spin when he took out the Gr.3 Committee’s Prize (1600m) at his last start one month ago, on the back of a win in Class 4 company, no doubt explosive, but still not the best formlin...

Curraghmore grad ready to shine

Jamie Richards is hoping In A Twinkling will show his star quality at Hastings on Saturday. The son of Fastnet Rock was slightly disappointing when finishing seventh first-up over 1400m at Ruakaka last month, but Richards is expecting a better showing when he lines-up in the Fasttrack Insurance 2000. “I thought his first-up run was okay,” he said. “He got caught three deep with no cover and I just don’t think he is as good right-handed as what he is left-handed. “I know that sounds a ...

Weekend runners 20-9-2019

Good luck to the following CM graduates running over the weekend:SINGAPORE FRIDAYRace 8 El Dorado Classic L, S$150000 2000m I'm Incredible (AUS) 2014 (G. by Lope de Vega-Moment in Time) (trainer: S Baertschiger) AUSTRALIA SATURDAY Randwick- Race 2 Schweppes H., A$125000 1400m Lisdoonvarna (NZ) 2014 (F. by Super Easy-Axislass) (trainer: Ms A Turner & M Poletti)                  Race 3 Shoot Out Mile H., A$125000 1600m Rodrico (AUS) 2012 (G. by High Cha...

Tofane chasing stakes victory at Caulfield

Off the back of a last-start win at The Valley, lightly raced Tofane is set for a return to stakes racing in the Gr.3 How Now Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield. Tofane has been installed second favourite for Saturday's race for mares at $7.50, with in-form Pippie the clear-cut favourite at $2.30. Tofane was runner-up in the Gr.2 Euclase Stakes (1200m) in Adelaide for three-year-olds last season at her fourth career start and Moroney has held ambitions to run her in some of the Group races for mares th...

Chivalry ready to come of age in Group One

Progressive gelding Age Of Chivalry (He’s Remarkable) will look to continue on his steep upward trajectory when he takes his chance in the Gr.1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday.The four-year-old gelding has won his two most recent starts this campaign which co-trainer Simon Zahra said did not come as a surprise and revealed the plan to aim Age Of Chivalry at the Group One feature this weekend has been a long time in the making. Age Of Chivalry, who was last seen defeating...

Tofane tops at The Valley

Trainer Michael Moroney had been confident of a strong performance from Group Two performer Tofane leading into Saturday and the four-year-old mare did not disappoint. Tofane was second-up in the Pfd Food Services (1200m) at Moonee Valley and despite having to travel three-wide most of the trip, she had plenty in the tank to collar leader Haut Brion Hur (Zoustar) with 100m to go and went on to win by .3L. “She got the right spot to a degree,” Moroney said. “I thought she did a really good ...

Age of Chivalry continues winning run

Age of Chivalry delivered a brave front running performance at Caulfield on Saturday notching up two wins from as many starts on the Melbourne track. The Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra-trained four-year-old was backing up from his last-start win a fortnight ago and had undergone an interrupted preparation due to an injury after being kicked by the interview pony after his last success. “He hasn’t had a plain-sailing fortnight coming into today either courtesy of the pony here two weeks ago...

Makdanife produces huge form turnaround

New Zealand-bred stayer Makdanife had his connections scratching their heads after he went from a dismal last seven days ago on the Gold Coast, to a tough win at Eagle Farm on Saturday. The Chris Waller trained Makdanife won a slogging battle with fellow kiwi-bred Ocean Addict to score by a short neck in the Country Music Raceday Handicap (2400m). Waller's Gold Coast manager Paul Shailer said he was at a loss to explain Makdanife's poor run at the Gold Coast. "We had the vets go right over him a...

Weekend Runners- 30.8.19

Spring racing gets underway this weekend. Good luck to connections of the following Curraghmore graduates running on the domestic and international front. SINGAPORE FRIDAY Race 8- Class 2 H., S$85000 1200m Sacred Sham (NZ) 2013 (G. by O'Reilly-Mexican Rose) (trainer: M WALKER) AUSTRALIA SATURDAY Rosehill- Race 7 Ming Dynasty H. Gr.3, A$161000 1400m Aspect Ratio (AUS) 2016 (F. by Declaration of War-Poste Restante) (trainer: J G Sargent) Eagle Farm- Race 3 Country Music Raceday H., A$75000 2400m M...

Age of Chivalry recovers in time for Caulfield

Luck has deserted Age Of Chivalry from the moment he crossed the line for a last start win at Caulfield on August 17. The graduate of Curraghmore's 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run draft led throughout to win the Benchmark 84 race over 1400m but not even the post-race interview went to plan. The gelding was kicked by the racing.com interviewer’s pony with the injury severe enough to warrant three days’ treatment.  “It took him a while to get over the kick he copped and he didn...

Avdulla says don't forget Unforgotten

Brenton Avdulla is rapt to be aboard Unforgotten in the first major race of the season, believing she can be the horse to emerge from the shadow of former stablemate Winx. Any number of horses are bidding to fill the void left by the retirement of the champion although Winx's incredible career statistics, including a world record 25 Group One wins, are not likely to be bettered any time soon. Unforgotten, who was sold through Curraghmore's 2016 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier yearling draft, was ...

Tofane out to boost rating at Sandown

Trainer Mike Moroney has stakes race plans in the spring for Group-placed Tofane but first the lightly raced mare needs to boost her rating. Moroney hopes Tofane, who was bred by Gordon Cunningham before being sold privately to Ballymore Stables, can start the process at Sandown on Wednesday when the four-year-old daughter of Ocean Park resumes in the MRC Membership Renewal Handicap (1000m). Tofane, who has a handicap rating of 73, has won one of her four races and will be having her first start...

Baertschiger pulls off Incredible feat in Committee's Prize

Shane Baertschiger followed in his father's footsteps on Sunday claiming the SING Gr.3 Committee's Prize (1600m) in Singapore with Curraghmore graduate I'm Incredible.  Winning the same feature race his father captured 19 years ago and by coincidence in almost identical pink colours bore a special meaning to Baertschiger, especially after he was teasingly called “crazy” when he said he would run a last-start Class 4 winner in the race. Rated only 69 and dwarfed by the other 10 riva...