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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...

Age of Chivalry salutes at Caulfield

Age of Chivalry scored his first win of the season when proving too strong for his rivals in the Blue Star Print Handicap (1400m). The four-year-old son of He’s Remarkable dictated the pace up front under a controlled ride from Damian Lane before accelerating away to win by 1.3L from fellow New Zealand-bred Rox The Castle. “We were a bit worried before the race, he was a bit fresh around the back when we were saddling him,” co-trainer Mathew Ellerton said. “He had his raceday head on aro...

Age Of Chivalry springs into Valley test

A physically stronger Age Of Chivalry (He's Remarkable) will step out for the first time at The Valley as he embarks on a campaign towards rich spring handicaps. The Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra-trained gelding runs in Saturday's Four'N Twenty Handicap (1200m), his first outing since March. A veteran of six starts which have yielded two wins, Age Of Chivalry was his own worst enemy during a four-start autumn campaign with waywardness costing him success in the Gr.3 C S Hayes Stakes at Fleming...

Guineas target for million-dollar colt

Million-dollar Karaka yearling, Conqueror, broke maiden ranks in impressive fashion when demolishing his rivals by seven lengths over 1400m at Pakenham on Tuesday for the Lindsay Park team of David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig. The two-year-old colt by Fastnet Rock out of Group One winning Savabeel mare Diademe sports the navy blue colours of Coolmore who race the colt in conjunction with some high-profile partners. Sent out a $1.45 favourite, Conqueror comfortably found the lead in the hand...

Family Leader gets HK win

If there was a title for the fittest jockey in Hong Kong, Vincent Ho would certainly be a contender and the many hours spent hitting pads in the gym paid off for him in the Class 4 Wong Chuk Wan Handicap (1800m) at Happy Valley on Wednesday night. The rider had to niggle the Caspar Fownes-trained Family Leader from the outset to race in fifth spot, and, through pelting rain, he was hard at it before the field of 12 had reached the 600m pole. There was no respite for the jockey’s busy arms: a c...

Dominic on the board

Four-year-old gelding Dominic scored the first win of him fledgling career at Kranji on Sunday night.  The Saimee Jumaat-trained son of Rock ‘N’ Pop made a late barnstorming run home to win the Class 5 1200m event, by a narrow margin, over Don’t Worry and the more experienced Fighting Warrior.  Bred in partnership by Austramore Pty Ltd, Calder Bloodstock Ltd and Gordon Cunningham, Dominic is the fifth foal out of Gr.2 City of Auckland Cup winner and multiple stakes performer High...

Weights to decide Asgard Massif assignment

Trainer John Sadler will study the weights for Asgard Massif in a couple of races before deciding on an attempt at a third straight win at Sandown. Asgard Massif, who was sold through Curraghmore's 2017 Ready To Run draft, has been nominated for Saturday's fifth heat of the Silver Bowl Series (1400m) against his own age and heat six of the VRC/CRV Winter Championship (1600m) against older horses. Sadler is favouring the Silver Bowl but will not make a decision until weights are published on Tues...

Cm double at Kranji on Friday

Curraghmore graduations provided a winning double in Singapore on Friday.  Heart of Courage  winning the fourth race on the card, the open maiden over 1200m.  The Fastnet Rock four-year-old by Fastnet Rock out of winning Massipour mare Myrrh, was purchased by David Ellis for $510,000 out of Curraghmore’s 2016 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale draft.  He is a half-brother to Gr.1 AJC Doncaster Handicap and multiple Group winner Triple Honour and multiple race...

Massif win at Caulfield

Apprentice jockey Teo Nugent made the most of his first race ride for in-form trainer John Sadler when he partnered Fastnet Rock gelding Asgard Massif to victory at Caulfield on Saturday. For Nugent, it was just his fifth career city success but his 70th overall this season as the 20-year-old extended his lead in the race for apprentice honours in Victoria in 2018/19. But while Nugent can look forward to future successes at Caulfield, it is an unlikely scenario for Asgard Massif with the horse...

He Kin Fly set for season finale

Trainer Neill Ridley has a strong hand in the Gavelhouse.com (1200m) at his home trackof Riccarton on Friday. Ridley prepares the two top-weights of the open handicap field, He Kin Fly (60kg) who was sold as a weanling through Curraghmore's 2013 New Zealand Bloodstock May Sale draft, and Price Oz (58kg). “Both Prince Oz and He Kin Fly have been going pretty well, but this will be their last run for the season and then they’ll be going out in the paddock,” Ridley said. Former Hong Kong gal...

Manolo Blahniq fresh for Flemington tilt

Tony Noonan is hopeful Manolo Blahniq can strike winning form again ahead of a trip north for a Group One assignment in Brisbane. Manolo Blahniq lines up in Saturday's Listed Straight Six at Flemington as a lead-in to the Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm on June 8. Noonan struggled to find a suitable 1200m race ahead of the 1400m of the Stradbroke with Manolo Blahniq having not raced since finishing second in the Victoria Handicap at Caulfield on April 20. A week in the paddock after his last s...

Emerging bloodstock agent strikes at Karaka

Cambridge bloodstock agent Bevan Smith made a pleasing start to his solo bloodstock career at New Zealand Bloodstock’s May Sale at Karaka on Friday, taking home lot 83, the Tivaci filly out of Group Three performer Sitting on a Hill for $95,000 which was the joint top priced weanling of the sale. Formerly with Mulcaster Bloodstock, Smith branched out on his own earlier this year and he was delighted to take home his pick of the sale. “It is the first purchase under my own banner, it’s grea...

Massif win at Sandown

Asgard Massif may cost any potential new owner a few extra dollars after an impressive all-the-way win at Sandown on Wednesday. Trainer John Sadler revealed Asgard Massif is on the market as Singapore-based surgeon Dr Tan Kai Chah reduces his worldwide thoroughbred numbers. Asgard Massif, who was sold out of Curraghmore's Ready To Run draft in 2017, is a son of Jolie's Shinju who won the Singapore Triple Crown, including the Singapore Derby, for Dr Tan in 2009 before travelling to Australia for ...

Monday Wrap Up- 06.05.19

Curraghmore graduates have been making headlines this week due to their success in sale ring as well as on the racetrack.Maastricht became the second Curraghmore graduate in three years to top the Inglis Chairman's Sale in Sydney after Provocative led the way in 2017. Sold as a yearling in 2013 Maastricht has developed into a highly sought after broodmare commodity and is the newest addition to Coolmore's breeding ranks after being knocked down to their bid of A$2.25m.At the races the well-trave...

He Kin Fly makes it four on end with Easter Stakes victory

Well-travelled galloper He Kin Fly continued his recent purple patch of form when he notched his fourth win on end when taking out the Listed Daphne Bannan Memorial Great Easter Stakes (1400m) at Riccarton. The Darci Brahma six-year-olds first two wins were recorded out of the Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman stable in New Zealand before being sold to Hong Kong interests in 2016. He Kin Fly raced five times in Hong Kong, recording a win in Class 3 company, before injury resulted in his return to ...

Gold Mag after Flemington success

The Lindsay Park stable is hoping there is moisture in the Flemington circuit for lightly raced Gold Mag when he runs in a restricted race. His trainers expected big things from the four-year-old after he won his first two starts but he raced another four times without success until he ran on a wet track at Warwick Farm on March 27. While Saturday's Apache Cat Handicap (1620m) will be his first start since, Gold Mag ran fifth in a Randwick trial behind the talented Luvaluva on April 26. Co-train...

Maastricht tops Chairman's

Maastricht proved to be the prized gem of the Inglis Chairman's Sale on Friday night topping the auction when sold to Coolmore for A$2.25m. Maastricht is the dam of star filly Loving Gaby who is the current second highest rated 2YO filly in Australia. Currently in foal again to champion stallion I Am Invincible (who is also the sire of Loving Gaby), Maastricht is destined for a date with Coolmore's Triple Crown winner Justify in his first season at stud in Australia later this year. “She’s a...

Red Dawn rises again

Red Dawn (Align) was yet another horse to take advantage of the new class ratings bands after he bounced back to the winner’s circle in Singapore on Friday night for the first time in exactly two years. The seven-year-old son of Align, who was sold as a weanling through Curraghmore's 2012 New Zealand Bloodstock draft, had not greeted the judge since the last of his previous six wins recorded in Class 3 company on April 21, 2017. What ensued in 22 subsequent starts for the Auric Stable-owned ga...

Manolo Blahniq favourite for Vic Handicap

A Queensland campaign featuring Brisbane's signature race could be on the cards for Manolo Blahniq if the gelding makes his mark in the Gr.3 Victoria Handicap at Caulfield. The Tony Noonan-trained Manolo Blahniq, who was purchased out of Curraghmore's 2015 New Zealand Bloodstock draft, has not had the best of luck in his recent races but Noonan is hoping that changes for the sprinter-miler in Saturday's Group Three event over 1400m. Manolo Blahniq was second to Naantali in the Listed Anniversary...

Weekend Runners- Easter 2019

Good luck to connections of CM graduates running over the Easter weekend.SINGAPORE FRIDAY Race 5 Class 4 H., S$50000 1100m Red Dawn (NZ) 2011 (G. by Align-Danness) (trainer: S BAERTSCHIGER) Race 7 Class 3 H., S$70000 1000m Sacred Sham (NZ) 2013 (G. by O'Reilly-Mexican Rose)(trainer: M WALKER) AUSTRALIA SATURDAY Randwick Race 2 Ranvet Power Formula H., A$125000 1200m Tribal Wisdom (AUS) 2013 (G. by Makfi-Platinum Passion) (trainer: M D Moroney) Gold Coast Turf Club Heineken Gold Coast C...

Weekend Runners- 13.04.19

Good luck to the connections of CM runners competing this weekend including: AUSTRALIA SATURDAY Randwick: Race 1 Kings of Sydney Sport Mile H. L, A$150000 1600m Aspect Ratio (AUS) 2016 (F. by Declaration of War-Poste Restante) (trainer: J G Sargent)                   Race 6 Australian Oaks Gr.1, A$1114500 2400m Bye Bye Belle (NZ) 2015 (F. by Cape Blanco-Teardrop Island) (trainer: M C Kent)                  ...

Weekend Wrap Up- 08.04.19

It was another successful weekend for Curraghmore graduates with two additional winners and a stakes performer added to the tally for the season. Goko (O'Reilly) capitalised on a great run of form to win in Hong Kong on Sunday night. A graduate of Curraghmore's 2014 New Zealand Bloodstock weanling draft, Goko has run in the money in each of his last four starts and scored a deserved victory in the Class 3 race over 1000m. On Saturday Manolo Blahniq (Jimmy Choux) ran a good second in the Listed A...

Weekend Runners 05.04.19

SINGAPORE FRIDAY Race 5 War Affair S., S$30000 1400m Dominic (NZ) 2014 (G. by Rock 'n' Pop-Highflying) (trainer: J SAIMEE) AUSTRALIA SATURDAY Randwick Race 3 Adrian Knox S. Gr.3, A$201000 2000m Bye Bye Belle (NZ) 2015 (F. by Cape Blanco-Teardrop Island) (trainer: M C Kent)                 Race 5 Chairman's H. Gr.2, A$302000 2600m Rodrico (AUS) 2012 (G. by High Chaparral-Truly a Beauty) (trainer: Bjorn Baker)              ...