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New role beckons stakes winner

Absolut Excelencia is likely to be seen out in a new role in the coming months. The winner of 10 races, including the Listed Gore Guineas, will be in action on both days of the Marlborough meeting on Friday and Sunday before a change of tack. "He's going to Sam Logan to get his jumping ticket," said Kenny Rae, who trains the gelding with his wife Lisa and their daughter Krystal Williams. "He's a genuine old horse and he jumps well, but we'll take it a step at a time with him." - NZ Racing ...

Heroic Valour progressing well

Group One winner Heroic Valour enjoyed a quiet trial at Hawkesbury on Monday ahead of his Queensland campaign. The Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards-trained colt finished third in his 1000 metre heat without being out under any pressure. The three-year-old will make his Australian debut in the Gr.3 Gold Coast Guineas on May 6 with Richards confirming that Opie Bosson will take the ride. Providing Heroic Valour races up to expectations, the Gr.1 Darley Kingsford Smith Cup at Eagle Farm on...

Change to top colt's Australian programme

An abandoned domestic meeting prompted New Zealand Group One winner Heroic Valour's early arrival in Australia. "He's going to run in the Gold Coast Guineas on May 6 and he was going to have a gallop between races at Taupo, but when they were called off we decided to get him over here," said co-trainer Jamie Richards from Sydney. "He's going to have a trial at Hawkesbury on Monday and then head up to Brisbane on Wednesday with Shocking Luck. "We were looking at the Doomben 10,000 as his ...

Red Dawn rises again

Curraghmore weanling sale graduate Red Dawn posted the sixth win of his career in Singapore overnight. Purchased by Mr SP and Mrs KC Engelbrecht out of Curraghmore's 2012 New Zealand Bloodstock Weanling Sale Draft for $21,000, Red Dawn has proved to be a star in both the sales ring and on the racetrack. The handsome chestnut was re-presented at Karaka at Karaka as a two-year-old raising $170,000, a $149,000 profit, when purchased by trainer Shane Baertschinger out of Westbury Stud's 2013 N...

Three in a row for Gorgeous Again

Gorgeous Again (Fastnet Rock x Ocean Pearl) made it three wins in a row in Hong Kong overnight. He was purchased out of our 2014 NZB Premier Yearling Sale draft by the HKJC for $400,000. Now trained by Danny Shum he has so far collected HK$1,426,950 for his owners Mr & Mrs Yip Kong Wah. Check out the replay of his latest win here: http://racing.hkjc.com/racing/video/play.asp?type=......

Pitman team enjoying Riverton sunshine

The father and son training partnership of Michael and Matthew Pitman stamped their mark on the opening day of the Riverton Easter Carnival on Saturday when they produced four winners from their eight runners at the meeting. O'Kiwi and Prince Ransom got them away to a flying start with wins in the first two races on the day before Jazzman and Dynamic added further success later in the programme. It was just reward for the partnership with Pitman senior a noted supporter of the traditional two-...

First Seal retired

Group One winning five-year-old First Seal (Fastnet Rock) has been retired following a customarily brave performance to finish sixth in Saturday's Queen of the Turf Stakes. First Seal retires with a race record of six wins and over $1.2 million in prizemoney in a 21-start career, hampered by hoof issues. Showing promise to finish fourth on debut as a two-year-old, her three-year-old season was truly remarkable. She had the wood on the mighty Winx, defeating her on three occasions, in the Gr...

Provocative $1,200,000

Group One winning Curraghmore graduate Provocative (NZ) (Zabeel) has topped the Inglis Chairman's Sale after Paul Willetts went to $1.2m to secure the mare presented by Newgate Farm. Bred by Nearco Stud Limited, Provocative is by the late champion New Zealand sire Zabeel (Sir Tristram), Provocative won four of her eight starts for New Zealand-based trainer Tony Pike, including the last year's Queensland Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m). The four-year-old mare, who was offered in foal to Tavistock, is out ...

First Seal in peak condition

First Seal (Fastnet Rock) is in peak condition ahead of the Coolmore Legacy Stakes (registered as the Queen Of The Turf Stakes) (Gr 1, 1600m) at Randwick tomorrow, according to trainer John Thompson. The Group One-winning mare has had two starts this preparation, running down the field in the Coolmore Classic (registered as the TAD Kennedy Stakes) (Gr 1, 1500m) on 11 March before finishing third in the Sunline Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m) at Moonee Valley most recently. Thompson said yesterday that ...

Smart filly heading offshore

Group performer What Choux Want will do her future racing in Australia. The daughter of Jimmy Choux has won two races from Andrew Carston's Riccarton stable and last season she also placed in the Gr.2 Matamata Breeders' Stakes, the Listed Welcome Stakes and ran a meritorious fifth in the Karaka Million. This term, What Choux Want has finished fourth at Listed level in both the Canterbury Belle Stakes and the Gore Guineas before heading north again. She finished sixth and less than three le...

Tribal Wisdom earns well deserved black-type

Despite not getting the smoothest trip at his first right-handed start, Tribal Wisdom put on a brave and hearty display yesterday when taking out the $150,000 Listed Pluim Group Gosford Guineas over 1200m in the hands of Christian Reith. Usually displaying lightening gate speed, on this occasion, he didn't get the best jump which consequently set him back in the field. That didn't matter much though, as in the end, at the 200m, this smart galloper showcased his impressive turn of foot and was s...

Thompson keeping First Seal options open

The rain in Melbourne this week might further muddy the waters for trainer John Thompson as he attempts to find the firmest surface possible for his class mare First Seal this weekend. Thompson was hoping he had secured the perfect back-up for First Seal in Friday night's Sunline Stakes at Moonee Valley, but the rain forecast for Melbourne over the next few days means he is likely to dual-accept for both that race and the Emancipation Stakes at Rosehill. "We need to keep a good watch on the we...

Impressive Belle du Nord notches first win for Reliable Man

Westbury Stud stallion Reliable Man sired his first winner when Belle du Nord romped to victory in the $30,000 Richardson Racing 2YO Premier at Trentham on Saturday. Belle du Nord was a 14-to-one outsider for today's 1200-metre event, having run a good second to Ujjayi on debut before failing in the Gr. 2 Matamata Breeders' Stakes in her only other start. But today she emphatically stamped herself as one of the most promising fillies of her generation. Ridden by Lisa Allpress, Belle du Nord se...

Slipper third for Pierro filly

Brave to the finish, talented Pierro filly Tulip ran the race of her life on the rain sodden track at Rosehill on Saturday to claim third in the $3.5 million Group I ATC Golden Slipper Stakes won by her sire in 2012. A last start winner of the Group III ATC Magic Night Stakes, the Hayes/ Dabernig trained filly tried hard throughout to finish third behind She Will reign and Frolic. "It was a massive run," said her rider Kerrin McEvoy. "We had no luck, wide the whole way. She started to move ...

Slipper Runner for a Slipper Winner

Talented filly Tulip was the first winner for Golden Slipper hero Pierro when scoring on debut at Moonee Valley in December and is now his first stakes-winner after powering to a dominant victory in the Group III ATC Magic Night Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday. A good last start fourth in the Group I MRC Blue Diamond Stakes, Tulip confirmed the strength of that form when overcoming an outside gate to race away from the Sydney fillies and win the 1200 metre dash by a length and three-quarters. ...

High Praise for International Premier Sale

This year's edition of New Zealand Bloodstock's Premier Sale held steady off the back of last year's record-smashing Sale. After 17% increases in median and average last year this year saw the average settle at $172,803, down 2%, while the aggregate rose 5% to $58,407,500 ($2,720,000 more than last year's figure). Clearance equalled last year's figure of 78% with 338 horses sold and Managing Director Andrew Seabrook confident vendors and buyers alike should be pleased with the overall resul...

Kuro aims to stop the Music in Expressway

Music Magnate is the dominant favourite to win the Expressway Stakes but Kuro's jockey Josh Parr is counting on his mount's fitness to spur an upset. In a week when trainer Bjorn Baker lost exciting sprinter Winning Rupert to a lucrative stud deal, Music Magnate is odds-on to allay some of his disappointment with a first-up Group Two win at Rosehill on Saturday. Music Magnate is the only runner with a Group One win to his name having won last year's Doomben 10,000 to give Baker his maiden elit...

First Stakes Horse for Pierro

Talented Pierro filly Tulip confirmed her standing as one of the best juvenile fillies in Victoria with a gallant short half head second in the Gr.2 MRC Blue Diamond Preview at Caulfield on Australia Day. A brilliant winner on debut last month, the Hayes/Dabernig trained filly raced closer to the pace on this occasion and tried hard all the way to the line when going down narrowly in a tight finish to Limestone. Her trainers believe Tulip will be better at 1200 metres and jockey Craig Williams...

Tulip set to bloom in Blue Diamond Preview

Tulip certainly fits the recent profile of recent winners of the Blue Diamond Preview for fillies but co-trainer Tom Dabernig wants the filly to capitalise on her inside draw in Thursday's two-year-old feature. Last start winners have claimed the last four editions of the fillies' Blue Diamond Preview with all of the quartet being favoured runners at prices between $1.90 and $3.20. Tulip is a $2.70 favourite on Sportsbet's market on the Group III contest after her strong debut win at Moonee Va...

Ellerslie to decide leading colts future

Heroic Valour's performance at Ellerslie this weekend will determine the future direction of his three-year-old career. The Group One-winning colt has improved with his first-up run and he will strip a fitter horse for Sunday's Listed NZB Insurance Karaka 3YO Mile. "He worked extremely well this (Tuesday) morning and we're pretty confident he will run very well," Te Akau principal David Ellis said. "We'll decide after Sunday whether he presses on to the Derby or if we keep him to the shorter ...

Timely win from Ecuador

Grand campaigner Ecuador has announced his intention to be an autumn carnival player, winning the Listed Carrington Stakes at Randwick to continue a perfect start to his campaign. The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained seven-year-old made it back-to-back wins over 1400m as he took his career prize money past $830,000. Carrying 61kg, Ecuador got a charmed run with cover behind the leader and sprinted clear to win by 1-1/4 lengths. While he led markets in the days leading up to the race, Ec...

Group One winner ready for Trentham return

Fanatic has bounced back quickly from a last-start health scare to remain on target for further black type honours at Trentham. Saturday's Gr.3 Wallaceville Estate Wellington Cup hope suffered from cardiac arrhythmia when she finished out of the money in the Gr.3 City of Auckland Cup at Ellerslie on New Year's Day. "She's come through it all well, we had her checked the day after and she was fine and we've checked her continually since and there's no problems," said Debbie Sweeney who prepare...

Fifth stakes win for Kuro

Trainer Joe Pride rued running Kuro on a slow surface at Randwick on December 17 but a good (3) track helped the son of Denman return to winning form after claiming the Listed Starlight Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill on December 3. Two of Kuro's career wins have come on heavy tracks but Pride said that statistic was misleading. "I shouldn't have run him last start on the wet track. I got caught up in running him because I knew he was going well but he just doesn't handle wet tracks," Pride said. ...

Rae fancies chances of another cup

Versatile galloper Absolut Excelencia is in the right condition to claim his second Reefton Cup on Thursday. The Excellent Art gelding will be lining up for his fourth crack at the Ken & Mary Gray-sponsored event, having won the race in 2015 after a runner-up finish the previous year and he ran fifth 12 months ago. "He's going as good as he ever has," said Kenny Rae, who trains Absolut Excelencia with his wife Lisa and their daughter Krystal Williams-Tuhoro. "He's come back even better as ...

Tulip off to a perfect start

Curraghmore graduate Tulip got her racing career off to a perfect start winning the open juvenile event at Moonee Valley on New Year's Eve and in doing so she provided her sire Pierro with his first winner. Prepared by David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig Tulip was a well backed favourite in the and she won accordingly. Drawn a little awkwardly, Tulip was eased back at the start to settle at the rear by Craig Williams before circling the field to race clear and win the 1000 metre scamper by...