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Ruettiger scores Listed win

Ruettiger delivered Curraghmore's tenth black-type win of the season in Saturday's Listed All Victorian Sprint Series Final (1200m) at Flemington. Race favourite Voodoo Lad shot to the front with a furlong to run, but Ruettiger stuck to his guns and wore down his rival, powering along the inside to win the 1200 metre sprint by a short neck under jockey Craig Williams. "I thought he did a great job today," said Williams. "The second horse is a very talented horse and we had to fight and Ruett...

Rocknrolla completes Logan-Gibbs quartet at Ruakaka

Donna Logan and Chris Gibbs scored their fourth win from the first six races at Ruakaka on Saturday when Rocknrolla bravely edged out the favourite Late Decision in the Northpine Waipu Cup. The Towkay mare was a highly impressive winner at Ruakaka last month, but then went to Te Rapa and was a disappointing sixth. Logan put the performance down to the sticky track conditions and expected a better showing in drier conditions on her home patch this afternoon. She was exactly right and Rocknrolla...

Kiwi-owned filly wins at Randwick

While the filly didn't develop in time to travel north for the Oaks, the Chris Waller-trained Firebird Flyer claimed the biggest win of her career yesterday when she edged out Storm System by a nose in The Mick Crusher Kerr Memorial at Randwick. Having her sixth start for the preparation, which has included two wins and four seconds, Firebird Flyer's fitness shone through over 2000 metres on a heavy track. Waller said he had plenty of fears about how she would handle the going, but her toughne...

Rain to suit Derby contender

Former champion New Zealand trainer Mark Walker has his fingers crossed for track conditions at Kranji to suit his in-form Singapore Derby hope Rockfast on Sunday. "All he needs is a bit of rain to get the sting out of the ground," he said of the Curraghmore graduate. The Te Akau-raced four-year-old is at the top of his game having won his two lead-up races in impressive fashion. -www.racingnews.co.nz...

A Rock steady climb to Derby doorstep

Champion trainer Mark Walker said Rockfast was the best shot he has had at the Emirates Singapore Derby since he began training at Kranji in 2010. Initially sceptical the son of Fastnet Rock ticked all the boxes for the final Leg of the Singapore Four-Year-Old Challenge run over 2000m on July 10, the Kiwi horseman has slowly warmed up to his chances, especially after he reeled off his last two wins over the classic distance. Granted they were recorded against Kranji Stakes C company while he w...

Thunder Down Under to join Chris Waller in Sydney

Stakes-winning three-year-old Thunder Down Under is set to join the stable of champion Sydney trainer Chris Waller. Trainer and part-owner Stephen Ralph revealed to www.theinformant.co.nz that the Street Sense colt is booked to cross the Tasman early next week. "He'll fly over on Monday night and join Chris Waller," the Te Rapa trainer said. "Then Chris will do whatever he likes with him and we'll see how he measures up. It's exciting." Thunder Down Under is the winner of three of his 17 star...

Rodrico sold to HK

New Zealand-owned three-year-old Rodrico has been sold to Hong Kong interests. The son of High Chaparral, who was raced by Robin Peel-Walker and Mark Wyborn, will do his future racing out of John Moore's stable He will be aimed toward the 2017 Hong Kong Derby following his purchase by Johnson Chen, who won this year's edition with the Kiwi-bred Werther. Rodrico was trained by Chris Waller to win three races and at his last appearance he finished runner-up in the Gr.1 Queensland Derby. -...

Waller wins with former New Zealand filly

A win with Firebird Flyer at Warwick Farm on Wednesday has edged Sydney's premier trainer Chris Waller closer to a record-breaking season. Firebird Flyer, who came to Waller from New Zealand as a six-start maiden, ended a frustrating four-run sequence of second placings for her new trainer. A $3 chance in the TAB Rewards Plate, she got the nod by a head over $2.40 favourite Kingsguard. "It's good to get the win," Waller said. "She has a good constitution and looks as well as she did when sh...

Cm grads in HOY contention

Three Curraghmore graduates feature in the the New Zealand Horse of the Year finalists announced by New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing earlier this week. Two Cm graduates stake claims on Champion 3YO honours, Gr.1 Queensland Oaks heroine Provocative and Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks winner Fanatic. Cantankerous filly Provocative burst on to the scene in December with a customarily wayward but convincing win on debut at Taranaki. Jockey Leith Innes' saddle slipped at her next start, at Ellerslie in Janua...

Talented youngster back in the fray

Smart filly What Choux Want has returned to Andrew Carston's Riccarton stable to build up for her spring campaign. "She's looking good and hopefully she'll be ready to go to the Canterbury Belle Stakes," he said. What Choux Want was a debut juvenile winner and subsequently placed in the Gr.2 Matamata Breeders' Stakes and the Listed Welcome Stakes and she also finished fifth in the Listed Karaka Million. - NZ Racing Desk...

Heroic Valour back in work

Unbeaten two-year-old Heroic Valour has returned to Te Akau's Matamata stables. He made a successful debut at Trentham in January and a month later he won the Listed Reid & Harrison Slipper before adding the Gr.1 Diamond Stakes to his CV. "He looks great and is being prepared for a trial at Te Teko in early August and then he will be aimed at races like the Hawke's Bay Guineas and the New Zealand 2000 Guineas," said Te Akau princpal David Ellis. "He will have a spell after that and we wi...