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Swansong for Tofane

Tofane will be vying to finish her racing career on a high on Saturday when she lines-up in the Gr.1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick. The daughter of Ocean Park won the race two years ago in the hands of Kiwi jockey Opie Bosson, her first at elite level. She was set to be offered in a broodmare sale last year, however, trainer Michael Moroney convinced her owners to have one final throw at the stumps at the Queensland Winter Carnival. His belief in the mare paid off, with Tofane going on to ...

Gypsy Goddess to lap up Oaks distance

Trainer David Vandyke can’t wait to see Gypsy Goddess over more ground at Randwick on Saturday. The daughter of Tarzino was impressive when running home for third in the Gr.1 Vinery Stakes (1850m) at Newcastle last start, with the race reducing from its original 2000m distance after being transferred from Rosehill. She clocked the fasted closing 200m of the race and Vandyke believes she will appreciate the step-up to 2400m in the Gr.1 Australian Oaks this weekend. “That is how we have traine...

Moroney mare shows Verve in Chairman’s victory

The Michael Moroney-trained mare Nerve Not Verve scored her biggest success to date when landing the Gr.2 Chairman’s Quality (2600m) on Day One of The Championships at Royal Randwick. Ridden by Regan Bayliss, the six-year-old daughter of Shocking sat handy to a sedate tempo set by Knights Order and shortly after straightening the pair cleared out from their rivals with Nerve Not Verve going to the post a short neck in front. Luncies was a further 3¼ lengths away in third. A winner at Moonee ...

Germanicus upsets in Flying Stakes

Enigmatic galloper Germanicus was back to his best when he produced an irresistible finish to take out the Listed Bramco Granite & Marble Flying Stakes (1400m) at Awapuni. The Danica Guy-trained son of Rip Van Winkle, who finished sixth in the Gr.1 El Cheapo Cars WFA Classic (1600m) at Otaki at his last start back in February, appreciated the strong pace throughout the race and loomed into contention for rider Taiki Yanagida rounding the home turn. A wall of horses stretched across the track at ...

Gelding option proves winning move

Flemington trainer Michael Moroney enjoyed further success with a Kiwi sprinter when four-year-old Not An Option took out Saturday’s Listed Hareeba Stakes (1200m) at Mornington. The stable, which recently sent out New Zealand arrival Roch ‘N’ Horse to win the Gr.1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m), received Not An Option as a tried horse from the Tony Pike stable. After a disappointing effort when ninth in his only start for Moroney last spring, the son of Not A Single Doubt returned to winning ...

Gypsy looking to camp out in Sydney

Classy filly Gypsy Goddess faces her biggest test to date when she contests Saturday’s Gr.1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill, where the track is currently rated a Heavy 8. Trainer David Vandyke is confident the daughter of Tarzino will run well but has cautioned that the Gr.1 Australian Oaks (2400m) on April 9 at Randwick has long been the principal target for the staying filly. William Pike will ride the unbeaten Gypsy Goddess, who extended her record to five wins when resuming from a ...

Group Three breakthrough for No Compromise

Five-year-old gelding No Compromise ran out a game winner of the Gr.3 Queen’s Cup (2400m) at Rosehill on Saturday as the former Kiwi gears up for a tilt at the Gr.1 Sydney Cup (3200m). The son of Pins, who began his career with Waverley trainer Bill Thurlow before transferring to Chris Waller, was ridden a lot handier to the speed than usual by jockey Jay Ford and kicked gamely to defeat stablemates Surefire and Chalk Stream by half a length. It was a black-type breakthrough for the impeccabl...

Gypsy Goddess Sydney bound

Gypsy Goddess has taken another leap towards the Gr.1 Australian Oaks with a dominant return to racing at Eagle Farm on Saturday to remain unbeaten. On a dour day, the David Vandyke-filly was the star attraction, returning for the first time with more questions than answers over 1600m in the 3YO Handicap. Marked as a Group 1 Australian Oaks prospect by the astute trainer, Vandyke will now travel with his unbeaten filly to Sydney for the Gr.1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) in a fortnight’s time bef...

Ruthless Dame on Group One path

Ruthless Dame has maintained an unbeaten record with a strong win in the Gr.3 TBV Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) at Flemington. The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained daughter of Tavistock was successful over 1300m at Sandown last month which helped her at the end of the 1200m in Group Three company on Saturday. Under the guidance of Jamie Kah, Ruthless Dame dug deep to score by a neck from Nangui with Mumbai Jewel a short-neck away third. Eustace said the Gr.2 VRC Sires' Produce ...

Ellis buys ‘filly of the decade’

Te Akau principal David Ellis has bought plenty of quality fillies at Karaka over the years, so it was a bold statement when he labelled lot 410, the Fastnet Rock full-sister to Group One winner Unforgotten, as the best filly he has seen at New Zealand Bloodstock’s sales venue in a decade. “I have been coming and buying yearlings here since 1988 and definitely in the last five to 10 years I haven’t seen a filly of more quality or athleticism, and we were determined to buy her at any cost,â...

Curraghmore make strong start at Karaka

Australian interest in the quality New Zealand horseflesh on offer during the New Zealand National Yearling Sale was high early on the first day of selling with many familiar names featuring on the results page. Agents representing trainers such as Chris Waller, Danny O’Brien, Henry Dwyer and John O’Shea were all part of the early buying action, however, it was Tony Fung who headed the pack under his TFI banner as his on-site representative Kacy Fogden went to $425,000 to secure Lot 18, a Lo...

Melbourne Cup aspirations for Derby hero

Trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott are eyeing a tilt at the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) in spring with Asterix after his victory in the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie on Saturday. The son of Tavistock took out the $1 million feature after a light preparation and his conditioners have elected to send him to the spelling paddock to give him time to mature ahead of spring. “Andrew and I sat down with one of the part-owners, Sam Kelt, this morning and Sam’s dream has always...

Derby winner highlights another bumper day for Curraghmore

On the eve of the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales Curraghmore’s Gordon Cunningham was again pleased to see the farm’s past-graduates do the talking on the track, no doubt paving the way for further confidence for the product he will present at auction this week.The Karaka Sales will commence from 11am on Monday and pedigree updates don’t come much bigger than offering a full-sister to a Derby winner.But that is exactly the position Cunningham finds himself in following the a...

Asterix delivers Derby double for O’Sullivan and Scott

Twelve months after living up to expectations with a Gr.1 Vodafone New Zealand Derby (2400m) favourite, Matamata trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott went back-to-back with a very different kind of triumph at Ellerslie on Saturday. In contrast to their 2021 Derby hero Rocket Spade, who came into the classic as a $4 favourite with outstanding lead-up form under his belt, O’Sullivan and Scott were well and truly under the radar in 2022 with last-start maiden winner Asterix. But the well...

Weekend Runners - 5.3.2022

Good luck to connections of all Cm graduates racing this weekend including the following:AUSTRALIA SATUDAYArmidale JC- Race 5 Debortoli Wines H., A$15000 1900m Chapal (AUS) 2014 (G. by High Chaparral-Bombay) (trainer: Theresa Stair)Randwick- Race 4 Randwick City S. L, A$140000 2000m No Compromise (NZ) 2016 (G. by Pins-Baggy Green) (trainer: C J Waller)Newcastle JC Race 5 AKA Racing Partnership H., A$35000 1880m Chapal (AUS) 2014 (G. by High Chaparral-Bombay) (trainer: Theresa Stair)Flemingt...

Weekend Runners - 19.02.2022

Good luck to the connections of all Cm graduates racing over the weekend including:AUSTRALIA SATURDAYRosehill- Race 3 Midway H., A$100000 1500m French Emperor (AUS) 2018 (G. by Tavistock-Special Memories) (trainer: David Payne)               Race 7 Parramatta Cup L, A$141000 1900m No Compromise (NZ) 2016 (G. by Pins-Baggy Green) (trainer: C J Waller)Flemington- Race 8 Elms H. L, A$161000 1400m Age of Chivalry (NZ) 2015 (G. by He's Remarkable-Onyx...

Group One breeder excited by forthcoming Karaka offering

As preparations ramp up for the 2022 edition of the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales at Karaka in March, Curraghmore principal Gordon Cunningham was once again celebrating the success of a past graduate of his Te Awamutu-based operation.The popular Irishman bred outstanding Ocean Park mare Tofane (NZ) who added a fourth Group One victory to her impressive career record when she took out the Gr.1 C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m...

Fourth Group One for star mare Tofane

The Michael Moroney-trained mare Tofane commenced her final campaign with an all-the-way win in the Gr.1 C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday, her fourth victory at the elite level and all over 1400m. The six-year-old daughter of Ocean Park was the pacemaker by default after expected leader Lightsaber bombed the start. Jockey Mark Zahra rated Tofane to perfection and she looked the winner a long way from home. Sent out a $7.50 chance, Tofane ultimately had a length and a half on run...

Weekend Runners - 12.02.2022

Good luck to the connections of Cm graduates racing over the weekend including the following:AUSTRALIA SATURDAYCaulfield- Race 8 CF Orr S. Gr.1, A$752000 1400m Tofane (NZ) 2015 (F. by Ocean Park-Baggy Green) (trainer: M D Moroney)                 Race 9 Geoffery Bellmaine S. Gr.3, A$200500 1200m Kahma Lass (NZ) 2017 (F. by Darci Brahma-Distinctive Lass) (trainer: J W Richards)Newcastle JC- Race 6 Connectability P., A$35000 1890m Fausto (AUS)...

Weekend Runners - 05.02.2022

Good luck to connections of Cm graduates racing over the weekend including the following:AUSTRALIA SATURDAYRandwick Race 3 Midway H., A$100000 1600m French Emperor (AUS) 2018 (G. by Tavistock-Special Memories) (trainer: David Payne)                Race 10 Yarraman Park H., A$130000 1600m No Compromise (NZ) 2016 (G. by Pins-Baggy Green) (trainer: C J Waller)Darwin TC Race 3 Darwin Cup Ticket on Sale H., A$17500 1200m Power Rush (NZ) 2015 (F. by Power-M...

Dame sparkles in Sandown debut

New Zealand-bred filly Ruthless Dame (NZ) (Tavistock - Ruthless Lady) looks to have a bright future ahead after scoring an impressive debut victory at Sandown.The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace -trained two-year-old was the only filly in the Ladbroke It! Handicap (1300m) on Wednesday and showed an impressive turn of foot in the straight to register a strong win.Sent out a heavily backed 2.90 favourite under Jamie Kah, Ruthless Dame scored by a length from another debutant Maroubra (Bou...

All roads lead to the NZ Cup for Mr Intelligence

Topweight Mr Intelligence gave his rivals weight and a beating as he provided the perfect dress rehearsal for next weeks’ Gr.3 Martin Collins New Zealand Cup (3200m) when he took out the traditional lead-up event, the Listed Nautical Boat Insurance Metropolitan Trophy (2500m) on Saturday. Tapanui-base trainers Nikki and Barrie Blatch brought the lightly raced six-year-old son of Niagara north to Riccarton in recent weeks as they furthered the Cup preparation for their charge, who had been roun...

Classy filly transfers to Moroney’s Flemington barn

Trans-Tasman trainer Michael Moroney has welcomed the arrival of promising Kiwi filly Let’s Say Grace to his Flemington base.  The three-year-old daughter of Charm Spirit won impressively at Tauranga over 1400m in December under the care of Moroney’s Matamata training partner Pam Gerard, with that form subsequently franked by placegetters Pinarello and Princess Lowry, who hold classic ambitions.  Bred by Curraghmore’s Gordon Cunningham, Let’s Say Grace was keenly sought after b...

Rapid Falls gets deserved reward in Karaka Cup

After a luckless run for second in the Dunstan Feeds Stayers Championship Final (2400m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s day, promising mare Rapid Falls returned to the scene of the crime on Saturday to exact a measure of revenge in the Collinson Forex Karaka Cup (2200m). Prepared by Cambridge trainer Tony Pike, the five-year-old daughter of Sacred Falls had been held up for racing room on New Year’s day before storming home to get within half a length of eventual winner Dionysus. This time rider ...

Tevere on song at Ellerslie

Under a perfectly judged ride by apprentice Masa Hashizume, progressive mare Tevere (Contributer x Italian Princess) added an open class victory to her burgeoning record at Ellerslie on Sunday. Carded to carry 54kgs for her first open class assignment, Tevere benefitted from Hashizume’s 2kg allowance to carry a luxurious 52kg in her first race since winning over 1200m at Te Rapa back in December. Out well from barrier three, Tevere chased genuine early pace in sixth before Hashizume opted to f...