Wheeler pulls off rare Cup Week hat-trick with Lord Donovan
Few trainers would attempt to claim three victories in seven days over New Zealand Cup Week, let alone be successful, but John Wheeler isn’t like every other trainer.
Bad boy comes good at Tauranga
Promising three-year-old Leroy Brown sang a winning tune at Tauranga on Saturday as he broke his maiden status despite attempting to throw the victory away with some wayward home straight actions.
Age shall not weary him
Veteran galloper Gino Severini capped off some consistent form of late with a determined performance to take out the Gr.2 Gartshore Tauranga Stakes (1600m) on Saturday.
Maria Farina clinches thrilling win in Stewards’ Stakes
A year on from Pier’s heroics in the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m), his older half-sister Maria Farina has picked up a feature win of her own during the New Zealand Cup Carnival at Riccarton.
So Risque returns to winning form at Caulfield
Handy galloper So Risque showed plenty of fight in registering a winning performance in Saturday’s MRC Foundation Handicap (1400m) at Caulfield.
Mahrajaan brings Ritchie’s Cup plan to fruition
A close fifth behind Nest Egg on the first day of the carnival, imported stayer Mahrajaan went to a new level a week later and turned the tables on the hot favourite in Saturday’s Gr.3 Martin Collins 160th New Zealand Cup (3200m) at Riccarton.
Cambridge Stud celebrate Guineas success
Cambridge Stud principals Brendan and Jo Lindsay celebrated Group One success on Saturday as royally bred filly Joliestar claimed the Gr.1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield.
Improving Toesonthenose strong in Newcastle victory
The John Sargent-trained Toesonthenose scored the fifth victory of his career when running out a strong winner of the Karaka 2024 Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1600m) at the Newcastle feature meeting on Saturday.
Exciting Almanzor filly joins Waller’s stable
Highly regarded filly About A Girl will continue her career in Australia from the champion Sydney stable of Chris Waller.
RTR sale not Ormsby’s first rodeo
Chad Ormsby has been preparing two-year-olds for New Zealand Bloodstock’s Ready To Run Sale for the last decade and he believes he will be offering his best draft at Karaka next week.
Wexford’s Guineas fillies blooming at the right time
Visits to Christchurch have been few and far between for Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott during their decade-long training partnership, but the Matamata pair have two strong reasons for venturing south this weekend.
Marsh confident in Cup favourite’s stamina
The two-mile distance is a step into unknown territory for most Gr.3 Martin Collins New Zealand Cup (3200m) contenders every year, but Nest Egg’s trainer Stephen Marsh has more confidence than most that his runner’s stamina will shine through at Riccarton on Saturday.