News

Up-and-comer Niance put a last-start disappointment behind her with an emphatic win in Saturday’s A$80,000 Inside Headquarters (1200m) at Flemington.

A two-time winner over sprint distances earlier in the year, New Zealand-bred Navy King suggested he might be better suited to a different role when he scored a big win in Saturday’s A$150,000 Sir Henry Bolte Handicap (2000m) at Flemington.

New Zealand-bred gelding Gringotts took his promising career to new heights in Brisbane on Saturday with a first black-type success in the A$160,000 Listed Sky Racing Members’ Handicap (1600m) at Doomben.

In-form mare Fall For Cindy carried the Waikato Stud colours to a valuable first black-type victory in Saturday’s A$250,000 Gr.3 Coolmore Dark Jewel Classic (1400m) at Scone.

It’s hard to describe the win of a $12 third favourite as an upset but that is what consistent mare Bold Belle landed when she led all the way at Trentham over 1100m on Saturday. 

Consistent galloper Aris Aris produced a powerful finish to down a talented line-up of winter gallopers when taking out the feature flat event at Te Rapa on Saturday, the Dunstan Horsefeeds 1300. 

It may have taken until the tail end of his four-year-old season, but Darryn Weatherley believes his Group One winner Pier has finally furnished into a mature racehorse.

After starting the season as a maiden, in-form Matamata visitor Channel Surfer will chase a deserved stakes title to complete his four-year-old year at Trentham on Saturday in the Listed Rangitikei Gold Cup (1600m).

Te Aroha mare Deebee Bellfer has been in a purple patch of form of late and will be vying to extend her golden run when she heads to Te Rapa on Saturday to contest the PGG Wrightson Grain 2100.

Multi-talented horseman Chad Ormsby has had a year to remember with four black-type victories to his credit.

The former Group One-winning jockey runs a boutique Matamata stable and with wife Aliesha Moroney also operates Riverrock Farm, a breaking-in and thoroughbred education centre and successful Ready to Run Sale vendor.

A return to Australia was on the cards for Wewillrock this winter, but trainers Guy Lowry and Leah Zydenbos have elected to keep him in New Zealand to tackle some home targets.

Te Akau Racing’s Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson continued to extend their unassailable lead in the National Trainers’ Premiership at Riccarton’s Synthetic meeting on Thursday, recording a winning double courtesy of Caravella and Treaty Of Paris.

Caravella kicked off proceedings in the Coca-Cola Open Handicap (1200m) when getting the better of the Les Collins-trained Dear Oh Dear by a long head.