Viva Vienna may have been the fancied runner in Monday’s transferred Gr.3 Barneswood Farm Stakes (1400m) at Ashburton, but it was stablemate Star Of Justice who took centre stage when winning the three-year-old feature.
Grey gelding Chattahoochee has been a stable favourite for trainer Debbie Sweeney for some time and he is quickly taking the mantle as the stable star as well.
Riccarton trainer Terri Rae will be looking to New Zealand Cup Week with more confidence following the standout performances of Double O’ Seven and promising filly Lunvwar in the feature events at Ashburton on Monday.
Mark Corcoran savoured a top-flight victory on the racetrack at Hastings and a few hours later the Grangewilliam Stud co-principal had further cause to celebrate.
A multiple stakes winner over 1800m and 2000m as a three-year-old last season, Renaissance Woman showed real spark over a shorter trip with a highly impressive second-up performance in Saturday’s A$250,000 Gr.3 James Squire Angst Stakes (1600m) at Randwick.
Promising filly Quintabelle did her Gr.1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) prospects no harm when she stylishly cleared maiden ranks at Ashburton on Saturday.
Lightly raced three-year-old Psyclone opened her winning account at Rotorua on Sunday with a tidy performance to take out the Arawa Park Rotorua Hotel 3YO (1215m).
Consistent performer Deebee Zapower shrugged off a pair of average runs to bounce back to winning form at Rotorua on Sunday.
Previously a five-time placegetter at Group level, classy mare Our Alley Cat broke through and secured her first stakes win in style in Saturday’s Gr.3 Valley D’Vine Restaurant Spring Sprint (1400m) at Hastings.
Million-dollar earner Riodini will make his first New Zealand appearance in almost four years when he lines up in the Gr.3 Sweynesse Stakes (1215m) at Rotorua on Sunday.
Satono Aladdin colt Raf Attack burst into contention for staying three-year-old features with a determined front-running performance in Saturday’s A$500,000 Gr.3 Toyota Forklifts Gloaming Stakes (1800m) at Randwick.
Zacinto gelding Mach Schnell has returned to New Zealand with an eye towards some lofty summer targets.
