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Pisco Sour posts Hawera win

After impressing when clearing Maidens last time out, Pisco Sour stepped up with a tenacious victory in the 2YO & 3YO 1200m on Saturday at Hawera.Carrying the Trelawney Stud colours of owners Brent & Cherry Taylor and Faith Taylor, Pisco Sour capped good form with an impressive six and three-quarter lengths victory in the Maiden 1200m on 20 April at Matamata, and warranted favouritism to win again.Ridden by Lisa Allpress, Pisco Sour worked to lead and required resolve after being headed in the s...

Two Illicit signs off in style at Te Rapa

If Saturday’s Gr.2 Travis Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa is to be the last race for class mare Two Illicit then she has signed off a stellar career in the best possible fashion with a dominant victory. Trainer Roger James, who prepares the five-year-old daughter of Jimmy Choux with Robert Wellwood, had spoken of her retirement leading into Saturday’s Group Two contest and she delighted her legion of fans with a performance that left no doubt about her underlying class. Rider Michael McNab elected...

Te Rapa swansong for Two Illicit

Top quality performer Two Illicit will be chasing the perfect end to a stellar racing career when she steps out in Saturday’s Gr.2 Travis Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa. The Roger James and Robert Wellwood-trained daughter of Jimmy Choux has carried the colours of breeder Trelawney Stud with distinction and, as such, a highly valuable addition to the Cambridge farm’s broodmare band. Two Illicit has won seven of her 20 starts, including the Gr.1 Captain Cook Stakes (1600m) and succeeded at Group T...

Excelida on target for Anniversary Vase

Ben Hayes is bullish about the chances of Excelida (Exceed and Excel x Lady Sayyida) in the Listed Anniversary Vase (1400m) at Sandown on Saturday. A benchmark 78 grade winner at Caulfield on Boxing Day, Excelida has had three subsequent starts, finishing third in the Listed John Dillon Stakes (1400m) and Gr.3 Victoria Handicap (1400m) at Caulfield last start. "It was a huge run at Caulfield last start," said Hayes, who trains in partnership with his brother JD. "She was beaten by two good horse...

Challenging week ends in Cup triumph for Prise De Fer

Quality performer Prise De Fer put a week of uncertainty behind him in style at Riccarton on Saturday, taking his career earnings past $500,000 with a record-breaking victory in the Gr.3 Coca-Cola Canterbury Gold Cup (2000m). The Savabeel gelding’s plans had been thrown into disarray in the early part of the week when a Cook Strait ferry crossing was cancelled, leaving weekend plans up in the air and entries being made for both the Canterbury Gold Cup and the Gr.3 Manco Easter Handicap (1600m)...

Pisco Sour salutes at Matamata

Pisco Sour (I Am Invincible – Refreshing), raced by Brent, Cherry and Faith Taylor, demolished rivals in the Matamata Club Maiden (1200m) on Wednesday at Matamata. Second in both starts since freshen-up, most recently after midrace check in corresponding event on 30 March at Matamata, Pisco Sour was ridden purposefully by Michael McNab to lead, travelled like a winner, and charged clear in the straight to win easing down by six and three-quarter lengths. A filly with good trial form before deb...

Zayydani top weight in Easter Cup

Zayydani will be the highest rated horse in the Gr.3 Easter Cup (2000m) at Caulfield on Saturday as the Ben & JD Hayes mare targets Group One riches in the Queensland Winter.The five-year-old mare, who races in the silks of Trelawney Stud, is coming off her best ever preparation last Spring, having run 4th, beaten a length in the Coongy by star mare Duais before going on to win the group two Matriarch Stakes and the Ballarat Cup.After an eye-catching run in the Bendigo Golden Mile firs...

Kosciuszko eight from eight

Rising star Lim’s Kosciuszko turned his first attempt at the mile into a one-act affair after he careered away to his eighth win in as many starts in Singapore on Saturday.The $7 hotpot showed an abundance of speed to lead as usual over the Long Course, but it remained to be seen if the son of Kermadec, who has thus far scored only over 1200m (six wins) and 1400m (one win), could hold off six classy runners, including noted milers like Top Knight and Sacred Croix.Circuit Mission (A’Isisuhair...

Derby Day double

Trelawney Stud posted a winning double at Ellerslie on one of the biggest days of New Zealand racing - Derby Day.While there were no contenders in the big race, Trelawney Stud were represented on the undercard by Samiam Seussie who won the Graeme Thomson Antique and Estate Jewellery 1600.The Tony Pike-trained four-year-old has been in solid form and has finished in the top four of her previous five starts, including two wins.Ridden by regular jockey Michael McNab, Samiam Seussie began smartly on...

Lim's Kosciuszko makes it to win No 7

Danny Beasley was in awe when he gave Lim’s Kosciuszko (Kermadec x Jacquetta) a squeeze inside the concluding stages of the Class 2 race over 1200m in Singapore on Saturday.Just like everybody else, the Australian jockey was blown away by the rising star’s impeccable record of seven wins from as many starts at Kranji – putting him only five wins away from Better Than Ever’s Malayan Racing Association record of 12 wins in a row.But what really had Beasley shaking his head in disbelief as ...

BLOG - George Chittick

Keith & Faith Taylor Equine Scholarship recipient George Chittick provides an update on his time at the Irish National Stud.I have been at the Irish National Stud for just over a month now and I’m lucky to say it has been an eventful month.It is my first big trip away from home and I was proud to make it through the empty Auckland International Airport let alone Dubai where I had to take a train to my next gate. I made it to Dublin after leaving summertime at home, getting off the plane to -2 ...

Weighty Cup bid best option for Group One-bound mare

Concert Hall’s standing will force her to concede significant amounts of weight to her opposition in Saturday’s Gr.2 Avondale Cup (2400m), but connections believe it is the best means to an end for their quality mare. With a rating of 105, the seven-year-old is head and shoulders above her Ellerslie rivals in the Wallen Concreting-sponsored feature. She will shoulder 59kg and give away 5kg to those closest to her in the handicap and 7kg to the rest of the field. “She has got a bit of weig...

Trelawney lose talented galloper

Trelawney Stud have tragically lost their Group Two winner Pareanui Bay after a paddock accident. The Trelawney Stud bred and raced gelding was a winner of three of his five starts, including the Gr.2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial Stakes (1400m) and Listed Trevor and Corallie Eagle Memorial (1500m). He placed in his other two raceday appearances running second in the Listed Uncle Remus Stakes (1400m) and Gr.2 Wellington Guineas (1400m). Trelawney Stud’s Brent Taylor said they were devastated...

Easy work for Forbidden City at Sandown

Forbidden City has posted a stunning first-up win at Sandown on Wednesday.  It may have been only a maiden race, but the Peter Moody-trained filly, who races in the silks of Trelawney Stud, gave her rivals a galloping lesson in taking out the Ladbrokes Odds Boost Plate (1300m) on Wednesday.  Sent out the $1.75 favourite under Blaike Mcdougall, Forbidden City scored an eight-length victory from Ocean Raider ($3.50) with Scrambler ($26) a further 1-¼ length away third.  Moody thoug...

Six from six for Lim's Kosciuszko

Lim’s Kosciuszko’s quickly dispelled any questions about a rise in class and distance in under 1min 22 secs in Singapore on Wednesday night.Daniel Meagher’s rising star, who is unbeaten in six starts, gave a solid indication all the spruiking had not been over the top following the ease with which he despatched the Class 1 field, the first time he was being stretched past his pet trip of six furlongs.All along, Meagher had said he would use Wednesday’s first real test as a guide towards ...

Trainers hoping good times continue to roll

Cambridge trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood are well on their way toward their most successful season since forming a training partnership at the beginning of the 2018-19 term.Their top tally to date was 30 winners in that initial season and they are currently sitting on 20 with a best ever mark of six black-type winners and realistic chances of adding to their stakes haul at Trentham on Saturday.“Hopefully, that’s the case and we have had a really good season and have got some nice h...

High five for unbeaten Lim's Kosciuszko

Lim’s Kosciuszko survived a late scare to stretch his unbeaten streak to five wins from as many starts on Saturday. Even though the Trelawney Stud-bred Kermadec four-year-old named after Australia’s highest mountain was venturing into Class 3 territory for the first time, supporters still backed him with confidence into $6 ahead of the S$70,000 event over 1200m. All looked swell when trainer Daniel Meagher’s ward took charge by leading as is his customary style, and upon straightening, not...

Holiday for Pareanui Bay

Despite a dogged effort when second behind the unbeaten Shamus in Saturday’s Gr.2 Wellington Guineas (1600m) at Trentham, the immediate future for Trelawney Stud's promising three-year-old Pareanui Bay is in the spelling paddock for the next month. Unbeaten in his first three starts, including the Gr.2 James & Annie Sarten Memorial Stakes (1400m) at Te Rapa, Pareanui Bay finished second to On The Bubbles in the Listed Uncle Remus Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day before his effort at T...

Home and away Group options for talented Pareanui Bay

The Gr.1 Vodafone New Zealand Derby (2400m) remains on Pareanui Bay’s radar, although Cambridge trainer Tony Pike does admit to reservations about the Classic being his most suitable autumn target. Pareanui Bay has excelled in a brief career to date and will bid to add to his record in Saturday’s Gr.2 Life Direct Wellington Guineas (1400m). His performance at Trentham will prompt a round table chat with breeder-owner Trelawney Stud on the three-year-old’s future. “We will have a discussi...

I’m Thunderstruck thriving ahead of autumn targets

Trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr couldn’t be any happier with the way their star four-year-old I’m Thunderstruck has returned to their Cranbourne stable. The New Zealand-bred gelding, who was born and raised at Trelawney Stud for breeders Tony Forlong and Jennifer Jones, was superb in the spring placing in the Gr.1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) fresh-up before winning the Gr.1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) and A$7.5 million Golden Eagle (1500m). He went for a six-week spell and is ...

Concert Hall delivers tonic for Egan

A recent injury prevented popular owner-breeder Joan Egan from attending the New Year’s Day races at Ellerslie on Saturday, but her pride and joy Concert Hall gave her a timely boost with a masterful performance in the Gr.3 Skycity City of Auckland Cup (2400m). The high-class daughter of Savabeel, who was born and raised at Trelawney Stud, was backing up from the Gr.1 Zabeel Classic (2000m) on Boxing Day, where she made up good late ground from the back of the field in a race dominated by all-...

Trelawney takes run of bad luck on chin

Trelawney Stud’s colours were prominent in black type events at Ellerslie on Boxing Day with three placings, but two of them came at a physical cost. High-class mare Two Illicit didn’t escape unscathed after her luckless run for third in the Gr.1 Zabeel Classic (2000m) while the curtain has come down on gifted sprinter Vamos Bebe’s career after she bled again when runner-up in the Listed Hallmark Stud Handicap (1200m). Trelawney’s other stakes representative was Pareanui Bay, who lost hi...

NZ Trip firms for Excelida

The Ben & JD Hayes-trained Excelida (Exceed And Excel) has enhanced her chances of a trip to New Zealand after swooping from near the rear of the field to land the Allan Wicks Handicap (1400m) at Caulfield in impressive fashion.Raced by Cambridge Stud proprietors Brendan and Jo Lindsay, connections are considering sending the five-year-old mare to New Zealand for a tilt at the Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa on February 12.Placed at Listed level and runner-up in the Gr.3 The H...

Trelawney boasting strong hand for Boxing Day features

Trelawney Stud have a strong representation on Boxing Day with several stakes contenders as well as strong supporting acts on the undercard at Ellerslie and Caulfield.Leading the charge is Two Illicit in the Gr.1 Cambridge Stud Zabeel Classic (2000m) at Ellerslie on Sunday.The daughter of Jimmy Choux enters the Ellerslie contest on the back of a devastating win in the rescheduled Gr.1 Captain Cook Stakes (1600m) at Te Rapa a fortnight ago.She will be joined in the day's feature by fellow Tr...

Colgan eager to make up for lost Group One

Top-class jockey Vinnie Colgan will be reunited with quality mare Two Illicit in the Gr.1 Cambridge Stud Zabeel Classic (2000m) on Sunday and should the Roger James and Robert Wellwood-trained five-year-old salute, no one would begrudge the veteran hoop success. Two Illicit enters the Ellerslie contest on the back of a devastating win in the rescheduled Gr.1 Captain Cook Stakes (1600m) at Te Rapa a fortnight ago, with Danielle Johnson giving the mare a peach of a ride when standing in for Colgan...