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Grand National winner on track for first jumping feature

Last year’s Grand National Steeplechase (5500m) winner, Shamal, looks like he is right on track to add another coveted jumping prize to his locker after he took out the Ken & Roger Browne Memorial Steeplechase (3900m) at Te Rapa on Saturday. The Te Rapa event is the traditional lead-up to the Signature Homes Waikato Steeplechase (3900m) in a fortnight, a race where the Zabeel eight-year-old will look to improve on his fourth placing in 2018. Unsighted since finishing third in the Great Norther...

Elusive City dies

Elusive City died of a heart attack at Haras d'Etreham on Thursday at the age of 19. Successful in the Prix Morny for his owners the Thoroughbred Corporation, the son of Elusive Quality earned a berth at Hubie de Burgh and Marc de Chambure's Huma Park Stud in County Kildare, where he stood two seasons before relocating to the Irish National Stud. His first batch of two-year-olds created quite the impression, with Soul City successful in the Goffs Million and Elusive Wave and Nashmiah earning bl...

Nobu ignites G1 Queensland Derby bid

The Queensland Derby (2400m) is back in the sights of Nobu (Reliable Man x Royal Prize) who has shown he has his campaign on track with a dominant victory over 1800 metres at Randwick.Trainer Chris Waller sent Nobu across the Tasman for the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) in early March but the gelding was disappointing, beating just one runner home. He returned to Sydney and ran second in a benchmark race over 1550m at Randwick last Monday week before stepping up in distance on Saturday to beat ...

Gold Coast a finely cut mission for Pike

Cambridge trainer Tony Pike is keen to run stakes performer Indecision at the Gold Coast on Saturday, but there is little room for error in terms of the travel arrangements. Pike has seven horses set to fly to Brisbane from Auckland on Friday and can ill afford any delays with the duo set to compete 24 hours later. “The trip over is probably no different to going to Wellington for a meeting down there. It is probably easier,” Pike said. “She will run on Saturday as long as the plane ...

Trelawney-bred stars in Sydney

Race fitness gave Star of the Seas (NZ) (Ocean Park x Stella Livia) the edge over his rivals in The Championships On Sale (1400m) at Rosehill on Saturday. The Chris Waller-trained four-year-old put in another honest performance and finished strongly to collect his fourth career win and is yet to run out of the money in eight starts to date. The Trelawney Stud-bred gelding was destined for the sales as a yearling before the Cambridge based farm were forced to withdraw him due to issues on his pre...

Pike picks Trelawney horses for Queensland

Tony Pike is preparing for his Queensland Winter carnival campaign and Trelawney Stud holds a strong connection to two members of his six-strong assault  team. Indecision, who races in the Trelawney silks, and Bostonian, who was born and raised on the farm for breeder-owner David Archer, both participated in exhibition gallops at the Te Rapa meeting on Saturday. Bostonian and Indecision produced eye-catching work and will join last weekend’s Gr.2 EasterHandicap (1600m) winner Endless Dram...

Trelawney graduate hot at Sandown

The Mick Price-trained Savaheat (Savabeel x Heat Storm) made light work of his rivals at Sandown on Easter Monday winning the Le Pine Funerals Handicap (1800m). Ridden by Damien Oliver, the four-year-old gelding travelled nicely at the rear of the field before making his move with 800m to go. He looped the field and hit the lead at the 500m mark and held off his challengers to win by a length from Tavirun. “It was a good win,” stable representative Mick Nolan said. “The 1800m suits him. Th...

Igraine impressive at Hawke's Bay

Imported mare Igraine (Galileo) collected further black-type on Saturday when runner-up in the Listed Royston Hospital Hawkes’s Bay Cup (2200m). Igraine, who races in the Trelawney silks, relished the step up in distance after a last start fourth in the Gr.3 Cuddle Stakes (1600m) at Trentham last month. Jockey Samantha Collett settled Igraine in second spot on the outside of early leader Royal Ruby before hitting the front with 600m to go. Despite running on strongly in the concluding stages o...

Wyong Mission a winner

Lucky Mission (Shamexpress x Stella Livia) scored a comfortable victory at Wyong on Thursday taking his record to two wins from five starts. The Kris Lees-trained three-year-old was second up this campaign having run fourth at Newcastle last month. Brenton Avdulla was in the saddle again this week and settled the Trelawney Stud-bred galloper on the rail in third spot allowing the two pace makers to battle it out in front. They made their move coming around the turn and hit the lead on the straig...

Red Senna gets her maiden win

Lightly raced mare Red Senna (More Than Ready x La Ferrand) broke her maiden on Sunday when part of a winning double for trainer Stephen Marsh at Pukekohe. The four-year-old was having her fifth start and won the Papakura Club Open Day 14th April Maiden (1400m) well by a half-length. Red Senna jumped smartly and was settled on the inside by jockey Sam Spratt. She travelled nicely before moving Spratt moved off the rail with 150m to go and responded when asked to run past runner-up Chapeau. Bred ...

Bright future tipped for Trelawney grad

While Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman didn’t take out the Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Awapuni last Saturday but they remain excited about the future of with talented two-year-old Holy Mongolemperor. Holy Mongolemperor, who was bred by Trelawney and sold out of their 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock yearling draft, ran home late to finish eighth.   “Holy Mongolemperor is very green. He lost his way a bit on Saturday unfortunately," Baker said “He stretched out a bit in ...

Emily Margaret out to extend southern dominance

Already the winner of the first and second legs of the New Zealand Bloodstock Southern Filly of the Year Series, Emily Margaret (Pins x Seven Schillings) goes into this Saturday’s third leg with an almost unassailable lead. The Riccarton filly has earned the perfect score of 14 points so far, putting her 10 points ahead of nearest rivals Dreamtesta and Wekaforce.  Victory in Saturday’s $50,000 Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes (1600m) at Riccarton would lift her to 21 points and guarantee he...

War Affair ready to race in Singapore

Almost one and a half years after his last Kranji appearance, former champion galloper War Affair makes a racing comeback at his old stomping ground this Sunday. The son of O’Reilly takes pride of place with the topweight of 60kgs in the S$100,000 Class 1 race over 1200m, sponsored as the JRA Trophy. Back in 2017 when news came through the Ong family was sending him to New Zealand to fix his respiratory issues, some read retirement between the lines. Either he does not recover and retires, or ...

Dual Group One winner Grunt retired to stud

Dual-Group One winner Grunt will spearhead Yulong Investments’ move into the stallion market in 2019, standing at the operation’s newly-acquired Yulong Farm in Nagambie, Victoria, for a fee of $13,750 (inc GST). Trained by Mick Price to win five of his 12 starts, Grunt was officially retired to stud on Thursday having accumulated a brace of elite level victories and A$1,382,450 in prize-money during a stellar career on the track. “It is tremendously exciting for Yulong’s stallion divis...

Trelawney bred ready for G1 test

Cambridge trainers Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman will line up Trelawney Stud graduate Holy Mongolemperor in the Gr.1 Courtesy Ford Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Awapuni on Saturday. They are excited about the race and think the two-year-old colt holds a good chance or running in the money.   “I am quite looking forward to seeing how Holy Mongolemperor steps up to the 1400m," Forsman said. "It was a really good effort at Trentham (when runner-up to Equinox over 1200m), he�...

Course specialist salutes again at Tauranga

Consistent performer Pasabahce (Shocking x Tinkerbabu) once again outlined her love affair for the Tauranga racecourse when she scored her fifth victory at the track on Saturday. The Team Rogerson-prepared six-year-old was coming off a creditable performance for fifth in open company at her last start as she defeated a small but competitive line-up of fillies and mares in the rating 82 NZB Insurance Pearl Series Race over 1300m. Settled back in mid-field by rider Ryan Elliot, Pasabahce travelled...

Purple Sector to chase Guineas upset

The Randwick Guineas did not go to plan for John Thompson and Purple Sector (Pins x Eden Valley) but the trainer is hopeful the colt can bounce back and produce a much better showing in the Rosehill Guineas. Purple Sector is among the outsiders for Saturday's Group One race for three-year-olds over 2000m at Rosehill but goes into the race having had excuses in the Randwick Guineas when he came in a long last. "He's going well," Thompson said. "He just didn't have any luck last start. He copped a...

Concert Hall builds to crescendo

Concert Hall produced an impressive last-to-first performance to land the Gr.3 Wentwood Grange Cuddle Stakes (1600m) at Trentham on Saturday, setting her up for a tilt at even better things.  The daughter of Savabeel, who was born and raised at Trelawney for owner-breeder Joan Egan, has now won three races in succession and claimed her first black-type win. “I thought it was a bit special,” co-trainer Roger James said.  “She was last for a lot of the race and they haven’t reall...

Emotional Guineas win for Christchurch filly

An emotional Kevin Hughes was pleasantly surprised to get the judges call in his favour when his bonny filly Emily Margaret prevailed in a tight finish to the Gr.2 Norwood Family Wellington Guineas (1400m) at Trentham on Saturday. The Riccarton horseman, who trains in partnership with his wife Pam, fought back tears as his thoughts turned to the victims of the Christchurch mosque terrorist attack, an atrocity committed in his home patch.   “It’s unbelievable, I thought we were second,�...

Trelawney bred stars in Sydney

Star of the Seas continued his run of good form winning the opener at Rosehill on Saturday. The four-year-old son of Ocean Park has been runner-up at his last two starts and was backing up from a run on the same track at the same distance on February 23. The progressive Chris Waller-trained gelding has proven previously his ability to handle rain-affected going and looked more than comfortable finishing strongly to the line to claim the Catanach's Handicap (1350m) on a Heavy10. "It was a good ef...

Winkelmann a winner

Winkelmann made a perfect return to racing on Friday night scoring at Moonee Valley in the Powerflo Solutions Kate O’Sullivan Cup (1600m). The five-year-old daughter of Rip Van Winkle was resuming off a spell having not been seen on raceday since July last year. Jockey Craig Williams made use of her good barrier and pushed the mare up to settle behind the leader. As the leader moved off the rail rounding the home turn Williams allowed Winkelmann to sneak up the rail and urged her to the front ...

Super Saturday of racing ahead

Trelawney Stud is set for another super Saturday of racing this weekend with runners bred, sold or raced by the farm contesting feature races on both sides of the Tasman. The long-awaited inaugural running of the A$5m All Star Mile takes place at Flemington with Grunt, who will be ridden by champion jockey Damien Oliver, drawing barrier 15. The Mick Price-trained son of O'Reilly, who was bred by Trelawney and purchased out of their 2016 New Zealand Bloodstock yearling draft, is proven on the cou...

Price expects bold mile showing from Grunt

Trainer Mick Price insists Grunt is on target to perform strongly in the A$5 million All-Star Mile despite a midfield finish in a Group Three handicap in his only lead-up race. Grunt finished sixth in the Shaftesbury Avenue Handicap (1400m) at Flemington eight days ago when he lumped 61.5kg in the race won by Violate. Price was using the race as Grunt's springboard to this Saturday's inaugural All-Star Mile over the Flemington 1600m. Grunt has excelled over the course and distance with Group One...

Sandrine proves too tough in Ellerslie slog

A mud-spattered Cameron Lammas completed an early raceday double in the worst of the conditions at Ellerslie on Saturday when he guided promising mare Sandrine home in the second race of the day. Having taken the opening event on Spindle, Lammas produced a gem of an effort on the Team Rogerson-trained Sandrine as he navigated a path through the water-logged track in the 1600m contest that was run in the middle of a heavy downpour. Lammas had the Savabeel four-year-old trucking along nicely under...

Scholarship Blog- Ryan Stacey

Keith & Faith Taylor scholarship winner Ryan Stacey provides his first update from the Irish National Stud- As I arrived in Dublin after a surprisingly straightforward 24-hour trip, I was welcomed by Jerry who works at the Irish National Stud. He was there to pick up myself and 2 other students, Jock Ferguson (AUS) and Fabian Puchta (GER). A lovely overcast day and a crisp southerly met us as we walked out of the airport. Lucky I had prepared for it. After a 45-minute drive were at the Irish Nat...