Things to know today
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Coniston won the Group 2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial over 1400 metres at Te Rapa on Labour Day Monday by a head from Justin Case, with Joyeuse third, for the Matamata trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott and the rider Joe Doyle. It was a first stakes win for the Wootton Bassett colt, who is out of the Tavistock mare Le Gai Soleil, was bred by W G and H G Bax and now goes to the Group 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas at Riccarton. “Hopefully he cracks on down at Christchurch, he has got a good, long gallop in him,” Scott said. With Grace made it four wins from four starts this season in the Staples Rodway Stakes over 2100 metres on the same card for Kylie Hoskin and George Rooke, a $60,000 National Yearling Sale buy from Windsor Park Stud who is bound for the Group 3 New Zealand Cup (Breednet, NZ Racing News) |
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Pride Of Jenni has been ruled out of the Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes over 1600 metres at Flemington on Saturday, the mare still getting over the setback that interrupted her preparation before the King Charles III Stakes. She has won the Empire Rose twice, and the Group 1 Champions Mile has been raised as an alternative (NZ Racing News) |
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Tisse landed his first black type win from 26 starts in the Group 3 Thompson Handicap over 1600 metres at Trentham on Sunday, the six year old Belardo gelding getting up by a short neck from The Scunner with Astoria Brooke third. Allan Sharrock trains him for the Crow Family Trust and Kelly Myers rode him with 53 kilograms from barrier nine. He cost $30,000 from the Woburn Farm draft at the 2022 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales Series and is out of the unraced Miss Percy, a half sister to the Group 1 Auckland Cup winner Titch. “He’s such a grouse horse, I just love him,” Myers said (Breednet, NZ Racing News) |
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Makdane won the Listed Sale Cup over 1600 metres on heavy ground on Sunday by a length from Freedom Rally, with Aztec Ruler third, first up for Mick Kent and Michael Dee. The six year old is the fifth stakes winner for Impending, who stands at Larneuk Stud, and is out of the Group 3 placed Elvstroem mare Danestroem, who died in 2024. “He loves the wet,” Kent said, with the Moe Cup in about three weeks the next target (Breednet) |
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B2B Thoroughbreds had a Randwick double on Saturday, the homebred Revolina beating Punxsutawney Phil by a length and a half in the Listed Brian Crowley Stakes over 1200 metres for Richard and Will Freedman, and Lazzura taking the Group 2 Invitation over 1400 metres by half a length from Infancy for Chris Waller, Tommy Berry riding both. Revolina is by Russian Revolution out of She’s Furline, whom B2B sold to Twin Hills for $90,000 at the 2024 Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale, while Lazzura cost $500,000 from the Arrowfield draft at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast sale. Revolina goes for a short break before the Magic Millions Sunlight Plate in January, for which B2B hold a slot (ANZ Bloodstock News, Breednet) |
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Wild Ruler leads Australia’s second season sires on winners with 16 from 39 starters, those 16 having won 20 races between them. He had four winners across three days: The Wildling at Scone, Priory Park at Kembla Grange for Annabel and Rob Archibald, and a Port Macquarie double on Sunday through Wild Monarch for Jenny Graham and the debutant De Riguer for Peter Snowden and the owner breeder Mathew Sandblom. The Newgate stallion stands at $27,500, has 26 winners from his first crop and four lots catalogued at Karaka next month (Breednet) |
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Thoroughbreds Are Go returned to Sky Thoroughbred Central on Monday night, the national rehoming programme screening again through the week and streaming on 7plus. The episode follows the show competitor Ali Kent and her husband, the trainer Michael Kent Junior, with the class winners Loco and Regalia, Peter Burke of Taghadoe Stud with the retired Australian Derby placegetter Glad You Think So, and Verna Metcalfe with the 27 year old Prophet Jewel, dam of the New Zealand champion sire Proisir and the Caulfield Guineas winner Divine Prophet (Breednet) |
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