Things to know today
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Rye Manhattan broke her maiden over 1800 metres at Hawkesbury on Tuesday by half a length from Ausbred Eclipse in 1:48.13 on a Good 4, the Autumn Sun filly stepping up in trip at her third start for John O’Shea and Tom Charlton with Dylan Gibbons riding. She was bred by Ron Finemore, who still owns her, was foaled and raised at Newhaven Park, and is a three-quarter sister to the dual Group 1 winner Shout The Bar, out of the O’Reilly mare Drinks All Round, who has four winners from five foals to race. The Group 1 VRC Oaks looks likely to come up too quickly for her (Breednet) |
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Aquila Veloce won the Speight’s 2YO over 1100 metres at Ellerslie by half a length from Princess Grazi in 1:04.89 on a Good 4, the Capitalist filly getting it right at her second start for Peter and Shaun McKay with Sam Collett riding. She cost $95,000 from the Riversley Park draft in Book 1 at Karaka this year, having been bought as a yearling for $55,000 at the 2025 Inglis Great Southern Sale, and is aimed at the Karaka Millions 2YO over 1200 metres at Ellerslie on 23 January, with the Group 3 Counties Challenge Stakes preferred as the lead in. “She’s a filly that I really like, and I think she’ll go on with it,” McKay said (Breednet) |
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Craig Williams takes over on Concord Connie in Saturday’s Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes over a mile at Flemington, replacing Jett Stanley on the Contributer filly, who was third in the Group 2 Tristarc Stakes at Caulfield last start for Charlotte Littlefield. Chris Waller’s four time Group 1 winner Lady Shenandoah is expected to be a pronounced favourite, with Surfin’ Bird and Unleeshing also in the mix. “It’s weight-for-age, it’s Flemington, it’s a mile, and there’s no hiding spots,” Williams said (NZ Racing News) |
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Justin Case will skip next month’s Group 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas and go instead to the Group 3 Bonecrusher Stakes over 1400 metres at Ellerslie on 5 December, Kris Shailer judging the Riccarton mile too tough for the three year old after he finished second to Coniston in Monday’s Group 2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial at Te Rapa. Bred by Waikato Stud and raced by the farm in partnership with Jamie Beatson, the Banquo colt has three wins and two placings from six starts, the Group 3 Matamata Slipper among them, and The NZB Kiwi at Ellerslie in March is the longer aim. “I am very proud of him, it was excellent,” Shailer said (NZ Racing News) |
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Armory has his first Australian winner in Armorware, who took the opening 1200 metres at Sale on Sale Cup day for Matt Laurie and Daniel Stackhouse from a good draw. Armorware cost $45,000 from the Ardsley Stud draft in Book 2 at the New Zealand Bloodstock yearling sale, races for Rick and Joan Smith and is out of the Showcasing mare Showmeware. Armory, the Galileo stallion who was second in the Cox Plate at three on his only Australian start, stands at $10,000 plus GST. “He’s going to be a better horse once he gets out to 1400 metres or a mile,” Stackhouse said (Breednet) |
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D’Argento had six winners in six days, among them Nolabell at Strathalbyn, Due Calzini in the Tony Campbell Memorial Cup over 1600 metres at Canberra, Bobbiwaa at Port Macquarie, Pearler at Queanbeyan and Danny Shum’s Leading Agility in Hong Kong, who has now won three of his past five. Ten more of his runners filled a placing over the same six days. Bowness Stud will offer 19 of his yearlings across Books 1 and 2 at the Magic Millions sale in January. “These results are coming at a good time as we look towards next year’s yearling sales,” James Daly said (Breednet) |
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Soverato is on course for the Group 2 Matriarch Stakes over 2000 metres at Flemington after beating Shockletz by a long neck in Saturday’s Group 3 Tesio Stakes at the same track, the Vadamos mare leading home a New Zealand bred trifecta with Ocean Bay third for Chris Waller and Damian Lane. Bred by Rich Hill Stud, she was a $10,000 buy for Katrina and Simon Alexander’s Kasa Bloodstock through the 2024 NZB National Online Yearling Sale on Gavelhouse Plus, and came to OTI Racing after a trial second at Waipa in May last year. “She’s certainly not over the top yet,” Terry Henderson said (NZ Racing News) |
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