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Group One task for War Princess

Peter Didham and his owners can take a good deal of satisfaction from their dual representation in Saturday’s feature event at Trentham, regardless of the outcome.The Awapuni trainer and connections have the unbeaten War Princess and the promising Shameless Star to do battle in the Gr.1 Courtesy Ford Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m).The stablemates were purchased as early prospects and for both to be competing at the elite level this weekend is a sound reflection on the selection proce...

U S Navy Flag filly wins on debut

Stephen Marsh has unveiled a number of promising two-year-old fillies this week and the latest in Lady Iris (U S Navy Flag) stamped her authority with a strong win in the Entain/NZB Insurance Pearl Series (1050m) at Matamata on Sunday.Wiremu Pinn partnered Lady Iris at her first appearance to the races, having made a good impression in two trials. She was among the better-backed runners at $8.50, albeit with a clear favourite in Fury Of Flight ($2.10).Jumping from barrier six, Lady Iris showed g...

Quinella for U S Navy Flag in Wanganui opener

Impressive debut winner War Princess made it two from two when she led from go to whoa in the opening event at Wanganui, the Wanganui Insurance Brokers 2YO (1200m).The two-year-old daughter of U S Navy Flag looked to have untapped ability when she won over 1000m at Tauherenikau before enhancing that impression with a subsequent trial win at Foxton last month, where she headed home Group Two winner Too Sweet.Sent out a warm $2.60 favourite, rider Lily Sutherland bounced her away nicely from her e...

Elite-level targets in the offing for Tajana

Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray have Group 1 aims for their 2-year-old filly Tajana (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) who fought hard to beat the favourite Hostility (NZ) (I Am Invincible) by 0.2L at Matamata on Wednesday.The pair accelerated away from the field from the 150-metre mark to beat the remainders by over 4L in a neck and neck battle. Hostility was on debut and was the sale topper at the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale in 2024 at NZ$1.65 million, while Tajana is a h...

Sires audition for Tajana

Darci Brahma, sire of promising 2YO Tajana...

Spelling paddock beckoning Savaglee

Gun three-year-old Savaglee will likely head to the spelling paddock following his heroic runner-up performance behind fellow Kiwi-bred Feroce in Saturday’s Gr.1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington.Racing in The Oaks Stud’s familiar colours, Savaglee has been a standout in his three-year-old term for trainer Pam Gerard, winning the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) and placing in the Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m) prior to Saturday’s result.While he was unable to get the chocolates...

Gerard hoping for poignant Flemington triump

Barely 48 hours after the sad loss of her former training partner Mike Moroney, Pam Gerard will saddle a Group One contender at the Melbourne track the Hall of Fame horseman called home.Gerard’s star three-year-old Savaglee will line up as a leading chance in Saturday’s A$1 million Gr.1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington, where Moroney was based for the last two decades.Despite his move across the Tasman, Moroney maintained a presence in his old home town of Matamata, where Gerard serv...

Savaglee marches on to Australian Guineas

Gun New Zealand three-year-old Savaglee got his first taste of Australian racing on home soil on Saturday when placing behind Aussie raiders Here To Shock and Bosustow in the Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa, and his connections are now looking forward to testing his talents across the Tasman.Raced by The Oaks Stud, Savaglee has been an unstoppable force against his own age group this season, winning five of his six starts, including the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m), before bein...

U S Navy Flag sires Hong Kong winner

Promising U S Navy Flag gelding Super Love was a dominant winner over 1200m at his second start in Sha Tin last night for trainer Dennis Yip.   Super Love was a $70,000 purchase for Tartan Meadow Bloodstock from the Valachi Downs 2022 Book 2 draft.    He began his early career in New Zealand under the name Admiral Simon, before being exported to Hong Kong in August of last year. In R4 the Class 4 1400m, Lakeshore Hero from the Savabeel mare Savabeel Star ran an...

Savaglee set for showdown against older rivals at Te Rapa

Savaglee has conquered all before him at age-group level in New Zealand, and on Saturday, the star colt will take on the older horses in a star-studded edition of the Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m).In six starts as a three-year-old, Savaglee has won on five occasions, including the Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m), Gr.2 Sarten Memorial (1400m), Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) and Gr.2 Levin Classic (1400m), all with considerable ease.His owners The Oaks Stud, and Pam Gerard, who trains th...

Tajana set for Group 1 targets

Darci Brahma, sire of promising 2YO Tajana...

The Oaks strikes with exciting 3YO prospects

A pair of emerging fillies credited The Oaks Stud with a winning double at Pukekohe on Sunday with both homebreds promising to carry the Cambridge nursery’s colours to higher honours.Niagara’s daughter Alaskan added momentum to her Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) with victory in the NZB Karaka 2025 (2100m) at her third appearance.A race later, Cypher went one better in the Trackside.co.nz (1300m) after finishing runner-up on debut at Taupo in late December.“It was a ...

Ballon D'Or delivers on Cup Day

A decade after winning his hometown Cup with Maygrove, prominent Wellington owner Lib Petagna was back in the spotlight again on Trentham’s biggest day of the year on Saturday.Petagna’s JML Bloodstock colours were carried to victory by emerging three-year-old Ballon d’Or, who upstaged a highly rated line-up in the Harcourts (1200m) on the Wellington Cup undercard.The countdown to Saturday’s three-year-old sprint was dominated by Komocean, who had made a big impression winning both of her...

Savaglee brilliant in Levin Classic

Class three-year-old Savaglee stepped out for the first time since his devastating victory in the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) in November and absolutely destroyed a small but handy field in Saturday’s Gr.2 Top Kat Roofing Levin Classic (1400m) at Trentham.Confidently expected to win despite the eight week absence from race day action, the punters elect at $1.60 never looked in danger of defeat once regular pilot Sam Spratt had him away nicely from a wide barrier and trucking along in...

Savaglee's summer kicking off at Trentham

Glamour colt Savaglee will commence an exciting summer programme at Trentham on Saturday, taking his place in the Gr.2 Top Kat Roofing Levin Classic (1400m).The Oaks Stud galloper was undoubtedly the nation’s top three-year-old through the spring, winning the Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m), Gr.2 Sarten Memorial (1400m) and his crowning success, the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m).Savaglee made his first public appearance since his Riccarton success in a stacked Group and Listed trial...

Stars impress in Matamata trial

Eight Group One performers were put through their paces in a star-studded 1100m trial before the eight-race twilight card at Matamata on Friday, and it was standout three-year-old Savaglee who came out on top.Making his first public appearance since romping to victory by almost three lengths in the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton on November 9, the Savabeel colt settled in third through the early stages of Friday’s trial as speedy mare Babylon Berlin opened up a big lead ove...

Trial to kick off Savaglee's Australian campaign

Star colt Savaglee will be given the opportunity to maximise his stallion potential on Australian soil in the autumn and will take his first steps toward that goal on his home track.The Pam Gerard-trained son of Savabeel enjoyed time out at owner Dick Karreman’s The Oaks Stud following his Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) heroics and will be ready to trial at Matamata on Friday week.“He had two weeks back here and he’s back in the stable now,” The Oaks General Manager Rick Williams ...

Sesimbra scores in dramatic fashion

Royally bred filly Sesimbra made it back to back victories to open her three-year-old campaign when she took out the opening event at Wanganui, the Wanganui Function Centre 3YO (1200m) in dramatic fashion.The daughter of US Navy Flag, who was lining up for her second start this month after scoring nicely at New Plymouth a fortnight ago, finished just half a head from Velton after being forced over more ground in the run home by that runner.An inquiry was initiated shortly after horses returned t...

Savaglee supreme in 2000 Guineas

A dream spring for Savaglee, his trainer Pam Gerard and jockey Sam Spratt culminated in something very special in the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai 52nd New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton on Saturday.Savaglee began his three-year-old season somewhat below the radar, albeit with two wins to his name from seven starts last season including the Gr.3 Matamata Slipper (1200m). But the Savabeel colt has blossomed before our eyes this spring and become a standout of his generation, winning f...

Antrim Coast kicking off big week for The Oaks

The well-renowned colours of The Oaks Stud will feature across two feature Trans-Tasman meetings this week, kicking off with Antrim Coast lining up in the Listed Furphy Plate (1800m) on Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington.A homebred son of resident sire Roc De Cambes, Antrim Coast flourished in the latter stages of his three-year-old term, finishing second to Orchestral in the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) before winning the Gr.2 Alistair Clark Stakes (2040m) and finishing fourth in the Gr.1 South ...

Early experience propels Savaglee to dominant Group 2 win

Matamata trainer Pam Gerard believes seven starts as a 2-year-old played an integral part in Savaglee’s stunning G2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial S. victory at Te Aroha on Wednesday.The colt showed great maturity to hold off second and third placegetters Whiskey ’N Roses (Belardo {Ire}) and Captured By Love (Written Tycoon) on the straight to salute by 1.5l.It was Savaglee’s second consecutive triumph, the other also at Group 2 level in the Hawke’s Bay Guineas at Ma...

Savaglee sensational in Sarten

The road to Riccarton Park has not been an easy one for Savaglee, but the colt indicated he is right on track with a stunning performance in Wednesday’s transferred Gr.2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial (1400m) at Te Aroha.Savaglee, alongside a number of other runners in the race, has fallen victim to a pair of abandonments, firstly with the Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) which was rescheduled to Matamata, then the Sarten, which was set to be run on Monday at Te Rapa.The adaptable colt over...

Road to Riccarton a frustrating path for Gerard

Savaglee’s path to his spring grand final will take another detour this week with Pam Gerard admitting to severe frustration with the disrupted preparation.The Oaks Stud-raced son of Savabeel has the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton next week as his main target and it’s been far from plain sailing for the Matamata trainer in the build-up.Monday’s fixture at Te Rapa featuring the Gr.2 James & Annie Sarten Memorial (1400m) was the latest upset w...

3YO Feature awaits Raziah

Tony Pike will have his two talented fillies, Raziah and Archaic Smile, chasing age-group crowns within 10 minutes of each other this Saturday at Riccarton Park and Ellerslie.In the South Island, The Oaks Stud-owned Raziah takes her place in the Gr.3 War Decree Stakes (1600m), looking to complete a stakes-level hattrick that commenced in the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) in mid-September.The daughter of Niagara overcame a rocky run in the Gr.3 Barneswood Farm Stakes (1400m) to go back-t...

So Naive to continue purple patch of form

So Naive hasn’t put a foot wrong in his three-year-old campaign so far, and trainers Bruce Wallace and Grant Cooksley are hoping his purple patch of form continues at Te Rapa on Monday.The U S Navy Flag colt was a handy two-year-old, winning two his four juvenile starts, but he blossomed into a three-year-old where he won the Gr.3 Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) first-up before finishing runner-up to Savaglee in the Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m).So Naive is on a path towards the Gr.1...