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Sinarahma all class in Rotorua Cup sign-off

Race favourite Sinarahma signed off her racetrack career with a dominant victory in the Gr.3 Campbell Infrastructure Rotorua Cup (2200m) on Saturday. The Allan Sharrock-trained Taranaki visitor came into the contest off the back of a last start third behind Two Illicit in the Gr.2 Travis Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa and carried the luxury weight of just 53.5kgs with topweight Big Mike (61kgs) taking his place in the line-up. Rider Matthew Cameron, who began his riding career as an apprentice with S...

Life After Racing

The Oaks Stud strongly supports thoroughbreds having a life off the track when their racing days are over.    This week's NZ Thoroughbred Breeders 'Where Are They Now' profiles the Roc de Cambes mare Taiao Psychedelia: TAIAO PSYCHEDELIA AKA SKY 2016 Grey Mare - Brands: Acorn | 44 over 6Breeding: by Roc De Cambes out of PsychedelicBreeder: The Oaks StudNominated by: Emma SimonsRace Record: UnracedCurrent Role: Talented eventing prospectEmma has known Sky since s...

Family members set to do Sharrock proud

Well-performed relatives Sinarahma and Our Hail Mary have been fine servants of Allan Sharrock’s operation and will chase further staying honours at both North Island venues on Saturday. The former will head to Arawa Park to contest the Gr.3 Campbell Infrastructure Rotorua Cup (2200m) while Our Hail Mary will stay closer to home to tackle the Landmark Homes Handicap (2100m) at Hawera. “The way Sinarahma has been finishing her races off, she will be hard to hold out at 2200m and her mother wo...

Blistering start for U S Navy Flag

The first skirmishes in the battle to be Champion First Season sire have already taken place, with three freshmen sires making early headway. Havana Grey, and the Coolmore pair of Sioux Nation and U S Navy Flag lead the pack, with three winners each. Havana Grey has recorded his three winners from 15 runners, Sioux Nation has his three from nine runners, U S Navy Flag has needed just four starters to find his way to currently head the First Season Sires Table. Ocean Vision got the ball rolling f...

Rionach too strong on debut at Avondale

Debutant two-year-old filly Rionach (NZ) (Darci Brahma) showed she had inherited the family ability when she produced a powerful home straight surge to claim victory at Avondale on Monday.The Darci Brahma juvenile is the granddaughter of well-performed racemare Irish Colleen who has also left the multiple winners Killarney, Neeson and Australian Group Three winner Crosshaven (Smart Missile) and was bred by part owner Daniel Nakhle along with his father Elias.Carrying the familiar teal ...

Smart colt becomes second winner for U S Navy Flag

Kaasib (2c U S Navy Flag - Cherished, by Kodiac) became U S Navy Flag’s second winner when producing a smart performance at Salisbury on Wednesday.The Clive Cox-trained colt shaped with great promise on debut earlier in the month, when beaten just a neck despite clipping heels during the five furlong sprint. Sent off favourite on his second attempt, he raced prominently under Hector Crouch and was asked to quicken two furlongs from home. Asserting inside the final furlong, ...

Unbeaten Orbisyn closer to returning

Hugely exciting 4YO gelding Orbisyn (Rich Enuff-Another Syn, by Mukaddamah) will trial next week in his first outing since he last raced in June 2021, according  to punters.com.au. "We've been nice and patient with him," trainer David Vandyke said. "Once we knew he wasn't going to be ready for the spring, there was no point rushing him back. So we gave him the summer off and now he's steadily building up so he'll be in great shape when he returns to racing." Orbisyn had a minor hind le...

Smart newcomer becomes first winner for U S Navy Flag

Ocean Vision (2c U S Navy Flag - Balaagha, by Mr Greeley) provided champion two-year-old U S Navy Flag with his first winner when beating some well-regarded individuals at Dundalk (Ireland) on Tuesday.Kieran Cotter’s sole representative in the five furlong maiden was ridden to chase the leaders by Jake Coen and was asked to quicken from two furlongs out. Leading as they approached the final furlong, he was pushed out to score by three parts of a length, with the same d...

The Oaks Stud mourn victims of boating tragedy

Mike Lovett was a respected and valued staff member at The Oaks Stud...

Sinarahma prevails in desperate finish to Cuddle Stakes

A well-timed run that saw her thrust her head in front just two strides prior to the winning post ensured rugged mare Sinarahma took victory in the Gr.3 Wentwood Grange Cuddle Stakes (1600m) on Saturday. The Allan Sharrock-trained seven-year-old was given a perfect trip in transit as she tracked race favourite Mai Tai ($4.20) throughout before peeling off her back early in the run home. Mai Tai and Samiam Seussie had looked likely to fight out the finish at the 250m, however rider Lisa Allpress ...

Nightmare draw for Sierra Sue

Trent Busuttin has found it difficult to put a positive spin on Sierra Sue drawing barrier 13 in the A$5 million All-Star Mile (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday. While pleased with the last start Gr.1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) winner ahead of Saturday, he said the draw took the wind well and truly out of his sails. “It’s a bad draw and it will make things extremely difficult for her to win,” Busuttin told RSN. “We needed to draw in the first six or eight to get good cover and do no work in...

Ellis Justifys big spend

Justify pictured at Coolmore Stud...

Wexford Stables secure well bred U S Navy Flag colt on day 2

Fresh from their stunning Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) triumph at Ellerslie on Saturday, Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott were back in the limelight at Karaka on Tuesday. The pair purchased three individuals on the first day of the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale and midway through the second day of selling had added two more youngsters to their haul including Lot 303 for $340,000, the U S Navy Flag colt out of Fastnet Rock mare Honfleur from the Valachi Downs draft. The colt ...

Sierra Sue explosive in Futurity

Sierra Sue has doubled her Group One tally with a strong win in the Gr.1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday. The winner of the Gr.1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes over the same course and distance last spring, the Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained mare went to a new level when claiming elite level success under weight-for-age conditions on Saturday. The five-year-old daughter of proven sire Darci Brahma headed home a New Zealand bred trifecta, scoring by a comfortable 1¼ length...

Hinepara ruled out of Auckland Cup

Last Saturday’s Gr.2 Avondale Cup (2400m) winner Hinepara (Darci Brahma) has been ruled out of the Gr.2 Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup (3200m) on March 13 at Ellerslie. Trained by Josh Shaw, the seven-year-old mare charged home late to defeat Concert Hall in the Avondale Cup. Despite not originally being in the nominations for the Auckland Cup, connections had intended to make the late payment to join the fray, but Shaw has opted to take a conservative approach. “She hasn’t pulled up 1...

Positive feedback on U S Navy Flag northern hemisphere 2YO's

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Sierra Sue to step up in Futurity

Co-trainer Trent Busuttin knows his mare Sierra Sue (Darci Brahma-Centree, by Centaine) will need to improve for Saturday's Gr1 Futurity Stakes, according to punters.com.au. "She had every chance in the Orr and there were some proper weight-for-age horses in front of her," said Busuttin. "She had last year's Doncaster winner and Tofane, who has won four Group 1s. She's in against the big horses now. It's just one race at a time but there's certainly improvement in her from her first-up to s...

Valachi still flying the flag for well-credentialed stallion

U S Navy Flag remains a firm favourite at Valachi Downs despite the multiple Group One winner no longer featuring on the Matamata nursery’s stallion roster.The high-class son of War Front stood his first two seasons at Kevin and Jo Hickman’s operation before a change of business model in 2021 saw him relocate to The Oaks Stud.“If we had not changed our business direction there is absolutely no doubt that he would still be at Valachi,” General Manager Gareth Downey said.“The relocation ...

Hinepara upsets in Avondale Cup

Ashvin Goindasamy loves upsetting in big races at Ellerslie and he did it again on Saturday when guiding Levin visitor Hinepara (NZ) (Darci Brahma) to victory in the Gr.2 Wallen Concreting Avondale Cup (2400m).Goindasamy had registered his biggest career win aboard Tiptronic (NZ) (O’Reilly) in the Gr.1 Zabeel Classic (2000m) at the venue on Boxing Day and added a Group Two victory to his resume’ on the Josh Shaw-trained Darci Brahma mare.Betting in the race was dominated by Gr.2 Ba...

Sierra Sue ready to rock in Orr Stakes

Trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young believe Group One winner Sierra Sue is firing on all cylinders ahead of her first-up assignment at Caulfield on February 12, the Gr.1 CF Orr Stakes (1400m). The New Zealand-bred mare pleased her conditioners with her jumpout win over 1000m at Cranbourne on Tuesday, beating compatriot and fellow Group One winner I’m Thunderstruck. “She had a bit of a blow this morning, but John Allen (jockey) gave her a nice test out to the line and she responded real...

Sierra Sue targets 1400m Group 1's

Darci Brahma mare Sierra Sue established herself as a top-flight, seven-furlong horse last spring by taking out the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield in September, and co-trainer Trent Busuttin says the mare will again target Group 1 races at her favoured trip this autumn."For whatever reason her record says she's a 1400-metre horse, there are two Group 1 1400-metre races coming up in the month of February," said Busuttin, who trains in partnership with Natalie Young."Her record show...

Cup target's on Hinepara's program

Hinepara’s immediate future lies close to home before Levin trainer Josh Shaw hits the road in search of higher honours for his in-form Darci Brahma mare. The late-maturing seven-year-old was a tidy winner on Saturday in Rating 74 company over 2200m at Trentham and she will return there at the end of the month for a similar event. Shaw will then follow through with a long-term plan to test Hinepara against the open class stayers in a pair of northern features. “We took her up there last year...

Hanalei too strong in Wellesley Stakes

Promising filly Hanalei showed she had taken plenty from her runner-up performance on debut at Te Aroha at the start of the month, when she dominated her two-year-old rivals in the Listed IRT Wellesley Stakes (1100m) at Trentham. The Jamie Richards trained daughter of Darci Brahma had been heavily backed for her first-up performance but had to bow to stablemate Maven Belle after struggling to find clear galloping room early in the straight that day. Trentham’s wide-open spaces worked a treat f...

Gate Crash scores at Sandown

Trainer Patrick Payne isn’t one to overplay the prospects of horses under his care too often and he is true to his form after the win of Gate Crash (NZ) (Roc de Cambes) ($2.10) in the Ladbrokes Blended Bets Handicap (1800m) at Sandown on Monday. This was the second win in four starts for the four-year-old Roc De Cambes gelding to add to two minor placings since the debut run at Warracknabeal in last July.Breaking the maiden at Sale in August, then returning with a placing at Sale in ...

Untouchable Ed impresses on debut

Untouchable Ed (NZ) (Contributer) seemingly didn’t know what to do when having his first start at Bendigo on Sunday, but his lack of race smarts wasn’t enough to prevent him from winning comfortably.The four-year-old Contributer gelding trained by Symon Wilde settled rearward from the second widest barrier in the $35,000 Adroit Insurance & Risk Maiden Plate (1300m). Untouchable Ed was last in the 10-horsfield with 250 metres remaining but swamped his rivals, scoring by two lengths. Harry Cof...