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Australian-bound Kiwis impress at Matamata

Exciting kiwi gallopers Te Akau Shark and Catalyst had their first hit-out of the year at the Matamata trials on Tuesday and they pleased their connections with their efforts in their 1000m heat. Catalyst jumped well and settled in the one-one for jockey Troy Harris, while Te Akau Shark sat three back on the fence for the majority of the trip in the hands of Michael McNab. A gap opened up nicely for Catalyst turning for home and he ran away to a two length victory over Te Akau Shark. Trainer Cla...

Perfect draw for Harlech

Matamata trainer Pam Gerard had been hoping for a turn of luck with barrier draws ahead of Trentham’s feature meeting on Saturday, and her prayers were answered. Gerard, who trains in partnership with Michael Moroney, will have two strong chances in Group races on Saturday and she said she was over the moon with their draws. Exciting three-year-old Harlech (Darci Brahma) will jump from the ace barrier in the Gr.1 Woodridge Homes Levin Classic (1600m), while promising stayer Masetto has drawn g...

Catalyst to step out at trials next week

Top three-year-old Catalyst will make his first public appearance since Group One success at Riccarton when he competes at the Matamata trials next week. The son of Darci Brahma lived right up to expectations when registering his fifth win from six starts with a dominant display in the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at the New Zealand Cup meeting on November 9 and he has thrived during his recent spell. “He had three weeks off when he came back from Christchurch and put on 23kgs in the ...

Precious victory for regally-bred mare

Wingatui trainer Claire Anderton got the Christmas present she wanted this year, it was just a day late. Stable star The Precious One (Darci Brahma) had been knocking on the door at stakes level for some time and the five-year-old mare was able to deliver for her connections on Boxing Day when recording her breakthrough black-type win in the Listed Southern Wide Realty Hazlett Stakes (1200m) at Wingatui. She beat home fellow local Raise You Ten by 1-1/2 lengths, with a further 1-1/2 lengths back...

Embers to debut at Ellerslie

Tony Pike will have four runners at the Ellerslie's Boxing Day meeting, with Embers, a well-bred two-year-old filly by Darci Brahma (pictured), set to debut in the Stella Artois 1100. “She looks a really nice filly,” Pike said. “We were tempted to run her at Taranaki on Friday for an easy kill, but lucky we didn’t as they cancelled that race. “I threw a nom in for Ellerslie and she’s come up with the perfect gate for a two-year-old on debut in barrier two. “She’s only had the t...

Star ready to fulfil his potential

Amazing Star (NZ) (Darci Brahma) has had his fair share of hiccups along the way but his four-and-a-half length win last night in the Class 3 Venus Handicap (1200m) in Hong Kong highlighted Zac Purton’s strong opinion of him. “He’s always shown that he has had that type of ability but he’s been plagued with a lot of issues throughout his career,” Purton said of the son of Darci Brahma. “But the time off has given him time to develop, strengthen up and mature a bit more and I think we...

Hawtin 3YO to make big impact

Te Awamutu trainer Keith Hawtin is delighted with the progress of talented three-year-old Double Impact. The Oaks Stud-owned son of Darci Brahma was an impressive maiden winner in August before featuring heavily in the stipendary stewards reports at his next two outings, when third at Hawke’s Bay before a sixth placing in the Gr.2 James And Annie Sarten Memorial Stakes (1400m). The gelding returned from a break when a pleasing second to Shezathinka at the Te Aroha trials on Monday and is poi...

Darci Brahma or Catalyst?

In 2005 Darci Brahma won the New Zealand 2000 Guineas.  14 years later, his son Catalyst followed in his footsteps.   Who won it most impressively?...

Kali draws Dee back to Ellerslie

The prospect of riding smart Cambridge three-year-old Kali (Darci Brahma) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day has lured Melbourne-based jockey Mick Dee back to New Zealand. The former successful New Zealand apprentice landed a treble on his last trip back to New Zealand, for the second day of the New Zealand Cup meeting at Riccarton last month, and will be mixing business with pleasure on his Christmas-New Year trip. Dee owns a Waipukurau farm with his parents, Richard and Jo, and had already plann...

Guineas win the Catalyst for Australian targets

The connections of talented three-year-old Catalyst have identified two major assignments for last start Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) winner in the new year. Owner Dick Karreman, his racing manager Rick Williams, and trainer Clayton Chipperfield, have circled the Gr.1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on February 29 and the A$5 million All-Star Mile (1600m) at Caulfield on March 14, however, they remain uncertain about his path towards those targets. “We are still working out a...

Trans-Tasman targets for Harlech

A Group One victory is top of mind for trainers Michael Moroney and Pam Gerard with talented three-year-old Harlech (Darci Brahma). The Group Two winner put in a gallant performance last start to finish second behind star galloper Catalyst (Darci Brahma) in the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton last month and his connections are keen to get an elite level victory before he heads across the Tasman. Moroney is looking forward to eventually getting Harlech to Australia to not only ...

Perfect Start

Preakness (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) was unbeaten in two trial outings and he carried that form over to race day at Otaki on Friday where he produced a professional display for a perfect debut. He sat in the trail before finishing off determinedly to win the Ribbons Plus Premier for trainer Andrew Campbell and jockey Vinnie Colgan. “He only does what he has to and with a bit more time will be a really nice horse,” Campbell said. A half-brother to the Listed Scone Cup winner Pajaro (NZ) (Align)...

Oaks winner back in business at Wanganui

Last season’s Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) winner Sentimental Miss returned to her best with a quality staying performance to take out the Listed Steelform Roofing Group Wanganui Cup (2040m). The Lisa Latta-trained four-year-old has disappointed on several occasions in her current campaign after an eye-catching effort for seventh behind Endless Drama in the Gr.2 Foxbridge Plate (1200m) at Te Rapa back in August. The Reliable Man mare looked to be coming back to somewhere near her best when fi...

Valley winner Talenti has black type talent

Robert Hickmott believes Talenti has black type quality after winning his second Australian race from as many starts on Saturday. The New Zealand-bred four-year-old gelding by Niagara came from last in a small field to win over 1500 metres at The Valley, as per his local debut 15 days earlier at Class 1 level. "He's only had five starts and is doing things for his experience that are definitely above average," Hickmott said. Talenti ($2.10 favourite) looped the field under Barend Vorster en rout...

Pride of the South returns

Southern amber nectar will be flowing after the Speights 1220 at Cromwell on Sunday, and Wingatui trainer Claire Anderton is hoping the connections of The Precious One will be the ones doing the toasting. The Darci Brahma five-year-old finished unplaced in the Gr.3 Stewards Stakes Handicap (1200m) at Riccarton earlier this month and Anderton said she was pleased with her first-up performance. “She went really well fresh-up against some seasoned horses, she acquitted herself very well,” Ander...

Impressive Te Rapa winner for Niagara

Niagara gelding Peace Train dashed home over the final stages of his 1400m maiden contest to score in fine fashion at Te Rapa on Sunday. Having just his third start, the Russell and Robyn Rogers-bred and trained gelding had caught the eye with a comfortable trial win at Taupo earlier in the month. “We’ve always liked him but he’s just taken time to put it all together,” Robyn Rogers said. “We had him ready to go as a late three-year-old but the tracks had turned so his two runs were in...

Darci Brahma leading the NZ General Sires list

Darci Brahma is currently leading the NZ General Sires List for 2019/20 (as at 21/11/19)....

Dee And Gee scores emotional success in New Zealand Cup

There were plenty of tears being shed in the Riccarton birdcage as the supporters of trainers Peter Corbett and Terrill Charles waited for the pair’s bonny staying mare Dee And Gee (NZ) (Darci Brahma) to make her way off the track after scoring her greatest victory when taking out the 157th running of the Gr.3 Christchurch Casino New Zealand Cup (3200m) on Saturday. That Charles was on hand to play such apivotal role in the win with her partner Corbett is testament to her strength and bloody m...

Local takes Waverley Cup

A daring front-running ride by apprentice Chelsea Burdan paved the way for local runner Sergeant Blast (NZ) (Darci Brahma) to score in the Steelform Roofing Group Waverley Cup (2200m) on Sunday. Burdan made good use of her three-kilogram claim as she went pedal to the metal in front on the Darci Brahma seven-year-old and made her rivals chase hard throughout. Despite appearing out on his feet at the 150m mark, Sergeant Blast held tough to keep veteran stayer Nitro Ted (NZ) (Citi Habit) at bay ...

Waverley Cup to launch another Group One bid

Kiwi, Glory Days…Beyond The Fort? It may be too early to mention the latter in the same breath as the two Group One-winning stayers, but the small South Taranaki township of Waverley has developed a knack for producing Group One stayers. The Snow Lupton-trained Kiwi put Waverley on the map after storming home late to win the 1983 Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m), while Glory Days put the town back up in lights after her heroics in this year’s Gr.1 Auckland Cup (3200m). Glory Days’ trainer B...

Watch Catalyst's 2000 Guineas win

Watch Catalyst's dominant 2000 Guineas win & the post race excitement here: https://www.facebook.com/LoveR... ...

Catalyst clinical in 2000 Guineas victory

Touted as a near racecourse certainty, excitement machine Catalyst lived up to all the pre-race hype when he scorched to a stunning victory in the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) on Saturday. The Darci Brahma three-year-old had been backed into microscopic odds prior to the race and punters who took the $1.20 on offer never had a moment of worry once rider Troy Harris cleared a pocket early in the run down the long Riccarton home straight. Successful on four occasions si...

Faultless preparation for Guineas favourite

Star three-year-old Catalyst has arrived in Christchurch and is expected to make a one-act affair of Saturday’s Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton. Prepared at Te Awamutu by Clayton Chipperfield, Catalyst has been installed a prohibitive $1.20 favourite for the Guineas after bullying his rivals in three lead-up races, leading the majority of competitors to concede they are running for second in the $500,000 race. “He got here this morning (Wednesday) and I...

Kali spot on for Group 1

An exhibition gallop between races at Motukarara on Sunday has kept smart Cambridge filly Kali on track for her Group One mission at Riccarton on Saturday week. Kali worked with the Jamie Richards-trained Folk Dress over 1200m in preparation for their clash in the Gr.1 gavelhouse.com New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m), for which Kali is currently the $5 second favourite on the TAB’s Fixed Odds betting behind the unbeaten Travelling Light ($3.20). “She worked really impressively and pulled up w...

Harlech stakes his Guineas claim

Pam Gerard was singing the praises of the Moroney brothers after the handsome colt Harlech (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) raced up to his looks at Te Rapa to confirm his passage south for the G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas. Gerard runs the Matamata arm of Michael Moroney’s trans-Tasman operation and produced Harlech to run away with the G2 Sarten Memorial on Monday with a performance that has seen his price tumble from NZ$41 to NZ$10 for next month’s Al Basti Equiworld-sponsored classic. Harlech has ...