Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou could have found a potential replacement for their outgoing million-dollar winner Peltzer in the shape of Sinba who should return home from Gosford on Thursday with his unbeaten tag intact.
Emerging Kiwi superstar Amarelinha will be given every chance to book a flight across the Tasman for a Group 1 Australian Oaks tilt this autumn.
Owners Te Akau Racing confirmed their autumn plans for the Jamie Richards-trained filly which would leave the passage open for a trip to take on Australia’s best three-year-old staying fillies.
Connections elected against paying a late entry fee for Group 1 New Zealand Derby in favour of keeping Amarelinha against her own sex in the Group 3 Sunline Vase, staged on the same day at Ellerslie on March 6.
A date with the Group 1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham will follow on March 20 before Te Akau makes a final call on a trip to Australia.
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Merv Andrews Happily returns to the birdcage after his Grand National Hurdles victory on Gay Fellow at Riccarton in 1950.
OPINION: Merv Andrews was not only one of the most respected racing trainers in the land, he was one of only a few to train and ride a New Zealand Cup winner. This is the Merv Andrews who won 101 races as a jockey on the flat and over fences and a further 541 as a trainer, putting him in the vicinity of Manawatū racing greats Eric Temperton, Noel Eales and Eric Ropiha. Approaching his 93rd birthday, Andrews lives on in good health in Palmerston North, still follows the races and has interests in two young horses.
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Three of Australia’s feature middle distance races are on the cards for classy Cambridge mare Concert Hall this autumn.
The six-year-old mare has been nominated for the Gr.1 Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington on March 6, and she also has the Gr.1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) on March 20 and the Gr.1 Tancred Stakes (2400m) on March 27 on her radar.
Roger James, who trains Concert Hall with Robert Wellwood, knows what it takes to win the latter pair, having won the Ranvet and Tancred in 2014 with his outstanding mare Silent Achiever.
Concert Hall doesn’t have the record of Silent Achiever as yet, but James said she had continued to get better with age.
New Zealand Jockey Jason Waddell Charged For Threatening Racing Official Sponsored by:
One of New Zealand s top jockeys is facing serious criminal charges after appearing in court on allegations he made threats, including one to kill, against two of the country s leading racing figures.
Multiple Grade 1-winning rider Jason Waddell, 34, did not enter a plea to charges that he posted a digital communication with intent to cause harm to Te Akau Racing boss David Ellis and made a threat to kill Waikato Racing Club chief executive Andrew Castles.
Waddell was bailed to reappear at Hamilton District Court in the New Year.