Canterbury jockey Jason Laking’s Covid-19 lockdown experience was a lot different to many of his contemporaries around the country.

Rich Hill Stud stallion Proisir carried Tony Falcone’s Lime green and white colours to victory on three occasions, including the Gr.3 Spring Stakes (1600m), and at Sandown on Wednesday his son Bungalow Bill was able to do the same when recording his maiden victory over 1300m.

With the assistance of working groups of trainers and clubs, New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) has developed a return to racing plan which includes a flat stakes level of $15,000 for all races at 13 meetings during July.

Like many trainers around the country, Andrew Carston was excited to get back to his stables on Tuesday morning to welcome back some of his team.

Cambridge trainer Andrew Forsman is pleased to have horses trickling back into the stable after the month-long lockdown period and is taking positives from the late-season timing of the Covid-19 lockdown.

Leading Hawke’s Bay trainer John Bary believes the COVID-19 outbreak which has forced the suspension of racing across the country for three months provides the ideal opportunity to realign the industry.

Under strict health and safety requirements, NZB Airfreight has successfully completed a test flight with a small pool of horses from Auckland to Sydney.

Karaka trainer Lance Noble has an eye to the future as he welcomes the next batch of well-bred youngsters to the fold this week.

Star Kiwi jumper Zed Em heads to Warrnambool on Tuesday for a crucial steeplechase trial over 2800m as he looks to defend his crown in Tuesday week’s A$315,000 Grand Annual Steeplechase (5500m) at a revamped Warrnambool Carnival.

It has been somewhat of a ghost town at the Cambridge Jockey Club, New Zealand’s largest thoroughbred training centre, over the last month.

As thoroughbred racing in New Zealand gets ready to return from its Covid-19 enforced hiatus those unheralded members of the industry who put in countless hours behind the scenes preparing the equine athletes for battle are champing at the bit to get back to work.

Ruakaka trainer Chris Gibbs is philosophical about the impact a revised dates calendar will have on his business once thoroughbred racing makes its return to the track in July.

Rejuvenation is the name of the game for Cambridge trainer Andrew Campbell.

The racing industry has received government approval for a return to training, trialling and racing under Covid-19 alert level 3.

Like many other Kiwis, Craig Grylls’ dogs have been a welcome distraction over the Covid-19 lockdown period, getting the Matamata jockey out and about in what has been a testing few weeks.

Ruakaka and Taupo have been a staple of winter and spring racing for many years and Cambridge trainer Shaune Ritchie is hoping racing administrators reconsider adding them to this year’s proposed racing calendar.

Horse transport by road is set to resume when the country moves into Covid-19 Alert Level 3 at 11:59pm next Monday.

Les Jarvis, a former jockey and trainer who died last Saturday, can take credit for paving the way for two of New Zealand’s most courageous gallopers, the little champ McGinty and the iron horse sprinter Oranmore.

An Australian spring campaign is beckoning Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) winner Jennifer Eccles (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle).

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) has released a proposed calendar for August through to early November to give owners, trainers and racing participants some certainty for the next six months. 

The Racing Industry Transition Agency (RITA) on Sunday (19 April) provides a further update on the potential impacts of, and its response to, COVID-19,  including initial consideration for the TAB of the restrictions announced by Government of a move to Alert Level 3 and pending consultation of the draft racing calendar for May, June and July 2020. 

The Sydney Autumn Carnival may have only just come to an end but Te Akau principal David Ellis is already planning his team’s next assault on Australia.

A charity tipping competition run by thoroughbred stud farm Windsor Park Stud has raised $27,500 for charity.

Cambridge trainer Ben Foote is finding a silver lining to New Zealand’s strict lockdown measures under Covid-19 Alert level 4.

Novara Park, near Cambridge, have announced that service fees will remain unchanged for the forthcoming 2020 breeding season for their exciting young stallion duo of Sweynesse and Staphanos.

South African-born jockey Donovan Mansour is determined to remain positive about his long journey to recovery from a horrific raceday accident despite the current Covid-19 pandemic throwing him a major curveball in recent days.

There was plenty of cause for celebration amongst the Waikato region’s thoroughbred breeding fraternity on Saturday afternoon following the running of the Gr.1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick.

Victory on the Mike Moroney-trained Tofane (NZ) (Ocean Park) in Saturday’s Gr.1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick capped off a stellar autumn for Kiwi jockey Opie Bosson.

The announcement this afternoon by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, that New Zealand would move to Alert Level 3 from 11.59pm on Monday, 27 April, was greeted with cautious optimism by NZTR.