Lance O’Sullivan, who trains in partnership with Andrew Scott, was pleased with the fresh-up run of quality four-year-old Dragon Leap (Pierro), who finished 8th in the Gr.2 Tramway Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday.
The weights for the A$5.15 million Gr.1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) and A$8 million Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) have been released by Racing Victoria, with the Kiwi contingent featuring prominently.
Group Two winning mare Aretha (NZ) (Charm Spirit) has been retired after trailing the field home in the Gr.2 Foxbridge Plate (1200m) last Saturday, with a stallion yet to be selected for the daughter of Charm Spirit.
Craig Grylls began the spring in the best possible fashion at Te Rapa on Saturday, riding a winning treble, including his first stakes victory for the season, to take him to the top of the New Zealand Jockeys’ Premiership.
A lease arrangement brokered by Novara Park principal Luigi Muollo has allowed Sweynesse’s former trackwork rider to share in his black-type success at stud.
Trainer Alan Sharrock had a smile on his face a mile wide despite being beaten in Saturday’s feature event at Te Rapa, the Gr.2 Valachi Downs Foxbridge Plate (1200m).
Sweynesse filly Only Words has provided her Te Awamutu trainer Clint Isdale with the biggest victory of his fledgling training career after taking out the Listed HS Dyke Wanganui Guineas (1200m) on Saturday.
Quality galloper Avantage showed she is the horse to beat in the upcoming Hawke’s Bay triple crown when she produced a strong fresh-up effort to take out the Gr.2 Valachi Downs Foxbridge Pate (1200m) at Te Rapa.
The distinctive black and gold chequered colours of Cambridge couple Brendan and Jo Lindsay were to the fore at Te Rapa on Saturday when their quality mare Bavella showed she could be in for a bumper season with a comfortable first-up victory.
