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Derby Path Continues For Antrim Coast

Antrim Coast continued his upward Derby trajectory on Saturday, despite having to settle for second in the Listed Galilee Series Final (2400m) at Caulfield.The Stephen Marsh-trained three-year-old finished second behind Orchestral in the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) in March and franked that form with a tough victory in the Gr.3 Alistair Clark Stakes (2040m) over Kiwi filly Quintessa at The Valley.Antrim Coast lined-up on Saturday at much shorter odds, but came off second-best to fellow Kiwi-b...

Antrim Coast Loving Life In Australia

He’s slipped under punters’ guards at his past two starts but Stephen Marsh is expecting Antrim Coast (NZ) (Roc De Cambes) to be one of the favourites when he tackles Saturday’s Listed Galilee Series Final (2400m) at Caulfield.The improving three-year-old ran a blinder at $157 when second to Orchestral (NZ) (Savabeel) in the NZ Derby (2400m) last month, before backing up that performance with a shock win at $51 in the Group 2 Alister Clark Stakes (2040m) at The Valley last start.His Kiwi t...

Savaglee Primed For Season Finale

Exciting youngster Savaglee will be hoping to end his juvenile season this Saturday the way he started it, winning at Trentham.The son of Savabeel was an emphatic four-length winner at the Upper Hutt track when on debut in October and trainers Michael Moroney and Pam Gerard would be delighted if he could bookend the season with a winning result in Saturday’s Gr.1 Courtesy Ford Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m).Bred by Waikato Stud, Savaglee was purchased by The Oaks Stud at last year’...

Kiwi Raider Antrim Coast wins Gr 2 Alister Clark Stakes

New Zealand’s Group One three-year-old form was to the fore at Moonee Valley on Saturday, where Antrim Coast edged out Quintessa in a thrilling finish to the A$500,000 Gr.2 DCE Alister Clark Stakes (2040m).Te Akau Racing’s Quintessa went into the race as a $4 favourite. She had previously shown her star quality on home soil, winning the Gr.1 Levin Classic (1600m) at Trentham in January, then finished an eye-catching fourth in this month’s Gr.1 Australian Guineas (1600m) in her first appear...

Antrim Coast Melbourne Bound

He beat all but glamour filly Orchestral in the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie earlier this month and now Antrim Coast will be given his chance to test his talent across the Tasman.Bred by The Oaks Stud, the son of Roc De Cambes races in the blue and white silks of farm principal Dick Karreman, for whom he has been a standout in his three-year-old year.Under the care of Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh, Antrim Coast has won two of his seven starts this term and secured black-type wit...

Williams taking next step in training dream

Growing up on The Oaks Stud in Cambridge paved a way for a successful career in the thoroughbred breeding industry for Dean Williams (pictured, left), however, he got the racing bug young and is about to take an important step in fulfilling his dream of becoming a trainer.The son of The Oaks Stud General Manager Rick Williams, the thoroughbred industry has been engrained in Dean’s life from a young age, but it was the deeds of glamour mare Seachange on the track that lit a fire in him to pursu...

Proven Harlow Rocks gets the nod from trainer

Tony Pike has tipped Harlow Rocks as the stable’s best chance of stakes success at Taupo on Friday.The Cambridge trainer will be represented by the in-form Roc de Cambes filly and the promising Sign Of Peace in take two of the Gr.2 Little Avondale Lowland Stakes (2000m) following the abandonment of last week’s Hastings meeting.“That was very disappointing the other day, but they both need a lead-up to the New Zealand Oaks (Gr.1, 2400m) so we’ll head to Taupo and see how we go,” Pike sa...

Seachange Still Playing A Starring Role

Champion mare Seachange was a flagship performer for The Oaks Stud and her legacy continues to be felt on both sides of the Tasman.Bred and raced by the Cambridge nursery, the two-time New Zealand Horse of the Year landed seven Group One titles during her decorated career and the daughter of Cape Cross’ influence remains current.Seachange features prominently in the pedigrees of The Oaks Stud’s Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) runner-up Antrim Coast and farm graduate Drakaina, successful in th...

Savaglee dominant in Group 3 Matamata Slipper

A fruitless summer saw Savaglee slip under the radar in this season’s two-year-old crop, but that all changed with a brilliant upset victory in Saturday’s Gr.3 Fairview Matamata Slipper (1200m) on his home track.The blue-blooded colt is by Savabeel out of Glee, who is a full-sister to the dam of Orchestral and a three-quarter-sister to the dam of Daffodil. Savaglee was bought by The Oaks Stud for $400,000 at Karaka last year, and he looked worth every cent of that purchase price with a scint...

Pendragon On Track For Australian Guineas

Former Kiwi galloper Pendragon got his Australian campaign off to the best possible start at Werribee on Monday, comfortably winning his 1100m jumpout for trainer Michael Moroney.Purchased by Paul Moroney Bloodstock and Ballymore Stables out of Valachi Downs’ 2022 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 2 Yearling Sale draft for $110,000, Pendragon was initially trained in New Zealand by Moroney, alongside his Matamata training partner Pam Gerard, for whom he won three and placed in one of his seven start...

The Oaks fillies show class in Te Rapa features

The Oaks Stud's classy pair of Harlow Rocks and Vera Rose put their hands up for loftier targets after playing the bridesmaid role at Te Rapa on Saturday for trainer Tony Pike.Harlow Rocks, a daughter of Roc De Cambes, had shown early promise including a strong maiden victory in late November, before a switch to the right-handed track at Pukekohe was not to her liking in a first attempt at black-type on Boxing Day.Cambridge-based Pike opted to scratch the filly from the Listed Oaks Prelude (1800...

Pendragon To Target Guineas

Mike Moroney’s promising 3-year-old Pendragon (NZ) (U S Navy Flag {USA}) will head to Australia to target the G1 Australian Guineas in March.The gelding was unlucky in the NZ$1.5 million Karaka Millions 3YO nearly slipping on the shifty Ellerslie surface according to Moroney.“Pendragon was like many that lost his footing,” he told Racing.com.“If you watch the replay turning for home, he almost fell and Mark (Zahra) thought he was going to drop right out when it happened, but he...

Fashion Icon Hunting Black-Type At Trentham

Fashion Icon will be looking to turn the tables on Sudbina when the pair meet in the Gr.3 New Zealand Bloodstock Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) at Trentham on Saturday.Sudbina just got the better of Fashion Icon in the closing stages of their 1400m contest at Hastings earlier this month to win by a half-length, and the TAB market for the fillies feature on Saturday reflects that result, with Sudbina a $3.30 favourite ahead of Grail Seeker at $3.60, with Fashion Icon on the third line of betting at $...

Storm Boy 2YO Classic Rating Best In A Decade

The entire industry, globally, is across the rapidly growing influence of former undefeated US Triple Crown winner Justify.The son of Scat Daddy doesn't yet have quite the record in Australia as he does in the northern hemisphere, where he has 6 individual G1 winners, however his momentum is building quickly down under.The sire of favoured 2023 Golden Slipper runner Learning To Fly, who dislodged her jockey in the world's richest juvenile feature, is also the sire of last weekend's Magic Mi...

Promising 3YO shines a light on The Oaks Studs quality draft

Group Three winner Burn To Shine made a pleasing return to the trials at Tauranga on Tuesday when taking out his 950m heat under a hold, beating Group Two performer Wessex by a nose.Racing in the familiar silks of The Oaks Stud principal Dick Karreman, Burn To Shine impressed in the spring when placing in the Listed El Roca – Sir Colin Meads Trophy (1200m) and Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m), before winning the Gr.3 War Decree Stakes (1600m), with his only disappointing performance coming i...

The Story Behind Storm Boy

Storm Boy continued the amazing run by Justify and logged a feature win for a family that includes one of New Zealand's great mares of this century when he won Saturday's $3 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic on the Gold Coast.The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained colt provided the Coolmore stallion with his richest win in Australia when he scored a dominant 2-1/2-length win in the 1200-metre event.Storm Boy is a member of the second Australian crop of Justify, the ...

Karaka Millions Bid for Naive Colt?

Progressive 2-year-old So Naive (NZ) (U S Navy Flag {USA}) may have just booked himself a spot in the rich NZ$1 million R. Listed Karaka Millions 2YO with a successful audition at Ellerslie on Sunday.The son of The Oaks Stud’s U S Navy Flag is trained by Bruce Wallace and Grant Cooksley. Ridden by Michael McNab on Sunday, he defeated Te Akau Racing’s Maracatu (NZ) (Ardrossan) and the Steven Cole-trained Hard Attack (NZ) (All Too Hard).So Naive, a NZ$37,500 purch...

Flag Hoisted At Ellerslie

The Oak Stud-based U S Navy Flag (USA) enjoyed an outstanding Sunday with the return of racing to Ellerslie. Fortunate Son (NZ) from the Andrew Forsman stable followed on the back of So Naive (NZ) saluting in the second for the juveniles.Contesting the Bent Down On One Knee Ben Masters 3YO over 1500 metres, ridden by Joe Doyle, Fortunate Son stuck hard against the rail, predominantly controlling the race as the competitive field entered the home straight.Credit to t...

Pendragon takes out Group 2 Auckland Guineas

Enigmatic three-year-old Pendragon demonstrated just how tough he is as he took out the Gr.2 Shaw’s Wire Ropes Auckland Guineas (1400m) at Pukekohe with a strong front-running performance.The Mike Moroney and Pam Gerard-trained son of U S Navy Flag was ignored by punters to start at the juicy odds of $26 in the race, despite having beaten two of his more fancied rivals in Tokyo Tycoon ($3.60) and Quintessa ($4.80) by nearly two lengths at his previous start over 1200m at Te Rapa.Seeking a hat-...

Pendragon makes every post a winner at Te Rapa

Underrated three-year-old Pendragon upset the Te Akau Racing party when he downed favourites Tokyo Tycoon and the previously unbeaten Quintessa over 1200m at Te Rapa on Saturday.The Mike Moroney and Pam Gerard-trained son of U S Navy Flag had opened his winning account at Te Aroha at his most recent start and backed that up with a stylish on-pace effort in the hands of apprentice Niranjan ParmarAllowed to dictate terms in front after jumping well from an inside barrier draw (1), Pendragon shot c...

Foxton filly Chantilly Lace looks primed for Trentham

An impressive showing by Foxton filly Chantilly Lace at the Levin jumpout trials earlier this week augurs well for her chances in the Group 3 $100,000 Lawnmaster Eulogy Stakes (1600m) at Trentham tomorrow.The promising U S Navy Flag filly finished comfortably clear of a field of eight runners in an Open 1000m heat without being seriously tested and carded a slick time of 59.26 seconds, giving trainer Chrissy Bambry confidence the filly was the right path.“She’s fit and very well and the jump...

Fashion Icon All Style At Trentham

U S Navy Flag filly Fashion Icon winning at Trentham on Saturday...

Kiwi mare Nassak Diamond dominant in Jericho Cup

New Zealand raider Nassak Diamond (NZ) (Roc de Cambes) became the first New Zealand trained horse to win the 4600 metre Jericho Cup with a dominant win at Warrnambool on Sunday.The Jericho Cup was established in 2018 to commemorate the feats of Australasia’s light horse units during World War I and is restricted to horses bred in either Australia or New Zealand.Trained by Shaun Ritchie and Colm Murray for breeders The Oaks Stud, the five-year-old hadn’t raced for nearly a month, fi...

Ritchie returning for second shot at Jericho Cup

Cambridge trainer Shaune Ritchie has crossed the Tasman for a second tilt at the Jericho Cup (4600m) at Warrnambool on Sunday, four years on from a highly creditable first attempt.Ritchie saddled Where Are You to finish third at double-figure odds in the 2019 running of the A$300,000 showpiece, which was established in 2018 to commemorate light horse involvement in World War I and is restricted to horses bred in Australia and New Zealand.Four of the first five winners of the race have been New Z...

Stud hoping for more joy with speedy Savaglee

Promising colt Savaglee wasn’t purchased with New Zealand’s richest two-year-old event in mind, but it’s emerged as a serious target.The youngster was an effortless winner at his only appearance and another bold showing in Saturday’s Listed Counties Challenge Stakes (1100m) will further boost his $1 million TAB Karaka Million (120m) prospects.Savaglee was secured out of breeder Waikato Stud’s draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale earlier this year for $400,000 with...