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Distance the only query with Darci La Bella

Eight-win mare Darci La Bella will be out to claim some valuable black-type on Saturday when she heads to Hawera to contest the Gr.3 Grangewilliam Stud Taranaki Breeders’ Stakes (1400m). The Darci Brahma five-year-old finished fourth in the Gr.2 Foxbridge Plate (1200m) at Te Rapa in August before winning at the Hamilton track last week and trainer Allan Sharrock believes he has her on song for Saturday. Darci La Bella has only been tested over 1400m on one occasion, running fifth in the Listed...

Tide back in at Hastings

John Bary is confident Spring Tide (Darci Brahma) won’t find the distance beyond him when he contests the Gr.1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m) at Hastings on Saturday.Runner-up in the last two editions of the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m), Spring Tide has only raced once past that distance, finishing eighth in last year’s renewal of Saturday’s event while in the stable of Foxton trainer Chrissy Bambry.However, that race came at the end of a seven-race winter campaign, and it was on a track rat...

U S Navy Flag colt Moqui Marble makes winning debut

Moqui Marble (2c U S Navy Flag - Gerika, by Galileo) continued a fine start at stud by U S Navy Flag when making a winning debut at Milan on Sunday.Trained by E C Racing Stable for owner/breeder Scuderia La Tesa, the bay was sent off favourite for the seven and a half furlong maiden and was ridden to make all by Claudio Colombi. Staying on gamely, he scored by three parts of a length, with all of seven lengths separating the runner-up from the rest of the field.Moqui Mar...

Son of U S Navy Flag doubles tally

Monday saw Nibras Rainbow (2g U S Navy Flag - Show Rainbow, by Haafhd) record his second career success when justifying favouritism at Newcastle.Trained by Ismail Mohammed for Saeed Al Tayer, the son of U S Navy Flag made a successful step up to seven furlongs last month and tackled the same trip on Monday. Racing towards the back of the field under Cameron Noble, the bay was ridden to make headway over two furlongs from home and ran on to lead a furlong later. Keep...

Four Queens heads home Rae quinella at Riccarton

Local trainer Terri Rae got her day off to the best possible start at Riccarton when new stable runner Four Queens narrowly headed stablemate Sacred Giant over 1400m in the second race of the day. Formerly prepared by Tony Pike at Cambridge, Four Queens had remained with Rae in the south after contesting both the Listed Easter Cup (1600m) and Gr.3 South Island Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) at Riccarton last autumn. The five-year-old daughter of Tavistock went into Saturday’s rating 75 contest off...

Bigger things ahead of U S Navy Flag's latest winner

U S S Constitution (2c U S Navy Flag - Stor Mo Chroi, by Montjeu) earned himself a step up in class when making all to win Saturday’s Novice Stakes at Ascot. The Ed Walker-trained colt was well-supported for the seven furlong contest, having finished a close third on debut last month. Saffie Osborne asked the bay to quicken after the two furlong marker and increased the pressure entering the final furlong, with her mount keeping on well to score by a neck. The first two drew fou...

U S Navy Flag filly impresses at Ruakaka

First season sire U S Navy Flag made an immediate impact at the Ruakaka trials on Tuesday. The Oaks Stud stallion recorded his first New Zealand trial win courtesy of an unnamed filly out of Pins mare Stitch, who was victorious in her 750m heat for local trainer Michelle Bradley. The filly was purchased by Bradley as a yearling for $43,000 out of Valachi Downs’ dispersal sale on plus.gavelhouse.com and she has been rapt with her buy. “I was pretty impressed with her trial. She is a lovely fi...

Catalyst Melbourne Bound

The connections of Catalyst are tired of playing the waiting game and have made the decision to head to Melbourne with the Group One winner.The son of Darci Brahma was set to have his first race in nearly two years in the Gr.2 Foxbridge Plate (1200m) at Te Rapa last Saturday, but the heavy track conditions forced trainer Tony Pike to withdraw his horse.The initial intention was to trial the gelding at Ruakaka on Tuesday and head to Hastings on Saturday-week for the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m), b...

Raceday resumption delayed for Catalyst

Punters will have to wait at least a couple more weeks before they see Group One winner Catalyst resume his racing career. The son of Darci Brahma was set to have his first start in nearly two years in the Gr.2 Waikato Stud Foxbridge Plate (1200m) at Te Rapa on Saturday, but the wet weather that has battered the Waikato in the last few days has put a halt to those plans. “We left him in hoping the track was going to improve a touch but with the amount of rain we have had in the Waikato in the...

Speedy filly the latest stakes winner by U S Navy Flag

Love Reigns (2f U S Navy Flag - Humble And Proud, by Pivotal) provided first season sire U S Navy Flag with further Stakes success when justifying favouritism in the Listed Bolton Landing Stakes at Saratoga.The Wesley Ward-trained bay emerged as an exciting prospect in April, when bolting up on debut at Keeneland, where she scored by nine lengths and three quarters. The performance earned her a trip to Royal Ascot, where she finished fourth in the Group 2 Queen Mary Stak...

Ward scores fifth Bolton Landing with Love Reigns

Stonestreet Stables' Love Reigns  provided trainer Wesley Ward with a record-extending fifth victory in the $150,000 Bolton Landing Stakes, a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint for juvenile fillies, Aug. 21 at Saratoga Race Course. The Irish-bred daughter of U S Navy Flag  made a winning return from her fourth-place finish in the June 15 Queen Mary Stakes (G2) at Ascot Racecourse, which followed a 9 3/4-length debut score in April at Keeneland.Ward said he is ...

U S Navy Flag filly digs deep in Sandown Maiden

Chelsea Green (2f U S Navy Flag - Agapantha, by Danehill Dancer) displayed an admirable attitude when getting off the mark in Saturday’s seven furlong maiden at Sandown.Trained by Hugo Palmer for Chelsea Thoroughbreds, the daughter of U S Navy Flag showed promise on last month’s debut at Goodwood and appeared to enjoy a more prominent ride on her second start. Pushed along approaching the two furlong marker, she led a furlong later under Andrea Atzeni and was ridden ...

U S Navy Flag sires first Stakes winner

2YO colt Ocean Vision provides U S Navy Flag with his first stakes winner....

Stallion Parade

The Oaks Stud will again be taking part in the annual NZTBA Waikato Stallion Parade Weekend.Come along and see Darci Brahma, U S Navy Flag, Roc de Cambes and Niagara on Sunday 21st August at 1.15 pm.All Welcome....

Lord Darci breaks Canterbury hoodoo in Winter Cup

A rails-hugging ride by Terry Moseley paved the way for local runner Lord Darci to break a 22-year hoodoo for local Canterbury stables when he took out the Gr.3 Winning Edge Presentations 125th Winter Cup (1600m) at Riccarton on Saturday. Bred, raced and trained by former All Black Bevan Wilson and his wife Robyn, the five-year-old son of Darci Brahma turned the tables on his last-start conqueror Summer Festival as he out-finished the former Italian Derby winner to win going away by two lengths ...

Premier's Cup next for Lord Ardmore

Five-year-old gelding Lord Ardmore continued his strong winter form, making it back-to-back victories when a hard-fought winner of the Premier's Cup Prelude (1800m) at Randwick. The son of Reliable Man, who had led previously in his middle distances wins, enjoyed a sweet run throughout under Hugh Bowman to come from just behind the speed to win by a touch over half-a-length from Grove Ferry and Francesco Guardi and justify his $2.30 favouritism. Sporting the colours of syndicators Go Racing, t...

U S Navy Flag colt strikes for stakes success

Saturday saw Ocean Vision (2c U S Navy Flag - Balaagha, by Mr Greeley) make a perfect start to his French career in the Listed Prix de la Vallee d’Auge at Deauville.The first crop son of U S Navy Flag made a winning debut in April, and after finishing fourth in a pair of Stakes races, made the switch to Tim Donworth’s Chantilly stable. Dropping back to five furlongs on his stable debut, he raced at the back of the field under Maxime Guyon and ran on well close h...

Tarzino target for Catalyst

Group One winner Catalyst made a pleasing start to his spring campaign with a solid hit-out in his 900m trial at Te Rapa on Thursday, finishing fifth while powering through the line under a hold. The son of Darci Brahma hasn’t been sighted on race day in New Zealand since winning the Gr.3 Mr Tiz Trophy (1200m) on Karaka Million night more than two years ago and last raced in the Gr.2 The Shorts (1100m) in September 2020. Catalyst was unbeaten in New Zealand as a three-year-old, winning the Gr...

Lord Darci on trial for Winter Cup

Bevan Wilson is treading carefully ahead of Lord Darci's biggest test to date in Sunday's Crombie And Price Oamaru Cup (1600m). The Ashburton trainer will assess the Darci Brahma four-year-old's performance at Oamaru with a view to a possible late nomination for the Gr.3 Winning Edge Presentations Winter Cup (1600m) at Riccarton on August 6. But a combination of factors has told Wilson not to get too far ahead of himself with that target. "It's all a bit of a wait-and-see scenario but if you don...

Special stayer tops National Broodmare Sale

Peter Corbett has come to the end of a special journey with his multiple stakes-winning stayer Dee And Gee (Darci Brahma), who played a starring role with a sale-topping price of $105,000 in the 2022 National Broodmare and Stallion Share Sale on Gavelhouse Plus on Wednesday night. The durable eight-year-old was retired from the racetrack this month after a successful career, and was purchased by John Cordina who raced the Rich Hill Stud-based stallion Ace High and retains a number of shares in t...

Sierra Sue sets 2022 Online Record

Dual Group 1 heroine Sierra Sue (Darci Brahma-Centree, by Centaine) has today become the most expensive horse sold online in Australia this year, realising $1.55m to the bid of Bill Pearce’s Bromfield Park. Offered unreserved in a bespoke Inglis Digital auction by G1 Bloodstock as agent for the Sierra Sue Syndicate, the Busuttin/Young-trained mare caught the attention of a plethora of bidders before finally selling to Pearce. In doing so, she becomes the second most expensive horse e...

Lord Ardmore proves too strong at Rosehill

Champion expat New Zealand trainer Chris Waller enjoyed a highly successful afternoon at Rosehill on Saturday, saddling four winners and reaching 150 city wins for the season, and two of his victories came with impressive performances from New Zealand-breds Lord Ardmore and Bold Mac. Lord Ardmore headed a Waller trifecta in the A$150,000 Vale Nick Moraitis Handicap (1800m), leading all the way and kicking clear for a commanding two-length victory over Francesco Guardi and Mubariz. Both the first...

Special weekend for Group 1 winner Artistic

The Oaks Stud's Group 1 NZ Oaks winning mare Artistic achieved a special feat as a broodmare over the weekend, with three of her progeny winning in Australia. Reliable Star (Reliable Man) was an impressive winner when coming from last to win at Belmont on Saturday, while the Patrick Payne trained Mathew (Tavistock) won at Ballarat on Sunday, and  Grinzinger Star took out the Port of Augusta Cup in South Australia. Grinzinger Star was winning his 11th race and collected his fi...

Darci La Bella delivers at Hastings

New Plymouth trainer Allan Sharrock made the most of a five-and-a-half-hour road trip to Hastings on Saturday when he secured a one hundred percent winning strike rate with his three runners on the day. Sharrock left home at 3am on Saturday morning, arrived in Hastings at 8:30am and put his first runner, Darci La Bella (Darci Brahma) on the track in race three at 12:34pm. The progressive four-year-old mare was sent out a warm $2.30 favourite and didn’t disappoint as she glided home on the Heav...

Bigger things in store for Darci La Bella

For all of Allan Sharrock’s three runners at Hastings on Saturday, potential black-type targets are looming large on the horizon – including a shot at the season-opening Group One feature that holds a special place in Sharrock’s heart. From 2014 to 2016, the New Plymouth trainer celebrated three consecutive victories in the race now known as the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) – firstly with quality mare I Do, followed by back-to-back successes with Kawi. This year he hopes to tackle the wei...