Kiwi Chronicles
Maintaining the spotlight
Between Randwick, Caulfield and Trentham, New Zealand-bred highlights were many this past Saturday even if Group 1 success eluded the NZ Stud Book. Nevertheless, the stakes-winning and metro-winning performances achieved by the Kiwis helped to maintain a solid spotlight on our local product just as the Inglis Easter Yearling sale kicked into gear. Caulfield sweep... Read More
More from Kiwi Chronicles
Shades of 1983
Same venue but a different race, Saturday’s Roy Higgins Quality (Gr 3, 2600m) brought to mind a longer race which is run on the first Tuesday of November. Replay the last 100 metres of the 1983 Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) and there is Kiwi (Blarney Kiss), sprinting as if he had just joined in,... Read More
A feast, with dessert to follow
A true feast of racing was to be had on Saturday. The six Australian Group 1s just rolled on, one after the other. Those even partly interested in bloodstock breeding were treated to appetisers, mains and dessert. The stories are set to continue as March winds down with the Australian Cup (Gr 1, 2000m), the... Read More
Harder, fitter, winner
When the Hastings track, due to a sudden downpour, was not able to complete its Wednesday, February 28 card, plans among the staying three-year-old fillies aiming for the New Zealand Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) were thrown askew. The Lowland Stakes (Gr 2, 2000m) is a popular and natural lead up to the classic and it... Read More
Bred to go the distance
Although punters were caught unawares, students of bloodlines may have predicted the upset result in Saturday’s Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m). Naturally, hindsight is twenty-twenty not to mention that hot favourite Legarto (Proisir) came into the race in stunning form. Her win in the Herbie Dyke Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) last month was... Read More
Strong female families
Ellerslie’s Derby day was a triumph for the fairer sex. The day’s first of four stakes races, the King’s Plate (Gr 3, 1200m) fell to six-year-old mare Maria Farina (Contributer). Up next was the Sunline Vase (Gr 3, 2100m) which went the way of Positivity (Almanzor). No surprise there. The race was restricted to three-year-old... Read More