New Zealand Thoroughbred Marketing announce The Kiwi initiatives
New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) has announced a bonus scheme aimed at further enhancing the country’s first-ever Thoroughbred slot race, The NZB Kiwi, set to be run on March 8, 2025 at Ellerslie Racecourse.
NZTR will offer a brand-new NZ$175,000 NZB Kiwi Bonus Challenge for 3-year-olds participating in the 2025 edition of the NZB Kiwi. A Slot Holder’s 3-year-old for the 2025 NZB Kiwi will be able to accumulate points by placing in the top three in any race it enters leading up to Champions Day next year, with the three highest points scorers sharing the Bonus.
Ellerslie Racecourse | Image courtesy of Auckland Racing
“We are delighted to be able to offer another Bonus aimed at rewarding our foundation Slot Holders for their strong support of this new race in year one,” said NZTR Chairman Cameron George. “Once a horse is nominated, we anticipate heated competition between our Slot Holders as they battle it out to score the highest number of points and a hefty prize.”
Second winner for Yes Yes Yes
Brad Widdup-trained 2-year-old filly Maili (Yes Yes Yes) became the second winner for her sire on Monday at Canterbury when winning at her fourth raceday appearance. She won by 0.3l from Glitterscript (Written By) with Howler (Hellbent) in third.
A $300,000 purchase by BK Racing from Tyreel Stud at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Maili is a half-sister to Listed winner Kalino (Pierro). Yes Yes Yes has also sired four stakes placed juveniles this season; G3 SAJC Breeders S.-placed Flattered, G3 VRC Thoroughbred Breeders’ S.-placed Yes Lulu, Listed Woodlands S.-placed Let’s Go Barbie, and R. Listed Inglis Nursery S.-placed Nymphadora.
Barbaric Lad ready to upset JJ Atkins field
Roll The Dice Syndicates’ Barbaric Lad (Brutal {NZ}) is looking to upset Saturday’s G1 JJ Atkins S. at Eagle Farm. “He’s a bit of a work in progress, but Anthony and Sam (Freedman) have got a bit of a wrap on him, and they think he’s going to make a nice kind of miler,” Steve Travaglia from the Roll The Dice syndicate told racing.com.
“Still, the 1600 metres will sort a few out and he’s a real top-three or four chance and that can set him up for a nice spring. The idea is to spell him up there (Queensland) as well. He can have the winter up there and he can come back down to Melbourne. He’s got some maturing to do but he’s got good knees and good legs, so I think we’ll have some fun in the spring with him somewhere, if we place him right.”
Barbaric Lad is a winner from four starts and was sixth in the G2 Sires’ Produce S. last start. He is one of seven winners for first season sire Brutal (NZ).
Four Freedman brothers ready for unique battle
For the first time, the famous Freedman brothers Lee, Anthony, Richard and Michael all have separate nominations in the Listed Oxlade S. for 2-year-olds at Eagle Farm on Stradbroke H. Day.
The eldest brother Lee has Appellant (Snitzel), next eldest Anthony, in partnership with his son Sam, has Peace Centre (Written Tycoon), Richard, in partnership with son Will, has Graceful Artist (Trapeze Artist) while Michael has Tehina (Toronado {Ire}).
Dream Hour to run in own Stradbroke slot
Australian Bloodstock won the first ever G1 Stradbroke H. slot by winning The Gateway at Eagle Farm in December with Dream Hour (Dawn Approach {Ire}), which is restricted to 4-year-olds exclusively. In a new rule change, connections of the winning horse are allowed to negotiate a deal with owners of any horse inside the top 40 in the Stradbroke ballot order to bring the horse into the Stradbroke.
Dream Hour | Image courtesy of Trackside Photography
Racenet.com.au reported that negotiations with the connections of likely first emergency Freedom Rally (Rubick) were on and off all of last week before officially falling through on Sunday, leaving Australian Bloodstock to opt to run the Kris Lees-trained Dream Hour instead.
Atchamah makes it 20
Reigning Champion South Island Apprentice Jockey Yogesh Atchamah won his 20th race for this season on Sunday aboard Lippy (NZ) (Tivaci) for his employer Andrew Carston. I was just listening to Andrew’s instructions,” Atchamah told Loveracing.nz on Monday.
“I have got good rides on Wednesday including Peecee Pussycat, I am really looking forward to riding him. “I just want to out ride my claim before the season ends. I will be very happy if I make it.” He is currently in equal place with the title with fellow Riccarton apprentice Donovan Cooper.
Chautauqua’s little brother wins at Canterbury
The 3-year-old half-brother to Champion Sprinter Chautauqua (Encosta de Lago), named Need Some Luck (Rubick) won at Canterbury on Monday for trainers Peter and Paul Snowdon. He took his record to two wins from five starts.
Chautauqua’s Group 1 winning dam Lovely Jubly (Lion Hunter) now has nine winners, including two Group winners, and Need Some Luck is her final foal. Her other Group winner is London Lolly (Charge Forward).
Sharp n Smart set for Caulfield/Melbourne Cups
Hamilton trainers Graeme and Debbie Rogerson have enjoyed welcoming back a number of their stable stars this week ahead of their spring preparations including reigning New Zealand Horse of the Year Sharp ‘N’ Smart (NZ) (Redwood {GB}). “The good horses have all come back in this week, including Sharp ‘N’ Smart,” Graeme Rogerson told Loveracing.nz.
“We will aim for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups. He probably won’t head to Hastings, but we will just play it by ear. He will have a run here in a sprint and then go off to Australia probably.”
Marsh only 12 away from a third successive century
New Zealand trainer Stephen Marsh is only 12 wins away from a century of winners this season and is currently sitting in second spot on the National Trainers’ Premiership, having posted previous tallies of 100 last season and 104 in 2021/22. “The 100 wins wasn’t exactly a goal, it is a good feeling though to get there and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to get it again,” Marsh told Loveracing.nz.
Marsh has a big team of 14 runners heading to Cambridge on Wednesday including El Amor (NZ) (Ardrossan), Almaceta (NZ) (Almanzor {Fr}), Arrowette (NZ) (Zoustar), Eve’s Song (NZ) (Proisir), and Pow Tong (NZ) (Savabeel).
3000 wins for jockey Ortiz
Jockey Jose Ortiz celebrated a career milestone on Sunday as he won his 3000th career race aboard Save the Trees (USA) (Preservationist {USA}) in the third race at Churchill Downs. “I'm very happy,” Ortiz told bloodhorse.com. “It's been a lot of races, a lot of people that helped me along the way. I'm very thankful.”
Ortiz has ridden 60 Grade 1 winners, five Breeders' Cups, and two Triple Crown races. He was the leading jockey in the USA by wins in 2016 with 351 and won the Eclipse Award for outstanding jockey in 2017.
Golden Gates closes
Let the record show that the very first horse to win a race at Golden Gate Fields was a mare named Skookumchuck, who won the inaugural race on Feb.1, 1941 before a crowd of 30,000. The last horse to win a race there was Adelie (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}), who got to the wire first in Sunday's eighth, the last race ever at a track.
“We've been racing here for so many years,” said trainer Steve Sherman. “I grew up here and now to see that this place is closing down, it's kind of a drag. I'm a little sad and a little angry. This is a great racetrack. It's just a shame that people here couldn't get together and find a way to make things work.”
City Of Troy confirmed for Eclipse
Unbeaten 2-year-old and G1 Derby winner City Of Troy (USA) (Justify {USA}) is set to make his next appearance in the G1 Coral-Eclipse S. at Sandown on Saturday, July 6, it was confirmed in a statement on coolmore.com on Sunday.
“Following discussions between the Coolmore partners and trainers Aidan O'Brien and Chad Brown, Los Angeles (Camelot) will take his place in the €1,250,000 Irish Derby field on June 30th at the Curragh, where he will bid to emulate his sire in winning Ireland's premier Classic.”
“European Champion 2-Year-Old and decisive Epsom Derby victor, City Of Troy will drop back in trip for Sandown's 10-furlong feature, the Gr.1 Eclipse S., on the following Saturday, July 6th.
“Auguste Rodin (Deep Impact) will bid to notch up his sixth success at the highest level in the G1 Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot. Kentucky Derby runner-up and Belmont Stakes third Sierra Leone will be aimed at the G1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga.”
Goffs London Sale entries announced
The initial entries for the Goffs London Sale, in association with Privat 3 Money, were announced on Sunday, including an unraced Kingman (GB) two-year-old filly out of the six-time Group 1 winner Laurens (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}). The sale is scheduled for Monday, June 17 at Kensington Palace Gardens, on the eve of Royal Ascot, with the full catalogue set to be released early next week.
Parade ring at Goffs | Image courtesy of Goffs
First black type winner for trainer Pecheur
Gestut Rottgen's homebred 3-year-old filly Erle (Ger) (Reliable Man {GB}–Kizingo {Ire}, by Oasis Dream {GB}), who ran fourth at Baden-Baden in her one run for the Markus Klug stable last year, broke through for new trainer Maxim Pecheur at Dusseldorf on sophomore return in April and continued on the upgrade with a last-gasp win in Sunday's G3 Diana-Trial at Hoppegarten. Her victory provided trainer with a maiden black type success.
Maiden claims Italian Oaks
Silvestre de Sousa gained his third European Classic victory of the year on Sunday as he produced the Paolo Aragoni-trained Tomiko (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) with a strong late run to land the G2 Oaks d'Italia Tattersalls at Milan's San Siro Racecourse.
It was Tomiko’s first win in 11 starts, and she is a Tattersalls graduate having sold to Marco Bozzi Bloodstock for 20,000gns (AU$42,400) when offered by breeders Awbeg Stud at Book 3 of the October Yearling Sale. She'd produced several good efforts in defeat notably gaining black type as a 2-year-old when finishing third in the G2 Premio Dormello and runner-up in the Listed Premio Repubbliche Marinare.
