Latest news with #Kiwi-bred
NZ Herald
27-04-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Kiwi star's manners cost him in Hong Kong mega-money race
El Vencedor had a tricky lead-up week in Hong Kong, with a hoof abscess bursting out, but most of the horses who beat him home may simply be better than him. That is how tough Group 1 races on the international stage are but the trip, added on as a bonus race after a wonderful season at home, was worth the gamble. And it won't stop El Vencedor almost certainly winning NZ Horse of the Year later this year. On a tough weekend for New Zealand horses chasing overseas riches there was still a boost for the local breeding industry when Kiwi-bred and educated superstar Ka Ying Rising destroyed his opposition in the Chairman's Sprint to cement his claims as the best sprinter in the world. He cruised along in fifth spot for Purton and was only given his head at the 300m mark yet treated his rivals with distain, winning eased down. This imposing beast is now the $2.10 with the TAB to win The Everest, a race run in another country still nearly six months away. That is how giant a shadow he casts over the sprinting world. While he started an amazing money back on the tote, meaning no profit for a winning tote bet, the day's other Group 1 winner couldn't have been more extreme, with Red Lion paying $90 taking out the Champions Mile. He and jockey Hugh Bowman had to survive a protest lodged by Kiwi jockey McDonald, who argued the bump his horse Voyage Bubble from Red Lion copped 30m from the line cost him in the race. The stewards didn't agree and the protest was dismissed, giving Bowman plenty of verbal fodder for the next time he plays golf with McDonald, one of his best friends. Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald's Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world's biggest horse racing carnivals.
NZ Herald
25-04-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Racing: Champion jockey Craig Williams confident in Crocetti for $5.36m Quokka
'The good New Zealand sprinters are coming across to Australia and doing a job and I think he can, too. Overpass is clearly the one to beat but I think Crocetti can be right up there.' Williams has a good line on the form, as he rode Crocetti's rival in New Zealand's major sprints this summer, Alabama Lass, to win a A$500,000 ($536,000) Listed race at Flemington last month. 'Good horses are good horses wherever they come from, and Danny [Walker, trainer] is happy with the horse, so I think we might surprise a few people.' Straight after tonight's race, Williams will board a plane to Hong Kong, where he has seven rides at FWD Champions Day, including Mr Brightside in the HK$24m ($5.16m) Champions Mile. It will be the international debut of the Kiwi-bred and educated Mr Brightside and a chance to put an exclamation mark on his career. 'I just love the horse, how could you not? I've ridden more Group 1 wins on him than any other horse and he gives you his all every time he goes to the races. 'Mr Brightside looks well equipped to handle Sha Tin's unique demands, as he has the tactical speed to use barrier 2, with his toughest rival local Voyage Bubble for expat jockey James McDonald. 'They're both very good horses and it won't be easy to beat him [Voyage Bubble] on his home track but Mr B is a special horse and he looks fantastic.' Williams will also partner Hong Kong Derby winner Cap Ferrat against El Vencedor in the HK$28m ($6.02m) QEII Cup. That makes for a long weekend for the leading Australian jockeys such as Williams and McDonald, who ride on Saturday, fly to Hong Kong and then ride late in the meeting on Sunday. 'It is busy but you just have to manage your schedule,' Williams says. 'I took Friday off riding because I knew how big a weekend I had coming up. But we're very privileged to be able to do it. 'We race Saturday, go to the airport, do some form study, have a sleep on the plane and you wake up close to landing in Hong Kong. 'Then I often get an hour's sleep at the hotel and then adrenalin gets you through the rest of the day.' Meanwhile, Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh, who trains El Vencedor, will have his eyes fixed closer to home on Saturday, with a huge team at Te Rapa. Marsh has been thrilled with El Vencedor's progress in Hong Kong after a slight hoof issue this week and was buzzing after the big horse drew barrier 1 in Sunday's 2000m Group 1. 'Everything that has needed to happen this week has happened and the draw gives him a real hope,' says Marsh. He has four starters in Saturday's $100,000 Windsor Park Breeders' Stakes at Te Rapa and was stunned when told Velocious had opened at $7.50. 'I thought she would be favourite on her record and last-start win and that's a great price for her. 'She had her final fast work on Wednesday and it was super, and her and Adalio are our two best hopes in what will be a really good race.' The Te Rapa meeting also hosts the $150,000 Travis Stakes, which looks a tricky puzzle for punters, with so many different form lines. Saturday's other domestic meeting at Riccarton boasts three black-type races, headed by the $120,000 Canterbury Gold Cup, in which veteran Harlech is beautifully suited by the weight-for-age conditions but perhaps not so much the potentially heavy track. Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald's Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world's biggest horse racing carnivals
NZ Herald
22-04-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Horse racing: El Vencedor bounces back in Hong Kong
'But this morning he was spot on, and it is behind us now and we are pressing on to Sunday.' El Vencedor will fast work at Sha Tin on Thursday morning and be a rare New Zealand-trained runner on Champions Day on Sunday. New Zealand will also have Kiwi-bred and educated stars Mr Brightside in the Champions Mile and Ka Ying Rising in the Chairman's Sprint. Crocetti camp happy New Zealand representative Crocetti will start from barrier 7 in Saturday's A$5m ($5.35m) Quokka in Perth. The Railway winner at Ellerslie in January has drawn inside two-time Quokka champion Overpass (barrier 10) in the 1200m slot race, with co-trainer Danny Walker happy on all fronts after a busy Tuesday morning. 'There is some speed drawn inside us and some outside, but we should be able to get handy enough,' said Walker, who trains Crocetti with Arron Tata. 'We took him to breakfast with the stars, and he galloped well over 1000m on the course proper. 'So everything has gone as well as we could have hoped, and now we just have to hope for some luck on Saturday.' Crocetti is rated a $21 chance by the TAB and will have Craig Williams in the saddle before the Victorian jockey then flies to Hong Kong on Saturday night to partner Mr Brightside at Sha Tin the next day. Tip of the sword One of New Zealand's most promising stallions could be in for a busy spring after the announcement of stallion fees for Cambridge Stud next season. The famed stud will stand five stallions next season in an unchanged roster, with Chaldean ($35,000), Almanzor and Hello Youmzain (both $30,000) and Embellish at $5000 all priced to meet the market even after successful seasons in different ways this year. The only small increase to their stallion fees sees Sword Of State go from $15,000 to $20,000, but in reality that increase could have been significantly higher. Sword Of State was one of the first season stars of the yearling sales this summer, with his highest priced lot sold for $540,000 and his stock averaging over $200,000 at the major sales. They were massive returns on a $15,000 service fee, and he looks certain to fill his book next season on those results alone before his first-crop runners start to emerge on the Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald's Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world's biggest horse racing carnivals.
