Ruby Rocks made it two home cup wins in as many months at Tauherenikau on Sunday when taking out the Trust House Enhancing Our Community Masterton Cup (2050m).
Mighty mare Imperatriz added a 10th Group One victory to her collection with another supreme performance in Saturday’s A$1 million 3 Point Motors William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley.
The fillies and mares’ feature was won in impressive style by the New Zealand-bred Eternal Flame. The talented four-year-old is co-owned by Trevor Eastwood, who had previously raced the mare’s injury-plagued close relative Kinane.
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).
After a pair of luckless placings from wide barriers, New Zealand-bred mare Elettrica turned things around at Rosehill on Saturday and set herself up for a potential black-type winter campaign in Queensland.
Four years ago, Elle Sole hadn’t even watched a horse race let alone have an inkling of pursuing a career in the sport, but now she can call herself a winning jockey.
Last Saturday’s Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) heroine Pulchritudinous could head to Sydney for the Gr.1 Australian Oaks (2400m) at Randwick next month, it just may not be with current trainer Chad Ormsby.
Saturday’s Gr.2 Ultimate Mazda Japan Trophy (1600m) at Tauranga marks the black-type debut for Rudyard, and the in-form four-year-old benefits from a 5kg drop in weights from his previous appearance.
Eleven months after claiming her first black-type win in the Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes (1600m) at Riccarton, talented mare Miss Layla will shoot for another major prize over the same course and distance this weekend.
Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh will use Saturday’s Gr.2 Ultimate Mazda Japan Trophy (1600m) at Tauranga as a springboard towards autumn targets for Skyman and Financier.
