In a race thrown into disarray by a false start, quality four-year-old Desert Lightning stood tall and claimed his first Group One victory in Saturday’s TAB Classic (1600m) at Trentham.
Under-rated sprinter Mercurial booked himself a ticket to the Gr.1 Sistema Railway (1200m) at Pukekohe with a tenacious all-the-way win over the same course and distance on Saturday.
Lightly raced sprinter Is That So made a welcome return to winning form when he showed plenty of determination in a tight finish to take out the open sprint at Trentham.
Promising mare Give Giggles extended her perfect record at Ballarat to four-from-four with an emphatic win in Saturday’s A$80,000 A Grade Sheds Handicap (1100m).
Progressive mare Flamebird made up for an unlucky run in stakes company at her last start to register career win number four when she dashed home to take the Stella Artois 1500m Championship Qualifier (1400m) at Pukekohe.
Emerging stayer Captain Envious took his career to a new level with a runaway victory in the Listed Ballarat Cup (2000m), leading home a Kiwi-bred quinella in Saturday’s A$500,000 feature.
A desperate finish to the Gr.3 Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m) saw exciting three-year-old Lupo Solitario extend his career record to three wins from just four starts as he defeated talented filly Orchestral by the barest of margins in a thrilling conclusion to the age-group feature.
New Zealand-bred juvenile Beau Dazzler was thrown in at the deep end for Saturday’s A$200,000 Listed Eureka Stud Phelan Ready Stakes (1000m) at Eagle Farm, and he rose to the occasion with a bold black-type win.
Peter and Dawn Williams have fond memories in past editions of the Gr.1 Captain Cook Stakes (1600m), and the Byerley Park trainers are hoping another crown lies ahead with Desert Lightning on Saturday.
A strong start to the season sees Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott sitting fourth on the New Zealand trainers’ premiership with 19 wins, and the Matamata pair can continue their form with another big and talented team of weekend runners.
