Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes

Staying test for Melody Belle

Posted on March 16, 2021
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Melody Belle, New Zealand’s darling of the turf, will continue her farewell tour in Sydney later this month. Fresh off her history-making win in the Group 1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie on Saturday, the Jamie Richards-trained mare will fly to Sydney next week in preparation for the Group 1 Tancred Stakes (2400m)[...]

Posted on March 14, 2021
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Champion mare Melody Belle created a piece of New Zealand racing history at Ellerslie on Saturday when she strode to victory in the Group 1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m), her fourteenth win at the elite level, to surpass the mighty Sunline for the most Group One wins in the modern era for a New[...]

Posted on March 12, 2021
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Despite being booked for only two rides, Saturday’s Auckland Cup meeting at Ellerslie has the potential to be a special day in the saddle for Troy Harris. The 32-year-old has recorded six Group One victories in his riding career, and he has two strong chances to add to that tally this weekend. Harris will ride[...]

Posted on March 12, 2021
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Bookmakers may be favouring defending champ Avantage in Saturday’s Group 1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie but her trainer Jamie Richards is backing Melody Belle as the pick of his pair. Richards will clash the glamour pair in a race each has won in the past two years, favouring 13-time Group One winner[...]

Posted on March 11, 2021
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Matamata trainer Graham Richardson wasn’t planning to run Bonny Lass in the Group 1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) until he saw the nominations – or rather, the lack of them. Remarkably for a Group One race, just four horses were originally nominated for the contest on Tuesday – the Jamie Richards-trained stablemates On The Bubbles and[...]

Posted on March 8, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Star jockey Opie Bosson has had a week to remember, riding another two Group 1 winners at Ellerslie on Saturday to go with his brace in Sydney seven days earlier. Within the space of just over a week, Bosson has won the Group 1 Surround Stakes (1400m) on Probabeel, Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m)[...]

Posted on March 7, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

In what is becoming a familiar sight this season it was the tangerine and blue colours of Te Akau Racing at the head of affairs once again as the Matamata operation made it consecutive Group 1 victories at Ellerslie on Saturday. Quality mare Avantage gave punters another taste of her versatility and genuine all-round class[...]

Posted on March 7, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Outstanding juvenile Cool Aza Beel kept the Group 1 winning roll of Te Akau Racing going as he dominated his rivals when taking out the Group 1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie. A stylish winner of the Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) at the venue in late January, the Savabeel colt didn’t have the best dress[...]

Posted on March 6, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Ultra-consistent Cambridge galloper True Enough returns to the scene and conditions of his first Group 1 win when he contests Saturday’s Group 1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie. A winner of nine of his 21 starts and only unplaced in three outings, Nom Du Jeu six-year-old True Enough was a winner of the[...]

Posted on March 5, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Group 3 winner Sherrif will be looking to add another victory to his tally at Trentham on Saturday when he contests the Anuka Smoker Handicap (1600m). The son of High Chaparral pleased his connections when winning fresh-up over 1400m at New Plymouth last month and Robert Wellwood, who trains in partnership with Roger James, said[...]

Posted on March 4, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Graham Richardson experienced one of his biggest moments in racing when Tiptronic won the Group 1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa last month and the Matamata trainer is hoping for a repeat performance at Ellerslie on Saturday. “It was awesome, it was a well-deserved win by him, especially since he ran second in[...]

Posted on March 4, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Te Akau trainer Jamie Richards has fond memories of the Group 1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) and Group 1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m), and he will head to Ellerslie on Saturday with high hopes of adding more. Richards has won the Sistema Stakes in three of the last four years with star two-year-olds Heroic Valour,[...]

Posted on March 3, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Ballymore Stables are hoping to raise the volume at Ellerslie on Saturday when international stayer Sound tackles the Group 1 Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup (3200m). The Group 1 performer won three stakes races in Europe before joining trainer Michael Moroney’s Melbourne barn 18 months ago. He subsequently contested Australia’s two Group 1 two mile[...]

Posted on February 23, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Matamata trainer Ken Kelso got the answers he was looking for when unbeaten filly Levante and high-class mare Supera won their respective races on their home turf on Saturday. Kelso, who prepares the pair with wife Bev, is eyeing bigger fish with the pair who will now step up to the elite levels for their[...]

Posted on February 20, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Ken and Bev Kelso have opted for the safe option with their star mare Supera. The Matamata trainers had originally targeted Saturday’s Group 1 Haunui Farm WFA Group 1 Classic (1600m) at Otaki with the five-year-old Savabeel mare but the prospect of an unsuitable wet track prompted a change of plans on Wednesday. Supera will[...]

Posted on February 18, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

There would be few horses in the country more consistent than Rock On Wood and trainer Leanne Elliot is hoping the reliable gelding can turn that form into Group 1 glory next month. The Horowhenua galloper is earmarked to head north to Ellerslie on March 7 where he will compete in the Group 1 Bonecrusher[...]

Posted on February 10, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Graham Richardson rates the breakthrough Group 1 success of Tiptronic at Te Rapa last Saturday as a highlight of his training career. The Matamata trainer remembers the O’Reilly colt who took his eye out of Waikato Stud’s draft at the 2015 Premier Yearling Sales at Karaka and cost him $100,000. “He wasn’t big and he[...]

Staying test for Melody Belle

Melody Belle sets Group One record at Ellerslie

Harris excited about Group One duo

Richards favours Belle in glamour clash

Group One opportunity knocks for Bonny Lass

Bosson bags back-to-back Group 1 doubles

Avantage all class in Ellerslie feature

Group 1 glory for Cool Aza Beel

True Enough at peak for Ellerslie

A new Sherrif in town at Trentham

Queensland a likely target for Tiptronic

Richards shoots for further Group 1 spoils at Ellerslie

Ballymore set to bring the noise at Ellerslie

Bigger challenges ahead for Kelso pair

Supera stays home for Lisa Chittick Plate

Consistent galloper set for Group 1 glory

Richardson’s faith in Tiptronic rewarded

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