Leith Innes

Pike well-armed on “transition day” at Hastings

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

Trainer Tony Pike has a host of runners at Hawke’s Bay on Saturday including exciting one-win three-year-old The Irishman, who steps straight into stakes company after continuing to please on the training track. Pike has made no secret of the high regard in which he holds the son of Tavistock, who got up in the[...]

Posted on September 13, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

The cream rose to the top late in the day at Ellerslie when four-year-old mare Two Illicit issued a powerful statement to her spring rivals with a commanding fresh-up victory over 1400m on Saturday. A multiple stakes winner during a three-year-old campaign that culminated in a runner-up finish in the Group 1 New Zealand Derby[...]

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

The distinctive black and gold chequered colours of Cambridge couple Brendan and Jo Lindsay were to the fore at Te Rapa on Saturday when their quality mare Bavella showed she could be in for a bumper season with a comfortable first-up victory. Sent out favourite in a rating 82 1200m contest despite a tricky wide[...]

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

When the going gets tough, you can count on the generosity of those involved in the racing industry. That’s what Pukekohe trainer Nigel Tiley has found as he prepares to send seven horses to race at Matamata on Saturday under the new Government Covid-19 restrictions around travel out of Auckland. New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing has[...]

Posted on August 13, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Kingsclere Stables’ Two Illicit and Sherrif trialled over 1100m at Taupo on Wednesday and co-trainer Robert Wellwood was happy enough with what he saw. Group 3 winner Sherrif finished third in his heat behind Catalyst and Aretha, while Group 1 performer Two Illicit ran fifth in her heat behind multiple Group 1 winner Avantage. “I[...]

Posted on July 28, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Leith Innes was glad to get the winning feeling back at Avondale on Saturday, but New Zealand isn’t where he was supposed to be during winter. In his second day back riding since the resumption of New Zealand racing, Innes was successful on his only mount of the day, the smart galloper Demonetization in his[...]

Posted on January 13, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Upstanding juvenile filly Vernazza showed she had taken plenty of benefit from her debut run for third at Matamata last month when she fought doggedly to claim the winning prize in the NZB Insurance Pearl Series Race (1200m) at Ellerslie on Sunday. The impeccably-bred younger half-sister to talented three-year-old Bavella had been well fancied to[...]

Posted on January 2, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Platinum Invador’s victory in the Group 3 SKYCITY City of Auckland Cup (2400m) at Ellerslie on Wednesday was a bittersweet result for trainer Lisa Latta. The Palmerston North conditioner’s other runner Sentimental Miss was late scratched from the race along with race favourite Justamaiz and Roger That after a false start was declared due to[...]

Posted on December 7, 2019
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Cambridge visitor Not An Option showed he will be a force to be reckoned with in the juvenile features this season when he produced a powerful finishing burst to take out the Group 2 Platinum Homes Taranaki Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m) at Trentham. The regally bred Not A Single Doubt colt is from multiple stakes[...]

Posted on November 23, 2019
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Impeccably bred two-year-old Unition showed plenty of grit as he made a winning debut at Pukekohe on Saturday when he took out the Listed Fasttrack Insurance 5K Bonus 2YO Stakes (1100m). The Fastnet Rock colt, who races in the colours of his owner and breeder the China Horse Club, is out of the well-performed Savabeel[...]

Posted on November 15, 2019
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

South Auckland trainer Lance Noble will line-up two fillies in the Group 1 gavelhouse.com New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton on Saturday. The Brendan and Jo Lindsay-owned Bavella and Avadane have taken different paths to the fillies feature, but Noble believes both three-year-olds will feature in the finish. Stakes winner Bavella takes good form[...]

Posted on October 20, 2019
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Cambridge raider Kali overcame a wide run in transit to out-gun her three-year-old rivals as she scored a gritty victory in Saturday’s Group 3 Barneswood Farm Stakes (1400m) at Ashburton. The Tony Pike-trained filly has the Group 1 gavelhouse.com New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) as her main southern mission and warmed up for that challenge[...]

Posted on September 22, 2019
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Cambridge Stud’s Manchu added serious momentum to her classic campaign yesterday afternoon with a gallant victory at Hastings. The well-related Redoute’s Choice filly overcame her inexperience to account for a competitive field of three-year-olds over 1200m. Bred and raced by Brendan and Jo Lindsay, the filly was taken to the front by Leith Innes and[...]

Posted on August 31, 2019
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Progressive three-year-old Kali maintained her unbeaten record at Hastings on Saturday but not without high drama as the Tony Pike-trained filly secured her second victory courtesy of a successful protest against fellow Cambridge visitor Jennifer Eccles in the Taupo Pak’nSave Fillies 1100. The Shaune Ritchie-trained Jennifer Eccles was first past the post after producing a[...]

Posted on August 17, 2019
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Fireworks were expected at Te Rapa on Saturday as several of last season’s equine stars kicked off their new spring campaigns in the Group 2 US Navy Flag Foxbridge Plate (1200m) and it was recent Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) placegetter Endless Drama who delivered with a stunning victory. The Tony Pike-trained eight-year-old had been[...]

Posted on June 8, 2019
in Australian Horse Racing News

WHAT THE JOCKEYS SAID AFTER THE STRADBROKE HANDICAP Kerrin McEvoy (Trekking, won): “He was suited by the fast pace and got into the race at the right time.” Tommy Berry (Tyzone, 2nd): “Had a beautiful cart behind the winner but just wan’t quite good enough to pick him up.” Leith Innes (Endless Drama, 3rd): “Super[...]

Pike well-armed on “transition day” at Hastings

Two Illicit makes stunning return at Ellerslie

Noble in winner’s circle after lengthy absence

Tiley works around Covid-19 restrictions

Hastings targets for Kingsclere duo

Innes couldn’t escape home winter

Vernazza creates problems for Karaka Million contenders

Starting blunder blights Ellerslie staying feature

Defeat not an option for Wakefield winner

Unition takes out Pukekohe two-year-old feature on debut

Lindsay pair target Guineas spoils

Cambridge filly too strong in Ashburton feature

Manchu boosts Group 1 hopes

Kali remains unbeaten at Hastings

Endless Drama takes Foxbridge Plate

What The Group I Stradbroke Jockeys Said

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