Leith Innes

Aegon lands 2000 Guineas in grandstand finish

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

In what was a carbon copy of the finish to the Group 2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) back in September, unbeaten three-year-old Aegon defeated Bourbonaire in a thrilling finish to the Group 1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton. The Cambridge gallopers had fought out a terrific battle in the[...]

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

Leith Innes can see plenty of similarities between Saturday’s Group 1 Al Basti Equiworld 2000 Guineas (1600m) contender Aegon and the colt’s sire Sacred Falls. But the one likeness Innes wants to see most is both horses’ names on the winner’s list for the Riccarton classic. The South Auckland jockey rode Sacred Falls to win[...]

Posted on October 15, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Two Illicit will be near her potent best when she races at her pet distance in Saturday’s Group 1 Livamol Classic (2040m) at Hastings, says co-trainer Robert Wellwood. Wellwood, who trains in partnership with Roger James at Cambridge, was satisfied with the Jimmy Choux four-year-old’s fourth-placing in this month’s Group 1 Windsor Park Plate (1600m)[...]

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

Big-race jockey Leith Innes believes Two Illicit could be the horse to help him complete the Hawke’s Bay Group 1 Triple Crown. Innes has won the first two legs of Hastings’ spring attraction, taking the Group 1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) on three occasions (Starcraft, 2004 and Kawi 2015 and 2016) and the Group 1 Windsor[...]

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

The judge has his work cut out at Hastings on Saturday as he perused the photo finish to one of the day’s feature events, the Group 2 Dundeel at Arrowfield Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m). Five horses went to the line with less than half a length between them and when the dust settled it was[...]

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[...]

Aegon lands 2000 Guineas in grandstand finish

Innes looking for replica 2000 Guineas win

Two Illicit near peak for Classic

Innes out to round off Triple Crown

Blanket finish to Hawke’s Bay Guineas

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

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