Leith Innes

Pike keen on stakes assignment for Sacred Option

Posted on April 4, 2021
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Promising filly Sacred Option may have booked a place in the Group 3 Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) at Te Rapa next month after she produced a whirlwind finish to claim her second career victory at Awapuni on Saturday. The daughter of Sacred Falls looked likely to run an eye-catching second in the three-year-old 1200m contest[...]

Posted on March 27, 2021
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Leading northern rider Leith Innes produced a front-running masterclass at Tauranga on Saturday as he guided gritty galloper Packing Rockstar to his first stakes victory in the Group 2 Ultimate Mazda Japan Trophy (1600m). The Fastnet Rock five-year-old has proven a model of consistency since returning to New Zealand following one unsuccessful start in Hong[...]

Posted on March 5, 2021
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Australian punters pouring over the New Zealand form of Group 1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) favourite Aegon could easily be led down the garden path believing the talented three-year-old is a rain-affected galloper as he prepares to face a Good 4 Randwick surface. While, for all intents and purposes, the two neighbouring countries share similar rules[...]

Posted on March 1, 2021
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

A comprehensive three-length victory at Matamata on Saturday has set promising three-year-old Tar And Cement on a path to the Group 2 Fusion Electrical Wellington Guineas (1400m) at Trentham next month. The Reliable Man gelding made it two wins from two starts when he led all the way over 1400m on the weekend for trainer[...]

Posted on January 25, 2021
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Rider Leith Innes admitted his confidence soared when he was legged aboard top three-year-old Aegon in the Ellerslie parade ring on Saturday evening. The regular pilot of the Sacred Falls gelding knew he had a battle on his hands ahead of the $1m Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m) with his charge not having run since[...]

Posted on January 24, 2021
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

In a titanic tussle that lived up to the pre-race hype, Aegon kept his perfect record intact with a thrilling win over Amarelinha in Saturday’s Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie. Although the million-dollar race attracted a full field of 17 three-year-olds, the build-up was completely dominated by two horses. One was Aegon, whose[...]

Posted on January 22, 2021
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Ellerslie’s Karaka Million features are among the few major New Zealand races missing from the CV of top jockey Leith Innes, and he’s hoping star three-year-old Aegon can change that this weekend. Innes has ridden over 1500 winners, including 30 at Group 1 level – most recently aboard Aegon in the New Zealand 2000 Guineas[...]

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

The familiar combination of trainer Stephen Marsh and owner Lib Petagna combined to take out another feature three-year-old staying event at Ellerslie on Sunday when Milford dashed home late to win the Listed Te Akau Gingernuts Salver (2100m). Medaglia D’Oro colt Crown Prosecutor carried part-owner Petagna’s colours to victory in the 2015 Group 1 Vodafone[...]

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[...]

Pike keen on stakes assignment for Sacred Option

Innes produces front-running gem to lift Japan trophy

Nothing “Soft” about Aegon

Stakes assignment for promising three-year-old

Innes full of admiration for Karaka Million 3YO Classic winner

Aegon triumphs in epic Karaka Million 3YO Classic

Aegon heads quality Karaka Million book for Innes

Milford too strong in Ellerslie feature

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

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