Leith Innes

Rapid Falls gets deserved reward in Karaka Cup

Posted on January 24, 2022
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

After a luckless run for second in the Dunstan Feeds Stayers Championship Final (2400m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s day, promising mare Rapid Falls returned to the scene of the crime on Saturday to exact a measure of revenge in the Collinson Forex Karaka Cup (2200m). Prepared by Cambridge trainer Tony Pike, the five-year-old daughter[...]

Posted on January 6, 2022
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

A year ago, Roger James identified a Tavistock juvenile in his barn as the horse that might give him a sixth New Zealand Derby success. Looking at Pinarello’s victory at Te Aroha on Monday, his judgment may not be too far off. Having his second start for James and his training partner Robert Wellwood following[...]

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

Central Districts raider Sindacato is on trial for a Group One assignment when he heads to Ellerslie on Sunday to contest the Stella Artois 1500 Championship Final (1500m). The Per Incanto gelding holds a nomination for the Group 1 Thorndon Mile (1600m) at Trentham next month, and a tilt at that race will be dictated[...]

Posted on December 19, 2021
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh will take a strong hand into one of the features at Ellerslie on New Year’s day after producing a winning double midway through the meeting at Te Rapa on Saturday. The Marsh-trained Oneoutofthebox proved too tough in a slogging finish to the Lodge Commercial 2100m, while stablemate Chakana enhanced her impressive[...]

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

Riding four winners on a premier raceday, including two at Group level is cause to celebrate in any language and jockey Leith Innes wasn’t going to buck that trend after a magical day at Te Rapa on Saturday. Innes was feeling a little dusty come Sunday morning as he reflected on a superb day at[...]

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

Ever consistent sprinter Packing Rockstar displayed all his fighting qualities when he downed a high-quality field of sprinters in the Group 3 J Swap Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa. Despite carrying the topweight of 60kgs, the six-year-old son of Fastnet Rock dictated affairs at the head of the field for rider Leith Innes and looked[...]

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

Something about the start of summer brings the very best out of Concert Hall, who broke an 11-month win drought with a superb victory in Saturday’s Group 2 Cal Isuzu Stakes (1600m) at Te Rapa. The NZD$110,000 fillies and mares’ showpiece was the 10th win of a 29-start career for the high-class daughter of Savabeel,[...]

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

Leith Innes is back into the swing of riding from a temporary new base and is looking forward to making up for lost time. He was robbed of opportunities as one of several jockeys unable to ride due to the Auckland region’s COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, but has been able to move out of the province[...]

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

Pukekohe trainer Nigel Tiley had a spring in his step as he ventured to the races for the first time in several months on Thursday and was delighted to come home with a couple of classy winners. Tiley has been stuck within the confines of the Auckland boundary as the region has been locked down[...]

Posted on September 10, 2021
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Auckland’s extended lockdown has proved especially frustrating for leading jockey Leith Innes, who can look but can’t touch with nearly everything he wants to participate in. Innes is one of several jockeys in the Auckland region robbed of riding while the province is in Alert Level 4 COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. “You’d like to be racing[...]

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

This week’s Waikato race meetings look likely to go ahead without leading New Zealand jockey Opie Bosson after changes to the Auckland-Waikato border area have locked him in. Bosson was set to have an outstanding book of rides at Saturday’s Te Rapa raceday, among them multiple Group One winner Avantage in the Group 2 Valachi[...]

Posted on July 31, 2021
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Leith Innes may be a senior statesman of New Zealand’s northern jockeys’ room, but he hasn’t lost his enthusiasm for what lies ahead on the feature race scene in the new season. Innes will sign off 2020-21 with 32 wins from 260 raceday rides, headed by his association with star three-year-old Aegon as well as[...]

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[...]

Rapid Falls gets deserved reward in Karaka Cup

James eyeing further Derby success

Group One rehearsal for Sindacato

Marsh to have strong presence in Dunstan Stayers final

In form Innes ready for Christmas racing

Rockstar packs plenty of punch at Te Rapa

James and Wellwood to the fore at Te Rapa

Eager Innes back on winning trail

Tiley talent on show at home track

Innes anxious for return to racing

Bosson stranded by Auckland barrier

Innes keen on what the new season holds

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

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