Manawatu Cup

Kana leaps into Karaka Million 2YO contention

Posted on December 21, 2021
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Two-year-old debutant Kana raced into contention for the NZD$1million Doubletree by Hilton Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) at Ellerslie next month with an impressive victory on her home track at Awapuni on Saturday. The statuesque daughter of Waikato Stud-based stallion Tivaci had been expected to be too good for her four rivals in the juvenile dash[...]

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

Visiting Matamata rider Craig Grylls had a day to remember on Saturday when he took out the two feature races on the card at Awapuni, albeit in contrasting fashion. Successful aboard the Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman-trained Oneroa by just a nose in a desperate finish to a rating 74 1200m contest earlier in the[...]

Posted on December 18, 2021
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Awapuni trainer Lisa Latta heads to her local meeting on Saturday with some trepidation as the heavy rain that has lashed much of New Zealand this week hasn’t missed the Palmerston North venue. 122mm of rain has fallen on the track over the last five days, which unsurprisingly has been posted a Heavy 11. While[...]

Posted on December 17, 2021
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

An overkill of rain might yet foil Awapuni trainer Peter Didham’s cunning plan. Didham had planned to use last Saturday’s Group 2 Cal Isuzu Stakes (1600m) at Te Rapa as a lead-up to the Group 1 Zabeel Classic (2000m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day for his smart mare House Of Cartier. But when the rain[...]

Posted on December 17, 2021
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Cherry Lane is in career-best form and trainer Nick Bishara believes the mare is a strong chance to gain an elusive black-type honour at Awapuni on Saturday. The daughter of Redwood has won twice from her last four appearances and with her affinity for rain-affected going, a bold showing is on the cards in the[...]

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

Hunta Pence will be out to make it three stakes victories on-end when he contests the Group 3 Dixon & Dunlop Trentham Stakes (2100m) on Saturday. The Patrick Campbell-trained gelding was victorious in the Listed Wanganui Cup (2040m) in November before recording a nose victory in the Group 3 Manawatu Cup (2300m) at Awapuni last[...]

Posted on December 24, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

For 18 months veteran jockey Darryl Bradley was stuck on 99 career black type victories, wondering if the century would ever come up. Now, he’s won three of them in seven weeks, all while maintaining his job as the track manager at Foxton racecourse. It was Mohaka who finally gave Bradley his 100th black type[...]

Posted on December 21, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

The sight of promising galloper Lincoln Falls storming past his rivals to win at Awapuni on Saturday provided trainer Lisa Latta with a special moment after she has endured plenty in her battle to get him back to the racetrack. The Dundeel five-year-old had been off the scene since finishing well back in the Group[...]

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

Hastings visitor Hunta Pence overcame his apparent dislike of the Awapuni track to register his biggest career victory when he took out the Group 3 Bramco Granite and Marble Manawatu Cup (2300m) in a desperate finish on Saturday. The Patrick Campbell-trained eight-year-old had failed to finish in a dividend bearing placing in ten previous trips[...]

Posted on December 17, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Leading owner Neville McAlister is hoping a return to the dry tracks of home will let punters see Platinum Invador back to his best in New Zealand this summer. The multiple Group 1 placegetter resumes his New Zealand career in the Group 3 Bramco Granite and Marble Manawatu Cup (2300m) at Awapuni on Saturday after[...]

Posted on December 17, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

There aren’t many prouder of Chris Johnson then North Canterbury trainers John and Karen Parsons. As Johnson guided the Ellis Winsloe-trained Point Score to success in Invercargill last Saturday to level up to David Walsh’s record of 2451 New Zealand wins, the Parsons were overcome with emotion. “It was incredible,” Karen Parsons said. “We didn’t[...]

Posted on November 30, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Te Awamutu raider London Bound looked a galloper headed for better things when she produced a powerful late surge to claim victory at Wanganui on Saturday. The Proisir four-year-old mare had kicked off her spring campaign with a barnstorming win over 1100m at Taupo back in August but had failed to flatter in three subsequent[...]

Posted on November 29, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Evergreen galloper Hunta Pence was rewarded for his perseverance when he took out the Listed Steelform Roofing Group Wanganui Cup (2040m) after finishing runner-up in the race in the past two years. The Patrick Campbell-trained eight-year-old had been narrowly beaten by Group 1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) winner Sentimental Miss in 2019 and had to[...]

Posted on December 21, 2019
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Visiting Cambridge mare Concert Hall was back to her brilliant best when she demolished her opposition in Saturday’s Group 3 Aberdeen On Broadway Manawatu Cup (2300m). The Joan Egan-bred and owned five-year-old had been slowly building to her peak form in recent starts which included an eye-catching run for fourth in the Group 3 Counties[...]

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

Awapuni trainer Gary Vile will be vying to win his fifth Group 3 Aberdeen on Broadway Manawatu Cup (2300m) at his home track on Saturday. The Palmerston North horseman has previously won the race with All Square (2005), Ransomed (2012), Jacksstar (2016), and Rock On (2018). Jacksstar will represent the stable once again in the[...]

Posted on December 19, 2019
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh is happy with comeback galloper Chocante but has no expectation of a winning return in the Group 2 Kamada Park Manawatu Challenge Stakes (1400m) at Awapuni on Saturday. The Group 1 performer strained a tendon in the Listed Tails Stakes (1600m) at Doomben in April last year and was given a[...]

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

In-form Waikato jockey Ryan Elliot hopes to be celebrating his first taste of black-type success for the season when he has Christmas with his family in Levin. The highly talented 20-year-old wound up last season with a personal best tally of 60 wins, including six black-type wins, and, though he has made a flying start[...]

Kana leaps into Karaka Million 2YO contention

Grylls provides Baker with notable milestone at Awapuni

Latta holds strong-hand at Awapuni

Didham in a quandary with House Of Cartier

Gilt-edged opportunity for in-form mare

Hunta Pence eyeing stakes three-peat

Multiple career options working well for Bradley

Relief for Latta with Lincoln Falls

Thrilling finish to Manawatu Cup

Hard tracks the key for returning Invador

Proud-as-punch Parsons would love to provide record-breaker

Gear change works the oracle for impressive Wanganui winner

Hunta Pence gets deserved prize in Wanganui feature

Concert Hall on song in Manawatu Cup

Vile hoping to star in local Cup

Chocante to resume after long injury break

Elliot family wishing for black-type Christmas

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