Manawatu Cup

Sagunto defends Manawatu Cup crown in style

Posted on December 23, 2023
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

After leading all the way to claim his first black-type win in last year's Group 3 Manawatu Cup (2300m), Sagunto returned to defend that crown with an even more spectacular front-running performance at Trentham on Saturday. Sagunto defied $20 odds for his narrow victory over Subtle Point and Soprano Supreme in the 2022 edition of[...]

Posted on December 20, 2023
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Regally-bred mare Manifique will get her chance to continue her family's stakes legacy when she heads to Trentham on Saturday to tackle the Group 3 Manawatu Cup (2300m). The daughter of Champion New Zealand stallion Savabeel is out of four-time Group One winner Shez Sinsational, and will be looking to emulate the deeds of her[...]

Posted on December 21, 2022
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

If every race meeting in New Zealand was at Trentham Shaun McKay would probably be thrilled. McKay, who joined his father Peter in a training partnership this season, earned his first Group race success as a trainer on Saturday when Sagunto won the Group 3 Manawatu Cup (2300m) at Trentham, where the race had been[...]

Posted on December 18, 2022
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

A day that started in perfect fashion for trainer Peter McKay when Purrfect Puss saluted in the second race got even better for the Matamata mentor as Sagunto landed his biggest victory with an all-the-way win in the Group 3 Manawatu Cup (2300m). Rated to perfection by Lisa Allpress, the seven-year-old son of O'Reilly never[...]

Posted on December 15, 2022
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Lisa Latta has the distance bases covered in this Saturday's feature events at Trentham where she has multiple representation in the stable's quest for black-type success. The Awapuni trainer will first attack the Group 2 Manawatu Challenge Stakes (1400m) with Old Town Road and Belclare and the staying duo of Charms Star and Platinum Invador[...]

Posted on March 15, 2022
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

The Darrell Hollinshead-trained Super Sid picked off some low-hanging fruit when landing the Wrightson/Vetmed 2100 at Ellerslie on Sunday in emphatic fashion. The son of Rip Van Winkle is a three-quarter brother to Te Akau Shark and raced just worse than midfield before powering over the top of his rivals when presented widest by Darren[...]

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[...]

Sagunto defends Manawatu Cup crown in style

Manifique set for Manawatu Cup tilt

Trentham retains its magic for McKay

No catching Sagunto in Manawatu Cup

Stakes quality and quantity for Latta

Staying future for Sid

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

What are you really gambling with?