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Sully set to thrive in wet conditions

Group One performer Sully will be vying to nab an elusive stakes victory when he contests the Listed WJ McKell Cup (2000m) at Rosehill on Saturday. The five-year-old son of Reliable Man has placed at stakes level on five occasions, including the Gr.1 Victoria Derby (2500m), Gr.1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m), and Gr.2 Herbert Power Stakes (2400m). The gelding has been hampered by a few issues, but trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young are excited to send their horse north to Sydney to conte...

Diamondsandbubbles relishing Pakenham surface

Former Kiwi Diamondsandbubbles continued her strong form on the synthetic track at Pakenham on Friday, setting a new track record when successful over 2200m. The David Brideoake-trained daughter of Commands came with a well-timed run under in-form rider Billy Egan to defeat Mr Monaco. The five-year-old mare has now won three of her 10 starts for Brideoake, having commenced her career in the care of Moira Murdoch for whom she was a winner. “She is going super and it was good to get her back o...

High class filly scores at Sandown

Trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace secured an early double at Sandown on Wednesday with a pair of Kiwi-bred fillies.The stable's first win came the way of Mystique Falcon breaking her maiden before Maher teamed up with jockey Jye McNeil again to win the following race with Ocean Park three-year-old High Emocean. It was the second win on-end for the filly and Maher admitted to being fairly confident heading into the 2400m event. “She has really bounced through her last run,” Maher said. ...

Melbourne Cup realistic target for young Kiwi stayer

Cambridge trainers Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman were delighted with the gallant performance of The Chosen One, who finished second to fellow New Zealand raider Etah James in Saturday’s Gr.1 Sydney Cup (3200m). The Chosen One finished 0.2 lengths behind the winner on a less than ideal Heavy8 surface.   “It was obviously a very testing track and I was actually surprised how well he performed on it,” Forsman said. “In the end, the track conditions probably cost him. The winner ...

Lim's Dashing scores first-up

Daniel Meagher gave further proof of his reputation as a patient trainer after Lim’s Dashing (NZ) (Darci Brahma) scored first-up from a 10-month spell in Singapore on Friday night.Lim's Dashing was bred under Wentwood Grange's Llanhennock Trust banner before being sold through their 2014 New Zealand Bloodstock draft.The eight-year-old gelding was a stable transfer from Stephen Gray and came with a handy record of three wins and 10 placings from 25 starts before needing a bone chip operation. �...

Wentwood graduate takes Taranaki juvenile feature

A powerful finishing burst carried lightly raced filly Bonita Aurelia to her first career victory when she downed the favourites in Saturday’s Gr.3 Woburn Farm 2YO Classic (1200m) at New Plymouth. In breaking her maiden status, the Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman-trained two-year-old also provided Novara Park stallion Sweynesse with both his first winner and first at stakes level with her gritty performance. Well favoured when making her raceday debut back in October, Bonita Aurelia was trappe...

Variety and quality in Wentwood Grange draft

The Hawkins family’s Wentwood Grange has become a renowned source of quality thoroughbred talent, and their draft for the 2020 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale has the credentials to continue that trend. Graduates of Wentwood Grange’s yearling drafts at Karaka include this season’s Gr.1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) and A$7.5 million Golden Eagle (1500m) hero Kolding, along with fellow Group One winners Sacred Elixir, Kermadec and Gust of Wind. Little Bridge, who was sold for just $9...

Wentwood Grange on Kiwi Bred

Trackside's Kiwi Bred show came to the farm and host Emily Bosson chatted with Sean and Dean about the farm and our graduate's recent success. ...

Howl runs another screamer

Howl (NZ) (Showcasing) showed on Sunday that the best way to ride him was still at the head of affairs.The six-year-old has been switched to waiting tactics a few times in his 25 previous runs, but the results had not been conclusive.Back to his favourite positive tactics in the S$50,000 Class 4 Division 2 race over 1200m, Howl seems to grow another leg.Even when Our Dynamite came testing him round the bend, he never surrendered the whip hand.Regaining the lead, How kept finding under jocke...

Wentwood Grange cherish winning weekend

A partnership that began with the establishment of Wentwood Grange Stud back at the beginning of the century can lay claim to a unique breeding connection on the weekend after Kolding (NZ) (Ocean Park) took out the inaugural running of the A$7.5m Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill on Saturday, a result preceded by the victory of Exceedance (Exceed And Excel) in the Gr.1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington.Retired Australian businessman and former professional rugby leagu...

Kolding Tastes Group 1 Success

Kolding, a 4 year old son of Ocean Park, kept up a blistering tempo in the Epsom Handicap Group 1 to win the prestigious race from the fast finishing Te Akau Shark.Kolding was sold by Wentwood Grange at Karaka to bloodstock Agent Guy Mulcaster for ownersNeville and Judy Morgan and is trained by Chris Waller and was ridden by Glen Boss.It is of course the same vendor, agent, owner, trainer and jockey responsible for Kermadec’s win inthe Doncaster Handicap.Kolding was bred by Wentwood Grange in ...

Shenandoah Wins to Provide a Timely Update for Wentwood Grange

Shenandoah won the $100,000 Maree Madden-Melder Handicap on Members day at Caulfield on the weekend.Trained by Trent and Natalie Busuttin and ridden by Zac Spain the 4 year old mare by Darci Brahma out of Ms Seneca Rock put on a brave front running effort.She has re-found her winning form and the team are confident she can work her way through the grades after showing promise at 3 years old when 4th in the Group 2 Doomben Roses.Owned and bred by Wentwood Grange, Shenandoah’s half sister was th...