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Top filly off to Aussie, lickety split

by Michael Guerin, NZ HeraldOutstanding filly Lickety Split has been given the green light for an Australian campaign that could see her value skyrocket.The Group 1-winning filly will bypass the rest of the New Zealand spring to aim at the 1000 Guineas at Caulfield in October, victory in which would see her future broodmare value more than double.Lickety Split returned to racing with a brave victory in the Group 3 Northland Breeders Stakes at Ruakaka last Saturday, beating fitter black type riva...

Ominous return for Virtuous Circle

Three-year-old colt Virtuous Circle narrowly prevailed in the Hugh Wallace-Smith Handicap (1500m) at The Valley on Saturday, to make the perfect start to his classic season.  Prepared by Kyneton trainer Liam Howley, the Alamanzor colt rocked punters when scoring at $61 in the Mornington Sires’ (1500m) back in March, and again got the better of the betting public when saluting at $26 to extend his record to two victories from three starts. A Gro...

Lickety Split starts spring campaign in style

Last season’s Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) winner Lickety Split showed she will be a force to be reckoned with in the three-year-old feature events over the next few months with a determined effort to win the Gr.3 Cambridge Stud Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) at Ruakaka. The Andrew Forsman-trained daughter of Turn Me Loose had won her first two races, including the Group One juvenile feature at Ellerslie, before enduring a torrid run when seventh in the Gr.1 Manawatu Sires Produce Stakes ...

Northland Breeders first-up for Lickety Split

Group One winner Lickety Split will begin what her connections hope to be a lucrative spring preparation when she heads to Ruakaka on Saturday. The Andrew Forsman-trained filly will contest the Gr.3 Cambridge Stud Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) first-up after pleasing in her sole trial leading into the race when runner-up over 900m at Te Rapa a fortnight ago. While pleased with his filly, Forsman said his only query is whether the daughter of Turn Me Loose is forward enough for her debut t...

Meet The Team: Chipper, Groundsman

Chipper has been with us for four years and is very well known around Cambridge. He is a jack of all trades including butchering, barman at the Hautapu Rugby Club and also turns his hand to road construction. If that’s not enough, he is also a passionate and talented lawn bowls player!Chipper has always dabbled in the ownership of racing stock and currently has shares in a greyhound. He is often seen on the ride on mower out the front of the Main and Top Farm. Give him a wave if you happen to ...

Meet The Team: Brad Molander, Yearling Manager

Brad was born in NZ but raised in Australia before making the move to Cambridge. He started leading for Wentwood at Karaka in 2016/17 before coming on as full time yearling manager in August 2017. He was originally going to be at Wentwood for 18 months though nearly five years later he is still here!Brad has an extensive knowledge of the racing and bloodstock industries after working for the likes of Lee and Anthony Freedman, Blue Gum Farm in Australia and Lanes End Farm in Kentucky. Brad h...

Meet The Team: Hannah Rose Cook

Hannah has been at Wentwood since 2020 and is a versatile member of the team doing everything from handling weanlings in the Autumn and Winter to working with the dry mares in the Spring. She’s also part of the yearling prep crew over the summer. Where does your passion for horses come from?As a child I started riding lessons and quickly got the bug for horses. How did you get started in the thoroughbred industry?My singing teacher suggested I should do a yearling prep at Wentwood and I haven�...

Meet The Team: Richelle Rashford, Broodmare Manager

Originally from Upstate New York, Richelle joined the Wentwood Grange team in October 2019 and she has recently been promoted to the role of broodmare manager.Richelle has a bachelor’s degree in Equine Science and Management, specialising in equine reproduction.We put a few questions to Richelle to find out more about how she came to work at Wentwood Grange and what she loves about our industry. Where does your passion for horses come from? My aunt and uncle had horses growing up, so I fe...

Lickety Split scores gutsy Group One triumph

Quality two-year-old filly Lickety Split refused to yield to a sustained challenge when narrowly taking out the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie on Sunday. The Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman-trained daughter of Turn Me Loose had scored impressively at the Auckland course on debut last month but was the most inexperienced runner in the seven-horse field. Lickety Split ($10.80) was sent out as the punter’s third-elect behind last-start Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) winner Dynastic ($1.50) ...

Turn Me Loose filly impresses with debut victory

A gritty victory by two-year-old filly Lickety Split at her first raceday start at Ellerslie has given her sire Turn Me Loose a timely boost ahead of the upcoming New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale at Karaka. The Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman-trained youngster followed up an impressive trial win at Ellerslie late last month with a similar performance on Saturday as she overhauled pacemaker Slipper Island in the final stages after the pair had gone head-to-head over the final 400m. T...

Variety the spice of Wentwood Grange draft

Wentwood Grange will head to Karaka next month with one of the more diverse drafts at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sales. The Cambridge farm will offer 34 yearlings in the Book One session by 27 different sires. Sean Hawkins, who part-owns the highly-respected family farm, established by his parents Des and Jan, with his brothers Dean and Leigh, said not standing a stallion of their own has given Wentwood Grange the freedom to select from a variety of stallions the length and bre...

Blessings answered for Thompson

In what looks to have proved a masterstroke by trainer John Thompson, the recently gelded With Your Blessing has returned in fine fashion to finally shed his maiden tag in the opening event at Randwick Kensington on Wednesday. Having been competitive at Group level in his debut preparation, finishing a narrow (0.8L) fourth in last year’s Pago Pago Stakes and fifth (4.8L) in the Schweppervescence before losing his way in his second campaign, the three-year-old resumed with a bang over the 1100m...

Miss Labasa remains unbeaten after Awapuni effort

Promising three-year-old Miss Labasa retained her unbeaten record with another impressive performance at Awapuni on Saturday.The Swiss Ace filly had won her first two races in a manner that indicated she could challenge in some of the plum early summer three-year-old features, however some niggling feet issues put paid to those ideas.Off the scene since mid-November, Miss Labasa resumed in the three-year-old 1400m contest against a line-up that included New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) place-get...

The Chosen One sparkles in Thorndon Mile

A late nomination to contest the Group One feature at Trentham on Saturday paid dividends for the connections of quality performer The Chosen One as the Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman-trained runner scored a stunning victory in the Gr.1 Harcourts Thorndon Mile (1600m).Having his first start since running a gallant fifth in the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) back in November, the six-year-old Savabeel entire looked well suited under the set weights and penalties conditions of the race, having to car...

Double for Wentwood graduates at Sha Tin

Wentwood Grange were represented by two winners at Sha Tin overnight.  The John Size-trained Running Glory was impressive when winning by three and a quarter-lengths in the Class 4 Tai Tan Handicap (1400m) at just his third race day start, with Joao Moreira onboard.  “He impressed me in the way that he won, he won with great authority by a big margin – which I didn’t think he was going to do,” Moreira said. “I thought he could win, but I didn’t think he would win in such an...

Dragon Storm primed for Bagot

Last start Listed Sandown Cup (3200m) winner Dragon Storm will be back in action at Flemington this weekend when he contests the Listed Bagot Handicap (2800m) on New Year’s Day. Last year’s Gr.3 New Zealand Cup (3200m) winner had been out of form leading into his Sandown Cup triumph and trainer Michael Moroney view’s the New Year’s Day feature as another winnable target. “He seems to have trained on well. I know he has had time between runs but he is a natural stayer and he is coming b...

Dragon Storm to chase further features

Fresh from success in the Listed Sandown Cup (3200m) at Caulfield last weekend, Flemington trainer Mike Moroney is mulling over options for Wentwood Grange graduate Dragon Storm. Gr.3 New Zealand Cup (3200m) winner Dragon Storm had been disappointing in his three runs leading into his fast-finishing victory in the Sandown Cup and while there had been thoughts of sending Dragon Storm back to New Zealand, those plans are now on ice. “It is more than likely we will have a tilt at the Bagot Handic...

Dragon Storm swoops to land Sandown Cup

Kiwi stayer Dragon Storm came from last to land the Listed Sandown Cup (3200m) at the Caulfield meeting on Saturday under a well-timed Blaike McDougall ride.  The seven-year-old son of Shocking had won last season’s Gr.3 New Zealand Cup for Chris Gibbs and transferred to Mike Moroney’s Flemington stable after an unplaced effort in the Gr.3 Wellington Cup (3200m).  In a slowly run affair, Dragon Storm got cover and was rated well by McDougall, coming widest to ge...

Hoard The Bourbon on Guineas path

Talented three-year-old Hoard The Bourbon was one of the eye-catching runners in last Saturday’s Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) and trainer Stephen Marsh is keen to push on towards the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton on November 6. The son of Iffraaj, who sports the colours of last year’s Guineas runner-up Bourbonaire, came from last on the home turn to charge home into fifth and will be suited stepping out to a mile. “I thought the run was ...

Baker pleased with Underwood hope

Quality stayer The Chosen One takes the next step in his build-up towards the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups, when he tackles the Gr.1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Sandown on Saturday. The Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman-trained entire is one of just five runners in the A$1 million feature, with the presence of emerging star Zaaki ($1.30 favourite) too daunting for many. While not expecting to upset the applecart, Baker, who cannot be in Melbourne due to COVID-19 restrictions, is keen to have a go ...

Danger Strykes at Whanganui

Lightly raced Cambridge visitor Danger Strykes confirmed she has big future ahead of her with a comprehensive victory in the Listed John Turkington Forestry Ltd Castletown Stakes (1200m) at Whanganui on Saturday. Handled confidently by rider Ryan Elliot, the Tony Pike-trained filly settled nicely on the outer behind a hot speed set up by race favourite Taoiseach. Angled into the clear at the 300m, Danger Strykes quickly dashed to the lead before holding out a late run from Ima Roca Bee to win by...

Mai Tai gets deserved black type victory

Progressive mare Mai Tai added another feather to her cap when she picked up her first victory at stakes level with a win in the Listed Manawatu ITM Anzac Mile (1600m) at Awapuni on Sunday. Sent out a warm favourite ($2.60) for the race, punters never had a moment of concern courtesy of a picture-perfect ride by Sam Collett, who collected her second black type victory for the weekend after taking out the Gr.2 Easter Handicap (1600m) at Ellerslie aboard Demonetization on Saturday. Collett made fu...

Easifar claims stakes win

Wentwood Grange bred and sold filly Easifar (NZ) (Pride of Dubai) landed black-type in the Listed Eureka Stud Princess Stakes (1630m) at Doomben on Saturday.  Ridden by Luke Dittman the Chris Waller-trained filly fumbled out of the gates from barrier one but managed to remain amongst the front runners before settling in fourth position on the rails.  Dittman got to work on her from the 400m mark and she duly obliged running down the leader Tycoon Evie to score by half-a-length on the l...

Kolding smashes A$6 million in stakes

Wentwood Grange graduate Kolding (NZ) (Ocean Park) smashed through the A$6 million in stakes mark with a gritty win in the Gr.1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday.  Kolding and Savatiano edged clear over the final 200m in a two-horse war and the Godolphin mare looked to get the better of the gutsy gelding before Kolding kicked back on the line to nab her by a short half-head. “I did think we were beaten and then I could just gradually see him coming and I was thinki...

Ellerslie win for Mai Tai

by Te Akau RacingIn training for the Hawkins’ family of Wentwood Grange, Mai Tai  (4 m Atlante – Tropical Punch, by Faltaat) justified her $1.90 tote support with an impressive victory in the Barfoot & Thompson 1400 on Easter Saturday at Ellerslie.An unlucky fifth on Derby Day last month at Ellerslie, the winner of four from nine showed her ability to quicken on Saturday as she launched from fifth with an irresistible finish, sprinting clear to win by three and a half lengths.“She was...