New Zealand Racing, 2016-17

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New season, new thread!

It's getting exciting straight away with the G2 Foxbridge Plate this Saturday - even though Kawi had a slight leg injury and unfortunately had to be scratched.

# 7 LISA CHITTICK FOXBRIDGE PLATE
1200m, $100000, WFA, 03:18 p.m.

1 KAWI 58.5 112
2 WILLIE CAZALS 58.5 105
3 AUTHENTIC PADDY 58.5 104
4 FARM BOY 58.5 96
5 SOUTHERN ICON 58.5 96
6 LONGCHAMP 58.5 90
7 SHEZHARDTOCATCH 56.5 91
8 NO MORE TEARS 56.5 78
9 UNDERTHEMOONLIGHT 56.5 77
10 TIGER MOSS 56.5 69
11 SARACINO 51.5 72

Saracino is trying a bit of history - no 3yo has won this race since 1984.

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He did it! What an amazing performance. Breaking his maiden in a G2 against older horses, and so dominant.

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Now it's time for the first G1, the Makfi Challenge Stakes!

1 KAWI (15) 59kg $4.20
2 AUTHENTIC PADDY (4) 59kg $16
3 FARM BOY (7) 59kg $51
4 HASSELHOOF (16) 59kg $6.50
5 SOUTHERN ICON (12) 59kg $31
6 EL PESCADO (11) 59kg $31
7 GINNER HART (5) 59kg $35
8 LONGCHAMP (8) 59kg $26
9 BATTLE TIME (17) 58.5kg $41
10 STOLEN DANCE (6) 57kg $5.50
11 OUR VERGARA (3) 57kg $41
12 BOHEMIAN LILY (10) 57kg $61
13 VALLEY GIRL (14) 56.5kg $5.50
14 NO MORE TEARS (9) 56.5kg $9
15 CAPELLA (1) 56.5kg $9
16 MIME (2) 56.5kg $31

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Kawi is just sensational.

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One of my 2yo fillies (well, I own 1% ) makes her debut in the Wanganui Juvenile Plate on Saturday!

# 1 VESPA STANDING AT WELLFIELD WANGANUI JUVENILE PLATE
790m, $10000, MDN 2YO, 12:22 p.m.
1 1 BEACHWOOD 57.5 47
2 4 BLUSTEEL 57.5 45
3 2 GIFT OF POWER 55.5 47
4 3 SWISS PRECISION 55.5 47
5 5 CAESOUR'S DREAM 55.5 45
6 6 MCCARTNEY 55.5

Fingers crossed. I know Beachwood and Gift Of Power have a bit of hype around them.

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Meanwhile, two stakes races for the three-year-olds later in the day. Manhattan Street and Highlad are two really exciting horses clashing in the Guineas, while the G1 winner Luna Rossa resumes in the Fillies' Stakes and should win that very easily.

# 5 THE O'LEARY'S FILLIES STAKES
1200m, $50000, 3YOF SW, 02:43 p.m.
1 9 LUNA ROSSA 56.5 76
2 6 MCPHOEBE 56.5 65
3 7 SOPHIA MAGIA 56.5 61
4 8 ITS TIME FOR MAGIC 56.5 54
5 2 CLAIRETHEWAY 56.5 52
6 3 ROSEWOOD 56.5 52
7 5 ZE ONE (AUS) 56.5 51
8 11 KOKO BELLE 56.5 50
9 12 EUPHORIA 56.5 47
10 10 SHELLEZ ACE 56.5 47
11 4 YEMANYA 56.5 47
12 1 QUEEN OF ZEALAND 56.5


# 7 HS DYKE WANGANUI GUINEAS 13
1340m, $60000, 3YO SW, 03:53 p.m.
MANHATTAN STREET
(AUS)
1 6 72 56.5
2 1 QUANTUM 56.5 67
3 10 HIGHLAD (AUS) 56.5 63
4 5 NACHOS 56.5 63
5 8 TECHNICIAN 56.5 54
6 9 BLUE TWILIGHT 56.5 53
7 2 DON BLANCO 56.5 51
8 7 HELLO M'LADY 54.5 53
9 3 WHITNEY 54.5 52
10 11 BELLADITA 54.5 51
11 4 CALLIDORA 54.5 50

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Nice debut from Swiss Precision, 3rd. She's got a lot to learn.

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It's Time For Magic beats Luna Rossa! Huge upset.

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Highlad is a heck of an exciting horse.

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Great field for Ruakaka's biggest race.

# 7 TAVISTOCK NORTHLAND BREEDERS' STAKES
1200m, $50000, 3YO SW, 04:03 p.m.
1 7 HEROIC VALOUR (AUS) 56.5 77
2 6 WYNDSPELLE 56.5 72
3 8 THE SOULTAKER 56.5 66
4 1 FERRANDO 56.5 63
5 3 MONGOLIAN WOLF (AUS) 56.5 63
6 4 MONGOLIANLIGHTNING 56.5 63
7 2 BARABAS 56.5 62
8 11 O'RACHAEL (AUS) 54.5 71
9 10 ASTARA 54.5 69
10 5 SPINDLE 54.5 63
11 9 CLAIRETHEWAY 54.5

Heroic Valour is clearly the best on class, an unbeaten G1 winner, but I've been impressed by a lot of the others too.

Ferrando won his only start by five, Mongolianlightning won his debut by nine, and Astara broke the national 2yo mile record with her most recent win in April.

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That was an amazing win by HV. I think that's his best performance yet - halfway down the stretch he looked like he had no chance.

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Day two of the Hawke's Bay spring carnival on Saturday...

# 5 L I REDSHAW MEMORIAL
1200m, $40000, OPN HCP, 02:38 p.m.
1 6 RYAN MARK 60.0 101
2 8 ANTONIO LOMBARDO 59.5 100
3 1 GINNER HART 55.5 92
4 7 SILVER ECLIPSE 54.0 93
5 4 ELETIST 54.0 89
6 2 MISS APPLETON 53.0 87
7 3 REILLY LINCOLN 53.0 83
8 5 MARKY MARK (AUS) 53.0 75


# 6 HAWKE’S BAY BREEDERS GOLD TRAIL STAKES (G3)
1200m, $70000, 3YOF SW, 03:16 p.m.
1 10 IT'S TIME FOR MAGIC 56.5 72
2 2 VOLPE VELOCE (AUS) 56.5 69
3 1 GOLD RUSH 56.5 68
4 15 BELLA GIOIA 56.5 67
5 5 MYSTERY SHOW 56.5 67
6 6 SASSY 'N' SMART (AUS) 56.5 67
7 3 HONEY RIDER 56.5 65
8 14 BABE 56.5 63
9 7 RAYAS 56.5 63
10 13 INDECISION 56.5 62
11 9 TESIA 56.5 62
12 12 GLASS SLIPPER 56.5 61
13 4 QUEEN OF ZEALAND 56.5 60
14 8 I AM GRACIE (AUS) 56.5 53
15 11 EXHIBIT 56.5 45
16 16 MARGOT 56.5


# 7 AON INSURANCE BROKERS 2000
2000m, $40000, OPN HCP, 03:51 p.m.
1 3 DUFFERS CREEK 60.0 100
2 10 MAYGROVE (AUS) 58.0 96
3 11 MADONNA MIA 56.5 97
4 1 JOCHEN RINDT 55.5 91
5 2 MEESKA MOOSKA 55.0 90
6 9 PENTATHLON 54.5 89
7 4 SAVARIA 53.0 87
8 8 NYMPH MONTE 53.0 86
9 6 GENTIL TONTON 53.0 85
10 7 BALHAM 53.0 79
11 5 HUMIDOR 53.0


# 8 WINDSOR PARK PLATE (G1)
1600m, $200000, WFA, 04:26 p.m.
1 9 KAWI 59.0 113
2 12 JULINSKY PRINCE 59.0 105
3 13 AUTHENTIC PADDY 59.0 104
4 1 EL PESCADO 59.0 97
5 7 FARM BOY 59.0 96
6 6 BATTLE TIME 58.5 75
7 10 RASA LILA 57.0 101
8 3 OUR VERGARA (AUS) 57.0 100
9 2 BOHEMIAN LILY 57.0 98
10 8 CELEBRITY MISS 57.0 92
11 11 FANATIC 56.5 84
12 4 CAPELLA 56.5 83
13 5 MIME 56.5


Kawi's going for his fifth G1, and it's hard to see anyone from the Makfi turning the tables on him here. Rasa Lila's resuming and could make it interesting, though...

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Nice win by Francaletta on the undercard. Two out of two now and definitely looks stakes class.

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Honey Rider won well in the Gold Trail, but I think the late scratch of Volpe Veloce was pretty significant. She beat Honey Rider in the Castletown last time.

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That was unbelievable from Kawi. Overcame an awful trip. His fifth G1, and I would say that is the best performance of his career so far.

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Ellerslie Saturday:

# 7 MANUKA DOCTOR BONECRUSHER STAKES (G3)
1400m, $70000, 3YO SW, 04:24 p.m.
1 1 XIONG FENG 56.5 72
2 2 THE SOULTAKER 56.5 70
3 8 QUANTUM 56.5 66
4 5 MONGOLIANLIGHTNING 56.5 65
5 6 SAVILE ROW 56.5 63
6 4 MONGOLIAN WOLF (AUS) 56.5 63
7 9 BLUE TWILIGHT 56.5 62
8 7 CORPORATE MISSILE (AUS) 54.5 63
9 5 MADEIRA 54.5 63
10 10 HELLO M'LADY 54.5

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Terrible conditions, but that was a nice win for The Soultaker. Seemed to be going backwards, but showed great heart in the stretch.

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Big day at Hastings on Saturday. I hope the weather improves.

# 5 RED BADGE SPRING SPRINT (G3)
1400m, $70000, OPN HCP, 02:53 p.m.
1 9 TAURUS 60.0 100
2 11 ANTONIO LOMBARDO 59.5 99
3 10 RINGO 59.5 99
4 7 ADMIRAL 55.0 90
5 6 BLATHWAYT 55.0 90
6 3 IRISH HEARTBEAT 54.5 93
7 4 REILLY LINCOLN 53.0 89
8 8 PERSUASIVE 53.0 86
9 2 GET THAT JIVE (AUS) 53.0 85
10 5 JUSTLIKEYASISTER 53.0 82
11 1 NEW YORK MINUTE 53.0


# 6 SACRED FALLS HAWKE’S BAY GUINEAS (G2)
1400m, $100000, 3YO SW, 03:31 p.m.
1 5 HEROIC VALOUR 56.5 80
2 2 UGO FOSCOLO 56.5 74
3 1 BARCELO 56.5 72
4 4 WYNDSPELLE 56.5 72
5 3 KINGSMAN 56.5 70
6 7 MONGOLIAN FALCON 56.5 69
7 10 JON SNOW 56.5 63
8 9 O'REILLY'S CHOICE 56.5 63
9 11 TECHNICIAN 56.5 63
10 8 IMPULSIVE HABIT 56.5 54
11 6 BABE 54.5

# 8 LIVAMOL CLASSIC (G1)
2040m, $250000, WFA, 04:41 p.m.
1 17 BENZINI (AUS) 59.0 105
2 5 JULINSKY PRINCE 59.0 104
3 3 AUTHENTIC PADDY 59.0 103
4 12 WILLIE CAZALS (IRE) 59.0 102
5 2 SAINT EMILION 59.0 100
6 13 EL PESCADO 59.0 97
7 16 FARM BOY 59.0 94
8 6 HASSELHOOF 59.0 94
9 10 HUMIDOR 57.5 89
10 15 BATTLE TIME 57.5 79
11 4 RASA LILA 57.0 101
12 14 BOHEMIAN LILY 57.0 97
13 8 PLATINUM COMMAND 57.0 94
14 1 CELEBRITY MISS 57.0 91
15 18 MIME 55.5 99
16 9 FANATIC 55.5 83
17 11 SAVARIA (B1) 57.0 89
18 7 NYMPH MONTE (B2) 59.0

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After getting up at 5am and six hours on the road, I'm at Hastings. The weather is fine, but the damage has been done - the track's officially slow.

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Wow, a couple of upsets already in the first three races. This could be an interesting day.