Have not seen any replays but just glanced at results and so much for being in over his head. :D

Haha, amazing! The change of scenery must have helped. He ran a great race.

Fix just isn't herself at the moment.

As for the Guineas, GREAT win. Reminded me of his older brother Sir Slick, the way he overcame a terrible trip and just refused to let anyone get by him in the stretch. Brilliant. I'll have to look at the replays, but watching it live it looked like the other good performances were We'regoingtogetcha and Glorious Lad. Not sure what happened to Chambord. :confused:

Well I'd prefer NZ to HK too!!! :D

The only replay I've watched so far was Puccini (and I watched it a few times).

So happy for him and for his connections. Nice nice win. Loved the way the MW looked back at one point.

Around 1:48 I thought I was going to have a heart attack with a few of them all bunched up... rough riding!

Had not heard of Colonel Cararrea but nice run and yeah agree on Glorious Lad and Weregonnagetcha who I had not heard of.

Hope Chambord is okay.

Puccini straight to the Derby now?

Will catch the rest of the replays later. :)

Yea!

http://www.theinformant.co.nz/racing...evers-campaign

Awesome! Can't wait to see her again. It's ridiculous that the NZ Derby is her only G1 win so far - she should have four or five. So unlucky. Hope she changes that this prep.

Entries for Te Rapa on Saturday look spectacular.

Can't wait!!!

I just went through the fields again and it is staggering... man ed if I lived there I don't think I'd bet cause I'd be so overwhelmed by the continual parade of these huge stars of racing...

Hope they all come home safe and I would love to see some of the ones who need a win do it but you know... love too many of them now so won't sit here wishing 3/4s of each field luck. :D

Great racing here so far! Loving it. Lady Royale just blew them away in the 2yo race. Especially happy about Delago's Secret - needed to win today to keep his Derby dream alive, and he did! Roger James is going to the Derby again. Amazing. He's won it five times! Just such a good trainer of 3yos.

Hera!

Oh that was great to see. :)

That is the ONLY replay I've watched so far and will catch up more tomorrow but wow.... I'm really happy for her and for her connections (and for Spellbiner too... another brilliant run BUT nice to see Hera win this one).

That was a great win. I took a couple of photos of Hera.






Thrilled for her. And for her trainer, Roger James, who I saw standing near me and looking super nervous before Delago's Secret's Derby-clinching win. Great day for him.

And how good was Shuka in the Herbie Dyke?

OH!!!!! I JUST WATCHED IT AND WOW HE WAS GREAT!

Nothing separated them! Great for Costume although, much as I like her I do wish it had gone the other way cause I love him so much but wow that was a fantastic race.

... and Zurella! Very nice run!

Love your pics of Hera... thanks for posting them!

The only other replay I've watched at this point was that of Delago's Secret. I hadn't heard the name but yes definitely one to watch :)

Saw the noms for the 12th... looks like a nice field for Pinzaara! SInce it's on a week day will you be able to go?

Any word on Bounding, ed? I'm surprised not to have seen any update.

Good luck on Wednesday!

Bounding is fine, and it's Ellerslie next! :D
http://www.theinformant.co.nz/racing...w-for-Bounding

30 entries for the Avondale Guineas on Saturday, which is the last major Derby prep!

Thanks for that and yes, I just took a look at the entries! Spectacular!

There's a picture of Time Keeper on the front of the nzracing site that made my heart stop for a sec.

Happy to see Opie will stay on Chop Chop for the Oaks. I did so like her dad even though he never won for me. :D

Hope he turns out to be a good sire. Such a pretty boy. :o

Shaune Ritchie has a very valid point here, doesn't he?

“Why the feature Oaks lead-up can’t be run on the Sunday so we don’t have to get replacement riders I don’t know, perhaps there’s a valid reason, but I can’t think of one,” Ritchie said.

Have to toss this in...

“I’m on the ball early and I’ve booked Michael Dee. He’s won on her before and he deserves his chance in a Group Three race.”

Indeed. :tro:

Congrats on a nice run in a very tough field.

Looked like He's Rock'n'Roll (white cap?) got right in her way around... 1:17 or so?

Next time. :)

Yeah, that might have put her off her game a bit. Or maybe she's just had enough this prep and needs a break. It was a bit disappointing, and I know she's better than that. She'll do better next time. :)

Let's start our Derby countdown! First up, two horses that aren't running in the big race tomorrow.

SPELLBINDER
filly
O'Reilly - Scenic Sprint (O'Reilly is the sire of one NZ Derby winner - Silent Achiever, 2012)


Owner: Te Akau Stud (no Derby wins)
Trainer: Jason Bridgman (no Derby wins)
Rider: Matt Cameron (no Derby wins)

A $60,000 purchase at auction as a yearling.

(Starts:1st-2nd-3rd): 7:4-2-1

Stakes races:
1st Soliloquy Stakes (L)
1st Karaka Mile (L)
2nd Sir Tristram Fillies' Classic (G2)
2nd Sarten Memorial (G3)
3rd New Zealand 1000 Guineas (G1)

This is a seriously good filly who's shown freakish ability in her brief career so far - like in her seven-length demolition of the Soliloquy Stakes and a romp in the Karaka Mile. There were doubts about her stamina, but she blew those away with a strong-closing second in the Sir Tristram - coming from way back, and off a slow pace. She's undefeated in three races at Ellerslie, two of them stakes.

Maybe she can make it three years in a row for fillies. Maybe she can give Te Akau their first Derby win (they had placings with Tell A Tale in 2009 and Rock 'N' Pop in 2012).

Odds: 40-1 in January; 30-1 two weeks ago; now 9-1 (equal fifth favourite)



WE'REGOINGTOGETCHA
colt
Testa Rossa - Sweetness 'N' Light (the 2nd dam, Tricia Ann, is also the dam of multiple stakes winner La Sizeranne; also the family of Derby winner and great sire Grosvenor)


Owner: D Hayes & S Prenter (no Derby wins)
Trainer: David Hayes (no relation to the Australian trainer of the same name!) (no Derby wins)
Rider: Kelly Myers (no Derby wins)

A $140,000 purchase at auction as a yearling.

(Starts:1st-2nd-3rd): 10:2-2-2

Stakes races:
2nd Ryder Stakes (L, 2yo)
3rd Waikato Guineas (G2)
8th New Zealand 2000 Guineas (G1)
8th Levin Classic (G1)

Flying along under the radar until his powerful finish into third in the Waikato Guineas. Looks likely to love the step up to 2400m.

Odds: 30-1 in January; 18-1 before Waikato Guineas; now 7-1 (equal third favourite)

Outstanding, ed! Thank you for starting this... always a thrill!

Cannot wait for the next installment and for the great races this weekend.

Habibi finally had a workout so I stuck it in her thread in the paddock.

Good luck to Puccini tonight and well to all of them (cause they're all soooo good!)!

Beautiful, hot day here at Ellerslie. After two races so far, I have just two words: SILENT ACHIEVER! That was so amazing, under a huge weight.

Oh, wow. Man, Puccini is so good.