New Zealand Racing, 2016-17

[_ed_]

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

[_ed_]

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.

[_ed_]

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

[_ed_]

Mongolian Falcon was other-worldly today.

[_ed_]

Willie Cazals?! The old man did it. That's a great training performance to bring him back from leg injuries that seemed to be career-ending.

[_ed_]

This weekend features three key preps for the Guineas races at Riccarton.

Firstly the Zacinto Stakes at Riccarton on Saturday:

# 6 ZACINTO STAKES
1600m, $70000, 3YO SW, 03:33 p.m.
1 4 HALL OF FAME 56.5 72
2 1 LEADING ROLE 56.5 63
3 2 STEPHENSTIHLS 56.5 55
4 6 COBBLERTOTHESTARS 56.5 53
5 3 STARVOIA (AUS) 54.5 68
6 5 ZIGWIG 54.5 63
7 7 AVE MARIA 54.5



Then the fillies at Ellerslie, also on Saturday:

# 7 DUNSTAN FEEDS SOLILOQUY STAKES
1400m, $50000, 3YOF SW, 03:58 p.m.
1 14 MYSTERY SHOW 56.5 72
2 16 IT'S TIME FOR MAGIC 56.5 71
3 11 HONEY RIDER 56.5 70
4 5 ASTARA 56.5 68
5 15 BELLA GIOIA 56.5 67
6 6 GOLD RUSH 56.5 67
7 1 GLASS SLIPPER 56.5 65
8 8 HELLO M'LADY 56.5 65
9 2 CHICANE 56.5 63
10 9 CORTADO 56.5 63
11 3 JOY ANNA 56.5 63
12 10 VEEARMA 56.5 63
13 7 SPINDLE 56.5 62
14 13 BABE 56.5 60
15 12 LEICA LADY 56.5 54
16 4 DOUBTLESS BAY 56.5


Finally, the biggest prep race of them all, at Te Rapa on Monday:

# 7 JAMES & ANNIE SARTEN MEMORIAL (G2)
1400m, $100000, 3YO SW, 04:15 p.m.
1 2 MONGOLIAN FALCON (AUS) 56.5 76
2 6 UGO FOSCOLO 56.5 73
3 15 WYNDSPELLE 56.5 72
4 5 XIONG FENG 56.5 72
5 3 BARCELO 56.5 71
6 11 ICHIBAN 56.5 68
7 8 MYSTERY SHOW 54.5 72
8 16 IT'S TIME FOR MAGIC 54.5 71
9 7 HONEY RIDER 54.5 70
10 10 ASTARA 54.5 68
11 14 BELLA GIOIA 54.5 67
12 13 GOLD RUSH 54.5 67
13 12 GLASS SLIPPER 54.5 65
14 4 ROYAL FASHION (AUS) 54.5 63
15 1 THISTLEDONICELY 54.5 62
16 9 BABE 54.5 60

[_ed_]

2000 Guineas day! One of the greatest races of the year.

# 5 YESBERG INSURANCE SERVICES PEGASUS STAKES
1000m, $50000, OPN HCP, 02:26 p.m.
1 10 KING MONTROSE 60.0 99
2 12 SIGNIFY 59.5 98
3 3 RED DIRT GIRL 57.0 97
4 11 COUP DARCI BE 56.0 91
5 9 KINAGAT (AUS) 55.5 90
6 1 CARAMAC 54.0 91
7 2 FIRST SERVE 53.5 90
8 7 REILLY LINCOLN 53.0 89
9 6 SUPER TROUPER 53.0 83
10 5 LADY ZAFIRA 53.0 82
11 13 BALLYBAY 53.0 77
12 8 MADAME JAMAI 53.0 77
13 4 NATURAL CASH (AUS) 53.0


# 7 SOTHYS 44TH NEW ZEALAND 2000 GUINEAS (G1)
1600m, $400000, 3YO SW, 03:41 p.m.
1 8 HEROIC VALOUR (AUS) 56.5 80
2 1 UGO FOSCOLO 56.5 78
3 4 MONGOLIAN FALCON (AUS) 56.5 77
4 3 HALL OF FAME 56.5 75
5 10 WYNDSPELLE 56.5 72
6 7 CHA SIU BAO (AUS) 56.5 69
7 6 SAVASAVA 56.5 69
8 11 JON SNOW 56.5 65
9 5 O'REILLY'S CHOICE 56.5 65
10 9 SAVILE ROW 56.5 65
11 2 COBBLERTOTHESTARS 56.5 53


# 9 GOLD CLUB METROPOLITAN TROPHY
2500m, $75000, OPN HCP, 05:01 p.m.
1 10 MAYGROVE (AUS) 60.0 99
2 12 NYMPH MONTE 56.0 91
3 8 KAHARAU (AUS) 54.5 88
4 7 SOUTHERN SAV 54.0 87
5 3 SUREASYOUWEREBORN 53.5 90
6 1 SAINT KITT 53.5 86
7 9 GENTIL TONTON (IRE) 53.0 85
8 2 BRAD THORN 53.0 80
9 5 PERFECT START 53.0 80
10 6 IMPERIUM 53.0 69
11 11 TESSASTOCK 53.0 68
12 4 VICTORYSHALLBEMINE 53.0 64


I really don't know who's going to win the Guineas. Mongolian Falcon was unbelievable in the Hawke's Bay Guineas, but Hall Of Fame has been pretty good in his last couple of races too.