All the latest racing news from New Zealand.
Orion to join Moody stable
Promising O’Reilly three-year-old Orion is heading back to familiar territory to further his career.
The winner of one of his 10 starts, he will do his future racing out of the Caulfield stable of Peter Moody.
Orion has won one of his 10 starts from the Cambridge yard of Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman and was placed for them last year during a four-start Melbourne campaign.
Meanwhile, their multiple Group winner Diademe is still in the spelling paddock after missing the autumn due to injury.
Successful in last year’s Gr.2 Cal Isuzu Stakes at Te Rapa, she went amiss following a third placing behind Viadana in the Gr.1 NRM Sprint at Te Rapa.
“She’s a very good mare and she’ll be back in another month and a-half,” Baker said.
Cox Plate plan for Norzita
Dual Group One winner Norzita is progressing well towards her comeback after missing most of the season with a tendon injury.
The New Zealand-bred four-year-old has returned to the paddock for two weeks after spending three weeks working at Bart and James Cummings’ Randwick stable.
The winner of the Flight Stakes and Vinery Stud Stakes, Norzita was being prepared for a Cox Plate campaign when she suffered the injury at trackwork last September.
Duncan Ramage, racing manager for owner Dato Tan Chin Nam, said the Monee Valley feature was again a target.
“She could have gone to stud this year, but both Dato Tan and Bart decided they want to keep racing her,” Ramage said.
“The Cox Plate is a target but we will see how she comes along in her first couple of runs. Depending on how they go, the Myer Classic over 1600 metres is also there for her.
“She spent three weeks at the Randwick stable and is having another couple of weeks back at the farm.”
Ramage said track conditions would determine whether Norzita began her campaign in Sydney or Melbourne.
Meanwhile, hardy stayer Precedence, who also races in Dato Tan’s colours, will go for a spell after his seventh in Saturday’s Brisbane Cup.
Enticing stakes on offer at New Plymouth
Connections of intermediate grade horses will benefit from Taranaki Thoroughbred Racing’s latest move.
They have announced an ‘End of Winter Championship’ meeting at Pukekura Raceway on August 23 with minimum stakes of $20,000. The feature event will be the $50,000 ITM Interprovincial with a $25,000 consolation and two special condition $25,000 races over 1400 and 1800 metres open to maiden horses at June 1, 2014.
“It’s great with New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing’s support to be able to put on good stakes for winter horses who have lost out in recent years on a number of premier opportunities,” chief executive Carey Hobbs said.
“The goal is to have this event elevated to premier in 2015-16, but the first step is to make the inaugural End of Winter Championship a success which we can build on.”
Cambridge trainer fined
Ralph Manning has been fined $6000 following his outburst during a Trackside interview.
The Cambridge trainer appeared at a Judicial Control Authority hearing at Te Rapa on Saturday in relation to remarks he had made at Ellerslie on May 24 about the handicapping of his horse Civics Rock.
Manning subsequently issued an apology to NZ Thoroughbred Racing handicapper Brett Scelly.
