Best yet to come from Group One filly

17 November 2013

Courageous filly Spellbinder became O’Reilly’s latest Group One performer when she finished third in today’s NZ Bloodstock 1000 Guineas. She sat outside the leader to the turn before being left in front and stuck grimly to her task down the long Riccarton straight.

Trainer Jason Bridgman, who also saddled the winner Costa Viva, was proud of Spellbinder’s performance and said the best was yet to come from the filly. “She was very game and she showed a lot of heart on a track that was a bit too good for her. When you see her up to 2000 metres at Ellerslie at Christmas time she’ll be a special filly.”

Spellbinder was unbeaten in her first two starts, including a Listed victory in the Soliloquy Stakes by a wide margin. She had rounded off her Guineas preparation with a runner-up finish in the Gr 3 Sarten Memorial at Te Rapa.

Porcia Catonis powers home as Super Seth’s rise continues

Super Seth’s strong run continues with Porcia Catonis, who delivered a dominant win at Riccarton for Fortuna Racing. The lightly raced filly is now a two-time winner and adds to a stellar season for her sire, who boasts three Group 1 winners and a 4.34% G1 winners-to-runners strike rate.

28 May 2025

Gutsy bebut win for Ardrossan’s Macallan

Ardrossan’s son Macallan impressed on debut in Thursday’s opener at Tauranga, overcoming Heavy10 conditions to win the Tierra Maiden 3YO (1200m) by 1.3 lengths. Trained by Wexford Stables and racing for JML Bloodstock, the gelding showed toughness and class to finish strongly before the meeting was abandoned due to weather.