Etoile Filante Avondale Cup bound

1 February 2014

WS graduate Etoile Filante returned an ideal dress rehearsal for an upcoming Group Two test when she posted the fifth win of her 11-start career at Te Rapa today. The Pins four-year-old’s victory in the Haliton Cup in her open class debut has confirmed plans to shoot for a higher prize at Ellerslie on February 15.

“This was a lead-up to the Avondale Cup and that’s always been the plan and we’ll see what happens after that,” co-trainer Peter Williams said. “I don’t think she’s a real two mile (3200m) horse at the moment – she might be later on and I don’t want to over-tax her too much.”

Etoile Filante was bred by WS with David Williams, who races the daughter of the Zabeel mare Etoile Du Nord. The Matamata stud sold her O’Reilly colt for $75,000 during last week’s Premier Sale at Karaka and two years previously a brother realised $160,000.

Sulek and Savvysuper give Seth a Trans-Tasman double

Super Seth’s momentum continues, siring a midweek double across New Zealand and Australia. Savvysuper broke through at Tauranga, while $420,000 Ready to Run Sale graduate Sulek showcased his turn of foot at Sandown, confirming the stallion’s growing influence.

1 October 2025

The Corner with Garry Chittick

It’s always difficult to reinvent the wheel. Last week’s Corner, I took the easy way and republished the Racing NSW publication of their view of the ATC. Around the edges, there will be differences, but on a smaller scale, we have parallel issues.