O’Reilly mare claims Pukekohe feature

24 November 2013

O’Reilly mare Annie Higgins look set to bring further stakes honours to her champion sire in the coming months. The Lance Noble-trained six-year-old came with a powerful late burst to win today’s Gr.3 Counties Cup with the promise of more to come.

Annie Higgins was making the third start of her current campaign and off the back of her narrow victory at Pukekohe she will next defend her Gr.3 Waikato Gold Cup title. ““She needed every bit of the 2100 metres today so it’s onwards and upwards now to the 2400 metres of the Waikato Cup.”

Ridden by regular partner Leith Innes, Annie Higgins took time to wind up in the straight and arrived late to snatch a narrow victory. “That was heart in the mouth stuff, but Leith (Innes) timed it to perfection,” Noble said. “She’s a really tough and honest mare and gives 100 per cent every time.”

The Corner with Garry Chittick

It would appear I now have to continue my weekly Corner with the amount of rumblings at the start of our new racing season. I have been around long enough to know we can never please all; my tenure as Chairman of the Racing Board was subjected to as much vitriol as subsequent Boards have had to bear, so what’s different this time, or is it different.

5 August 2026

First foal for Waikato’s Group 1 winner Skew Wiff

Group 1-winning Savabeel mare Skew Wiff (ex Starvoia), known affectionately as ‘Wiffy’, foaled a filly by Super Seth in the early hours of Wednesday, 5 August.