Pinzaara strikes at Ellerslie again

6 March 2014

Pinzaara’s Ellerslie fortunes took a deserved turn for the better yesterday when she downed the Rating 85 sprinters on the Auckland Cup undercard. The Pins five-year-old is rarely far from the action and she finished too well for her rivals for the fourth win of her career.

“There’s not much of her, but she always tries hard and she was quite unlucky here last time when she couldn’t get a run,” trainer Stephen McKee said.

Pinzaara is raced by the Auckland Racing Club Winners’ Circle Syndicate and, appropriately, she has fashioned a good record on the course with three wins and nine placings. “She jumped well and kicked nicely on the corner – she loves it here,” successful rider Sam Spratt said.

Bred by Garry Chittick, Pinzaara is out of the Danasinga mare Barzar Babe, who is a half-sister to the multiple Australian Group Three winner Skybeau. It’s also the family of the Gr 1 Turnbull Stakes winner Devil Moon.

Pure Alpha delivers again as Ardrossan continues to rise

Ardrossan gelding Pure Alpha led throughout to win by 1.29 lengths at Eagle Farm for owner Ozzie Kheir, taking his earnings past $300,000. The result caps a stellar run for sire Ardrossan, whose yearlings fetched up to $450,000 this year on strong Hong Kong form.

28 August 2026

The Corner with Garry Chittick

It is difficult to maintain momentum when sitting in judgment of racing’s governance. After all, I get no pleasure in searching for non-credible decisions, but one is perpetually bewildered by the rationale behind many of the positions that make little sense.