Rain no help for talented Rondinella
Rondinella has again acquitted herself exceptionally well in top company on a surface that didn’t do her any favours.
The Ocean Park mare got home strongly at Ellerslie this afternoon to run third in the Gr.1 New Zealand Stakes.
The heavily rain-affected track was far from suitable, but her class showed through ahead of a possible Australian campaign.
“I put it to the owners whether they wanted to run,” co-trainer Roger James said.
“I wasn’t that keen, but they pointed out we could strike a track like this in Sydney so we needed to know how she would go.”
Rondinella had also performed creditably when runner-up in the Listed Kaimai Stakes on a soft Matamata track at her previous start.
All four of the lightly-raced mare’s wins have come on top of the ground.
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.
Read More
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.
Read More