Smart filly on stakes trail

 The well-named Sports Illustrated showed her style on the big stage at Te Rapa on Saturday when she won on the Group One undercard. The Garry Chittick-bred and raced filly gave ample evidence she was a black type filly in waiting with a powerful performance to claim her second victory in four career starts.

“She’s a big, rangy horse for a three-year-old and we might look at something like the Breeders’ Stakes at Te Aroha and give her a race or two beforehand,” said Andrew Forsman, who prepares her at Cambridge with Murray Baker.

A daughter of Fast ‘n’ Famous and the Pins mare Pin Up, Sports Illustrated was a winner at her New Plymouth debut and was unplaced before she finished third at Ellerslie after a wide trip. She was dropped back in the field today by Mark Du Plessis and came with a sustained finish from last at the 600 metre mark to win with authority.

Recent News
9 October 2026

The Corner with Garry Chittick

My wife views my daily activities, never a week passes without “why are you in such a hurry?”. Well, I respond, I have used a great deal more time than I now have available. I believe the message, race a horse whilst you can remember the jockey’s name should be implanted as an enjoyable addition to our bucket list.

Read More
8 October 2026

It’s An Ardy Party In Hong Kong With Two Wednesday Winners

With eight winners from 13 runners overall in Hong Kong, Ardrossan has started off particularly strong in the new season with three winners from just six runners headed by a double on Wednesday.

Read More