Trainer raising the bar for talented filly

16 February 2015

Ron Gussey is considering a Group Three test for his smart filly Midnight Mistress during the upcoming Auckland Cup carnival. The Avondale trainer’s confidence was boosted at Ellerslie this afternoon when his three-year-old went back to back with a strong winning performance in the Rating 65 sprint.

WS graduate Midnight Mistress beat a subsequent winner in Fully Funded on her home track last month and she has handled another rise in class with ease. She ran out the 1200 metres powerfully, prompting connections to eye the Westbury Stud Classic (1400m) on March 4.

“She’ll have one more run and then a spell – the further she goes the better she will be,” Gussey said. By Savabeel, she is out of the Listed Castletown Stakes winner Vera Pro Gratis, a daughter of the dual Gr 3 Cornwall Handicap and Rotorua Cup winner Nat The Brat.

Dicko’s Dance delivers Banquo’s seventh Wwinner

Banquo’s three-year-old gelding Dicko’s Dance won Race 3 over 1400m at Tauranga on Wednesday, outlasting Whistlejacket in a stirring duel for trainers Darryn and Briar Weatherly. He is Banquo’s seventh individual winner from 16 runners, including Group winner Justin Case.

12 October 2026

Group 1-placed Ardrossan filly heads to Guineas

Ardrossan’s talented daughter De Armas (NZ) is set to tackle the Group 1 Thousand Guineas, with trainer Chris Waller happy with the filly heading into the classic.