Tuesday Trans-Tasman double for Ocean Park
Ocean Park‘s winners continue to roll in, and on Tuesday it was no different as the Waikato Stud-bred Tellum (ex Early Morning Rise), and the Patrick and Michelle Payne-trained Panda Alert provided their Cox Plate-winning sire with a Trans-Tasman double.
Trained at Te Awamutu by Debbie Sweeney, Tellum made it back-to-back wins from five starts when saluting by 3.5 lengths. The three-year-old filly was passed in by Waikato Stud at the 2024 NZB Karaka Yearling Sale.
Out of the Fastnet Rock mare Early Morning Rise has a two-year-old filly by Savabeel, named First Light, in the stable of Te Akau having been secured by David Ellis CNZM for $380,000 from Waikato Stud’s 2025 NZB Karaka draft. She is expecting a foal by Profondo this season.
Over in Australia, Panda Alert was an impressive winner on debut at Warrnambool for Patrick and Michelle Payne. The three-year-old gelding had had four trials before stepping out to the races, and that experience paid off when he saluted by 2.25 lengths.
Panda Alert was bred by Brendan and Jo Lindsay and sold for A$80,000 through the Cambridge Stud draft to John Foote Bloodstock (FBAA).
The Corner with Garry Chittick
I gave The Corner a miss last week. After all, how could I compete with the expose Mike Guerin published in the NZ Herald. Let’s be fair, I am sure the two of you who …
Read More
Friendships, fate and a first winner
Ocean Park filly Bridie delivered apprentice Tom Wingram his first career winner at New Plymouth today — a moment made possible by three decades of friendship and the racing gods aligning perfectly.
Read More