Owner Johnson Chen has unexpectedly pulled the plug on a trip to Dubai for the NZ bred and reigning Hong Kong Horse of the Year Werther.

Permission has been granted for Freelance Jockey Derek Leung to be absent from Hong Kong in order to partner Cha Siu Bao in the Gr.1 Vodafone NZ Derby at Ellerslie on Saturday.

Champion trainer Gai Waterhouse expects big things from a stable addition that starts his autumn campaign on Saturday in the Group I Canterbury Stakes (1300m) at Randwick.

Cambridge trainer Mark Brooks announced this week he plans to relocate to Ballarat towards the end of the season.

Hugh Bowman has been confirmed as the rider for top Kiwi filly La Bella Diosa in her next Sydney assignment.

Having previously battled to gain rides on top class-horses Central Districts hoop Masa Tanaka now finds himself with live chances in both the Gr.1 Vodafone New Zealand Derby and the Gr.1 Wellfield New Zealand Oaks.

Melbourne-based Kiwi Michael Dee will head home to ride the last-start winner Rising Red in Saturday's Group I New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie.

New Zealand bred and Hong Kong’s reigning Horse of the Year Werther maintained his perfect record over the Sha Tin 2000m with a gutsy win in Sunday’s Gr.1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup

In-form mare Let Her Rip has black type targets ahead of her.

Roger James isn’t about to rush into immediate plans for Von Tunzelman despite an impressive win at Matamata last Saturday.

Trainer Karen Zimmerman notched up an important milestone on her last day operating from her current Otaki base when rank outsider Maximillien upset the applecart in the Riverstone Café Maiden (1600m) on Saturday.

A gritty win against her mainly older rivals in the Dominion Post sponsored New Zealand St Leger Trial (2100m) has set talented three-year-old filly Shared Secrets up for a tilt at a Group One title next month.

The kiwis were to the fore with La Bella Diosa taking theraces.com.au Surround Stakes at Randwick on Saturday.

Te Akau Racing's bid for major two-year-old honours was strengthened on Saturday when Gold Fever kept it in the family with a sterling effort to claim the Gr.2 Matamata Breeders' Stakes.

Kawi bagged his sixth Group One title on Saturday when he trumped the in-form Start Wondering at Otaki.

Precocious colt Summer Passage has strengthened his case for an autumn trip across the Tasman with an impressive home track triumph to open his black type account.

New Zealand trainer Murray Baker has given Turn Me Loose the thumbs up after arriving in Melbourne to oversee the horse's final preparations for his bid at back-to-back Futurity Stakes wins at Caulfield.

Karen Zimmerman admits she'll likely shed a tear or two at the office on Saturday.

It's full steam ahead for two of Tony Pike's leading Group One prospects for Auckland Cup week.

Stephen McKee will worry about Consensus' future programme after her next appearance at Ellerslie.

La Bella Diosa's efforts on the racetrack demanded she come to Australia for the autumn but the reason she is here for Saturday's Surround Stakes has as much to do with things off the track in New Zealand.

Trainer Trent Busuttin admits pitting Tavago against Winx at Randwick is not an ideal starting point to the gelding's Sydney Cup campaign.

With last week's dry run out of the way, exciting Tony Pike-trained two-year-old Aim Smart looks poised to continue his successful march towards Group One juvenile spoils.

Princess Rihanna will anchor a three-pronged attack on Saturday's Gr.2 J Swap Contractors Matamata Breeders' Stakes (1200m) for trainers Lance O'Sullivan and Andrew Scott, whose Wexford Stables has a second-to-none record in the race.

Johnathan Parkes takes a quality rather than quantity approach to his riding.

Turn Me Loose's fitness levels have gone up in the last fortnight and co-trainer Murray Baker is optimistic that his multiple Group One winner has now hit his winning weight.

Three-year-old stayer Rising Red has booked a ticket to his homeland following a tenacious victory at Sandown.

Mystery Show’s owner and co-breeder Ian Farrelly wasn’t able to be on course for his filly’s win at the Avondale meeting, but there should be plenty more opportunities to cheer her to victory.

A start in the Gr. 1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes is being considered for last Saturday’s Taranaki Cup winner Our King Sway.

Although crack sprinter Terravista doesn’t carry the NZ suffix he is a genuine Kiwi product from a mare now revered as one of New Zealand’s finest producers.

Bryce Heys discusses the run of Spieth in the Lightning Stakes and plans for the future

Danielle Hirini is bullish about furthering her record with Kevin Myers at Thursday's Wairoa meeting.

Shaune Ritchie hopes a gear change will give Devise an added edge in Thursday week's Gr.3 Little Avondale Lowland Stakes at Hastings.

Stephen Marsh will set Sofia Rosa's autumn programme in stone after she runs at Otaki on Saturday.

What's The Story continues to please during his recovery from a tendon injury.

Mystery Show is in good order for her return on Wednesday at Avondale where she makes her first appearance from Stephen Marsh's stable.

Summer Passage is in fine order for his home track rematch with Aim Smart in Saturday's Listed Reid & Harrison Slipper.

Promising filly Shared Secrets will head to Otaki on Saturday ahead of a Group One challenge.

Stephen McKee's talented two-year-old pair of Hasahalo and Star Treasure are both making good strides toward their first Group One challenge.

Talented mare Capella won't race again this season.

The $1 million Vodafone New Zealand Derby remains firmly on the agenda of Sacred Elixir despite his lack-lustre performance in Saturday’s Avondale Guineas.

Ugo Foscolo took effortless strides toward his return to serious competition on Monday morning with a runaway trial win at Warwick Farm.

Although crack sprinter Terravista doesn’t carry the NZ suffix he is a genuine Kiwi product from a mare now revered as one of New Zealand’s finest producers.

Rising Red can earn himself a trip across the Tasman with a bold showing in Melbourne on Wednesday.

Wyndspelle is a confirmed Gr.1 New Zealand Derby starter while an offshore classic is on the agenda for the colt's stablemate Tavidream.

The Volkstok'n'barrell camp will look at all options for their star galloper after his next appearance.

A decision will be made on the immediate future of the quality mare Perfect Fit in the coming days.

Nominations for the Group One Futurity Stakes at Caulfield have been extended after only seven entries were taken for the weight-for-age race.

High-class galloper Scapolo went back-to-back in today’s $30,000 Lindauer Poverty Bay Cup at Makaraka, carrying an enormous weight to victory in the Rating 85 contest for the second year in a row.

Auckland Racing Club officials have called in the police to deal with an incident that took place at Ellerslie this afternoon when a section of running rail was flattened shortly before the last race was due to be run.

Gingernuts came from nowhere for a stunning victory in today’s Gr. 2 Retina Specialists Avondale Guineas at Ellerslie, setting up a last-minute swoop into the Vodafone New Zealand Derby.

Omens were the order of the day as Glenn Old saddled up Our King Sway for the Gr. 3 Platinum Homes Taranaki Cup at New Plymouth today.

Veteran stayer El Soldado has done it again, repeating his 2016 Auckland Cup heroics with a determined front-running win in the Gr. 2 Go Racing Syndications Avondale Cup at Ellerslie this afternoon.

The connections of promising three-year-old Excalibur face a nervous wait over the next 10 days to find out if they have secured a start in the $1 million Gr. 1 Vodafone New Zealand Derby at Ellerslie on March 4.

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing has announced an increase in minimum stakes to $10,000 from March 1.

Group One two-year-old features in Australia could beckon exciting Cambridge youngster Aim Smart.

Comeback jockey Jason Waddell is excited about his upcoming Group One prospects with the Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman-trained Camino Rocoso.

Murray Baker was quick to give a quartet of his smart performers the thumbs up after they clashed in an open trial on their home track today.

Pukekohe trainer Nigel Tiley has set three of his stable stars for Ellerslie over the coming weeks, headed by the up-and-coming middle distance specialist Megablast.

Jason Collett will partner La Diosa in her Australian debut, but riding engagements for the remainder of the top filly’s autumn campaign have yet to be confirmed.

The Gr.2 Matamata Breeders' Stakes is the next target for impressive debut winner Florence Jean.

Leading filly Volpe Veloce has gone to the paddock for a well-deserved break.

New Zealand’s champion sprinter will step up to a mile next time out.

High salaries being paid to key management personnel and senior staff of the New Zealand Racing Board during testing economic times and an apparent inability to maximise profits are matters of much concern

Te Akau Racing have another major two-year-old title in their sights following Gold Fever’s dominant winning performance at Te Rapa.

Star Kiwi galloper Turn Me Loose has come up one length short of winning another Group I in Australia.

Murray Baker knew the only way to try and end the winning streak of Volpe Veloce at Te Rapa today was to ensure the Gr.2 Sir Tristram Fillies’ Classic was run at a genuine clip.

A potential five-pronged attack on the $1million Vodafone New Zealand Derby is still on the cards for the powerful Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman stable after yesterday’s Te Rapa meeting.

Vinnie Colgan and Volkstok’n’barrell returned to their winning ways at Te Rapa to add another prestigious victory to their records.

Johnathan Parkes brushed aside an earlier disappointment at Te Rapa to celebrate another Group One victory aboard the star sprinter Start Wondering.

Andrew Forsman was quick to pass on the credit to others after Love Affair debuted impressively at Te Aroha yesterday.

Impressive Te Aroha debutante Ujjayyi may have earned herself an early introduction to black-type competition.

A fitter Devise will be out to turn the tables on Nicoletta in the Gr.2 Cambridge Stud Sir Tristram Fillies Classic at Te Rapa on Saturday, but there is still one major stumbling block facing the Cambridge filly.

Sacred Elixir won’t be taking on the older horses in Saturday’s Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes.

Ronchi performed well in his Te Rapa dress rehearsal ahead of a step up to the main stage in Hamilton on Saturday.

Class was the dominant factor at Tauherenikau today when Charmont’s frustrating search for a black-type victory came to a successful conclusion.

Michael Walker will head home to New Zealand to ride Kawi in the Group One NRM Sprint at Te Rapa.

An inside gate was all that was needed for Wyndspelle to show that he is a match for the best of his age group.

The Anderton clan celebrated a near perfect result in their home town feature on Saturday.

The pre-race confidence of the connections of La Nouvelle Vague wasn’t misplaced at Wingatui where he took a major jump in class on Saturday in his stride.

Popular Cambridge horseman Frank Ritchie received an early anniversary present on Saturday when Miss Dalghar landed her second win from just three starts in the NZB Insurance Pearl Series sponsored rating 65 1400 metre event.

Lightly raced stayer Hushed indicated he was progressing nicely towards his main summer mission with a comfortable victory in the SVS Hamilton Cup (2000m) at Te Rapa on Saturday.

Popular Cambridge horseman Frank Ritchie received an early 50^th anniversary present at Te Rapa yesterday when Miss Dalghar again gave a glimpse of her talent with a sound win.

Residential crowned a big week for Waikato Stud when she trumped her stablemate in the Listed Dunedin Guineas at Wingatui.

The Cambridge training partnership still have five horses in contention for the Gr.1 Vodafone New Zealand Derby at Ellerslie on March 4.

Cambridge trainer Tony Pike is making plans for a double two-year-old play for Group One honours.

The Brendon Hawtin-trained Padraig has been sent for a break following his fast-finishing sixth placing in the Karaka Million.

A clear drop in domestic spend has had a significant impact on this year’s New Zealand Bloodstock Select Sale and was the difference between matching last year’s healthy results.

The Waikato Guineas has been a kind race to Kay Lane in the past and she is again heading north this weekend with high expectations.

New Zealand 1000 Guineas winner La Diosa is ready to head to Sydney after a trial hitout earlier this week.