Shaune Ritchie is hoping an annual winter stopover in Ruakaka will pave the way for an elusive win in the Gr.1 Gavelhouse.com New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton in November.

A return to a soft track helped Kiwi mare Igraine (Galileo) score a consolation win in the $175,000 Listed Caloundra Cup (2400m) on Saturday.

With just one win required to match his best tally for a season and just five wins behind National Jockey’s Premiership leader Lisa Allpress, you could be forgiven for thinking Johnathan Parkes was plotting a huge month in July.

Progressive mare Hello It’s Me made her return to the racetrack a winning one when she took out the feature event at Ruakaka on Saturday, the Northpine Waipu Cup (1400m).

A copybook effort aboard local runner Poker Face paved the way for talented rider Alysha Collett to make her long-awaited reappearance in the winner’s enclosure following an injury-enforced break from the jockey ranks.

Local trainers Kenny Rae and his daughter Krystal Williams-Tuhoro made the best possible start to their day when they produced a winning double to open proceedings at Ruakaka on Saturday.

A patient ride from Aaron Kuru paved the way for local runner No Change to take out the feature hurdle race at Hastings on Saturday, the Te Whangai Romneys Hawke’s Bay Hurdle (3100m).

A thrilling front-running exhibition has seen local galloper Perry Mason cap a brilliant day for local trainers Paul Nelson and Corrina McDougal when taking out the AHD Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase (4800m) at Hastings on Saturday.

Trackside presenter and jockey agent Darryl Anderson will head to Hong Kong in the new season where he will take up the role as Senior Racing Advisor with The Racing Club, a subsidiary of the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

The Te Whangai Romneys Hawke’s Bay Hurdle (3100m) at Hastings on Saturday has attracted a strong line-up and local training partners Paul Nelson and Corrina McDougal are hoping they can breakthrough with two previous placegetters.

Terra Sancta returns to her favourite Australian track as she strives to end a run of outs at the Sunshine Coast.

Only Ken Duncan really knows just how tough Shamal is.

Group One winner Sacred Elixir returned to New Zealand from his former Hong Kong base on Wednesday morning and a scan has revealed positive signs that the injured son of Pour Moi will make a raceday return in his homeland.

Cambridge jumps jockey Mathew Gillies has been enjoying a great run of form in recent weeks.

Chris Luoni, the driving force behind the establishment of the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame, is stepping down as Chairman after serving seven years in the post but will continue as a director.

Vibrato shook off his rivals at Rotorua on Wednesday to score a comfortable victory in the At Cook Contraction 2YO (1230m).

Central Districts jockey Robert Hannam hasn’t let a delay to his New Zealand racing season hinder him from setting a record tally of stakes wins this term.

Exciting Wingatui jumper Jackfrost has arrived safely in Victoria to begin an assault on some of the major events.

Otaki trainers Johno Benner and Hollie Wynyard are hoping to ditch the bridesmaids tag with their consistent galloper Wyndspelle next season.

The Gr.1 Cox Plate (2040m) has been a long held ambition for connections of dual Group winner Te Akau Shark, but the Jamie Richards-trained runner is being set for another Group One target before he heads to Melbourne.

Owner-trainer Taylor Burnett’s gavelhouse.com purchase Gifted has proved just that with the $2,500 mare recording her second win since her move South while taking her earnings since being bought in May 2018 to $30,000.

You can’t blame Cambridge dairy farmer Allan Hayward for his heartfelt emotion when discussing his aptly named warhorse Battle Time’s return to top form.

Group One performed juvenile Aalaalune has given Matamata trainer Jacob McKay plenty of excitement this season and he believes she can go on to better things in her Classic year.

Te Aroha racecourse has become a happy stomping ground for trainer Samantha Logan.

Balcairn trainers John and Karen Parsons stretched their memories back 30 years when Pippi Rea extended his winning streak to five at Riccarton on Saturday.

Rangiora trainer Nick Wigley was holding his breath just moments before the start of Saturday’s two-year-old contest at Riccarton as smart filly Intimidate put on a petulant display behind the starting gates.

Former New Zealand Cup winner Gobstopper revealed a new string to his bow when he made a successful debut over fences at Te Aroha on Sunday.

Under-rated mare Lil Miss Swiss produced a devastating late burst to snatch victory in Saturday’s feature flat race at Riccarton, the Greenwood Amberley Cup (1600m).

Class performer Sleeping Beauty underlined her credentials on the deep winter tracks when she out-toughed her female rivals to take out the Listed Ultimate Ford and Mazda Tauranga Classic (1400m) under weight-for-age conditions at Tauranga on Saturday.

A gutsy front-running effort saw tough as teak gelding Valante defy his rivals to run him down in the Orora Kiwi Packaging Kiwifruit Cup (2100m) at Tauranga.

Cambridge Trainer Tony Pike is hopeful the good times can continue to roll when he saddles Cyber Attack in the Stella Artois 3YO Plate (1400m) at Eagle Farm, in Brisbane, on Saturday.

Te Akau apprentice Chelsea Burdan continued her good strike rate with stable runners when riding English Rose to victory in the Sunrans Spa Rating (2100m) at Otaki on Friday.

The Tony and Lyn Prendergast-trained Who Dares Wins will be in search of his fourth successive victory on Saturday when he contests the Greenwood Amberley Cup (1600m) at Riccarton, for which he has been installed a $3.80 fixed odds favourite by TAB bookmakers.

In a coup for the King family’s Brighthill Farm, Group One performed son of Frankel, Eminent, will retire to their Tauwhare property for the forthcoming breeding season, where he will stand for a fee of $8,000+GST.

“The revitalisation of this industry is underway,” says Racing Minister Winston Peters as the Racing Reform Bill passed its third and final reading in Parliament today.

The Nigel Tiley-trained Riodini kicked-off his raceday career in perfect style at Counties on Thursday, winning the NZB Insurance Pearl Series Race (1200m).

The Keith Opie-trained Ticket to Ride secured her fourth career victory at Counties on Thursday when taking out the Lone Star Pukekohe 1600.

Never-say-die Bullbars mare Te Toro Pearl has Cambridge trainer Jon Miller daring to dream big ahead of Saturday's Listed Ultimate Ford And Mazda Tauranga Classic (1400m).

The Racing Reform Bill has now entered its third reading in parliament and is, in the main, receiving cross-party support. 

Taranaki Racing Inc. today announced that the second running of the $101,000 ITM Winter Challenge may not be run as programmed on Saturday 24 August.

Kelvin Tyler is hoping to spoil the favourites' party in Saturday's Greenwood Amberley Cup (1600m), suggesting his pair The Bumper and Lil Miss Swiss are in prime order to cause an upset in the Riccarton feature.

Connections of talented three-year-old stayer Bobby Dee are looking to Randwick on Saturday as plan B after the gelding was stranded on the ballot for both the Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m) and Gr.2 Brisbane Cup (2400m).

Octogenerian horseman Tony Prendergast, who trains in partnership with his wife Lyn, saddled five-year-old gelding Trudeau to win at Oamaru on Wednesday, with the son of Pins relishing the Good3 surface that was presented.

Jack Tims, best remembered as the owner-trainer of the top stayer Senator, has passed away.

Promising Waikato apprentice Taiki Yanagida will return to raceday riding at Counties on Thursday after being on the sidelines for a couple of months after a trackwork incident.

High Chaparral’s dual Group One winning son, Ace High, has been retired to Rich Hill Stud, near Matamata, where he will stand for a fee of $10,000+GST for the forthcoming breeding season.

The direction of Tommyra’s winter campaign will hinge on his performance at Hastings late this month.

A gradual approach is being taken in a bid to get stayer Chocante back to racing in the late spring.

Three-time Group Two winning son of Zabeel, Ocean Emperor, has been retired to Gary and Jenny Hennessy’s Weowna Park ahead of the forthcoming breeding season, where he will stand for a fee of $7,000+GST.

Wet track specialist Rosewood added a tenth victory to her record at Awapuni on Saturday and if conditions suit she will back up in this weekend’s Listed The Ultimate Ford and Mazda Tauranga Classic (1400m).

Talented jumps jockey Mathew Gillies was able to put his self-described Awapuni hoodoo to rest on Saturday when he rode home a winning double at his former home track.

Watching the familiar colours being carried to victory by Who Can Tell at Awapuni last Saturday was a reminder of the once powerhouse of jumps racing in New Zealand.

Crown Prosecutor will spearhead a squad being sent north by Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh to be temporarily based at Ruakaka.

Trainer Chris Wood is hopeful he may have unearthed a leading prospect for the deep winter tracks over the next few months after Mr Incredibull broke his maiden status at Te Awamutu on Sunday.

Evergreen stayer Sampson confirmed his place in the Gr.3 Tattersall’s Cup (3000m) at Eagle Farm this coming weekend with a fighting run for second in the Listed Ipswich Cup (2150m) on Saturday.

The local training partnership of Chris Gibbs and Michelle Bradley were back to doing what they do best on their home patch at Ruakaka on Saturday - producing winners.

Central Districts raider Lucyinrio produced a gritty effort at Ruakaka on Saturday to take out the main race of the day, the Trigg Construction sponsored open 1200m.

Former top-class flat performer Gallante demonstrated his undoubted jumping ability when he ploughed through the Awapuni mud to capture the Manawatu ITM Awapuni Hurdles (2900m) on Saturday.

An inch-perfect ride from Ryan Elliot has seen progressive galloper Hanger return to the winner’s enclosure when successful over 1400m at Ruakaka.

Former Te Akau runner Torcedor is being set to tackle the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) later this year.

Wet track specialist Rosewood will get her favoured heavy 11 surface on Saturday when she lines-up in the Redstag Open Handicap (1500m) at Awapuni, and trainer Marilyn Paewai is hoping she can go one better than last start.

Howie Mathews has Sampson in first-class order for Saturday's Listed Ipswich Cup (2150m) but the Otaki trainer has his eye on an even bigger prize seven days later.

Minister for Racing Winston Peters announced today that the Government has invested $389,351 in 17 projects to improve safety at racecourses.

Rondinella is set to kick off her spring campaign in the Gr.1 $A1 million New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on September 1, Cambridge trainer Robert Wellwood has revealed.

Tony Pike's two winter Group One performers are heading home but he still plans to have a hand in the rest of the Queensland carnival.

Canterbury jockey Krishna Mudhoo kicked off his senior riding career in style at Waimate on Sunday, securing his 100th win when riding home Red Rose Warrior for trainer Neill Ridley.

Kingsclere Stables will traverse the Tasman on Saturday as Hypnos continues his campaign in Melbourne, while Killarney, Hanger and newcomer Even Chance compete at Ruakaka.

The New Zealand Government has given approval for horses that have been in Conghua to be exported from Hong Kong to New Zealand on the same basis as other horses in the Hong Kong population. The new arrangement is effective immediately.

Saturday’s Awapuni racemeeting marks 12 months since jumps jockey Aaron Kuru and steeplechaser Des De Jeu became the talk of the racing world and the duo will be reunited when they contest the L J Hooker Manawatu Steeplechase (4200m).

Group Two winner Seventh Up will make his raceday return on Saturday when he contests the Trigg Construction (1200m) at Ruakaka.

Matamata trainer Lance O’Sullivan has a small winter team in work but is hoping classy mare Sleeping Beauty can add to her black-type portfolio over the coming months, with the potential to target a Group One early in the new season.

Group Two-winning mare Sensible Princess will contest the Listed The Ultimate Ford and Mazda Tauranga Classic (1400m) later this month after pleasing her connections with her first-up placing at Trentham last month.

As the current thoroughbred racing season draws to a close, a question posed by many industry pundits just over 12 months ago has been answered in emphatic fashion.

The new training partnership of Paul Nelson and Corrina McDougal secured their first win at Trentham on Saturday when No Tip was victorious in the Gazley Mercedes Benz Hurdle (2500m).

Des Coppins catches up with Brendon Hawtin after he trained Simply Optimistic to win at Randwick on Saturday

A decision by the owners of Enzo’s Lad has enabled Michael Pitman to experience a lifelong dream in England.

Marton galloper Italian Lover continued her consistent run of form at Te Rapa on Saturday when winning the Become A Waikato Racing Club Member 2200.

Top gallopers Supera and Princess Kereru are due back in work next month, but already a decision has been made to bypass the first major events for the new season with the pair.

New Zealand trainers are noted for bringing stayers across the Tasman with success but their sprinters don't rate as highly.

Talented jumper Bad Boy Brown booked a place in next month’s Wellington Hurdle (3400m) at Trentham when he outstayed his open-class rivals in Saturday’s feature hurdle contest at the venue.

Cambridge-based trainer Brendon Hawtin achieved one of his career goals when lightly raced four-year-old Simply Optimistic scored a decisive victory over 1200m at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

Consistent middle-distance performer Dr Watson sprang a major surprise when he upset the open-class sprinters over 1200m on a testing Heavy11 surface at Trentham on Saturday.

Class galloper Sultan of Swing returned to winning form with a vengeance when he dealt to his open-class rivals over 1600m at Te Rapa.

Impeccably bred youngster Birdsong made a winning debut for the Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman stable when she led all the way over 1200m in the opening event at Te Rapa.

Promising apprentice jockey Hazel Schofer had a day to remember at New Plymouth on Thursday, riding home three winners on her home track.

John Bell was missing from the New Zealand training ranks for 13 years, but he’s certainly making up for it.

Promising juvenile filly Flaunting became Hamilton trainer David Greene’s fourth stakes winner when she took out the Listed Castletown Stakes (1200m) at Wanganui on Saturday.

Talented jockey Alysha Collett has been presented with a major incentive to resume her riding career after eight months on the sideline.

The Toby Autridge-trained Tommyra produced an impeccable display of hurdling to take out the first of the day’s prestige jumping features at Ellerslie, the KS Browne Hurdle (3350m).

The familiar combination of trainer Raymond Connors and jockey Isaac Lupton combined once again to take out a feature jumping event at Ellerslie when Max stormed to victory in the McGregor Grant Steeplechase (4150m).

Exciting prospect Shoshone delivered the first win for her sire, the Waikato Stud-based Sacred Falls, in fine fashion when she led all the way over 1200m at Ellerslie on Monday.

It was business as usual for perennial champion trainer Aidan O'Brien as Anthony Van Dyck gave him a record-equalling seventh victory in the Gr.1 Investec Derby (2400m) at Epsom on Saturday.

The Heavy10 track conditions on offer at Ellerslie on Saturday were made to measure for promising winter galloper Elle Aye Are who registered her fourth career win when successful over 1600m in rating 82 company.

Hastings-based galloper Hunta Pence signed off his latest campaign on a winning note when he slogged through the Wanganui mud to capture the Steelform Roofing Group Foxton Cup (2040m) at Wanganui on Saturday.

Tough as teak Dolcetto shrugged off his bridesmaid tag as he prevailed in a thrilling four-way finish to the second of the feature events at Wanganui on Saturday, the Listed Ag Challenge Stakes (1600m).

Useful three-year-old Annie Okay returned to her best form when she downed her age-group rivals over 1400m at Ellerslie on Saturday.

Te Rapa visitor Flaunting coped best with the testing Heavy11 track conditions prevalent at Wanganui on Saturday as she slogged through the mud to take out the Listed John Turkington Forestry Ltd. Castletown Stakes (1200m).

A return to a soft track helped Kiwi mare Igraine (Galileo) score a consolation win in the $175,000 Listed Caloundra Cup (2400m) on Saturday.