Iffraaj - New Winner

Grail Seeker has added two Group One victories to her record this season and she will attempt to make it a third when she heads to Randwick on Saturday to tackle the All Aged Stakes (1400m).

Matt Cartwright announced his arrival among the top echelon of New Zealand’s jockeys with a stunning treble on the opening day of the Hawke’s Bay Spring Carnival at Hastings on Saturday, culminating in a giant-killing Group One win with Grail Seeker in the Tarzino Trophy (1400m).

A half-sister by Hello Youmzain (Fr) to dual Group I winner Mustang Valley, exciting filly Cream Tart is set to line up in one of the major three-year-old races over New Zealand Cup Week following her impressive win in Sunday’s Upper Hutt Car Sales LTD Three-Year-Old (1400m) at Trentham.

Transatlantic’s lucrative spring carnival continued at Randwick with an arrogant victory in the $1m Five Diamonds Prelude.

Some horses arrive in Hong Kong with a very different back story - Fresh from winning the $20million The Everest with Ka Ying Rising, David Hayes was back in the winner’s list at Sha Tin on Sunday when Tomodachi Kokoroe won the Group II Premier Bowl (1200m).

Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott have their sights set on the opening Group One of the season with a pair of talented mares, both of which appeared at the Taupo trials on Monday.

Australian hoop Kyle Wilson-Taylor has made his first visit to New Zealand a memorable one by guiding promising filly Grail Seeker to a hollow victory in the Gr.2 Life Direct Wellington Guineas (1400m) at Trentham.

It’s been quite the weekend for the late great champion sire Fastnet Rock with a Cox Plate quinella on Saturday and then on Sunday he produced a new stakes-winner when seven year-old gelding El Rocko captured the $200,000 Listed Sale Cup (1600m).

Kim Reid bypassed a Group One in favour of Sunday’s Gr.3 Gee and Hickton Funeral Directors Thompson Handicap (1600m) at Trentham with Hi Yo Sass Bomb, a decision that paid dividends when the mare led from the outset to claim her third stakes success.

Last year’s Gr.2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial (1400m) set Savaglee up for Group One glory in Christchurch, and Matamata trainer Pam Gerard is hoping to follow a similar blueprint in 2025 with her Yes Yes Yes 3YO Affirmative Action..