TAB Telegraph (Group 1)

WAIKATO trainer David Greene broke through for his first Group 1 winner at Trentham on Saturday.

Saddling up First Five for the NZ$550,000 Telegraph over 1,200 metres, Greene legged up Wiremu Pinn for the ride. Out of the gates, the pair started brightly, settling one-off the fence, tucked in behind the leader.

Eased forward on the bend, First Five challenged Navigator for the lead near the 200-metre mark before forging clear to win by a length over the El Roca gelding Navigator. Unlucky to miss second was the third placed Grail Seeker, the Iffraaj mare making up many lengths from further back in the field.

“He is a big, beautiful and strong horse,” said Pinn of the son of Almanzor. “When I did the form, I couldn’t put together the puzzle, so I thought I’m just going to wing it and luckily it worked.

“I was a little worried up the straight as I saw Navigator go and I didn’t think I was going to be able to pick him up, but once I let his head go, he has just flown. He was a bit of a sitting duck as he had a good look at the winning post, but he is a really exciting horse.”

The win was a breakthrough for the husband and wife team of David and Heide Greene, who moved their operation to Te Rapa 14 years ago.

“This is a huge thrill. To finally get a Group 1 for these owners who have been so loyal to me means so much. When he (First Five) was sitting outside the leader I was just thinking he looked to be travelling comfortably, but I wasn’t sure if that was good or not.

“Wiremu knew what he had underneath him and he was strong all the way through the line. To win a Group 1 weight-for-age race at Trentham, it doesn’t get any better than this.”

Kinnaird enters Millions frame

CO-TRAINERS Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson look well set to add to Te Akau’s remarkable winning record of eight of the past nine Karaka Millions 2YO’s following the smart win of Kinnaird in the Group 2 Eclipse Stakes at Ellerslie on New Year’s day.

The winner now of his only two starts, Kinnaird, with Opie Bosson up, settled back in the field before working his way through on the rail to kick away and win by a length.

The win brought up a first stakes winner for his sire Home Affairs, who made it a quinella as the sire of the second placed Harvey Wallbanger. Third in was the Andres filly Parfait Dimanche.

“As soon as I asked the question, he really knuckled down and wanted to win, which is what you need in a colt going into a Karaka Millions (on January 24th),” said Bosson.

“I think he definitely has the ability to be a good chance in that race. He’s still learning and we’ve got the option of putting the blinkers on too.”

Kinnaird was purchased by Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis for NZ$340,000 from Book 1 of the 2025 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale, the most expensive of the 10 Home Affairs yearlings sold at the sale.

WEXFORD Stables trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott saw their Ocean Park filly Ohope Wins fly to the top of the market for both the New Zealand Oaks and Derby after her impressive win in the Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes on New Year’s Day at Ellerslie.

Ridden quietly by Joe Doyle in the back half of the field of the 2,000 metre Group 2 for three-year-old fillies, Ohope Wins moved into the race with a half-mile remaining tracking six wide through final bend, four lengths from the leader.

Into her rhythm, Ohope Wins took flight over the final furlong to win by over two lengths. Second were the Te Akau pair of Origin Of Love, by Snitzel and the King’s Legacy filly Born To Be Royal.

Laid back

“She is special as we were a long way back and had a lot of ground to make up,” said Doyle. “She is really laid back and when I started to give her a hard squeeze she came up underneath me and has won quite cosily in the end.

“I just think she has (New Zealand) Oaks (February 21st) written all over her as she will be majorly competitive.” The win was Ohope Wins’ first following three previous starts, with the Ocean Park filly stepping up from two 1,600 starts in December.

THE Gold Coast Magic Millions Yearling sale kicks off this Tuesday with Book 1, spread across four sessions, comprising 980 lots which conclude with Friday’s ‘super session’ (January 16th).

The sale is bookended by consecutive Saturday racing across the road at the Gold Coast Turf Club. The feature Magic Millions Raceday, on January 17th, has 10 races worth a combined A$12.5 million in prize-money, bringing the total of prize money offered across the two race-meetings to $19.8 million.