Strong start fuels big spring hopes for Go Racing
International syndicators Go Racing are enjoying a fruitful period, with a flurry of wins in their home nation of New Zealand and more success on the international stage, and they are only just getting started.
“Overall, the team are going really well,” said Go Racing’s Matt Allnutt. “We have some of the best trainers in the world and they’re doing a terrific job with our racing team, and long may it continue.”
Go Racing utilise a diverse global network of trainers that includes Chris Waller, John O’Shea, Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young, Annabel and Rob Archibald, and Charlotte Littlefield in Australia, Stephen Marsh, Andrew Forsman, Lisa Latta, Kylie Hoskin and Andrew Carston in New Zealand, Joseph O’Brien in Ireland and Francis-Henri Graffard in France.
Only one-and-a-half months into the Australasian racing seasons, the Go Racing team are excited about what is still to come this season, with a talented line-up of horses showing good form heading towards major spring targets.
“Our hopes are high,” said Allnutt. “We’ve got horses nominated for feature races here in New Zealand and races like the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups in Australia.”
Their horses Manzor Blue (Latta), Omni Man (O’Brien) and Soul OfSpain (Waller) hold nominations for both the A$6 million Gr.1 Sportsbet Caulfield Cup (2400m) and the A$10 million Gr.1 Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m), while Tajanis (Littlefield) is also nominated for the latter.
Manzor Blue and Tajanis also hold nominations for the $450,000 Gr.3 Martin Collins New Zealand Cup (3200m), and they’re joined by the in-form Kylie Hoskin-trained mare With Grace.
The six-year-old daughter of Ocean Park has won her last three races in a row at Te Rapa, the most recent of which she won with ease by four-lengths on Sunday.
“With Grace has really found form since stepping up in distance,” said Allnutt.
“She was very impressive again at Te Rapa on Sunday. It was only a small field, and you can only beat what’s in front of you, but she just never left second gear.
“George Rooke(her jockey)is confident that she will get twomiles,and she’s come into a $14 chance for the New Zealand Cup.”
Go Racing will have a strong hand to play during New Zealand Cup Week at Riccarton, with a stellar crop of three-year-olds also Guineas-bound.
“Our class of 2025 is one of our strongest yet,” Allnutt said. “We purchased some lovely yearling fillies last year and we’re really excited to see what they can do this season.”
Stephen Marsh-trained fillies Miss Janet, So Fear, Rose Aye Reign, Royal Asset and Acclivitous are among the nominations for the $600,000 Gr.1 BarneswoodFarm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) alongside Vodka and Caviar (Hoskin) and Vaultique (Carston). SoFear, Acclivitous and Vodka and Caviar are also nominated for the $700,000 Al Basti EquiworldDubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m).
Royal Asset and Rose Aye Reign followed pleasing trials with promise-filled placings at Taupōon Friday, confirming their Group One aspirations for the spring.
“Rose Aye Reign resumed with a good, solid second,” said Allnutt. “She showed huge improvement mentally and physically from her two-year-old campaign.
“We gave her a decent break and she’s come back nice and settled. She took the inside gap in the straight on Friday, which she possibly would have hesitated to do last preparation.
“Royal Asset was having her first start and she rana really nice race. She didn’t get all the luck in the running but got homewelllate,recording the fastest 200m, and she wasonly a half-length from the winner. She looks to be a very promising filly.”
SoFear, who resumed at Whanganuilast month, finishing eighth in the Listed HS Dyke Whanganui Guineas (1200m) on a Heavy10 surface, will run in the Hello Youmzain – Champion 2ndSeason Sire 1400 at Ellerslie on Saturday.
“She just didn’t handle the heavy track at Whanganui,” said Allnutt. “She will be much better suited to racing at Ellerslie. She’s raced there before, when she finished third in the Star Way Stakes, and I think we can expect to see good improvement from her on Saturday.”
She’s joined by stablemate Acclivitous at Ellerslie on Saturday. The half-sister to fellow Go Racing horses Velocious and Alacritous makes her debut in the Myracehorse1200.
“She’s shown us plenty at the trials,” Allnutt said. “We’ve had to be patient with her, but our patient approach looks to be paying off.
“She’s up against a competitive field over 1200m, so she will learn a lot from it, but we hold her in high regard, and we do think she can factor in the race.”
The Andrew Carston-trained Vaultiqueis another set to make her debut at Phar Lap Raceway in Timaru on Wednesday.
“She finished second to Sweetest Thing in a trial at Ashburton recently, and she went on to win the Canterbury Belle Stakes at Riccarton on Saturday, so the trial form around her is good.”
Allnutt said the 2026-27 racing season was off to a terrific start for Go Racing, who have eight wins on the board since August 1.
Three of those wins have come from the Stephen Marsh-trained four-year-old Confectionist.
“She’s really picked up in confidence, winning three of her last four starts,” said Allnutt.
“Those wins have all been on the synthetic track, but she’s racing with a lot of confidence at the moment, and she’s run good, competitive races on the turf previously, so there’s no reason she can’t transfer that form back to the turf.”
They’ve also had two new winners in the northern hemisphere, both trained by Joseph O’Brien.
Benjamin Hornigoldwon the United Kingdom’s richest maiden race, the £100,000 British Stallion Studs EBF Convivial Maiden Stakes (7f), at the York Ebor Festival, and Leadlight broke his maiden at Galway last week.
“Benjamin Hornigold is a very exciting horse up there and Leadlight was a good winner last week,” said Allnutt.
“He looked like he was beaten at the 200m mark, but he really dug deep over the last 100 to 200m and got up on the line to beat a $1.50 favourite. He’s a progressive type who will take a lot of confidence from that win.