Sires With Winners - Thursday October 21

Expat Kiwi jockey Logan Bates returned home to record his biggest moment in racing when scoring his first elite-level success aboard Manhattan Rain gelding Jigsaw in the Gr.1 Sistema Railway (1200m) at Ellerslie on Saturday.

For those looking for a succinct summary of the result in the $1.5 million TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) at Ellerslie, the answer was very simple – Well Written first, daylight second.

A striking colt by Satono Aladdin lured respected trainer David Payne back to Karaka on Sunday after more than a decade-long absence.

Elen Nicholas has ridden the highs and lows of racing with Knights Realm, and Saturday proved to be the pinnacle of their journey.

Queensland trainer Liam Birchley continued his great association with the TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) when recording his third win in the juvenile feature at Ellerslie on Saturday.

Darling View Thoroughbred’s G2 winning Snitzel son Splintex continues to be popular with leading WA breeders and the young stallion has a big draft of 25 yearlings to tempt buyers at the upcoming Perth Magic Millions.

With neither trainer Bjorn Baker or jockey Nash Rawiller having previously won the Listed ATC Carrington Stakes (1400m) in the past, both added the race to their records as Darby Racing’s Snitzel gelding Sandpaper showed plenty of determination, leading throughout to record his third black type victory.

The Karaka Millions twilight meeting is always a key focus for Te Akau Racing, and they are set to have another strong hand in this year’s edition.

The 100th New Zealand National Yearling Sale kicks off on Sunday at Karaka and Maree McEwan has been out talking to some optimistic vendors and looking for their highlights.

Letham Stud stallion Unusual Suspect was credited with his second stakes winner when Anemacore lived up to his long-held potential and pre-race favouritism with victory in Saturday’s A$160,000 Listed Coastline BMW Sunshine Coast Cup (1400m).