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Lord Spencer has sealed his berth across the Cook Strait next month to compete at Riccarton’s Grand National Festival of Racing following his gutsy win in the Farmlands Pahiatua Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase (4800m) at Woodville on Sunday.

Forgot your password? Enter the email address you use to sign in to NZRacing, and we'll email you instructions on how to reset your password! Email/Logon: We've emailed you with instructions to complete your password reset. Farmlands Pahiatua Hawke's Bay Steeplechase - Lord Spencer Lord Spencer dug deep in a tough battle to the line to win the Farmlands Pahiatua Hawke's Bay Steeplechase. A fantastic ride by Lemmy Douglas for trainer JJ Rayner. You might also like

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It’s been a testing last couple of years for champion jockey Lisa Allpress, who has been sidelined by injuries, but she made a winning return to the saddle on Saturday when partnering the Kevin Myers-trained He’s Lucid to victory at Hawera.

It’s been a long time coming for Josh King and Maija Vance, but the Cambridge trainers brought up their first win in partnership at Ruakaka on Saturday courtesy of Cowboy in the Northland Business Systems (1200m). Former Queenslander Josh King trained in his homeland before moving across the Tasman to be with Vance last season, and after a 65-start drought he was relieved to win his first race in New Zealand. “It’s the longest streak I have ever been without a winner,” King said.

Trainers Ken and Bev Kelso look to have yet another high-class female on their hands with Legarto’s little sister Latoya making an impressive winning debut at Ruakaka on Saturday. The two-year-old Proisir filly had looked good when winning a trial at Avondale last month and went into her first-up performance as a $3.30 favourite off the back of that performance and fair few whispers around her potential.

Rugged customer Drop Of Something gave none of his rivals an excuse as he sat outside the speed and proved too tough in the feature event at Ruakaka on Saturday, the ITM/GIB Whangarei Gold Cup (2100m). The Wayne Hillis and Reece Cole-prepared six-year-old had been building to another career victory with a pair of thirds before finishing close-up in fourth behind impressive Ellerslie winner Boxmoss at his most recent run.

A heady ride from promising new apprentice Tom Wigram paved the way for consistent winter galloper Prioress to claim her sixth career success when she powered home near the rail to win the Hunts Farms Services Ltd (1200m) at Hawera. The daughter of Proisir did most of her early racing from the Lisa Latta stable where she won on four occasions before switching to Gordon’s Foxton barn.

Foxton gelding Another Won’t Hurt has booked his ferry trip across the Cook Strait for next month’s Grand National Festival of Racing at Riccarton following his victory in the Vets On Riverbank Raukawa Cup (2100m) at Otaki on Friday. Trainer Adam Scott had been eyeing the Gr.3 Winning Edge Presentations 129th Winter Cup (1600m) with his gelding, and while that race is now off the cards, he is still intent on heading south with Another Won’t Hurt.

Waverley horsewoman Nicole Sinclair is on cloud nine after recording her first win as a trainer at Otaki on Friday when Ziggy Khan took out the Foxton New World Foxton Cup (2100m). Runner-up in her two previous starts, the six-year-old mare jumped a $4 favourite and duly rewarded her backers with a half-length victory over Jungleland, much to the delight of Sinclair. “I am absolutely rapt,” Sinclair said.