Te Rapa has been the scene of plenty of this season’s success for Wexford Stables, and Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott are hoping to bring 2023-24 to a close with more of the same at the Hamilton track on Saturday.

A pair of exciting young prospects from Andrew Forsman’s stable are in the running to strut their stuff in Melbourne this spring.

The New Zealand thoroughbred racing industry breathed a collective sigh of relief when the gates crashed open for the first on the card at Pukekohe on Sunday after a horror week that saw race meetings abandoned on four separate occasions.

Talented and well-related filly Blondie returned to racing with a dominant front-running performance in the Entain/NZB Insurance Pearl Series (1200m) at Pukekohe on Sunday.

It’s been a frustrating week for the thoroughbred racing industry, with four race meeting abandonments in as many days.

Savile Row was a special horse in Pam Gerard’s training career and she is looking forward to debuting one of the young sire’s progeny in Suit Yourself at Arawa Park on Saturday.

Ellerslie’s newly developed StrathAyr track passed its first test on Monday since remedial work was undertaken following several slips on the surface earlier this year.

Michelle Bradley had to settle for second in her hometown feature over the weekend and she’s hoping to go one better with capable mare Sulabella at Pukekohe Park on Wednesday.

With 168 wins to their name this season, Te Akau Racing’s Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson have already sealed the trainers’ premiership, and they already have their eye on continuing their dominance into next term.

Trainer Murray Garrett and jockey Sam Spratt continued their winning association of late when the pair combined to guide Overrated to victory in one of the feature events at Ruakaka on Saturday, the ITM/GIB Progressive Winter Championship Final (1600m).

First-season sire Ferrando was credited with his first winner when Grove Street led all the way for an upset victory in Saturday’s Sign Central 2YO (1100m) at Hastings.

Solidify has been finding his feet over middle-distances this autumn and winter, and another bold performance in Saturday’s John Young Family (2200m) at Te Rapa could be a stepping stone towards a Group One target in the spring.

In a quiet racing period for Cambridge trainer Andrew Forsman, he has the advantage of two quality gallopers contesting the open-class races through the winter in Turn The Ace and Wessex.

Sulabella made the journey down to Rotorua worthwhile for Michelle Bradley on Wednesday, producing a tough win in the Arawa Park Hotel Rotorua 1560.