This time last year Conor O’Ceirin was getting ready to tackle the Listed Opunake Cup (1400m) on his home track of New Plymouth, but 12 months on trainer Robbie Patterson has elected to bypass the local feature in favour of chasing a lucrative southern bonus.

Aylesbury trainer Richard Didham has is eyes on a Group One prize with his promising filly Diablo Blanco this spring.

Belardo Boy will make the final step towards his defence of the Gr.3 Winter Cup (1600m) when he contests Saturday’s Listed Sinclair Electrical & Refrigeration Opunake Cup (1400m) at New Plymouth.

Caitlin Johnson has embraced the opportunity since entering into partnership with Fred Pratt over the past 18 months and the Hastings trainers are hopeful for a strong showing at their local meeting on Thursday.

Auld Jock finished just half a length short of superstar jumper The Cossack in Saturday’s Wellington Steeplechase (5500m), and Peter and Jessica Brosnan now have their sights set on a trip to Riccarton Park next month for the Grand National Steeplechase (5600m).

Mark Oulaghan may have left his stable stars at home on Saturday, but Semper Magico stepped right up to the task securing his first success over the fences in the Cody Singer Memorial Maiden Hurdle (2500m).

Cambridge trainer Ken Harrison landed a lightweight upset at Trentham on Saturday with Espresso To Go leading every step of the way in the Jarvis Plumbing Gasworks Ltd Whyte Handicap (1600m).

There was a sense of unfinished business for The Cossack heading into Saturday’s Grant Plumbing Wellington Steeplechase (5500m) at Trentham and the star jumper delivered a faultless performance to collect another major crown for Paul Nelson & Corrina McDougal.

Trainer Andrew Forsman had just one runner engaged at Hastings on Saturday which was all he needed to collect the major spoils in the feature flat event, the Valley D’Vine Restaurant Handicap (1400m).

Winter warhorse Justaskme is already a two-time winner of the Listed Opunake Cup (1400m), and New Plymouth trainer Allan Sharrock is using Saturday’s Valley D’Vine Restaurant Handicap (1400m) at Hastings as a springboard into another shot at the local feature on July 20.

Former top three-year-old filly Llanacord will be offered to the public through gavelhouse.com’s National Online Breeding Stock Sale, which will go live at 5pm on Friday, June 28.

A $100,000 carrot at Cambridge’s synthetic meeting in August is firmly in the sights of trainer Howie Mathews with a pair of his gallopers, but he is being forced to take an unsuitable path to the lucrative target.

Proven flat performer Helena Baby continued his flawless transition to jumping with another easy victory in Thursday’s $30,000 The Bottle-O Te Aroha Hurdles (3100m).

Talented mare Betty Spaghetti is one of a number of well-performed younger horses recently welcomed back into Shane Kennedy and Anna Furlong’s Riccarton operation.