NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts & audio
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather forecasts

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • Markets
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media and marketingMedia Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal finance
    • Economy
    • Business travel
    • Money
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business & financeCapital marketsAgribusinessInfrastructure
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • Golf
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Health
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
    • Spy
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • One Roof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tairāwhiti / East Coast
    • All Tairāwhiti / East Coast
    • Gisborne
    • Wairoa
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts & audio
    • All Podcasts & audio
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
    • Cooking the Books
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • What the Actual
  • Sunlive
  • Gisborne Herald
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

Subscribe
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport / Racing

Plenty of Gossip surrounding Matamata debutant in Pam Gerard – Ballymore Racing 1200

By Joshua Smith
NZ Herald·
3 Sep, 2024 05:50 PM4 mins to read

Save

    Share this article

Matamata trainers Briar and Darryn Weatherley. Photo / Peter Rubery (/ Race Images Palmerston North

Matamata trainers Briar and Darryn Weatherley. Photo / Peter Rubery (/ Race Images Palmerston North

There is plenty of anticipation heading in to Matamata’s Wednesday meeting, with local trainers Darryn and Briar Weatherley set to unveil exciting filly Gossip.

The daughter of Proisir topped last year’s New Zealand Bloodstock Online Yearling Sale when purchased out of Fairdale Stud’s draft by Gary Harding for $110,000, and she is living up to her billing so far, winning both of her trials to date.

She is set to make her debut in the Pam Gerard – Ballymore Racing 1200, for which she is rated a $1.65 favourite by TAB bookmakers ahead of the Steven Ramsay and Julia Ritchie-trained Shavasana at $5.

“I am looking forward to seeing her run,” Briar Weatherley said. “It is probably not ideal being on a heavy track, but she has had two trials now on them and has gone well both times. Hopefully, she can get the job done tomorrow.”

Gossip is nominated for the Gr.1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton in November, and Weatherley said her early spring performances will dictate which path they take with their filly.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“We are going to take it one race at a time with her,” she said. “She is not a very big filly, there is not a lot of her. She is a November foal, so she still lacks a bit of maturity and is on the weaker side.

“She is nominated for the 1000 Guineas, but we will just get through tomorrow and reassess after that. She will tell us whether we press on to those races or put her aside and wait until after Christmas and let her develop.”

A race prior, stablemate It’s Pedro will be out to break maiden ranks when he contests the Waharoa Transport Co. (1995) LTD 1200.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“Two starts ago he ran really well at Pukekohe where he was just beaten on a heavy track,” Weatherley said.

“Last start at Taupo, I just think the track was too good for him. He finished fifth but he probably just wants it wet, and he is going to get that wet track again tomorrow. With a bit of luck, I think he can be right there.”

Meanwhile, Weatherley was happy enough with the way Group Three winner Arby and stakes winner Ess Vee Are competed in their respective 1300m trials at Cambridge Synthetic on Tuesday.

“Arby has trialled twice now and went over a bit further today,” Weatherley said. “He is probably better suited going the other way around. We will look to kick him off over a mile first-up, he is quite a dour stayer. We have no real set plans with him at the moment.

Discover more

Racing

Wear The Fox Hat and other rejected racehorse names

04 Sep 05:00 PM
Sport

From $50 to $76,000: 2023's most daring bets revealed

22 Dec 02:30 AM
Racing

Record for NZ's biggest bet broken, but boys don't get paid

27 Jan 07:59 AM

“I am really happy with Ess Vee Are. He has trialled well both times. He put himself right there today and travelled quite keen and was very happy and full of himself.

“We are not 100% sure about whether or not we are going to start him over 1400m or a mile first-up. We are waiting for the better tracks for him. Both him and Arby like good tracks, so we don’t really want to rush to get them out on these bad tracks at the moment. It shouldn’t be long until the weather turns.

“The New Zealand Cup (Gr.3, 3200m) is his main aim at this stage. It definitely looks a nice race for him, so we will just plot a path to get him to the New Zealand Cup and go from there.”

While both horses could be in for a big spring, Group One-winning stablemate Pier has been ruled out of racing until next year.

“We are scratching our head with him at the moment,” Weatherley said. “He has just had a bit of a niggly issue and, at this stage, we are going to be putting him aside for three to six months and give him a bit of time again.”


Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

– LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Racing

Racing

Move To Strike returns as a potential star in spring racing

05 Sep 06:00 PM
Racing

Wexford Racing's Andrew Scott targets Group One glory

05 Sep 05:50 PM
Racing

Group racing returns to Hatrick on Friday night

05 Sep 05:45 PM

It’s always Unrush Hour at Hanmer Springs

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Racing

Move To Strike returns as a potential star in spring racing

Move To Strike returns as a potential star in spring racing

05 Sep 06:00 PM

"I will be disappointed if he isn’t fighting out the finish.”

Wexford Racing's Andrew Scott targets Group One glory

Wexford Racing's Andrew Scott targets Group One glory

05 Sep 05:50 PM
Group racing returns to Hatrick on Friday night

Group racing returns to Hatrick on Friday night

05 Sep 05:45 PM
Top trainer's optimism ahead of season's first Group 1

Top trainer's optimism ahead of season's first Group 1

04 Sep 05:19 PM
Online marketplace for water
sponsored

Online marketplace for water

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
  • Bundle subscriptions
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2024 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP