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17/09/2024

It will be tough going for White Star's four runners at Cambridge tonight with It's Nae Or Never ($7.50, $2) the only realistic chance of some spoils.

13/09/2024

Stash The Cash ($14) is White Star's sole runner in the final race at Auckland tonight and he'll do what he always does - try hard and get a minor cheque.

09/09/2024

White Star has three runners at Cambridge tonight, the best chance the improving Says Who ($6, $2.10) albeit hampered by a wide draw. Check out Nicky's driving tactics.

02/09/2024

It's Nae Or Never ($3.50) is second favourite for the last race at Cambridge on Tuesday night but Nicky says she will need a little luck from the second row. White Star's only other runner Messenger Buoy has worked brilliantly this week and has opened at $16 and $3.30. Check out why he went so badly last time and what the driving tactics will be.

29/08/2024

Says Who was the perfect horse to push White Star’s most loyal owners back into the winner’s circle at Cambridge on Tuesday.
In the first win of what trainer-driver Nicky Chilcott predicts will be a successful career, Says Who led all the way and scored with plenty up his sleeve in just his fourth start.
It was a bitter-sweet moment for Taranaki couple Alan and Lyn Messenger with the three-year-old the fourth, and possibly last winner out of their best racemare Princess Kate.
Princess Kate, who won eight races for the Messengers in 2014 to 2016, has a 100% record with her foals, the first Urus winning 10 races in Australia, Katies Princess the winner of five and Vincent’s Girl one.
After not breeding from the mare for three years, the couple decided to try her again and, while she didn’t click with Raging Bull, late last year she got in foal to Sweet Lou.
But the mare has just lost her foal and it was discovered she has a growth on her ovaries which could spell the end of her breeding career.
That wasn’t the news the Messengers wanted, on top of no luck this season with Katies Princess and Vincent’s Girl.
“Katies Princess wasn’t right this prep and then got crook and Vincent’s Girl got an infection in her knee which set her back,” Chilcott said.
“She was the big improver, she was training the tracks down. But she seems good now and is on her way up again.”
Chilcott said she was delighted to get her 46th win for the Messengers since she started training for them 25 years ago.
“I’m thrilled to bits for them. You’ve got to be good losers in this game and they take the good with bad better than anyone.
“They have five or six in training with me and haven’t had a great time recently. It’s seven months since their last win with Messenger Buoy.”
Chilcott said she could see Says Who going right on with it now.
“He’ll be a nice intermediate horse, not a cup horse, but I could see him winning half a dozen races.
“He’s still a bit green but he has really good manners. He’ll go forward if you want him to or go back off the pace. He’s just a neat racehorse.
“He’s good enough to win at Auckland, but when I asked the Messengers if they wanted to chase the bigger money they were just happy to get something. “He’s better the Cambridge way at the moment because he doesn’t get that last bend at Auckland very well but that will come with practice.”
Chilcott said Says Who “jogged it” on Tuesday, the one and a half length margin flattering his rivals.
“It was a good effort considering he didn’t get it easy with James Stormont’s horse Monte Cristo pulling hard outside us.
“And he pulled up unbelievable, licked the bowl.”
Chilcott said she is excited for the Messengers with their seven-race winner Village Rebel almost ready to go again.
Winner of the Palmerstonian and the Wairarapa and Otaki Cups last prep, Village Rebel is due to trial at Pukekohe on Thursday.
The big Raging Bull five-year-old showed earlier this year he could compete with the best when third to Old Town Road and fourth to Mach Shard, Self Assured and Simply Sam at Auckland.

1. Says Who has Collateral Beauty well covered at Cambridge. PHOTO: Ange Bridson/Race Images.
2. The Messengers with their two good mares, Alan with Princess Kate and Lyn with Lyn’s Delight, the dam of Village Rebel.

29/08/2024

White Star lines up tradesman trotter Stash The Cash ($8, $1.70) in the last race at Auckland tonight and in a small field Nicky rates him a top four chance.

27/08/2024

Nicky gives a rare four-star rating to Says Who in the last race at Cambridge tonight and the three-year-old looks like starting at a good thing's price. Watch out for It's Nae Or Never ($5) earlier in the night too if she can lead.

15/08/2024

Says Who ($8.50) is dumb but has speed and is improving with each start so he gets the highest rating of White Star's four runners at Alexandra Park on Friday night.

13/08/2024

Nicky is hoping to get some of the money with Del Shannon ($10, $2.15) when he starts from a 20 metre handicap at Cambridge tonight. Check out her Kiwi-ingenuity with a piece of his gear.

09/08/2024

White Star has two runners at Auckland tonight and two outside draws but, with some luck, Messenger Buoy could sneak a place at $2.80.

05/08/2024

White Star has just one runner at Cambridge on Tuesday night. The jury's out on how well Katies Princess ($8.50) has come up but you need to see what stopped her last time!

01/08/2024

White Star takes three inexperienced runners to Auckland tonight where Nicky says even a place divvy would be a big win. What you need to know about about debutant Brass Razoo.

26/07/2024

Blazing Louie ($2.70) looks a great chance for White Star at Auckland tonight, only needing a little luck from the second row in a Winter Rewards Final. Nicky tells how she thinks the stable's five runners will go.

19/07/2024

Messenger Buoy ($2.90) looks a strong chance when he opens the batting for White Star Stables at Cambridge tonight but the best value looks to be It's Nae Or Never ($11, $3). Nicky tells what needs to happen for her to get some of the money.

11/07/2024

Blazing Louie ($3.90) steps up in grade but Nicky gives him a decent chance of winning again at Auckland on Friday night, and he's easily the best of White Star's four runners.

07/07/2024

Under The Boardwalk did her own advertising when she staved off the heavily-backed Sea Of Love at Cambridge on Friday night.
Few would have given the Downbytheseaside filly much chance of winning when she was forced to sit parked for the last 800 metres.
But it was almost as if she knew breeders Graham and Judy Bowen had put her on the market as she dug deep for driver Andre Poutama to score by three-quarters of a length.
On a freezing cold winter’s night, the filly’s good mile rate of 1:58.2 for the 1700 metres didn’t surprise trainer Nicky Chilcott.
“She’s always shown a bit of promise but she was really big and always on the weak side, both physically and mentally.
“But time has been her friend and now that she’s starting to learn her craft, I could see her developing into quite a tidy racehorse.
“She’s a really good doing filly who holds her condition well.”
Friday night was only the sixth time Chilcott had taken Under The Boardwalk to the races.
“She’s just taken a long time to get her head around it all. She’s always been a good pacer but it took time to get her to steer straight.
“We’re really getting on top of it now and it was so nice to see it all come together on Friday.
“I asked Andre to find a helmet and see how she gets home. That was going well when she was in the one-one until that horse (Hannah Sophia) galloped in front of him and he had to go round and sit parked for the last 800.
“I thought she did very well to hang in there considering how much they liked Sea Of Love.”
Chilcott said the result was particularly rewarding for the Bowens and, even though they had done the hard hards as owners, keeping the filly was no longer in their plans.
“Primarily they’ve always been breeders, and raced the odd one, and she was going to join their broodmare band.
“But they’ve stopped breeding and are retired now and she’s on the market.
“They still love racing but rather than having sole ownership in horses they will take small shares and race a few with their friends.”

PHOTOS BY ANGELIQUE BRIDSON/Race Images
1. Under The Boardwalk staves off the hot favourite Sea Of Love.
2. Breeders Graham and Judy Bowen, at right, welcome their improving three-year-old.

05/07/2024

Seven runners for White Star at Cambridge tonight but with many resuming from spells, place money looks the best.

28/06/2024

Sick to her stomach with nerves, trainer Nicky Chilcott slipped away from her owners to watch her horse alone, on the steps in front of the Alexandra Park grandstand.
A lot was riding on Blazing Louie’s first race in 10 months since a kick to his knee and a fractured bone threatened to end his promising career before it had barely started.
She was in uncomfortable and unfamiliar territory, handing over the reins to another driver, and losing control, after all she and the horse had been through.
The tension was high when Andre Poutama took Blazing Louie to an early lead, then had to fend off one challenge after another.
And, down the home straight, when Benjamin Button took aim at Blaze up the passing lane, and threatened to prematurely age Chilcott, she could see a fairytale ending fading away.
But Blaze’s big heart kicked in and at the post, holding a three-quarter length margin, Chilcott was flooded with emotions.
“To be honest, my first emotion was relief. I’ve put so much into that horse.
“He’s been really fast since day dot and when he was kicked it was gutting because at that stage he was potentially the best horse in the stable.
“It was a bad injury and we had to lock him up in a small box he could barely turn in. Luckily after six weeks the injury had healed enough to mean he didn’t need an operation to screw it.”
Gradually introduced to a small yard so he could move a little, it was four to five months before any rehab work could start, with some hand walking and trotting.
Chilcott said you couldn’t put a number on the hours that have gone into Blaze since but like with most horses, “time has been his friend.
“He’s matured into a magnificent specimen with a beautiful gait and he’s so powerful. But he’s been a lot of hard work mentally, he’s a typical Sweet Lou who used to be very highly strung.
“He’d get too keen and raced in two poles. Now he has no steering gear.”
Even when Chilcott knew Blaze was fit enough to race, she delayed his return in an attempt to “get his head back in the game.”
Three times she took Blaze along to Alexandra Park on race night, just standing him in the stalls.
“The last time we also geared him up and worked him when other horses were warming up for a race.”
Chilcott knew the tactic had worked when last week he fell asleep in the Cambridge stalls on racenight. “On Thursday night he was so well behaved. He was lovely to gear up and when I walked with him in the bridcage he just flopped around.”
At no time during Blaze’s comeback did Chilcott worry he’d lost his rare ability, his extraordinarily low heart rate, rather than his times, the indicator.
“He has an unbelievable heart rate, by far the best of any horse I’ve had. I struggle to get it over 70.
“I worked him a solid 2400 metres on Monday in 3:18. Most fit horses would come back in with a heart rate of 75 to 80. His was 55.
“On Saturday I worked him at trial speed over 2200 metres in 2:46 and afterwards his heart rate was 68. “A low heart rate is not in itself an indicator of a good horse - some horses have big hearts and don’t use them. But he’s exceptional.
“That’s how I knew he wasn’t right last campaign - his heart rates were higher than normal - they’d be normal for other horses, but not him. We discovered he had a virus he couldn’t shake.”
Chilcott knows Blaze didn’t beat a star-studded field on Thursday night but said running 2:40.8 was still a good effort considering how long he’s been away from the races.
“Andre said he was coming to the end of it but he stuck his head out and had a go. And he’ll improve bucket loads with the run.
“He’s also ten times better coming off a helmet, he’s explosive, his change-up speed is phenomenal.”

PHOTOS: Trish Dunell.

26/06/2024

White Star's talented pacer Blazing Louie ($4.50, $1.60) makes a long-awaited return to the track at Auckland tonight and Nicky really likes his chances.

25/06/2024

Sacred Mountain is the latest loss to New Zealand with trainer Nicky Chilcott and owners Merv and Meg Butterworth not willing to see her racing her heart out any more trying to overcome long handicaps.
The speedy mare was handicapped to start from a 40 metre back mark over a sprint trip at Auckland on Thursday night but will be scratched and instead fly to Melbourne next week to continue her career.
Chilcott blamed Sacred Mountain’s exit on the paucity of higher rated horses racing here and said she was totally in agreement with the Butterworths that the time had come for “Milly” to leave New Zealand.
“It would have been nice to have one more go round with her but she would have a hard run on Thursday and I don’t think she could have won.
“I thought it was best to look at the big picture and just keep her ticking over until the flight as she doesn’t travel well.”
Chilcott said it meant Milly would land in Australia in better condition for her first assignment at Melton on July 27, the Lightfoot Laurels a A$24,000 2240 metre event for mares only, when she will start from the front line, an unfamiliar prospect that might make Milly feel dizzy, says Merv Butterworth.
Finding suitable races like that had proved impossible in New Zealand - in her latest start at Cambridge Milly started from a 50 metre handicap and the Butterworths said it hurt them watching her race so bravely for only third.
While Merv Butterworth said Sacred Mountain needed to “escape” New Zealand’s ratings and handicapping rules, Chilcott said it was more a numbers issue now.
Lack of horses meant Thursday’s race had a very wide 28-point rating band, hence her 40 metre handicap. With Sacred Mountain rated on 84, and her nearest rival Kiss And Run on just R66, and the front line horse on R56, it meant she faced a near impossible task.
“It’s just a shame she got hurt when all the big races were on and now all those horses are having a break. She’s about the only open class trotter going around. We just don’t have enough horses up here.
“She’s going unbelieveably well for essentially little return and smashing the clock every time.”
Chilcott said it was hugely disappointing to lose a horse of Milly’s calibre.
“I run a relatively small stable and horses like her don’t come along every day of the week. It’s gutting to be honest but I’m ever so grateful that Merv and Meg left her here as long as they have.
“Her earning capacity is definitely where she’s heading. She can win another $100,000 over there. Every year she’s got better and stronger.”
When Sacred Mountain moved north to White Star Stables two and a half years ago she had a record of two wins from 20 starts.
In 40 starts for Chilcott, Milly has recorded 10 wins, seven seconds and six thirds, giving her a 57.5% record of running in the top three. Her earnings for Chilcott of $149,645, have taken her bankroll to $170,295.
Most telling though is the fact 28 of those 40 starts have been from handicaps, 14 from 30 metres or more - including five times from 35 metres, three times from 40 metres, once at 50 and even once at 55. Only six of her runs in the north were from behind the mobile.
One of those mobile starts in January showed just what a rare brand of high speed she possesses when she clocked a New Zealand record 2:41.8 in the Group III Flying Stakes (2200 metres).
Sacred Mountain is the third fine trotter the Butterworths have raced out of the seven-win mare Aceofdiamonds. (Blue) Sky Commander won 16 races and $A152,536 and Ace Commander has had nine wins and A$75,455.

1. A familar sight, Nicky Chilcott and Sacred Mountain doing what they did best, trotting fast, this time at Cambridge in January. PHOTO: Angelique Bridson/Race Images.

2. Melbourne owners Merv and Meg Butterworth enjoying one of Milly's wins at Auckland in January. PHOTO: Megan Liefting/Race Images.

20/06/2024

Bookies have installed Sacred Mountain a $3 favourite for Cambridge tonight but Nicky says she wouldn't be rushing in to back her from a 50 metre handicap.

12/06/2024

Tonight's mile at Auckland will suit the speedy The Moonstone ($4.40) but Nicky says she's hopeful rather than confident. Also check out what she has to say about It's Nae Or Never ($10) and the piece of gear she expects will help.

05/06/2024

Thank you for all the lovely birthday messages … it was just another day at the office for me but I’m still alive and kicking so bring on another year 😀🏆🍷

Address

Victoria Road
Cambridge
3434

Telephone

021813638

Website

http://www.whitestarstables.co.nz/

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