A decade ago, Rory Hutchings had the most successful day of his career at Ellerslie on Boxing Day, and the expat Kiwi hoop will kick off a stint riding in his homeland at the iconic meeting this Thursday.

A winning double with Pick Of The Litter and Our Time at Te Rapa brought up a special milestone for Peter Lock.

Consistent sprinting mare Egyptian Queen was rewarded for a string of solid performances at Te Rapa on Saturday, powering away with the Lodge Real Estate 1200.

There aren’t too many accolades missing from expat Kiwi jockey James McDonald’s mantle, but recognition from his home country’s sporting industry has been one, and that has finally been rectified with his announcement as a finalist for the ISPS HANDA Halberg Sportsman of the Year.

Te Akau Racing will be well-represented in each of the four stakes races at Trentham’s LawnMaster Christmas At The Races meeting on Saturday.

Chris Gibbs has exercised plenty of patience with his promising stayer Sweet But Psycho and he hopes that can continue to pay off when she contests the Dunstan Horsefeeds Stayers Championship Qualifier (2100m) at Ruakaka on Wednesday.

Stephen Marsh has endured a frustrating run of bad luck with barrier draws leading into Waikato Cup Day at Te Rapa on Saturday, but the Cambridge trainer still expects his team to make their presence felt.

The countdown to the inaugural $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) will move up a notch at Te Rapa on Saturday when Waikato Stud’s runner Sought After lines up in the Wentwood Grange 3YO (1200m).

Top mare Snazzytavi is ready to kick off her summer campaign, which will revolve around further Group One weight-for-age opportunities.

Group Three performer Canheroc has just one Cup to his name, but trainer Chris Wood is keen to double that haul when they head to Te Rapa on Saturday to tackle the Gr.3 SkyCity Hamilton Waikato Cup (2400m).

Star colt Savaglee will be given the opportunity to maximise his stallion potential on Australian soil in the autumn and will take his first steps toward that goal on his home track.

Victory has eluded Gold Currency by the narrowest of margins in the early stages of his career, a trend Shaun Phelan hopes he can change on Friday at Tauranga.

A pair of well-related gallopers delivered impressive fresh-up victories for Roger James and Robert Wellwood across the weekend.

Shaun and Emma Clotworthy will plot a path towards the $1.25 million Gr.1 Trackside New Zealand Derby (2400m) with their promising three-year-old Interplanetary, who put his staying prowess on display at Te Aroha on Sunday.