Summer has arrived, and Shelley Hale is hoping so too will Blue Sky At Night’s form, as she gets set to defend her crown in Saturday’s Gr.3 SkyCity Hamilton Waikato Cup (2400m) at Te Rapa.

Dual Group One winner Orchestral has been retired.

One punter breathed a little easier following the Manco Maiden 2YO (1150m) at Te Aroha on Sunday, with their $10,000 outlay paying off when Lara Antipova romped to victory.

Final Return has raced creditably in strong company at Ellerslie without major success and will be back there on New Year’s Day in a bid to break through.

New stakes winners for resident stallions Redwood and Tarzino were celebrated by Westbury Stud at the weekend.

A rails-hugging ride from Warren Kennedy has provided promising filly Pulsatilla with her first success at stakes level as she captured the Listed Trevor & Corallie Eagle Memorial 3YO (1500m) at Ellerslie.

Two-year-old Incandescent put himself in the frame for the rich TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) in late January with a comprehensive victory in the opening event at Ellerslie on Saturday, the Independent Traffic Control (1100m).

Kingsclere Stables will have representation in all three three-year-old stakes races this weekend, and trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood are hopeful they can get their hands on some of the spoils.

Dealt With stamped himself as one of the most exciting three-year-old prospects last season, earning himself a slot in the inaugural $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m), but he was withdrawn at the 11th hour through injury.

After an extended stand-down from riding due to concussion, leading jockey Opie Bosson has been cleared to resume duties in time for an important Group One date.

With a successful defence of his title in Saturday’s A$1 million The Illawarra Mercury Gong (1600m) at Kembla Grange, Kiwi-bred marvel Gringotts has now won five races worth $1 million or more within the space of barely a year

Comeback jockey Elen Nicholas took her career to its greatest heights yet with a masterful ride aboard Final Return to take out the Gr.3 MyRacehorse Counties Cup (2100m) at Pukekohe on Saturday.

Champion jockey Opie Bosson will miss all three days of the New Zealand Cup Carnival in Christchurch after a fall at Avondale on Thursday.

A relentlessly wet spring has provided a frustrating start to the season for David Greene, but things might be turning the corner as the Te Rapa trainer prepares to unleash his emerging star First Five in Saturday’s Listed Legacy Lodge Sprint (1200m) at Pukekohe.