Queen Of Naples won a Pearl Series bonus
- The first day of the 2026 Polytrack season took place under very pleasant autumn conditions.
- Jesse O’Flaherty got the first win of his training career (in partnership with Brian Court) when WAR COURT finished strongly to win the highest rated event on the programme the Windsor Park Rating 75. Now Wanganui based apprentice Floor Moerman partnered the six-year-old gelding to the fifth win of his 28-start career.
- DOROTHEA was sent south to Riccarton Park trainer David Walsh prior to a fifth placing at Ashburton two weeks earlier and improved markedly on the Polytrack to streak away for a 3 ¼ length win. In doing so the three-year-old filly won the $25,000 NZB Mega Sales bonus on top of the lion’s share of the $17,000 stake. New Zealand’s leading apprentice Amber Riddell was the rider.
- Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson’s Riccarton Park stable dominated the programme with three winners. ARCTIC JEWEL under stable apprentice Hayley Hassman, PURPLE ROSE, and QUEEN OF NAPLES, both ridden by Triston Moodley, won three successive races all as the lesser fancied by punters of two Te Akau runners in each race.