Plenty of Manukau Stadium Sunday action
Peter Fenemor • October 25th, 2025 6:30 PM • 4 min read
It’s a busy Sunday afternoon for the Auckland GRC with three feature races carded at the Manukau Stadium.
Complementing the racetrack action will be opportunities for patrons to participate in on course promotions.
Included is the return of the popular Last Man Standing competition where $500 can be won and one patron will walk away with a Blochef Food Blender.
“Sunday is all about supporting the Manukau faithful who attend our meetings week in and week out,” advised the Auckland GRC President John Roberts, who has led the club over the last decade. “We appreciate the continual support we receive from our regulars.”
Roberts has been racing greyhounds since 1996 as he recalls. “A mate of mine introduced me to greyhound racing and the first greyhound I was involved with was Tackabri.
‘I took a share in him just as he commenced the 1996 New Zealand Derby series at Manukau. He won his heat (non-tote), then ran second in his semifinal.
“Tackabri went onto win the NZ Derby final, which was the first tote winner I had an ownership interest in.” Since then, Roberts ownership interests has now risen to around 1,450 winners.
Roberts continues, “Tackabri was trained by Ben Craik, and I guess I haven’t looked back since. The Craik family have been fantastic, and I’ve enjoyed considerable success with greyhounds trained by Ben and Barbie (wife) and more lately their daughters Lisa and Tracey.”
Included in those successes there has been a number of Group 1 winners headed by Rivette Reason (2005 Duke Of Edinburgh Silver Collar) and Rasmah (2004 Waterloo Cup), along with others.
More recently Roberts has been the syndicate manager for the hugely successful Katcha Jordana syndicate, racing numerous classy greyhounds they have bred with the Craik’s from prolific producing broodbitches, including Just Jordana, Just One Smile and Danish Delight.
And that brings us to Sunday’s headlining event, the $10,000 Spring Championship Stakes (Race 10) over 527m, with the Craik sisters lining up the consistent chaser Schmeichel for the Katcha Jordana team.
“He is a great dog who always gives his best. He’s a perennial open class placegetter who will run strongly to the line,” informed Roberts about Schmeichel who will be sighted racing in the TAB 3 rug.
Opawa Stacey will jump as the race favourite from trap-seven. She has stylishly won her last two Manukau 527m races and his conditioner Sam Lozell gave his consistent girl a warmup Thursday 650m assignment at Cambridge, where she finished a gallant third behind the 650m specialist Johnny Football.
“Stacey loves Manukau. The others haven’t been able to get past her there lately. She races good from any trap,” advised Lozell who is also lining up Go Cooper in the same event.
“He can be tardy from the traps, then he picks up speed. He’s likely to finish strongly,” suggested Lozell, who added.
“Following Sunday both Opawa Stacey and Go Cooper will travel to Addington for the New Zealand Cup heats (November 5). I’ll also be taking Thrilling Muse south for the New Zealand Stayers Cup heats. I’m looking forward to it”
The Katcha Jordana syndicate will be represented by three Craik prepared sprinters in the feature $7,500 Spring Championship Sprint (Race 11).
The sharp sprinter Quintessential, who has won 13 of his 22 318m sprints, spearheads their prospects with Roberts saying. “He’s an incredibly quick sprinter. I believe he can win on Sunday, although you have to respect Partland Mark and Portland Andy”
A pair of promising young sprinters Wu Tang and Honcho will also contest the 318m dash for the syndicate.
“I think Wu Tang has found himself in open class sprinting too soon. He has ability, but he needs time. He is a genuine C5 sprinter in the making.
“That was a really good C4 318m win (18.61) that Honcho delivered last Sunday. He will become another good C5 sprinter in time,” suggested Roberts.
And Lozell will be represented by Opawa Taz in the other $7,500 Spring Championship Blossom feature 318m sprint (Race 9).
“She is a great chance as she has good box speed. She’s improving and I really like her for Sunday,” confirmed her trainer.
Let’s leave the last words to John Roberts. “We are looking forward to a really good Sunday meeting with competitive racing.”
Starter Cornelia Ricthmann will release the first field at 1.17pm.
