Stylish Maiden Win for Life Of Riley (NZ)

14 August 2025

It was a case of third time lucky for Pencarrow mare Life Of Riley (NZ) (Turn Me Loose), who opened her winning account in style in the $17,000 Entain/NZB Insurance Pearl Series (1400m) at Rotorua on Wednesday.

The five-year-old mare left maiden ranks at her third attempt, having finished second on debut at Matamata in April and then third at the same venue in May.

The Steven Ramsay and Julia Ritchie-trained Life Of Riley was among the favourites for Wednesday’s race at $3.30, and she was given a comfortable run in midfield by last season’s champion jockey Craig Grylls.

Grylls got his mount up and rolling out wide down the side of the Rotorua track, swooping around the outside of the field to hit the lead as she rounded the home corner.

Life Of Riley kicked away in the straight and kept up a strong gallop to the finish line. She went on to win by a length and a quarter from Maria Martina (NZ) (Preferment).

From a promising three-start career, Life Of Riley has recorded a win, a second and a third for total earnings of $14,110. She then secured the $22,000 Entain/NZB Insurance Pearl Series bonus on the day. She was bred by Pencarrow Thoroughbreds Ltd and is raced by Sir Peter Vela.

Ramsay and Ritchie have now had two winners from only three starters in the 2025-26 season, taking the overall total for their partnership to 196 wins.

Life Of Riley is by Turn Me Loose (NZ), who is a son of the Pencarrow mare Indomitable (NZ) (Danehill). Himself a triple Group One winner of the New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m), Cantala Stakes (1600m) and Futurity Stakes (1400m), the Windsor Park Stud stallion has sired 111 winners from 224 runners including eight individual black-type winners.

The dam of Life Of Riley is Persuasive (NZ) (Darci Brahma), who showed real talent on the racetrack with five wins from 26 starts in the Pencarrow colours. She is a granddaughter of the multiple Group winner and 2000 NZB Filly of the Year Sarwatch (NZ) (Jetball).

Persuasive is now the dam of two winners from three foals to race, with Life Of Riley’s half-sister Powerofpersuasion (NZ) (Ten Sovereigns) recording a win and a fifth placing from her first two starts earlier in the year. That talented four-year-old is set to resume at New Plymouth this Saturday.

Persuasive produced colt foals by Nicconi in 2023 and Eminent in 2024.

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Riley Ready to Live it Up at Rotorua

13 Aug 2025

The well-related Life Of Riley is forward enough for a bold bid at a deserved victory when she returns to action at Rotorua.

The daughter of Turn Me Loose has required patient handling and will attempt to break her maiden at her third appearance when she runs in Wednesday’s Entain/NZB Insurance Pearl Series Race (1400m).

Meanwhile, the team’s top-rated performer Island Life has begun her build-up toward her four-year-old campaign.

Winning Start to Season for Sesimbra (NZ)

11 Aug 2025

Pencarrow’s Sesimbra (NZ) (U S Navy Flag) was a stakes performer as a three-year-old last season, and she kicked off her four-year-old campaign on a winning note in Friday’s $17,000 TCL Earthworks (970m) at Cambridge.

The Rating 67 sprint was the third win of an eight-start career for Sesimbra, who has placed on another two occasions including a second to Pivotal Ten (NZ) (Ten Sovereigns) in the Listed Southland Guineas (1400m) in February. Sesimbra has so far earned $70,695 in stakes.

The dam of Sesimbra is the unraced Aveiro (NZ) (O’Reilly).

Aveiro is the dam of two winners from two foals to race. Sesimbra’s year-older half-sister Arcachon (NZ) (Pierro) was won once from a three-start career to date.

Aveiro foaled a colt by All Too Hard in 2023 and a filly by Staphanos in 2024. She was subsequently served by New Zealand’s leading first-season sire of 2024-25, Hello Youmzain.

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