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Live sport on SN this weekendRangiora trainers hoping to match past deeds in Canterbury Belle
Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk • September 11th, 2026 1:28 pm
Matchmaker winning the 2020 edition of the Listed NZB Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) | Photo: Race Images South
Nick Wigley and Kayla Milnes scored a sentimental victory with Matchmaker in the Listed NZB Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) six years ago, and they are hoping to replicate that feat in this year’s edition.
The Canterbury Belle had been in Wigley’s sights for some time, with the Canterbury horseman having bred and raced the race’s namesake, while Matchmaker’s victory gave Milnes her first stakes win as a trainer.
“She was a thrill to have in the stable and it was extremely satisfying,” Milnes said. “Nick had the Canterbury Belle on the bucket list for a wee while because he had Canterbury Belle himself, so to win that was extremely satisfying and rewarding for the whole team.”
Matchmaker was bred and initially raced by Wigley’s son and daughter-in-law, Gus and Bianca Wigley, under the family’s Inglewood Stud banner, before a half share was sold to Manoj Wanzare.
She subsequently placed in the Gr.3 Barneswood Farm Stakes 1400m) before continuing her racing career in Australia under leading Sydney trainer Chris Waller, for whom she won the Gr.3 P J Bell Stakes (1200m).
At the conclusion of her racing career, Matchmaker was offered for sale as a broodmare prospect at the 2022 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale, where she was purchased by Dermot Farrington Bloodstock for A$425,000.
Matchmaker has had three foals to date and is currently in foal to Hitotsu.
While enjoying following Matchmakers career as a broodmare, Wigley and Milnes attention is now on trying to double their tally in the Canterbury Belle Stakes on Saturday with their promising filly Luminosity.
Another product of Inglewood Stud, the daughter of Too Darn Hot showed her handlers plenty as a juvenile last season when finishing runner-up on debut to subsequent Group Three performer Out Of The Blue. However, her season was curtailed and Wigley and Milnes shifted their focus to her three-year-old term.
“We got stuck into her pretty early because we were wanting to have a crack at the Karaka Millions, and she was the perfect horse to do it, but unfortunately she kept going shin sore on us,” Milnes said.
“That’s why she had that first-up run and was ready to go but then she went shin sore and had to go back to the paddock.
“Hopefully she is all good to go as a three-year-old. She is a really typical Too Darn Hot, she is just full of muscle and loves her work. She is a nice horse to train.”
Luminosity resumed with a sixth placing over 1000m last month at Riccarton, but Milnes said she didn’t appreciate the Heavy8 track conditions, and she is concerned heading into the weekend, with Riccarton rated a Heavy10 on Friday morning.
“I am a little worried about the track, it will probably be a Heavy10,” she said. “I think she is going to appreciate a firmer track, so that is not ideal, but I am really happy with how she has come through the race and she is working up a treat.
“It will be nice to try and win it (Canterbury Belle) again, but it is a very competitive field so we will just see how we go.”
The Gr.1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) remains Luminosity’s main objective this spring, but Milnes said they will let the dust settle following Saturday’s run before deciding whether they continue down that path, and if so, which route they take.
“You are only three once, so we are always mapping those races out. You have got to dream,” she said.
“We will just see what happens on Saturday and we will make a plan after that. It is a wee bit hard with the tracks being softer, we aren’t going to get a true read on her ability I don’t think on Saturday.”
The stable will also line-up debut runner Shapeshifter in the Hawke’s Bay Racing East Coast Challenge Qualifier Maiden (1200m).
“She has been a nice horse coming through,” Milnes said. “The reason she has waited until she is four is the same thing with her shins. She has had a few setbacks in the early years, so we have just played the patient game with her.
“It is a very strong field so she will be doing it pretty tough, but she has got ability and she is a nice horse. I don’t think she will mind the slightly wetter track.”
Meanwhile, the stable is currently preparing a couple of juveniles for New Zealand Bloodstock’s Ready to Run Sale in November, and Milnes said she is enjoying the new challenge.
“We are branching out a bit and doing that ourselves this year. We are quite excited about that,” she said.
“We have got a nice Wild Ruler gelding (lot 319) and a Profondo filly (lot 449). They will head up north in a couple of weeks.
“They are all educated and ready to go. We just had Kane (Jones, sales manager) from New Zealand Bloodstock looking at the yearlings, so he had a quick look at the two-year-olds and thought they were really nice types.”
The breeze ups for the sale will take place at Te Rapa on October 12 and 13, with the two-day sale commencing at New Zealand Bloodstock’s Karaka Sales Complex on November 18.
