State of Origin III, 9pm tonight
Bourbon Proof lapping up beach lifestyle
Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk • July 8th, 2026 1:27 pm
Bourbon Proof will contest the Northpine Waipu Cup (1600m) at Ruakākā on Saturday | Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)
Life at the beach seems to be agreeing with Bourbon Proof, who has recently joined Michelle Bradley’s Ruakākā barn, and the son of Justify is set to make his stable debut for the Northland horsewoman at his new home track this weekend.
Formerly trained by Stephen Marsh, Bourbon Proof won two races for the Cambridge horseman, but he has struggled to find form of late and his connections decided a change of environment was in order, and they set their sights north to Bradley’s seaside operation.
“He is a nice horse and he has been here for a few weeks now,” Bradley said. “One of the owners came up with the idea to send him up and Stephen (Marsh) spoke with the rest of the owners, and they decided to try something new with him.
“He has come up here for a change of environment to try and get him back on his game. I am happy enough with him, he has been working really well.
“He has been down to the beach a bit and is heading down there again tomorrow (Thursday). He is settling in well.”
Saturday’s Northpine Waipu Cup (1600m) will be his first appearance for the stable, and Bradley is hoping she has him up to the mark, with the gelding having last raced over a mile at Te Rapa in May.
“It’s been a while between runs so hopefully I haven’t been too soft on him,” she said.
Bradley will be represented by a handful of other runners at her home meeting, the first at Ruakākā in six months, and Bradley said it has been a long time coming.
“It has been a while,” she said. “In the past we are racing May-June and this year we are waiting until July. It is a bit of a wait, but I am looking forward to it.
“There is no travel, which is fantastic, and I am just hoping they all perform well and it ends up being a nice, sunny day.”
Iridescent will be seeking back-to-back wins in the Whangarei/Toots ITM (1200m), having won over 1200m at Ellerslie last month, and Bradley is hopeful of a repeat performance.
“I am really happy with her,” Bradley said. “I could have run her prior to this race but I thought I would keep her fresh and run her here on her home track. She is bouncing, she is really well. I would like to think she will be right up there again.”
Three-year-old filly Watermelon Sugar has finished fifth in her last three outings and Bradley is hoping for an improved result this weekend in the Warkworth ITM (1200m).
“We just need a bit of luck,” Bradley said. “She has got a better barrier draw (5) and I am super happy with her, so hopefully Saturday is her day.”
Arabella and Dubai Rockin have both drawn wide in the 18 July – Racing Again @ Ruakaka (1200m), while seven-year-old gelding Bosch will contest the ITM/GIB Whangarei Gold Cup (2100m).
“Arabella hasn’t run for a while,” Bradley said. “I had a couple of niggly issues to work through with her and we are all sorted with that now.
“Dubai Rockin I am choosing to ride cold anyway, so the barrier draw doesn’t affect him too much.
“They will both improve with their runs.
“Bosch has got a nice weight (54kg) but he hasn’t drawn a good barrier for a number of starts now, which is quite frustrating. He loves his home track and we have just got to make a plan and see how we run.
“I am happy with him and he looks great.”
Meanwhile, Bradley said her smart juvenile She’s No Saint is coming up well, and she is being readied for next month’s Gr.3 Cambridge Stud Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m).
“She is really well, she is in work and she is going to have her first run along within the next week,” Bradley said. “She has grown a lot and is developing into a lovely filly.
“The Northland Breeders’ will be her first major assignment, she will have a run before then and we will go from there.”
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