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Full Noise by SN
Important update on 1476AMCampbell duo in line for stakes assignments
Paul Vettise, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk • April 20th, 2026 3:29 pm
Riverplate winning at Wanganui on Saturday | Photo: Jane Davidson (Race Images)
Andrew Campbell is eyeing off black type events with two members of his stable in the coming week.
The Otaki trainer has Friday’s Listed Manawatu ITM Anzac Mile (1600m) at Otaki in mind for comeback wonder Riverplate, while Hayworth will run in the Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Warstep Stakes (2000m) a day later at Riccarton, travel and track conditions permitting.
Riverplate won for the second time since an unlikely return to racing when he was successful in an open sprint at Wanganui on Saturday following a Rating 75 victory at Trentham last month.
“It’s been very satisfying, he’s a grouse old horse and was retired for a while,” Campbell said.
“We brought him back from Australia and gave him a few gallops and then put a hole in his suspensory, so we decided to pull pin on him.”
The Flying Artie eight-year-old subsequently relocated to Libby and Sam Bleakley’s Highden Park.
“He was going to be one of the kids’ ponies and after about eight months Libby rang me and said we should get him scanned again, he’s running around like a two-year-old,” Campbell said.
“We did that and it was as clean as a whistle, so I put the syndicate back together to have a bit of fun.
“I take him to the beach a lot and he loves it, he hasn’t looked back so I’ve nominated him for Friday.
“We’ll keep him going for as long as he’s enjoying it and we’re all enjoying the ride as well.”
Riverplate began his career with Campbell before he joined the Victorian stable of Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young.
He won four races at Sandown for them and one at Murray Bridge from Michael Hickmott’s South Australian operation before returning home.
Meanwhile, Campbell is keen to send Ace High filly Hayworth south in search of black type.
“If she can get across the Cook Strait, they’re not travelling until Wednesday at this stage, and the track’s okay, she’ll head down there,” he said.
Hayworth broke her maiden at Tauherenikau two runs back and then finished a brave seventh behind La Diem, runner-up in Saturday’s Gr.3 Championship Stakes (2100m), at Ellerslie.
“She was a bit unlucky last start, she finished four and a-half lengths off them when she sat three wide the whole way and that’s been a good form race,” Campbell said.
