Star sprinter Buffering worked strongly between races on Wednesday as he heads towards a unique treble during the winter carnival. When nominations closed on Wednesday, Buffering was entered for all three Brisbane Group One sprints, the BTC Cup (1200m) on May 10, the Doomben 10,000 (1350m) on May 24 and… Read More »
Caloundra trainer Troy Hall vowed not to push two-year-old filly Rosella too hard despite her record-breaking win at Eagle Farm on Wednesday. Sent out favourite, Rosella ($2.30) lived up to her impressive trial two weeks ago when she won the Drumbeats @ Lyndhurst Maiden. She posted 1min11.2secs for the 1200m,… Read More »
The Matthew Dale-trained Unanimously will join a select band of horses if the talented sprinter can make it back-to-back wins in the Wagga Town Plate (1200m). Only three horses – Grafteline (1907-08), Prince Wal (1972-73) and Prince Morgan (1974-75) have made it successive victories. Two others – Burmonga (1963-65) and… Read More »
Akzar improving on last year’s Warrnambool Cup result could be one of the few sure things of the three-day May carnival. Akzar finished 18 lengths from Banca Mo when 13th in 2013 but the gelding has undergone an amazing transformation since joining the Darren Weir stable. Weir became the seven-year-old’s… Read More »
Wicked Strong has a built-in fan base for the Kentucky Derby. The entire city of Boston. The colt named in honor of the victims of last year’s Boston Marathon bombings will be among the favorites for Saturday’s race. He’s got the credentials, having impressively won the Wood Memorial at 9-1… Read More »
John Gosden admits 2000 Guineas favourite Kingman will have to be at his best to win the Classic which is stacked with quality contenders. Kingman assumed favouritism following his startling display in the Greenham Stakes at Newbury, the Khalid Abdullah-owned colt is aiming to give Gosden his first win in… Read More »
The Darren Weir-trained Shiny Buttons has stormed into contention for Thursday’s Warrnambool Cup with a convincing win on the first of three days of racing at the country Victorian track. Shiny Buttons firmed from $12 to $5 for the $200,000 Warrnambool Cup (2350m) after powering through the heavy conditions to… Read More »
Brad McLean will relish the chance to win a Warrnambool feature on his favourite horse in Wednesday’s Galleywood Hurdle. McLean will team up with Maythehorsebemagic for the sixth time in the $100,000 race after winning three races on the jumper. Maythehorsebemagic carried McLean to victories in last year’s JJ Houlahan… Read More »
Palmero had hearts in mouths before he scored an all-the-way win in Tuesday’s Brierly Steeplechase at Warrnambool. Palmero went to the front after jumping the first obstacle and was never headed despite putting in three awkward leaps on the second lap. The gelding’s jockey Steven Pateman blamed himself for Palmero’s… Read More »
Don’t Get Excited is proven in the wet. But trainer Stephen Theodore concedes a real heavy surface would be a query going into the $150,000 Wangoom Handicap at Warrnambool on Wednesday in Don’t Get Excited’s return from a let-up. Theodore has targeted the feature country Victorian sprint with Don’t Get… Read More »
Tuscan Fire spent his spring running in some of Melbourne’s biggest races but the sights have been lowered as the gelding prepares to start an off-season campaign at Caulfield. The seven-year-old failed to figure in any of his three Group One appearances during a seven-start spring campaign, including his 12th… Read More »
Kathy O’Hara has been given a late autumn carnival opportunity with confirmation she will ride Estonian Princess in the Hawkesbury Guineas. Estonian Princess will back up after winning the JHB Carr Stakes at Randwick on Saturday when Brenton Avdulla had the mount. But with Avdulla riding the Anthony Cummings-trained Spy… Read More »
Mick Kent ran his eye over the filly Scratchy Bottom at trackwork in Adelaide on Tuesday before giving her the green light to take on the boys in the Group One South Australian Derby. Scratchy Bottom, a fast-finishing third behind May’s Dream in last Saturday’s Australasian Oaks, is the only… Read More »
Smart filly Kalabek earned a Queensland campaign with an impressive trackwork gallop on Tuesday morning. Kalabek scored an exciting win at Caulfield on Easter Monday and trainer Brent Stanley has now decided to test the two-year-old during the Brisbane winter carnival. The filly is nominated for Saturday’s Listed Redoute’s Choice… Read More »
Tim Donnelly has been left making plans for a consolation Sydney win with Jo Jo Girl after the in-form mare couldn’t force her way into the Wagga Wagga Gold Cup field. One of the most consistent and genuine bush horses in training, Jo Jo Girl was made a first reserve… Read More »
Gai Waterhouse was never going to make anything but a headline-grabbing entrance into her first Warrnambool May carnival as a jumps trainer. The champion Sydney trainer creates a splash wherever she goes and her charge Tenby Lady provided connections and her supporters with plenty of thrills in the Callaghan Motors… Read More »
Veteran jockey David Walsh has ridden more winners than any New Zealander, breaking Lance O’Sullivan’s record when he guided Willy Duggan to victory in Sunday’s Marlborough Cup in Blenheim. It was his 2360th victory in New Zealand, bettering the mark set by O’Sullivan who retired in 2003. Walsh, 54, is… Read More »
The Mackay Turf Club is likely to retain its position as a TAB track despite having been found to be trading insolvent. Racing Queensland chairman Kevin Dixon outlined the club’s plight in a media briefing on Monday. Dixon said at this stage it was believed the Mackay club was $300,000… Read More »
A wet track will not stop exciting filly Kalabek stepping out in Saturday’s Listed Redoute’s Choice Stakes at Caulfield. Kalabek won a trial impressively at Cranbourne before scoring a dominant win on debut at Caulfield on Easter Monday to convince trainer Brent Stanley to look at a stakes target. Stanley… Read More »
New stable acquisition Keep Cool has pleased Joe Pride with his second in a Warwick Farm barrier trial but he admits he is asking him to take a big step in the Hawkesbury Cup. Formerly trained by Danny O’Brien in Melbourne, the Nick Moraitis-owned gelding has mixed his form down… Read More »
