Champion sprinter Chautauqua’s career is at a crossroads after he again refused to leave the gates in a barrier trial. The three-time TJ Smith Stakes winner was at the Cranbourne trials on Monday after refusing to jump in two trials at Randwick on February 27 and one at Rosehill on… Read More »
Stephen Baster will ride Enbihaar in the Golden Slipper after having the dates of a careless riding suspension incurred on his original mount changed. Baster was outed for shifting in aboard Setsuna at the 800m in Saturday’s Magic Night Stakes and was to start the ban on Monday. In another… Read More »
The erratic Suncraze is now equal favourite for the $500,000 Country Championship after his last-stride win in the qualifying heat at Scone. Trained by Melanie O’Gorman, Suncraze was the $1.90 favourite for Sunday’s $150,000 race over 1400m but looked as if he might have left his run too late to… Read More »
After witnessing Sunlight and Written By rubberstamp their Golden Slipper credentials, Adrian Bott is happy with a more relaxed build-up for Santos. The Golden Slipper frontrunners face a seven-day back-up into the $3.5 million Golden Slipper at Rosehill on Saturday, while Santos has been working away quietly since winning the… Read More »
A light autumn campaign is the plan for stayer Vengeur Masque before attention turns to the spring and a crack at the Melbourne Cup. Vengeur Masque has narrowly missed out on a Melbourne Cup start twice but still made his mark last spring in Victoria by winning the Group Three… Read More »
Trainer Aaron Purcell will soon be back at Warrnambool full-time but is keeping his options open for the future. Purcell stepped in to take over Ciaron Maher’s large team of horses and staff at Caulfield when Maher was suspended for six months last spring. He has continued to operate his… Read More »
Brisbane’s jockey ranks are set to be boosted with Jim Orman close to a comeback from injury and Lee Magorrian to take more rides in coming weeks. Orman hopes to be back riding in races late this week after 2-1/2 months on the sidelines with injury. He suffered a fracture… Read More »
Savvy Coup has been promoted in markets on the Australian Oaks following her victory in the New Zealand equivalent. Trained by Michael and Matthew Pittman, Savvy Coup won Saturday’s New Zealand Oaks at Trentham to join NZ Derby placegetter Danzdanzdance on the second line of betting at $8 for the… Read More »
Snitz is likely to run in a barrier at the Gold Coast rather than a race at Doomben in preparation for the NSW Country Championship final. The Matt Dunn-trained three-year-old is one of the leading contenders for the $500,00 final at Randwick on April 7. The gelding qualified for the… Read More »
Chautauqua will take the first step towards another start in the TJ Smith Stakes when he trials at Cranbourne. The 800m-test on Monday is the first of two trials the three-time TJ Smith winner needs to complete before he is eligible to race again. The Hawkes Racing-trained gelding stayed in… Read More »
Queensland jockeys Wayne O’Connell and Shannon Apthorpe have been disqualified after testing positive to cannabis at a Toowoomba race meeting. O’Connell and Apthorpe mainly ride at provincial and country meetings in south east Queensland. The charges were the result of Queensland Racing Integrity Commission no-notice race day testing at Toowoomba… Read More »
Trainer Tony Gollan has won his third Listed Goldmarket with Raido, a horse he was close to sacking three months ago. Raido ($31) stormed home to give apprentice Matt McGillivray his second long-shot feature winner of the day and beat Malvern Estate ($5) by head with a short neck to… Read More »
Glyn Schofield will sit out the rest of the Golden Slipper carnival but has left Rosehill with a treble. Schofield rode Multifacets and Peacock to win benchmark races on Saturday’s program and claimed the Listed Sky High Stakes on Auvray. The jockey was outed for careless riding in last Saturday’s… Read More »
A decision to dodge the Group Two Blamey Stakes with Sovereign Nation has been rewarded with a narrow win in the March Stakes at Flemington. The Lindsay Park stable had Sovereign Nation, and also Seaburge, nominated for both races on Saturday’s program but elected to run the pair in the… Read More »
Soho Ruby has been a career-defining horse for trainer Levi Kavanagh. The now four-year-old provided the trainer with his first winner along and his first city success. On Saturday at Flemington, Soho Ruby took out The Curragh Racecourse Handicap (1600m) to land her fifth win from 20 starts. Providing Ben… Read More »
Trainer Liam Birchley put a tumultuous month behind him to win the $125,000 Jewel 3YO with Sista Act at the Gold Coast. Birchley has been embroiled in the Aquanita scandal and has stood aside from nominating horses in Victoria. Stewards have also refused to accept his nominations in NSW which… Read More »
Jockey Matt McGillivray erased memories of the worst day of his career when he led all the way to land Boomsara in the $250,000 2YO Jewel at the Gold Coast. The last time McGillivray rode a horse from an outside barrier in a big Gold Coast race it was the… Read More »
Leading trainer Darren Weir had mixed feelings after Humidor won the Blamey Stakes at Flemington. While delighted with victory at Group Two level, he was perplexed with the flop of $2.40 favourite Tosen Stardom in the 1600m race. “It’s great for the connections of the winner but not so good… Read More »
Unforgotten has risen to prominence again after shrugging off cardiac arrhythmia to snatch a narrow victory in the Group Two Phar Lap Stakes at Rosehill. The Chris Waller-trained three-year-old filly is back on track for a tilt at the ATC Australian Oaks after she was only confirmed to run in… Read More »
Chloe Esposito has enjoyed an Australian sojourn with a visit to Rosehill racecourse before she flies back to Hungary to continue World Championship preparations. The Olympic champion helped judge a fashion competition trackside on Ladies Day and said the break from training had been refreshing. “It was so exciting to… Read More »
