The decision to geld well-bred galloper Fortification paid off when he charged home to win the Anzac Day Handicap at Eagle Farm. Fortification was originally trained by Gwenda Markwell at Kembla Grange but has been with Bryan and Dan Guy partnership on the Gold Coast for this campaign. There had… Read More »
Trainer Terry O’Sullivan and his former apprentice Brett Prebble have wound the clock back with an emotional win in the Sires’ Produce Stakes at Flemington. The victory of Lunar Fox in Saturday’s Group Two race brought back memories of the pair’s triumph with Winestock in the 2003. Prebble rose high… Read More »
Apprentice Aiden Thompson continued his great association with in-form The Kingdom and maintained his terrific run of overall success at Eagle Farm. Thompson rode his first metropolitan Saturday winner on The Kingdom at Eagle Farm on January 18 and has now added another 15 city wins to his record. Despite… Read More »
Champion trainer David Hayes has Golden Slipper ambitions for unbeaten Minhaaj. Minhaaj ($3.20) backed up an easy debut win at Bendigo with another dominant performance at Flemington on Saturday, winning the Group Three TBV Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes (1200m) for two-year-old fillies by 4-/1-2-lengths. Favourite Muntaseera ($2), who had finished fifth… Read More »
Trainer Joe Pride was a nervous wreck but he was feeling a lot better after Fasika raced away with her maiden Group success. The promising mare justified her $2.30 favouritism, bounding clear to take out Saturday’s Wenona Girl Quality (1200m) at Randwick by a length over I Am Excited ($10)… Read More »
Fiona McIntyre’s work in re-training and re-homing retired racehorses, including two of the late Bart Cummings’ former stars, has been recognised with the Lady Of Racing Award. The annual award announced on Friday in Melbourne is run by The Victorian Wakeful Club in partnership with Racing Victoria. McIntyre retains several… Read More »
Kris Lees has not ruled out a Doncaster Mile tilt for Special Reward after he led home a trifecta for the local trainers in the Group Three Newcastle Newmarket. Brenton Avdulla settled the $3.40 favourite behind the two leaders and he cruised up to them before sprinting clear to win… Read More »
Deprive will put his unbeaten record at Randwick on the line when he takes on some of Australia’s best sprinters in the Challenge Stakes at Randwick. The five-year-old has enjoyed an incredible affinity with the track, racing at Randwick six times for as many wins, highlighted by a brace of… Read More »
Joe Pride is feeling the butterflies ahead of Fasika’s return at Randwick and he has learned from past experience that is a good sign. The trainer of retired dual Group One winner Terravista, Pride becomes anxious every time his high-class horses race and Fasika, who resumes in the Group Three… Read More »
Greysful Glamour is the Sydney mare with the knack for winning in Melbourne. And her trainer Mark Newnham believes the four-year-old shapes as a strong winning hope again when she tackles the Group Three Schweppervescence Trophy (1600m) for fillies and mares at Flemington on Saturday. Greysful Glamour has won four… Read More »
Wayne Hawkes has always held All Too Hard in high esteem and is using that horse as a yardstick for a two-year-old relative in his care. Ole Kirk, a close relation of All Too Hard, was successful on debut in the Talindert Stakes (1100m) at Flemington and runs at that… Read More »
Kerrin McEvoy will test two youngsters from the Snowden yard as Golden Slipper rides when he links with Reisling Stakes favourite Dame Giselle and emerging colt Barbaric. With the scratching on Friday of Cellsabeel because of lameness, the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained Dame Giselle is the clear-cut favourite for Saturday’s… Read More »
NEWMARKET HANDICAP Run at Flemington over 1200m, $1.25 million, handicap HISTORY * First run in 1874 when won by Maid Of Avenel NOTABLE WINNERS * Malua (1884); Wakeful (1901); Gothic (1927-28); Aurie’s Star (1937); Bernborough (1946); Correct (1960-61); Century (1973); Maybe Mahal (1978); Placid Ark (1987); Shaftesbury Avenue (1991); Schillaci… Read More »
AUSTRALIAN CUP Run at Flemington over 2000m, $1.5 million, weight-for-age HISTORY * First run in 1863 when won by Barwon * Weight-for-age since 1979 except for 1982-86. 1863-1942 run over 18 furlongs, 1943-62 over 17 furlongs 110 yards, 1963 over 14 furlongs, since 1964 been run at 10 furlongs (2000m)… Read More »
Blue Diamond Stakes winner Tagaloa is in Sydney with a decision pending whether he will run at Randwick. Tagaloa is scheduled to contest Saturday’s Group Two Todman Stakes (1200m) but the Sydney weather will determine whether he takes his place. Trent Busuttin, who trains Tagaloa in partnership with Natalie Young,… Read More »
Having confirmed himself as a staying star in the spring handicaps, Melbourne Cup winner Vow And Declare gets an opportunity to become a weight-for-age force. Vow And Declare makes his weight-for-age debut in Saturday’s Group One Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington, his first start since winning the Melbourne Cup (3200m)… Read More »
Owner George Altomonte has given the green light to test quality colt Standout on a wet track in the Group One Canterbury Stakes at Randwick. Trainer Gerald Ryan flagged the possibility the colt might not run if the track was heavy but following a discussion with long-time stable supporter Altomonte… Read More »
A week after celebrating a stakes double on the Australian Guineas program, trainer Greg Eurell will try to do likewise with two runners on another of Flemington’s major race days. The Eurell-trained two-year-old colt Ilovemyself won a Listed 1000m race on debut at Flemington last Saturday with five-year-old gelding Blazejowski… Read More »
Trainer Anthony Freedman might yet foil the triple crown hopes of Sydney’s brightest three-year-olds despite losing early Randwick Guineas favourite Super Seth with an elevated temperature. The scratching of the Caulfield Guineas winner on Wednesday still leaves Freedman represented by Warning. And the stable is confident the Victoria Derby winner… Read More »
The Hawkes stable will send out two valuable stallion prospects in one of Australia’s premier sprint races at Flemington. Three-year-old Exceedance and four-year-old Trope run in Saturday’s Newmarket Handicap (1200m) chasing a Group One win which would enhance their futures at stud. Trope is yet to score at the highest… Read More »
