Last year’s Queensland Derby winner Magicool is beginning the long road to defy recent history and make a fist of his career. Magicool was trained by Mark Kavanagh when he won the three-year-old Classic last year. He finished near the tail of the field in five Group One races last… Read More »
Stephen Baster plans to take Awesome Rock to the front in the 2016 Cox Plate even though he knows he is being chased by a champion and potential champion. All the talk in the lead-up to Saturday’s weight-for-age contest at Moonee Valley has been around the two favourites, Winx and… Read More »
The conditions of the Group Two Fillies Classic and the way I Am A Star has come through her Thousand Guineas second has trainer Shane Nichols upbeat about her chances at Moonee Valley. I Am A Star went close to giving Nichols his first Group One win when she loomed… Read More »
Winx’s trainer Chris Waller talks about the unique pressure of the WS Cox Plate at Moonee Valley. PRE-RACE: “The time they leave the mounting yard, it’s a small, confined area and it’s like they’re stepping out amongst a big stage of people and that atmosphere grabs the horses. The horses… Read More »
For all the meticulous planning that goes into horse races, Cox Plate-winning jockey Darren Beadman believes instinct is the crucial attribute to winning the weight-for-age championship. Beadman, who won the race in 1996 on Saintly, said the pressure of any Cox Plate is heightened by the unique Moonee Valley course…. Read More »
Caloundra filly Royal Myth is set to erase memories of her disastrous first start and confirm her rating as one of the best juveniles in Queensland. Royal Myth ran third in her debut at Doomben three weeks ago and trainer John Zielke said he couldn’t remember having a horse in… Read More »
The Coolmore Stud Stakes is shaping as one of the races of the spring and some leading contenders including Extreme Choice have impressed in a star-studded jump-out at Flemington. Group One winners Extreme Choice and Astern were among the big names in an 800m straight-track heat on Friday morning,. Extreme… Read More »
While the laid-back country life suits some, Group One-placegetter Man Of Choice’s penchant for relaxation has the capacity to blunt his professionalism. But a move to on-course stables at Kembla Grange has switched him on ahead of Saturday’s Schweppes Handicap (1400m) at Randwick, according to trainer Luke Price. Price is… Read More »
Nick Heywood had hardly ridden a horse when he surprised his dad, Wagga Wagga trainer Chris Heywood, with the news he wanted to be a jockey. “I have been around horses all my life and all of a sudden he has popped out and said ‘I want to be a… Read More »
In-form trainer Toby Edmonds is as much in the dark as anyone about whether La Spiagga will run a strong 2200 metres at Eagle Farm. La Spiagga has been in top form with an Eagle Farm third at 1800m in between Doomben wins at 2000m and 2020m at his past… Read More »
Former Melbourne boy Brenton Avdulla enjoys getting back to home base at spring carnival time. Above all else he loves to ride in feature races. Avdulla will be at Moonee Valley on Saturday to partner Happy Clapper in the 2016 Cox Plate for his second ride in the race. He finished… Read More »
Mark Zahra has been confirmed as the rider for French horse Vadamos in the Cox Plate 2016 with Joao Moreira grounded in Hong Kong because of a typhoon. Jockeys Sam Clipperton and Moreira were barred from travelling to Melbourne this weekend amid Hong Kong stewards’ concerns the jockeys may not… Read More »
Dual Group One-winning Colt Extreme Choice has impressed his trainer Mick Price with a narrow win a star-studded jump-out at Flemington. Price took the recent Moir Stakes winner to Flemington on Friday morning to get a look at the straight course in preparation for Saturday week’s Group One Coolmore Stud… Read More »
Mark Zahra is expected to be confirmed as the rider of French horse Vadamos in the Cox Plate with Joao Moreira grounded in Hong Kong because of a typhoon. Zahra has already picked up the ride on English in Friday night’s Manikato Stakes with Sam Clipperton also barred from leaving… Read More »
Cox Plate day won’t feel the same without Happy Trails. On Saturday nine-year-old Happy Trails will make his seventh, and most likely last, visit to Moonee Valley to run at the 2016 Cox Plate meeting. The South Australian veteran contests his fifth consecutive Cox Plate after lining up in support… Read More »
Owner John Camilleri is expected to announce that Mark Zahra will take the ride on board Vadamos in the 2016 Cox Plate. Plans for Joao Moreira to take the ride were thrown in to turmoil earlier today when Typhoon Haima prevented the jockey to leave Hong Kong. Damien Oliver was… Read More »
Trainer Ciaron Maher has recommended that connections of Group One winning mare Set Square retire the galloper immediately. Veterinary reports have shown that the 2014 Crown Oaks winner has a stress fracture. She was due to run in last weekends Caulfield Cup until stewards found her to be stepping short… Read More »
Removing Takewing’s blinkers could prove the difference between the horse’s honest efforts and winning, according to trainer Jason Coyle. “He doesn’t win often but he’s quite consistent,” Coyle told AAP. Coyle will make the gear change as the six-year-old gets his chance to win his fourth race at his 23rd… Read More »
Standing at the side of the pool with her head held high, Jameka rushes into the water to take a well-deserved afternoon swim at Caulfield. It is the end of a long day for the four-year-old mare who is the second favourite for the Melbourne Cup on November 1. “She… Read More »
Trainer Chris Waller will put blnkers on two-year-old Luiza believing they will help the filly when she has her first Melbourne start at Moonee Valley. Luiza made a winning debut at Randwick in Sydney on October 8 and is the early favourite for Saturday’s $250,000 Inglis Banner (1100m) for juveniles…. Read More »
