Last year’s Group 1 South Australian Derby champion Dunkel, has likely run his last race. The accomplished stayer sustained an injury during the Listed Roy Higgins race at Flemington last Saturday, where he finished behind Kiwi stayer Mark Twain. Jockey Billy Egan exercised caution, slowing Dunkel down in the final… Read More »
A frustrating run of false starts came to a successful end for trainer Greg Eurell as three-year-old Icarus ($16) scored an impressive win in class record time at Sandown. In Greek mythology, Icarus perished when he flew too close to the sun but for the equine equivalent, Eurell was just pleased… Read More »
Following the retirement of multiple Group 1 winner Zaaki, Annabel Neasham is looking to her next generation of carnival horses to step up to the plate, among them Light Fingers Stakes runner-up Learning To Fly. One of the best two-year-olds of her generation, the Justify filly spent nearly a year on… Read More »
An extra seven days between racing and the hope of a better weather forecast has led co-trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood to look to the Australian Oaks on the second day of The Championships rather than backing up in the ATC Australian Derby this Saturday. The three-year-old filly by Cox… Read More »
After an aborted spring campaign, trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr are looking forward to seeing Globe back on the racetrack. That will come on Saturday in the Group 3 Victoria Handicap (1400m) at Caulfield. A winner of his first four starts, Globe was thrown into the deep end in… Read More »
Star New Zealand mare Imperatriz will be kept to her pre-race routine in Melbourne before travelling to Sydney for the opening day of The Championships. The Mark Walker-trained mare will have her last piece of work at Cranbourne on Tuesday before being floated to Sydney on Thursday night to run in… Read More »
Another Wil has emerged as the new favorite for the upcoming Group 1 Doncaster Handicap at Randwick following his impressive performance in the Prelude at Rosehill. Securing his spot in the field with a dominant win, Another Wil has seen a remarkable shift in his betting odds, now priced at… Read More »
American author Mark Twain wrote of the Melbourne Cup nearly 140 years ago and a horse of the same name could write his own piece of history after a stunning victory at Flemington. New Zealand-trained Mark Twain came from near last in The Roy Higgins (2600m) on Saturday to claim a… Read More »
A last-minute decision to pay up for Kalapour in the Tancred Stakes has yielded the ultimate reward for Kris Lees with the Newcastle trainer landing his first Group One win in combination with stable apprentice Dylan Gibbons. Sent out a $31 outsider with betting apps, Kalapour stalked the speed and quickly accounted… Read More »
Trainer James Cummings and jockey Ben Melham have combined to claim back-to-back victories in the Australian Cup at Flemington. Like he did 12 months ago, Godolphin galloper Cascadian backed up from a placing in the All-Star Mile (1600m) to claim to the Group 1 2000m weight-for-age contest on Saturday. Cascadian ($7.50) wore down… Read More »
Star New Zealand filly Orchestral has lived up to the hype with victory in the Group One Vinery Stud Stakes, but not before Nash Rawiller almost pulled off the ride of the carnival on a rival runner. Rawiller took off on Tutta La Vita near the 600m, sooling her to the front… Read More »
Estriella stamped herself a filly of class with an all-the-way at Flemington and in the process getting close to a long-standing track record. The Ciaron Maher-trained filly took out the Listed Sunlight Classic (1100m) on Saturday and went within 0.16 seconds of the track record set by Loveyamadly in 2013. Sent… Read More »
Connections of Wymark will pay the $44,000 late entry to fee to run in next weekend’s Australian Derby after the up-and-coming gelding collected his fourth successive win in the Group 2 Tulloch Stakes at Rosehill. The three-year-old has been a revelation this autumn, not least of all for his trainer Michael… Read More »
John O’Shea has confirmed Group 3 Baillieu winner Linebacker will bypass the ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes and progress straight to the final leg of the two-year-old triple crown. The emerging colt made it two wins from as many starts with a determined effort in Saturday’s 1400m contest, trailing leader Anode throughout and wearing… Read More »
Trainer Justine Erkelens admits she’s experiencing a mix of nervousness and excitement, but it’s a position she’s been in before and knows only too well. Justine Erkelens will be chasing the second Group 3 victory of her career when star filly Own The Queen looks set to continue her dominance in the… Read More »
Nine-year-old top-level weight-for-age performer Zaaki has been retired from racing after a 48-start career and amassing more than $11 million in prizemoney. Annabel Neasham made the announcement on Friday praising the gelding who she attributes as a catalyst to her own success overall as a trainer. “It is a bittersweet day… Read More »
A chance for redemption after finishing outside of the placings in the Golden Slipper will go be the wayside as talented two-year-old Switzerland will undergo surgery to remove bone chips. Trainer Chris Waller announced on Friday that the valuable Coolmore-owned colt will forgo the remainder of his two-year-old season to remove the… Read More »
With three wins in six starts plus a minor placing on debut, three-year-old Hedged has done just about everything asked of him by co-trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr. The last start track and distance winner takes on his biggest challenge to-date in the $500,000 Listed Sunlight Classic (1100m) at Flemington… Read More »
Boom colt Switzerland will undergo surgery to remove a small chip in his fetlock. Switzerland who finished 8th in the Golden Slipper on the weekend will require surgery before racing again after a post race scan uncovered a chip in the horses fetlock. Trainer Chris Waller announced the news on… Read More »
Legarto is a horse that veteran trainer Ken Kelso says is flying under the radar as the likes of Mr Brightside and Pride Of Jenni dominate the spotlight towards the Australian Cup on Saturday. Not that Kelso minds as the 2023 Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) winner returns to Flemington less talked about… Read More »
