As a two-year-old, Seeking Asylum won as many races as Vancouver although admittedly at a different level. Golden Slipper winner Vancouver was last night crowned the champion two-year-old of 2014/15 while Seeking Asylum has her own place high in the pecking order at Gary Portelli’s stable. The winner of four… Read More »
Making a comeback to riding after breaking his neck rates as Luke Price’s finest moment in racing. But he is adamant achieving a top-three result in the Spring Champion Stakes would be its equal as the young trainer prepares to send Man Of Choice into the Group One race at… Read More »
David Hayes was always going to have a soft spot for Stay With Me, a daughter of his favourite filly, the champion Miss Finland. The trainer also has a high opinion of Stay With Me’s talent and hopes she can prove herself at Group One level as soon as Saturday… Read More »
Hugh Bowman knows how to make an impact. At his first ride on Press Statement he won the Stan Fox Stakes, securing himself the prized mount on the colt in Saturday’s $1 million Caulfield Guineas. The only time he linked with Pasadena Girl he claimed the Group One Champagne Stakes,… Read More »
After Royal Descent’s heroic second in last Sunday’s VRC Turnbull Stakes 2000m G1, owner-breeder Gerry Harvey and his Racing Manager Claire Bird had a robust discussion about the next major target for the daughter of Redoute’s Choice. Claire’s preference was for the VRC Myer Classic G1, run over the metric… Read More »
Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien believes Highland Reel has the right profile to give him and owners Coolmore a second successive Cox Plate. Highland Reel has left Ireland with Melbourne Cup contenders Bondi Beach and Kingfisher who will be the stable’s first Cup runners since 2008. “Our three horses for Melbourne… Read More »
Eight of the Herbert Power Stakes runners face a last-ditch attempt to cement a start in the Caulfield Cup. The winner of Saturday’s 2400 metre race gains an automatic start in Saturday week’s Caulfield Cup and cannot be re-handicapped. There are 38 horses still in contention for the 2015 Caulfield… Read More »
Dissident has been named Australia’s Horse of the Year for his four Group One wins last season. Trained by Peter Moody until his retirement to stud this spring, Dissident was the decisive winner of the award over Brazen Beau. It is the fifth time in six years a Moody-trained horse… Read More »
First acceptances for the 2016 Golden Slipper have increased 17 per cent on last year’s figure, the Australian Turf Club says. There are 1461 two-year-olds left in contention for the $3.5 million race compared to 1248 at the same pay-up stage last year. Godolphin has 156 youngsters still nominated while… Read More »
Vlad Duric would like nothing better than to land the Caulfield Guineas at the track that has given him his greatest success. Duric rides Adelaide galloper Last Bullet in the Guineas at the racecourse where he has notched his only three Melbourne Group One victories. His first came aboard Bon… Read More »
He knows he is only warming the saddle for the suspended James McDonald, but Blake Shinn plans to make the most of his Group One chance on Contributer in the Caulfield Stakes. The mount became available when McDonald was outed for careless riding at Randwick on Epsom Handicap day. And… Read More »
Winning an appeal against the length of a careless riding ban has given jockey Luke Currie the chance to land the Toorak Handicap. Currie celebrated his only Australian Group One victory in the corresponding race 12 years ago aboard Roman Arch and rides Akavoroun at Caulfield on Saturday. Currie was… Read More »
A placing behind Caulfield Guineas favourite Press Statement during the Brisbane winter provided the catalyst for Sagaronne to head to Melbourne for a spring carnival campaign. Her preparation hasn’t gone to plan so far but trainer Toby Edmonds is hoping that changes in the Thousand Guineas, one of four Group… Read More »
Together they survived one of racing’s most regimented apprenticeships to ride their way around the world. Now more than three decades later and as elder statesmen of their trade, Robbie Fradd and Glyn Schofield will ride the two horses tipped to fight out the Spring Champion Stakes. Fradd will come… Read More »
Liam Birchley admits Group Two-winning juvenile Blueberry Hill was an underwhelming sight when she returned to the stable from a winter spell. So it is no surprise the trainer is taking a cautious approach to the filly’s return in Saturday’s Iona Old Boys Handicap at Doomben. “I’d be lying if… Read More »
Paul Beshara came to Melbourne for the spring carnival with high expectations for stable star Happy Trails. The Adelaide trainer still hopes they will be realised despite being forced to make an alteration to the eight-year-old’s program for the second time in as many years. Happy Trails will line-up in… Read More »
TOORAK HANDICAP $400,000, Group One, handicap, 1600m. HISTORY First run in 1881. Notable winners include The Trump (1937); Saxony (1948-49); Galilee (1966); Gunsynd (1971); Leilani (1974); Canny Lass (1986); Cole Diesel (1989); Poetic King (1996); Umrum (1999-2000); More Joyous (2010) and Solzenitsyn (2012-13). TALKING POINTS Stratum Star will be striving… Read More »
Lightly raced mare Zarzali can’t match Angst Stakes favourite Peeping for class or experience but Tim Clark says she has another quality capable of exposing the topweight’s biggest vulnerability. Peeping will step up to 1600m for the first time on Saturday over a Randwick mile renowned for being a tough… Read More »
or-age, 2000m. HISTORY First run in 1886 and won by Isonomy. Significant winners include Wakeful (1901-02); Amounis (1930); Hall Mark (1934); Ajax (1938); Bernborough (1946); Comic Court (1950); Lord (1958-59-60); Sky High (1961-62); Winfreaux (1965-66-67); Gunsynd (1972); Kingston Town (1981-82); Bonecrusher (1986); Might And Power (1998); Lonhro (2002-03); So You… Read More »
ear-old fillies, set weights, 1600m. HISTORY First run in 1946 Notable winners include Sweet Chime (1946), Chicquita (1949), Wenona Girl (1960), Toltrice (1972), Toy Show (1975), Savoir (1976), Rom’s Stiletto (1982), Riverina Charm (1988), Northwood Plume (1994), Dashing Eagle (1996), Miss Finland (2006) and Atlantic Jewel (2011). * Second year… Read More »
