Glamour mare Amelia’s Jewel is back on track after a shock defeat and will now progress to the $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill on November 4. Amelia’s Jewel ran well below her best in the G1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield when ninth to Attrition, but a vet test… Read More »
Apprentice Zac Lloyd will be looking to emulate his cousin Chad Schofield as a Cox Plate winning jockey when he partners Militarize in the weight-for-age championship at Moonee Valley. Schofield scored aboard the last three-year-old, Shamus Award in 2013, to win the 2040m Group 1 Cox Plate, and on Saturday Lloyd will be attempting the same feat. Shamus Award went into… Read More »
We haven’t seen anywhere near the best of four-time Group 1 winning sprinter-miler Alcohol Free in Australia, but Gai Waterhouse is confident she can improve over a bit further in Saturday’s The Invitation (1400m). Purchased by Yu Long Investments as a racing and breeding prospect in Australia, she’s run 10th,… Read More »
Ciaron Maher and David Eustace will back-up Gold Trip into the Cox Plate after all the early indications are that he has taken no harm from his tough run in the Caulfield Cup. Gold Trip will be joined in Australia’s weight-for-age championship at Moonee Valley on Saturday by three-year-old King Colorado. The… Read More »
A fourth win at Moonee Valley beckons for Imperatriz when the mare faces six rivals in the Group 1 Manikato Stakes. Saturday’s 1200m sprint will be the fourth consecutive run at the track for Imperatriz who started the ball rolling with victory in the Group 1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) in March. This… Read More »
It isn’t the barrier James McDonald requested, but Danny Shum has labelled gate seven ‘OK’ for Romantic Warrior in Saturday’s $5 million Cox Plate at Moonee Valley. The Hong Kong star will start just wide of the middle of the field of 12 for the 2040-metre weight-for-age contest. Romantic Warrior… Read More »
Leading trainers Gai Waterhouse and Mike Moroney have announced that several of their premier horses will not be participating in this year’s Melbourne Cup. Moroney has made the call to send Emissary for a spell. The 2022 Melbourne Cup runner-up recently finished 26 lengths behind the winner in the Caulfield… Read More »
Group 1-winning jockey Ethan Brown will take an indefinite break from race riding, stemming from the severe injuries he sustained during a harrowing fall at the Australian Guineas in March. The accident left Brown with major internal injuries, marking a challenging path to recovery. In an emotional post on social… Read More »
Ryan Maloney has been booked to ride the Tony and Maddysen Sears trained Yellow Brick in The Golden Eagle at Rosehill on November 4. Maloney has just returned to Queensland after basing himself in Sydney for the first couple of months of the new season, but he will be eyeing… Read More »
The two days at Moonee Valley come to a crescendo on Saturday afternoon but there are so many highlights. It shapes as another intriguing G1 WS Cox Plate (2040m) with international interest aplenty. Romantic Warrior, the $4.00 favourite with online bookies, is the hope of Hong Kong but he will… Read More »
Grahame Begg is confident Magic Time has what it takes to secure a big pay-day in Saturday’s The Invitation at Randwick after she won her fourth race and second at Group 3 level from just six starts last time out. Sent forward by Nash Rawiller second up in the Group 3 The… Read More »
Without A Fight has been issued a 1kg penalty for his Caulfield Cup win with the Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained gelding to now carry 56.5kg in the Melbourne Cup. Racing Victoria’s head of handicapping David Hegan announced the penalty on Monday afternoon, two days after his win under 55.5kg in the… Read More »
The G1 Spring Champions Stakes (2000m) has often been a good horse’s race as the boys get to the 2000m for the first time and may well press on to the Victoria Derby. Tom Kitten ($2.50) looks like he is really striving for that ground so has to run favourite… Read More »
James McDonald’s confidence in Romantic Warrior ahead of this Saturday’s $5 million Cox Plate is increasing with every track gallop. The champion jockey was at Moonee Valley on Monday morning to partner the Hong Kong star in a 1200-metre workout with Danny Shum stablemate Romantic Charm, six days out from… Read More »
Autumn Angel, one of the top contenders for the VRC Oaks (2500m), won’t be lining up in the Group 1 event to take place at Flemington on November 9. Co-trainer Peter Moody unveiled that after her sterling performance in Caulfield’s Group 3 Ethereal Stakes, she’s slated for a break in… Read More »
Hong Kong’s Romantic Warrior has been the anticipated favourite for this year’s Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m), but an unexpected challenger emerges. Irish horse, Victoria Road, once an outsider at $101 a month ago, has seen his odds drastically slashed to $7.00 with many Australian online bookmakers. Kheir, who recently… Read More »
The Kavanaghs have shifted their focus, selecting the Geelong Cup for their notable stayer, First Immortal, as he vies for a berth in the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 7. With Jamie Kah slated to be in the saddle and following First Immortal’s impressive second-place performance… Read More »
Matthew Dunn is confident Big Dance favourite Cepheus can overcome a minor setback in time for the $3 million Melbourne Cup Day feature at Randwick. The in-form gelding was scratched from Saturday’s Filante Handicap (1600m) at Randwick after presenting with mild swelling in his near-fore fetlock three days earlier. However, Dunn said… Read More »
In a bid to claim a fifth Cox Plate champion trainer Chris Waller will give his two representatives extra experience at Moonee Valley ahead of Australasia’s weight-for-age championship. Fangirl and Militarise had their first look at the Moonee Valley circuit on Saturday ahead of the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) and will return on Tuesday morning for Breakfast With The Best. Both horses were not out to break the clock but will be asked to… Read More »
Moonee Valley track staff freely admit that preparing the course for the double-header Cox Plate Carnival is a challenge, and the plan for Friday night’s meeting is for a firmer track. Since the final Moonee Valley meeting of the 2022/23 season back in March, their focus has all been about providing the best surface… Read More »
