He departed Perth as a promising apprentice with the racing world at his feet and returns home to where it all began as one of Australia’s greatest-ever jockeys. Western Australian-born Damien Oliver has called time on his decorated riding career and will retire following the Ascot Pinnacles carnival in December. Oliver… Read More »
The Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained Veight will commence his spring campaign at Caulfield that the trainers hope will lead to a Caulfield Guineas victory. The three-year-old runs in the Group 3 McNeil Stakes (1200m) on Saturday, with the aim of being third up into the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) on October 14. Veight showed… Read More »
My Bella Mae will showcase her Winterbottom Stakes credentials when resuming at Belmont, with owner-breeder Nino Tufilli confident she can brush aside a disappointing interstate autumn campaign. Holding a perfect record of two wins from two starts when first-up, My Bella Mae, off a winning trial, will look to rebound… Read More »
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott gave three of their carnival hopefuls a day out at Warwick Farm with Converge, Hawaii Five Oh and Kibou all stepping out in exhibition gallops. Group 1 winner Converge (Adam Hyeronimus) had the measure of Hawaii Five Oh (James Mcdonald) in their workout, edging him out by a… Read More »
The Group 3 Ming Dynasty Quality is the next stop for Ceolwulf after the three-year-old defied his inexperience to score a game win at Warwick Farm. Having just his second start, Ceolwulf ($4.80) ranged up to the leaders and looked set to sail past them before hanging under pressure then lifting… Read More »
A fitter but still underdone Mr Brightside is ready to tackle his first Group 1 assignment of the Melbourne Spring Carnival. The Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday is the spring opener and Mr Brightside will enter the race second-up. He has already collected the Group 2 P B Lawrence Stakes over Saturday’s course… Read More »
Where has Steady Ready been? That was the question that many asked when the once boom runner from the Tony and Maddysen Sears stable appeared at an official trial at Doomben this week, having last tasted race action back at the end of January … a race in which he… Read More »
A sizzling first-up run by Kimochi has trainer Gary Portelli optimistic the filly can land a break-through stakes win when she tackles the second leg of the four-race Princess series. The three-year-old settled in the second half of the field from a wide gate and launched down the outside for an eye-catching… Read More »
With the Newgate Farm policy of breeding their own high class broodmares to their young stallions, itâs the international Cox Plate winner State of Rest who will be succeeding. Already rostered for State of Rest is the home-bred Deep Field mare Xilong, winner of the Euclase Stakes and Gr1 placed… Read More »
Birdsville bound and a chance to mix with five thousand or so of your new best friends at the countryâs greatest outback horse racing party … well, thatâs a well-worn path for Gary and Kylie Geran, so much so that Kylie canât tell you exactly how many times they have… Read More »
Champion jockey Damien Oliver thought he was reading his own eulogy when he awoke on Wednesday morning to read the reports of his impending retirement. Oliver announced he will retire from race riding at the conclusion of the Perth Carnival in December after a celebrated 36-year career in the saddle. The champion jockey is one of eight… Read More »
Under-rated mare Hinged will get the chance to step out of the shadow of popular stablemate Fangirl when she headlines trainer Chris Waller’s squad for the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes at Randwick. The careers of both mares have consistently crossed for the past two seasons, and it has usually been Fangirl who has… Read More »
Romantic Warrior has been booked on a flight to Melbourne with the Hong Kong champion due to land on September 16, gearing up for the Turnbull Stakes and the Cox Plate in October. The dual QEII Cup and Hong Kong Cup winner will enter quarantine this weekend after meeting all… Read More »
Champion jockey Damien Oliver is set to announce his retirement in a media conference later this morning, with plans to officially step away from horse racing in early December. With a career that spans over three decades, Oliver is one of the most accomplished figures in Australian horse racing. Oliver… Read More »
You have got to love Samantha Collettâs sense of humour. âBack in dadâs will for a bit longer,â she said after winning on the first-timer Red Sniper for her dad, Jim Collett, at Matamata over the weekend. Samantha Collett had only returned to her native New Zealand from Queensland, where… Read More »
Horse racing sometimes forgets that Royal Ascot is not simply another major meeting, but a golden stitch in the fabric of British society and tradition. The fixture can attract the best of the Australian sprinters, the World Pool and Wesley Ward but the true essence of the event is under… Read More »
The dispersal auction for Strawberry Hill Stud, part of John Singleton’s equine breeding and racing venture, generated nearly $14 million this past Tuesday. Yulong Investments, conducting business under the name Highway Farm, was a prominent player, acquiring 13 lots. Their standout purchase was Miss Fabulass, sold for $1.85 million. A… Read More »
True Marvel will be Matthew Smith’s only runner in Friday’s Listed Wyong Gold Cup (2100m), having run second in the Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) at $151 in the Autumn. He also placed in the Group 2 Brisbane Cup (3200m) and even managed to win a maiden hurdle at Hamilton in… Read More »
The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace stable has taken the opportunity to give two of their runners a look at Caulfield before an upcoming Group 1 race. Duke De Sessa and Steinem will represent the stable in the Memsie Stakes (1400m) on Saturday as they kick off their spring campaigns. Working with Kettle Hill, Duke De Sessa was having his first look at… Read More »
While the Cairns Cup went the way of the John Manzelmann trained The Driller on Saturday, no one would dispute the fact that the overall dayâs proceedings were dominated by Jason Taylor, who rode half of the ten-race card … from only eight rides. Taylor was understandably chuffed with his… Read More »
