Name The Day has provided his connections with a long-overdue return to winning form at Flemington. His victory in the KA Morrison Handicap on Saturday was the lightly-raced six-year-old’s first since October 2013. But injury has restricted Name The Day to just nine starts since that Geelong victory. Providing the… Read More »
Australian Racing Hall of Fame jockey Robert Thompson could have had six rides at Newcastle but instead has headed to Sydney to ride Lasszou for his close friend, trainer Jeremy Sylvester. The five-year-old gelding ($11) won the Highway Handicap by half a length on the heavy 8 track at Canterbury… Read More »
Bukzel has made a winning debut at Newcastle to put her sire Snitzel in rare company. The Peter and Paul Snowden-trained filly is the 30th individual two-year-old winner for Snitzel this season, equalling the record set by Without Fear in 1975-76. Bukzel started the $1.55 favourite in Saturday’s Maiden Plate… Read More »
Sunshine Coast filly Royal Tithe has made a mockery of her critics and helped trainer John Zielke maintain his position as the Queensland’s top two-year-old trainer. A Group Three winner during the winter, Royal Tithe looked a handicapping special carrying only 2kg over the limit after jockey Josh Oliver claimed… Read More »
Tango Rain’s second win from as many starts has trainer Gerald Ryan favouring the San Domenico Stakes as his next assignment. The colt was heavily backed from $8.50 into $4.40 before the race and led all the way to win a 1200m two-year-old race at Canterbury on Saturday. Tang Rain… Read More »
The future of Loch Oir may lie overseas after a fighting win at Flemington. A debut winner at Warrnambool earlier in July, Loch Oir added the Murray Cox Handicap on Saturday to his unbeaten record. Ridden by Craig Williams, Loch Oir was backed from $4.20 into $3 favouritism and scored… Read More »
Melbourne Cup hope Antiquarium is a late entry in the Group Two Goodwood Cup for Godolphin. Leading Sydney jockey James McDonald rode Antiquarium to win the Northumberland Plate which marked the four-year-old as a contender for Australia’s most famous race. “He just seems in good order and he wouldn’t look… Read More »
A spat played out in the media involving two high profile racing officials has been resolved. The war of words began following a comment allegedly made by Melbourne Racing Club chief executive Brodie Arnhold at a charity event on Wednesday night before Racing Victoria chief steward Terry Bailey responded in… Read More »
Clinching the Rising Stars series would be a welcome birthday present for apprentice jockey Beau Mertens. Mertens, who turned 19 on Friday, heads to Flemington on Saturday with four rides including Khutulun in the Rising Stars Final (1800m). The race is the culmination of a series for apprentice riders conducted… Read More »
Country trainer Christopher Davis has spent six months on a plan he hopes comes to fruition at Flemington. Based at Wangaratta, Davis has Just Stellar lining up in the TAB/ATA Trainers Trust Handicap on Saturday. After her debut last October Davis began planning ahead. “When she ran third at her… Read More »
A horse bred by one of the famous names in world race calling has given his son a maiden victory at Geelong. Australian born race caller and journalist Jim McGrath, recognised for his commentary in England, bred the two-year-old Larrikin who is trained by his son Brian. Starting at $101,… Read More »
Trainer Matt Dunn hopes some magic from jockey Robbie Fradd can coax a long overdue open company win from Londehero at Doomben. Londehero broke a long absence from the winner’s circle in a Class Six race at Ipswich on June 18 with Fradd aboard and will have his first run… Read More »
Clarry Conners acknowledges Decision Time is coming to the end of his career but dearly wants to see him go out on a winning note. The trainer thought that could have been in the Ramornie Handicap at Grafton earlier this month but the veteran sprinter was a late scratching from… Read More »
Trainer John Sadler has spent countless hours getting into Thelburg’s head. And although the three-year-old still has a way to go, Sadler hopes his talent shines through when he heads to Flemington on Saturday to run in the VRC Recognition Handicap over 1100 metres. Victory would be Thelburg’s third in… Read More »
Leading trainer Darren Weir concedes he may have been too easy on Voodoo Lad before his close second in the All Victorian Sprint Series Final. Weir has given him plenty of work and believes the sprinter will be much fitter this time when he returns to Flemington for Saturday’s Bruce… Read More »
Jim Byrne is struggling to retain his jockeys’ premiership but has the chance to claim a different title aboard Lauterbrunnen in the final Brisbane stakes race of the season. The four time champion rider failed to get a winner at the Gold Coast on Wednesday while rival Jeff Lloyd finished… Read More »
There will be 16 fewer race meetings in New Zealand next season in a bid to maintain field sizes. NZ Thoroughbred Racing’s Matthew Hall said the reduction for 2016/17 was in line with the strategic plan released last year. “We have to cater for the horse population and maintain average… Read More »
Trainer Rex Lipp has a sentimental attachment to the promising Seq The Star who will make a belated Saturday city appearance at Doomben. The winner of four of her past six starts on provincial tracks, Seq The Star gets a final chance to earn some QTIS bonus money in the… Read More »
The Australian Jockeys Association says racing is losing an opportunity to promote the sport by banning the controversial digital service Ride Guide. Jockeys were told on Thursday they would be in breach of the rules if they gave their views on upcoming rides via the Ladbrokes betting site. Victorian and… Read More »
Champion Hong Kong apprentice jockey Kei Chiong Ka-kei will start her one-month stint in Australia with five metropolitan rides in Adelaide. Chiong is spending the Hong Kong off-season with leading Adelaide trainer Phillip Stokes. She has three rides for Stokes and two for John Hickmott at Morphettville on Saturday. Chiong… Read More »
