Native River will not get the chance to win another Cheltenham Gold Cup after being sidelined by a suspensory injury. Winner of the race in 2018, he would have been heading back to the Festival next month aiming to become the first horse since Kauto Star in 2009 to regain… Read More »
Holyfield has lived up to his name with a fighting victory at Sandown to remain unbeaten in two race starts. Named after boxer Evander Holyfield, the two-year-old fought back after being headed in the Sandown straight on Wednesday to win the Ladbrokes Handicap (1400m). The victory continued the success of… Read More »
Mark Zahra has lodged an appeal against the severity of a careless riding suspension which threatens to sideline him for the Australian Guineas meeting at Flemington. Zahra was suspended for eight meetings at Flemington last Saturday after pleading guilty to careless riding aboard Gytrash when winning the Group One Lightning… Read More »
Former smart stakes performer Rich Enuff got his first winner as a sire when promising Plutocrat won on debut at Doomben. Rich Enuff won the Caulfield Guineas Prelude and was second to Shooting To Win in the 2014 Caulfield Guineas when trained by Ken Keys. After a short stint with… Read More »
Three years after finishing second to stablemate Sheidel in the Oakleigh Plate, noted fresh sprinter Faatinah is set for another crack at the Group One handicap at Caulfield. Faatinah will be first-up since November in Saturday’s Oakleigh Plate (1100m) and the multiple stakes winner takes in an enviable fresh record… Read More »
After making the move from New Zealand to set up stables at Cranbourne, training and life partners Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young are transforming their business. Before that shift to Victoria three years ago, Busuttin and Young concentrated on the New Zealand sales looking for stayers with the hope of… Read More »
Shane Nichols is realistic about Streets Of Avalon’s chances of upstaging some established stars in the Futurity Stakes but the trainer is adamant the sprinter-miler has something in his favour. Nichols and connections of Streets Of Avalon are preparing to run the five-year-old on a seven-day back-up in Saturday’s weight-for-age… Read More »
The Victoria Derby remains the race that got away from Shadow Hero and posed more questions than answers. The Group One Spring Champion Stakes winner started favourite in the 2500m-Classic on November 2 but finished fifth in a strung-out field, 10 lengths from the winner Warning. Shadow Hero’s trainer Mark… Read More »
Trainer Barry Baldwin is struggling to get fan favourite The Candy Man ready for the Group One Doncaster Mile. The Candy Man turned in what appeared the poorest run of his career when sixth in the $1 million Magic Millions Trophy (2400m) on January 14. The gelding was diagnosed with… Read More »
Talented Ballistic Boy will miss the Group Two Hobartville Stakes at Rosehill and give trainer Chris Anderson a two-handed assault at Eagle Farm. Australia has a vintage crop of three-year-olds this season and Queensland is no different with Ballistic Boy and stablemate Profit among the best. The pair are raced… Read More »
A full field of 18 plus one emergency has been declared for the Group One Oakleigh Plate with favourite Bivouac drawing barrier seven. Bivouac, winner of the Group One Golden Rose last spring, will be first-up from a spell in Saturday’s $500,000 handicap over 1100m and is one of four… Read More »
A small field has been declared for the Futurity Stakes but the weight-for-age Group One race is not lacking in quality. New Zealand star Melody Belle has barrier three for her first start of 2020 as she chases her 11th Group One win while Caulfield Guineas-winning colt Super Seth is… Read More »
Gosford will host a new $500,000 race on its inaugural stand-alone Saturday meeting which also features the $250,000 Gold Cup. The Coast, a 1600m-race for three and four-year-olds, headlines the meeting on May 9. The race on the NSW Central Coast joins the $1 million Gong at Kembla Grange and… Read More »
Santa Ana Lane has taken another step towards defending his TJ Smith title with a third-placed finish in a barrier trial at Werribee. The Anthony Freedman-trained sprinter won last year’s TJ Smith and his autumn campaign has been geared towards that race again. He is expected to return in the… Read More »
Star New Zealand mare Melody Belle may be vulnerable when she makes her return to racing in the Futurity Stakes at Caulfield. The warning comes after Paul Richards, father of the mare’s trainer Jamie, rode Melody Belle in a gallop on the course proper at Caulfield on Tuesday. The work-out… Read More »
Assistant-trainer Sam Freedman does not see barrier one as a hindrance to the chances of favourite Hanseatic in the Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield. After coming up with barrier one, Hanseatic eased from $2.30 to $2.40 with PlayUp for Saturday’s Group One Blue Diamond Stakes for two-year-olds over 1200m. Hanseatic… Read More »
NSW South Coast communities hit by bushfires have received the initial relief package from funds raised at a special race day. The Australian Turf Club Foundation raised $150,000 from the Randwick meeting on January 25 and on Tuesday began the distribution of 1700 bales of hay for horses and other… Read More »
South Australian trainer Chris Bieg does not see a lack of race experience counting against three-year-old Free Of Debt in the Oakleigh Plate. Free Of Debt will be having his sixth start in Saturday’s 1100m-scamper at Caulfield, but that is offset by the minimum weight of 50kg. A ligament issue… Read More »
Having watched the success of European stayers in Australia, Albury trainer Mitchell Beer has jumped on the bandwagon, but with a different target. While his counterparts dream of success in races like the Melbourne Cup, Beer has his sights on capturing his hometown Cup next month. Beer went to England… Read More »
Reigning Blue Diamond Stakes favourite Hanseatic has drawn the inside barrier for the Group One race at Caufield. The Anthony Freedman-trained colt has won the Preview and Prelude leading into Saturday’s $1.5 million 1200m-race for two year-olds. He is at $2.40 to give Freedman and Godolphin back-to-back wins after Lyre… Read More »
