Trainer Steve O’Dea finally had some big-race luck and was rewarded with his second win in the Listed Sunshine Coast Cup. O’Dea has had a good season with winners for Scallopini’s owners, the Jamie Walter Proven Thoroughbreds syndicate, but luck has deserted them in the summer carnival. All that changed… Read More »
James Cummings is holding his cards close to his chest but there is no doubting his excitement about what Pandemic might be able to achieve this campaign. The three-year-old resumed with a classy win against older horses in Saturday’s Mark Alti Bookmakers Handicap (1100m) at Randwick after putting the writing… Read More »
Adelaide visitor Morvada has ended the summer winning sequence of Yulong January in the Listed John Dillon Stakes at Caulfield in a performance which has come as no surprise to his veteran trainer. The Peter Jolly-trained Morvada lined up for a rematch with Yulong January in Saturday’s 1400m Listed race… Read More »
Te Akau Racing’s stranglehold on the Karaka Million two-year-old race has extended to its fourth consecutive year with Cool Aza Beel taking out the million-dollar feature at Ellerslie. New Zealand’s racing powerhouse began its run with Melody Belle in 2017 and followed with Avantage and Probabeel. “It’s awesome,” trainer Jamie… Read More »
It was not a Group One race but Jason Collett got almost as big a buzz from delivering partner Clare Cunningham her first stakes win courtesy of a dashing front-running ride aboard Cradle Mountain. The horse had shown early promise winning six of his first nine starts but after a… Read More »
Top country sprinter Grey Missile looked the best placed horse at the Sunshine Coast meeting and that’s the way it turned out. Grey Missile ($7) went to the lead and never looked in danger in the Coastline BMW X5 Handicap (1200m). The gelding looked well placed because he had won… Read More »
Boom New Zealand three-year-old Catalyst has shown he can be a force in Melbourne, overcoming a sluggish start to win a Group Three race at Ellerslie. Second favourite for next month’s Australian Guineas, Catalyst missed the start and was a clear last until the home turn in Saturday’s Mr Tiz… Read More »
Trainer Kris Lees and syndicators Australian Bloodstock look to have unearthed another promising import in Mugatoo, who has scored a determined victory at his local debut at Randwick. Stepping out over the shortest distance he has contested, Mugatoo ($2.15 fav) settled worse than midfield and chased hard to wear down… Read More »
Premier trainer Tony Gollan was the pin-up boy with the female members of his family when Just Orm won the Coastline BMW X1 Handicap at the Sunshine Coast. Gollan’s decision to book apprentice Stephanie Thornton proved a master stroke as Just Orm ($13) charged home to beat a strong field… Read More »
A Beautiful Night has put herself in the Blue Diamond picture with an all-the-way win in the fillies Preview at Caulfield but exciting colt Hanseatic has tightened his grip on favouritism for the Group One race. The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained A Beautiful Night continued her stable’s successful run… Read More »
On a day of recognition for NSW country areas, two Highway Handicaps at Randwick have given connections something to cheer about. Saturday was dedicated to Racing for the Bushfires, comprising fund raising efforts to help livestock and other animals affected by the long-term drought and fires in the state over… Read More »
Caloundra trainer Stuart Kendrick had 50,000 extra reasons to soothe the disappointment at his filly Cosmic Gossip’s failure to make the Magic Millions 2YO Classic field when she won on Saturday. Cosmic Gossip ($13) came from last to beat the favourite Queen Kay ($1.80) in the $125,000 Sunshine Coast 2YO… Read More »
Impressive colt Hanseatic has stamped his Blue Diamond credentials in emphatic fashion with a convincing victory in one of the Previews at Caulfield. The Anthony Freedman-trained colt won the Listed Merson Cooper Stakes on debut at Sandown in November and returned in style in Saturday’s Listed Blue Diamond Preview for… Read More »
Jockey Barend Vorster has suffered a broken collarbone in the fall from Manuel in the Group Two Australia Stakes. Vorster and Manuel came crashing to the turf in the home straight in Friday night’s race at The Valley and six-year-old gelding Manuel had to be euthanised. He was expected to… Read More »
There were mixed emotions for the Snowden stable at Randwick with Rulership stamping himself as a serious two-year-old while $2.8 million colt Mount Fuji finished down the track. Rulership ($2.90 fav), a $900,000 yearling, bounced to the front for Nash Rawiller and controlled the race, lengthening his advantage to win… Read More »
Veteran trainer Lawrie Mayfield-Smith showed he hasn’t lost his sense of humour after Sunny St Cloud won at the Sunshine Coast. Mayfield-Smith, the brother of Group One-winning trainers Brian Mayfield-Smith and Noel Mayfield-Smith, has had plenty of success himself in the past 30 years with horses such as Post Elect,… Read More »
Young trainer Ethan Ensby’s pleas to keep promising stayer Torrens in Australia continued to pay dividends at the Sunshine Coast. Torrens ($2.90) made it four wins from four starts when he raced away in the straight for an easy win in the Coastal BMW 1 Series Handicap (2200m). There were… Read More »
Trainer John Sadler believes Score is heading in the right direction after the three-year-old filly finished strongly at Caulfield to make it two-straight wins. Sadler said the daughter of Written Tycoon’s temperament had improved from last season and the filly backed up a maiden win from Mornington on December 29… Read More »
The Queensland Racing Integrity Commission has quickly dismissed a hoax regarding the licensing of former jockey Danny Nickolic. The former Group One winning jockey has applied for a Queensland provincial licence to ride after being banned since 2012 after a long battle with Victorian authorities, particularly over his behaviour towards… Read More »
Caloundra trainer Natalie McCall has a chance of winning her hometown Cup but it is one of her younger horses which is earning plenty of attention at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday. McCall elected to keep Spectroscope at home for the Listed Sunshine Coast Cup and will have Better Ethics… Read More »
