Trainer Gary Portelli understandably has a soft spot for Group-winning colt Time To Reign who is the half-brother to his 2017 Golden Slipper winner She Will Reign. And the Sydney trainer is hoping Time To Reign will be able to measure up in feature sprints this campaign to stamp his… Read More »
Trainer Jamie Edwards is trying to look on the positive side heading to the Group One Telegraph with Avantage who has to contend with the outside barrier in the Trentham Sprint. She was the NZ TAB’s favourite before she drew barrier 13 on Wednesday but on Thursday was equal at… Read More »
Losing two of his best horses to injury within days of one another has been a cruel start to the year for Bjorn Baker but the in-form trainer says the show must go on. Champagne Cuddles, a dual Group winner and four-time Group One placegetter, has been retired after suffering… Read More »
Leading Brisbane trainer Tony Gollan is again a runaway leader in the metropolitan premiership but he hopes to rectify an unusual statistic at Eagle Farm. Gollan already has his seventh straight title wrapped up with 55-1/2 wins, more than double nearest rival Robert Heathcote, but he has not had a… Read More »
Central Queensland jockey Luke Dillion has been suspended for a month after pleading guilty to attempting to manipulate the weighing scales at the Mackay TAB meeting. Stewards opened an inquiry after Dillion, who rode Permafrost in the second race, was seen attempting to manipulate the scales by placing his arm… Read More »
A week after claiming an upset win in the Magic Millions Classic with Away Game, trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace will be keenly watching the return of a filly they hope can develop into a Golden Slipper contender. Cellsabeel resumes in the Iron Jack Handicap (1100m) at Rosehill on… Read More »
Trainer Robert Heathcote is expecting the lightly raced Emerald Kingdom to be in a far better mood when he runs at Eagle Farm than he was at Doomben. Emerald Kingdom has won his past two starts at midweek meetings and will be among the favourites for Saturday’s Canadian Club Plate… Read More »
Mystic Journey is recovering from a setback with next month’s Group One Futurity Stakes now a possibility for the mare’s return ahead of the All-Star Mile. Trainer Adam Trinder told Victorian stewards on Wednesday the defending All-Star Mile champion had a soft tissue infection in her left front limb and… Read More »
Hardy gelding Lota Creek Gold will skip the Ballina Cup to take on open company in Brisbane. Trainer Harold Norman entered Lota Creek Gold for the Ballina Cup on Friday and Saturday’s Roku Gin Open Handicap (1600m) at Eagle Farm. Norman has elected to go with the Brisbane race which… Read More »
Emerging Queensland apprentice Adin Thompson has his strongest book of rides to date as he strives for his first metropolitan Saturday win at Eagle Farm. Thompson was the leading apprentice in Queensland last season and he rode the country circuit with the iconic Birdsville Cup among his victories. His results… Read More »
The chairman of Racing Victoria has hit out at the Melbourne Racing Club’s involvement in the $14 million Everest in Sydney. The MRC, one of three metropolitan racing clubs in Melbourne, struck a deal with the Australian Turf Club for its slot in the 2019 Everest at Randwick on October… Read More »
John O’Shea’s resurgence has continued, with the trainer celebrating two winners at Warwick Farm. The double took O’Shea’s tally to 10 for the year after he began with three winners at Randwick on January 1. O’Shea has steadily re-established himself as an independent trainer after leaving international operation Godolphin in… Read More »
Godolphin trainer James Cummings has decided to wait for the Group Two Australia Stakes for Group One-winning colt Microphone’s return to racing. Three-year-old Microphone was nominated for Saturday’s Listed Kensington Stakes (1000m) at Flemington, in which he would have had to carry 60kg and give weight to all his rivals,… Read More »
Trainer John Sadler is waiting for the day Group Three-winning colt Sartorial Splendor puts it all together in a race. He hopes that might be during the three-year-old’s upcoming preparation, which is scheduled to begin in Saturday’s Listed Kensington Stakes (1000m) at Flemington. Sartorial Splendor has two wins from seven… Read More »
Racing Queensland has announced an expansion of its successful TAB Battle of the Bush Series, with six new clubs involved. The two Battle of the Bush series have attracted a large amount of media coverage and generated a widespread betting interest. RQ announced on Wednesday new clubs Quilpie, Burrandowan, Charters… Read More »
While much-anticipated rain in Sydney would be welcome, the weather could have an impact on the programs of several runners at Rosehill. Trainer Gerald Ryan has promising two-year-old Return With Honour scheduled to race over 1100 metres but is also looking at options if the track comes up too wet…. Read More »
Racing Victoria has added a race meeting at Werribee to the schedule after recent abandonments due to smoke haze and poor air quality in the state. A Tuesday meeting was called off at Werribee on race morning because of smoke and forecast hazardous air quality, and meetings at Caulfield and… Read More »
Australian mare Winter Bride has drawn barrier four of 13 for her second attempt to snare a Group One win in New Zealand. Trained at the Gold Coast by father-and-son team Toby and Trent Edmonds Winter Bride was trapped three-wide in the Railway at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day from… Read More »
Racing Victoria is developing a contingency plan should smoke haze affect the scheduled Kensington Stakes meeting at Flemington. Tuesday’s Werribee meeting was called off and Wednesday’s Yarra Valley meeting and Caulfield twilight fixture were abandoned on race morning because the smoke from bushfires in NSW and Victoria made the air… Read More »
Nick Rust will step down as chief executive of the British Horseracing Authority at the end of the year. Rust has led the the BHA for five years but signalled his departure in a message to staff on Tuesday. He said he had spent some time determining his future since… Read More »
