The first of the annual yearling sales for 2015 has realised an upturn in prices and clearance rates at the Gold Coast. Yearlings sold at the Magic Millions are eligible for a lucrative pay day next January when the Magic Millions Classic will be worth $2.5 million as part of… Read More »
Gerald Ryan came away from the Magic Millions at the Gold Coast without a race win but with some exciting prospects from the yearling sale. Perignon finished a solid fifth in Saturday’s $2 million 2YO Classic won by Le Chef while Aerobar was sixth in the $1 million Guineas. The… Read More »
Damien Oliver will replace West Australian star apprentice Chris Parnham on Tried And Tired in the Chester Manifold Stakes. Parnham won the Listed Christmas Stakes on Tried And Tired at Sandown on Boxing Day to claim his first feature win in Victoria. But with Oliver available for Saturday’s meeting at… Read More »
Magic Millions boss Gerry Harvey has enjoyed a successful few days with prices up the annual Gold Coast yearling sale and a winner on race day. The Robert Smerdon-trained Real Time won Saturday’s Class Six Plate for Harvey to stamp himself a star of the future. The runner-up Architect swept… Read More »
Port Macquarie trainer John Sprague has given punters a lead-in by electing to run Juste Si at Kempsey in preference to Canterbury. The seven-year-old mare lines up in Tuesday’s West Kempsey Hotel Benchmark 65 Hcp (1450m) with Peter Graham in the saddle. “I was going to start at Canterbury on… Read More »
Apprentice Luke Tarrant will weigh up his appeal options after being suspended for excessive whip use in the biggest win of his career, the $2 million Magic Millions Classic. Brisbane’s leading rider, Tarrant was banned for a month on two charges relating to his use of the whip in different… Read More »
Doriemus, one of just 11 horses to complete the Caulfield-Melbourne Cups double in the same year, has died aged 24. The horse was euthanised at Melbourne’s Living Legends retirement farm after suffering a hoof injury. He was raced by a group which included Terry Henderson who is now in partnership… Read More »
Multiple Group One placegetter Speediness has been given an extended summer spell and will venture into new territory in search of an elusive big-race victory. The seven-year-old, who has finished second in two Group Ones and in the top four on three other occasions, will bypass both the Melbourne and… Read More »
Sandown Cup winner Renew is the star of Archie Alexander’s fledgling stable and the trainer will aim him at another important staying feature. The Group Two Adelaide Cup, like the Sandown Cup, is one of only a handful of 3200 metre races left on the Australian calendar and the March… Read More »
Happy Trails will pick up where he left off when he attempts to add the year’s first Group One to his last-start Mackinnon Stakes win. Trainer Paul Beshara is stepping up the seven-year-old’s workload ahead of the C F Orr Stakes on February 14 at Caulfield. Happy Trails often flies… Read More »
Joe Pride has played a major part in shaping the dynasty of prolific broodmare Parfore and is expanding his relationship to her extended family. Group One winners Tiger Tees and Terravista and emerging star Ball Of Muscle are residents of Pride’s Warwick Farm stable while Parfore has also produced dual… Read More »
Some of Godolphin’s hopefuls for Blue Diamond series races will step out in trials at Sandown on Tuesday. Godolphin has seven youngsters entered to trial at the track which will host the Blue Diamond Previews on January 26. Head trainer John O’Shea says how they perform in the trials will… Read More »
A successful Queensland summer campaign has reinforced trainer Rex Lipp’s plans to bring stable star Tinto to Sydney for autumn riches. The Queensland Oaks winner again showed her class when she came from the outside barrier and carried 59kg to win the Magic Millions Stayers Cup on Saturday at the… Read More »
The Quarterback’s transformation as a sprinter has reaped another reward with the gelding racing to his first stakes victory at Flemington. Stretched out to a mile when unplaced in the Australian Guineas as a three-year-old, trainer Robbie Griffiths has kept The Quarterback to 1000-metre races up the Flemington straight in… Read More »
Tye Angland has suffered a double loss at Randwick with a suspension added to his relegation from first to second in a protest. Angland rode The Alfonso to win the 1600m Plate but lost the race for causing shifting in and causing interference Blake Shinn’s mount Diametric. In the incident,… Read More »
He didn’t ride any winners but at least champion jockey Chris Munce finished his riding career with a smile. Munce’s best effort was his fourth placing in the opening race on Homehill but the rest of the Magic Millions meeting at the Gold Coast on Saturday didn’t live up to… Read More »
Leave it to Gai Waterhouse to have the final word. Waterhouse won the Magic Millions Cup with rejuvenated gelding Spurtonic who relegated Strawberry Boy, owned by John Singleton, to the runner-up stall. An impromptu kiss and a cuddle between Waterhouse and Singleton at the Magic Millions sales during the week… Read More »
Country life is suiting Jacquinot Bay who landed back-to-back city wins at Flemington on Saturday. A winner of the Lord Stakes at Sandown on Boxing Day, Jacquinot Bay was impressive in taking out the Comedy King Handicap. Ridden by Craig Williams, Jacquinot Bay ($7) scored by 1-1/2 lengths from Akzar… Read More »
While many of Sydney’s leading riders plied their trade at the Gold Coast on Saturday, Blake Shinn made the most of his opportunities at Randwick to claim the premiership lead. Shinn went into the meeting trailing Hugh Bowman by 1-1/2 wins and ended the day 1-1/2 in front. The first… Read More »
For the most part, Paul King is happy to play second fiddle to the top Sydney jockeys, plying his trade at NSW provincial tracks. But the former Perth jockey was equally happy to get the opportunity to ride for Gai Waterhouse at Randwick where he notched his first winner at… Read More »
