David Payne faces a race against time to qualify unraced filly Jemss for the Magic Millions Classic but the trainer has not given up hope she can force her way into the $2 million race. A daughter of first season sire Exosphere, Jemss was due to make her debut a… Read More »
It takes a special type of horse to be serving mares while still racing and Ocean’s Fourteen fits that bill. The five-year-old runs at Flemington on Saturday in the #Lovethehorse Trophy (1600m), his second start back after a knee injury his owners thought would force him into premature retirement. Ballarat… Read More »
Joe Pride is on a mission to help the nomadic Chauffeur rediscover his racing mojo by injecting some fun into his training regime. And he hopes to see the fruits of his labour when Chauffeur contests the Ranvet Handicap (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday. A talent as a two and… Read More »
There are few feature races in Queensland that Chris Munce has not won in his 33 years as a jockey and trainer. He gets the chance to add one of the few to have eluded him when Smart Meteor tackles the Group Three Grand Prix Stakes (2206m) at Eagle Farm… Read More »
Lightly raced That Girl will chase her first Melbourne win when she runs at Flemington for the first time and trainer Phillip Stokes believes she can be a force. That Girl was spelled after she made an impressive winning debut in Adelaide in June. She made her return at Pakenham… Read More »
Speedy Spurcraft’s new laid-back attitude to life is expected to help him win at 1200 metres for the first time in the Listed Falvelon Quality at Eagle Farm. Spurcraft had his first run since a throat operation earlier this year when he won the Listed Bribie Handicap (1100m) at Doomben… Read More »
The NSW race meeting scheduled for Goulburn has been postponed after a wind change reduced air quality in the area to hazardous levels. Racing officials made the decision to call off Friday’s eight-race card mid-morning when the effects of smoke from nearby bush fires worsened. A number of NSW race… Read More »
Napoleon Solo cannot take a trick when it comes to barrier draws but co-trainer Peter Snowden is relying on a small field and a class edge to help his bid for back-to-back wins. A last-start winner at the stand-alone Kembla Grange meeting, Napoleon Solo was due to race at Randwick… Read More »
Trainer Matt Dunn has declared Lady Banff a certain starter at Eagle Farm with multiple Group One-winning jockey Michael Rodd to ride. Rodd rode at Eagle Farm last Saturday, leading NSW to a Jockeys Origin series win and winning the $250,000 The Gateway on Vega One. Singapore-based Rodd was taking… Read More »
Cox Plate winner Lys Gracieux will jump from gate six in the Grade One Arima Kinen at Nakayama. The field for Sunday’s 2500m-race in Japan is decided by public vote with Lys Gracieux polling the second highest number behind champion Almond Eye. Australian jockey Damian Lane will continue his association… Read More »
Tongan royalty has joined the Waterhouse clan to farewell family patriarch Bill Waterhouse at a service in Sydney. King `Aho`eitu Tupou VI attended Thursday’s service as a tribute to Waterhouse’s long association with Tonga and its people. Waterhouse, acknowledged at one time as the world’s biggest bookmaker, died last month… Read More »
Despite being dealt a venue change and a wide gate, trainer Jason Coyle is unlikely to deviate from his plan to resume Spiritual Pursuit at Randwick. The talented mare has drawn barrier 12 of 13 for Saturday’s Sky Racing Active Handicap (1000m),wiht the the meeting originally scheduled for Warwick Farm… Read More »
Trainer Bryan Guy struggles to remember a horse having unlucky runs in so many different ways as Alignment who takes on stakes class for the first time at Eagle Farm. Alignment is one of two fillies in the field for Saturday’s Group Three Grand Prix Stakes (2206m) at Eagle Farm…. Read More »
Propelle has been unplaced in two previous attempts over the Flemington straight but co-trainer Simon Zahra believes the mare is poised for a much better showing at her next attempt. The four-year-old’s two previous runs on her home track were a fifth in a 2YO Handicap over 1100m in June… Read More »
A race meeting at The Valley in Melbourne has been abandoned because of the forecast for extreme heat while a city meeting in Adelaide has been postponed. Friday’s night meeting at The Valley was called off on Thursday, with temperatures predicted to reach 43 degrees in Melbourne on Friday and… Read More »
Trainer Robert Heathcote has ensured Guntantes is primed for his fourth win of the season by giving him an easy trial this week. Three-year-old Guntantes will enjoy an advantage under the weight conditions when he steps out in the $125,000 City to Surf Plate (1600m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday…. Read More »
Lightly raced Cinquedea has been in a work in progress and is poised to take another important step when he chases his first metropolitan win at Randwick. Trained by brothers Richard and Michael Freedman, Cinquedea did not race until late in his three-year-old season and even then, immaturity was an… Read More »
Warrnambool trainer Aaron Purcell is keeping his options open but is leaning towards testing last-start winner Midas Prince in open company for the first time at Flemington. Midas Prince won a 2000m-benchmark 78 race on the Pakenham Cup program last start and Purcell has accepted with the five-year-old gelding in… Read More »
South Australian racing officials have decided to push back a pre-Christmas race meeting at Morphettville because of extreme heat. A twilight race meeting was scheduled for Morphettville on Friday but the seven races have now been moved to Monday afternoon. A meeting at Dubbo in NSW on Saturday has been… Read More »
Barrier trials are usually a good guide to first-up performances which means trainer Steve O’Dea should play a key role at Eagle Farm. O’Dea has Scallopini resuming in Saturday’s Listed Falvelon Stakes (1200m) and Gotta Kiss is also first-up in the $125,000 QTIS Two-Year-Old Plate (1000m). Both went for short… Read More »
