The Kilcoy Race Club has unveiled plans to utilise its new million dollar facilities during the Christmas period with thoroughbred and harness meetings, and a professional foot race. The south-east Queensland club has been able to substantially upgrade its facilities and track after grants from the local Somerset Council and… Read More »
The prediction for extreme heat in western Sydney has prompted officials to transfer a rare Saturday meeting at Warwick Farm to Randwick. Temperatures are forecast to reach 43 degrees at Warwick Farm and the mid-30s at Randwick. All races bar one are the same distances and conditions with the Benchmark… Read More »
Melbourne trainer Mike Moroney has decided to target the $2 million Magic Millions 3YO Guineas at the Gold Coast with promising sprinter Star Surprise. The three-year-old returned from a spell in a 1000m benchmark-70 race on the Pakenham Cup program eight days ago and came from last in the field… Read More »
Trainer Chris Meagher can hardly wait to get consistent Trevelyan to the $250,000 The Wave. The Wave (1800m) is one of several new races introduced in a revamped Brisbane and Gold Coast summer carnival. It is designed to bolster the January 4 meeting at the Gold Coast, a week before… Read More »
Warwick Farm trainer Richard Litt has had a career-defining year and is looking to build on the momentum. Castelvecchio gave Litt his first Group One win in the Champagne Stakes and ran a slashing second to Japanese mare Lys Gracieux in the Cox Plate. The colt’s owner, Ottavio Galetta, has… Read More »
A stronger Super Seth is in the early stages of his build-up towards his next preparation which will be aimed at adding more feature race success to the Caulfield Guineas winner’s CV. The Anthony Freedman-trained colt capped his spring preparation with a thrilling win in the Group One Caulfield Guineas… Read More »
Racing Queensland will consider splitting a two-year-old race at Eagle Farm as it looms as a vital lead-up to the Magic Millions 2YO Classic. Saturday’s $125,000 race also carries two QTIS bonus payments and is one of the few 1000m-races in the lead-up to the $2 million Magic Millions Classic… Read More »
Star Australian jockey Damian Lane will head to Japan with a chance to put an exclamation mark on a memorable 2019 when he rides Cox Plate winner Lys Gracieux in her final start. Lane will be reunited with Lys Gracieux in next Sunday’s Grade One Arima Kinen (2500m) at Nakayama,… Read More »
Group Two-winning stayer Raymond Tusk has made a successful return to English racing after an unplaced run in the Melbourne Cup. The Richard Hannon-trained horse won the All-Weather Championships Qualifier over 3300 metres at Newcastle on Saturday (Sunday AEDT). Raymond Tusk started the 11-4 favourite and was pushed to the… Read More »
Racing Queensland’s senior track specialist Mick Goodie believes the new-look racing surface at Eagle Farm has already proved its worth with even better to come. Eagle Farm and Doomben were hammered by two storms this week and after the second, the final four races at Doomben on Friday were abandoned…. Read More »
Trainer Nicky Henderson says star chaser Altior is extremely unlikely to run in the King George at Kempton after failing to fully convince connections during his latest work-out. Earlier this year, Henderson earmarked the Boxing Day showpiece as the main objective for the dual Queen Mother Champion Chase winner. But… Read More »
Next month’s $2 million Magic Millions 3YO Guineas will be considered for King Of Hastings after he returned to winning form at Flemington. The Anthony Freedman-trained gelding’s spring was cut short in late September to target summer races but the three-year-old returned from a let-up with an unplaced run in… Read More »
Four months after undergoing brain surgery for an aneurysm, popular trainer Robbie Griffiths has made a triumphant return to the racetrack at Flemington and cheered home a winner. Griffiths was attending his first race meeting since the August operation on Saturday, having been given the all-clear earlier in the week… Read More »
Anthony Cummings resisted the temptation to run Something Fast in the Villiers Stakes but he has ambitious plans for the autumn including the Group One Doncaster Mile. Cummings decided against deep-ending Something Fast in Saturday’s Group Two race, won by Quackerjack, after the five-year-old “had a big blow” following a… Read More »
Trainer Robert Heathcote was the least worried when his gelding Deep Image drew wide in the Listed Lough Neagh at Eagle Farm and it proved to be for a good reason. Deep Image drew barrier two at his previous start when he led but was run down to finish third… Read More »
Talented filly Wings Of Pastrami has continued a rise through the grades to give Bordertown trainer Jeff Searle the thrill of his first Flemington winner. Wings Of Pastrami ($6) was making her first Melbourne appearance in Saturday’s December Twilight Handicap (1400m) for three-year-olds and made it four wins from five… Read More »
International jockey Michael Rodd completed a happy homecoming with a runaway win on Group One Stradbroke Handicap-bound Vega One who ran a track record at Eagle Farm. Rodd did his apprenticeship in Queensland and rode in Victoria before heading to Singapore five years ago. He finished his first day back… Read More »
In-form jockey Rachel King has ticked another box on her bucket list with a polished front-running ride aboard Quackerjack to land a thrilling win in the Villiers Stakes at Randwick. In a head-bobbing finish, the Mark Newnham-trained Quackerjack ($3.80 fav) fought back right on the line to get the verdict… Read More »
New Zealand mare The Real Beel has had a triumphant homecoming after a disappointing Australian campaign, winning the Group Two Isuzu Stakes at Te Rapa. The pint-sized four-year-old had four unplaced runs in Melbourne during September and October for trainer David Brideoake before owner, Waikato Stud boss Garry Chittick, took… Read More »
Trainer Mitch Freedman and jockey Ben Melham both believe the addition of blinkers have made a difference for Living The Dream who has made it back-to-back city wins. Living The Dream ($4) wound up after getting a split late in Saturday’s Christmas Giving Tree Plate (1720m) at Flemington under jockey… Read More »
