Melbourne Cup winning trainer Danny O’Brien is set to be the beneficiary of Lloyd Williams’ decision to sell his private training property Macedon Lodge. O’Brien will receive a number of the Lloyd and Nick Williams-owned Australian-based stayers to prepare from his Thirteenth Beach property. Also benefitting will be Anthony Freedman… Read More »
One of the leading contenders for the Magic Millions 2Y0 Classic, The Drinks Cart, has had a slight setback and will miss a scheduled start at Doomben. A brilliant debut winner at the Gold Coast last month, The Drinks Cart was to return in Friday’s Listed Phelan Ready Stakes. He… Read More »
The worsening smoke haze from the NSW bushfires has forced officials to call off barrier trials at Gosford and Randwick. Tuesday’s Randwick trials have been rescheduled to Friday in the hope Sydney’s air quality improves but the heats at Gosford have been abandoned with no suitable replacement date available. The… Read More »
Talented mare Strome’s step up to stakes grade is likely to be delayed with trainer Gary Portelli going cold on the idea of backing her up in the Villiers. Portelli flagged the idea of running her in Saturday’s Group Two Villiers Stakes (1600m) seven days after her eye-catching second in… Read More »
John Sadler is looking to train his third Standish Handicap winner with sprinter Superhard to get another look at the Flemington straight in the lead-up. Superhard is among 18 nominations for an 1100m-sprint on Saturday which will be the gelding’s final run ahead of the Group Three Standish Handicap (1200m)… Read More »
Robbie Laing says he now has his financial affairs in order ahead of a bid to get his trainer’s licence restored. A multiple Group One-winning trainer, Laing says that could be as early as next week when the Racing Victoria Board meets and he hopes his application is considered and… Read More »
Queensland’s Jim Byrne and Matt McGillivray will have a special incentive to win the Origin Jockey Series in Brisbane. The series will be run over five heats at Doomben and Eagle Farm on Friday and Saturday respectively in conjunction with stakes racing on both days. The Origin series is in… Read More »
Ex-patriate Australian Vlad Duric has won a third-straight Singapore jockeys’ premiership while also enjoying his most successful year. The Singapore season wound up on Sunday with Duric landing four winners, giving him 88 victories for the year, bettering his previous best of 83 in 2017. He finished with 73 winners… Read More »
Melbourne-based Michael Dee is returning home to New Zealand for Christmas and is set to ride in feature races at Ellerslie during the holiday period. Dee owns a farm in New Zealand with his parents Richard and Jo and will extend his stay to the new year to ride three-year-old… Read More »
Maximum Security has ended a tumultuous season with a decisive victory in the Grade One Cigar Mile at Aqueduct in New York. Earlier this year the colt became the first horse to be disqualified for interference in the 145-year history of the Kentucky Derby. That was one of only two… Read More »
Japanese horses have dominated the Hong Kong International meeting at Sha Tin winning three of the four Group One races. Glory Vase took out Sunday’s Hong Kong Vase (2400m), Admire Mars the Hong Kong Mile and Wing Bright the Hong Kong Cup (2000m). The John Size-trained local beat The Clock… Read More »
Premier Sydney trainer Chris Waller is likely to have at least two runners in Randwick’s summer showpiece, the Group Two Villiers Stakes. The winner of Saturday’s 1600m-race gains an automatic start in the Group One Doncaster Mile in April. Waller has won the Villiers Stakes once with Honor In War… Read More »
Veteran Larry Cassidy has again shown there are no tougher sports people than jockeys. Cassidy was doubled over in pain with a sudden kidney stone attack at Sunshine Coast track work this week. “I have had them before and anyone who has also had them will tell you the pain… Read More »
The son of a champion who became a champion on the track and in the breeding barn is about to have a milestone birthday. Lonhro, described by his former trainer as his best ever and by his jockey as a dream, officially turns 21 on Tuesday. A son of Octagonal… Read More »
A track gallop will determine whether leading Magic Millions Classic hope, The Drinks Cart, runs in the Phelan Ready Stakes. The Drinks Cart, a brilliant winner at his only start, can shore up his place in the $2 million Magic Millions Classic at the Gold Coast if he wins Friday’s… Read More »
The Victoria Racing Club is stepping into the twilight zone with the first of their experimental meetings at Flemington. The nine race card on Saturday begins at 3pm with the last race run five hours later. The early part of Saturday’s program will have races spaced 40 minutes apart to… Read More »
Rockhampton trainers Ricky Vale and Jared Whelow have been fined after traces of an anti inflammatory, dexamethasone, were found in urine swabs taken from horses in their care. A Racing Queensland stewards inquiry heard dexamethasone was detected in samples taken from the Whelow-trained Mishnah at Rockhampton meetings on January 31… Read More »
Seven jockeys have been suspended in a dramatic conclusion to the London National with the race declared void. A field of 14 runners went to post for the three-mile-five-furlong handicap chase – and the drama began after Houblon Des Obeaux slipped on the bend after jumping the Pond fence for… Read More »
Three-year-old filly Kay Cee has given the Parnham family an historic win in the Group One Kingston Town Classic at Ascot. Trained by Neville Parnham, Kay Cee ($11) was ridden by his son Steve in Saturday’s 1800m-race, the final Group One race of the year in Australia. Kay Cee is… Read More »
Trainer David Vandyke has always expected to win a stakes race with mare Frangipani Moon but it came a little earlier than expected to Doomben. Ridden in a rails-hugging manner by jockey Jake Bayliss, Frangipani Moon ($19) got up to beat Shalwa ($11) in a driving finish to the Listed… Read More »
