As expected, Melody Belle has taken the top honour at the New Zealand Horse of the Year awards for her five Group One wins during the past season. The Jamie Richards-trained mare already has another Group One victory this season in the Tarzino Trophy. Veteran trainer Murray Baker has been… Read More »
English-trained American-owned future Melbourne Cup contender Spanish Mission has won the $1 million Derby Invitational at Belmont in New York. Raced by Team Valor International and Earle Mack, Spanish Mission has earned an automatic berth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf in November with his win. A Group winner in England,… Read More »
Lindsay Park has yet to win the Makybe Diva Stakes since its elevation to Group One status and the presence of Mystic Journey at Flemington has the stable doubting that will change this year. The Makybe Diva, over 1600m at Flemington on Saturday, gained its Group One grading in 2013… Read More »
Godolphin has yet to name its Everest contender but last year’s surprise placegetter Osborne Bulls has shown he is ready to put his credentials to the test. Osborne Bulls and stablemate Home Of The Brave worked together between races at Randwick on Saturday, pleasing trainer James Cummings. Both could resume… Read More »
Group One winner Princess Jenni is set to launch her spring campaign in the Let’s Elope Stakes at Flemington. The winner of four of her seven starts, Princess Jenni took out the Group One Australasian Oaks (2000m) in Adelaide in May and resumes on Saturday in the Group Two 1400m… Read More »
Gold Coast trainer Michael Costa hopes to continue the campaign of smart mare Manaya after her recent setback. Manaya, who was recently bought by Glenlogan Park Stud, won at Eagle Farm two starts back but was well beaten at her next run. Costa said she had been found to have… Read More »
Caloundra trainer David Vandyke has reverted to plan B for the unbeaten Alligator Blood after an aborted Sydney campaign. Alligator Blood had been set to make his Sydney debut in the Ming Dynasty Quality at Randwick last week. But he was a late scratching when he became agitated in the… Read More »
Apprentice Clayton Gallagher has taken the riding honours at the iconic outback Queensland meeting at Birdsville with three winners over the two days including the $40,000 Cup on French Hussler. Gallagher had a stint riding in south east Queensland but in recent times has been riding in northern NSW. He… Read More »
Melbourne Cup placegetter Prince Of Arran has rounded out his European preparation for a second tilt at the race with a Group Three third at Kempton. Trained by Charlie Fellowes, Prince Of Arran finished 1-3/4 lengths behind the winner Royal Line after being held up midway through the September Stakes… Read More »
Hello Youmzain has continued the trend of three-year-olds winning Group One sprints this season with a clear-cut success in the Sprint Cup at Haydock. Ten Sovereigns and Advertise – who both missed Saturday’s event – have triumphed for their age group in top-level contests this season. James Doyle had the… Read More »
Champion jockey Damien Oliver has claimed a 10th Scobie Breasley Medal for riding excellence in Victoria whiled Winx has been named Horse of the Year. Finishing runner-up to Craig Williams in the Melbourne jockeys’ premiership, Oliver exacted revenge when voted the Scobie Breasley medallist for 2018-19. Oliver polled 60 votes… Read More »
Bookmakers betting on the $14 million Everest have reacted after the Concorde Stakes at Randwick, trimming the first two across the line to single figures. Dual Everest winner Redzel firmed $15 to $7 with the TAB after he beat Pierata in Saturday’s 1000m-sprint at Randwick with the runner-up now also… Read More »
Veteran Articus has upstaged his more fancied rivals and earned a possible stakes-race tilt with a narrow win in the final race on Chelmsford Stakes day at Randwick. The eight-year-old hadn’t been in the winner’s stall for almost two-and-a-half years and was sent out $21 but responded to a positive… Read More »
Homesman has won a golden ticket into the Cox Plate courtesy of a comprehensive win in the Feehan Stakes at The Valley. The winner of Saturday’s Group Two race bypasses the ballot into next month’s $5 million Cox Plate at The Valley. Placed second in the weight-for-age race 12 months… Read More »
Nash Rawiller’s resurgence in the riding ranks has gone to the next level at Randwick with the jockey landing four winners and his first at Group level since his return from a lengthy ban. Rawiller, who spent 15 months in the wilderness serving a ban imposed by Hong Kong stewards… Read More »
For the second year in a row, proven fresh performer Faatinah has struck first-up at The Valley coming off an international campaign in Dubai. After a three-run preparation in Dubai early in 2018 the gelding returned home to Australia and started his spring preparation in late August last year with… Read More »
Tim Clark has declared Samadoubt the latest benchmark of weight-for-age racing in Sydney after the bold frontrunner annihilated his Chelmsford Stakes rivals to maintain his unbeaten record this campaign. Like he did first-up in the Group One Winx Stakes, Samadoubt ($10) found the lead and Clark clicked him up a… Read More »
Doubts about Redzel being up to another Everest campaign have been dispelled in less than a minute at Randwick. With punters shying away from Redzel in Saturday’s Group Thee Concorde Stakes (1000m) and letting him go at $7, Nature Strip was sent out the $2.30 favourite to stake his claims… Read More »
Co-trainer Robert Heathcote declared three-year-old Profit was on the road to Group race success after the gelding overcame difficulties to win at Eagle Farm. Profit ($4.40) made it two wins from two starts when he charged home to beat his stable mate Guntantes ($12) by 1 1/4 lengths in the… Read More »
Tasmanian trainer Scott Brunton admitted he had concerns over the condition of The Inevitable ahead of his victory at The Valley. Travelling overnight on Thursday via ferry from Devonport to Melbourne, Brunton explained The Inevitable had lost weight and was in a cranky mood on-course on Saturday. After a slow… Read More »
