A hit-and-run trip to Singapore has resulted in suspension for Ben Melham, ruling the jockey out of the Bletchingly Stakes meeting at Caulfield. Melham rode at the Singapore Derby meeting at Kranji on Sunday and incurred a three-meeting ban on a careless riding charge. Lured to Singapore to ride the… Read More »
Champion jumper Wells has won his third consecutive Mosstrooper Steeplechase at Pakenham. Having his first start since June and his first over jumps this year, the Kathryn Durden-trained 11-year-old was ridden by Richard Cully in Sunday’s 3500m-race. Wells ($3.40) settled back in the field in the slowly run event with… Read More »
New Zealanders Des Friedrich and Robbie Hewetson have been employed in senior positions at a new state-of-the-art racecourse in Inner Mongolia’s capital Hohhot. Friedrich, an experienced thoroughbred administrator, will be the chief executive and former assistant trainer Hewetson the senior racing steward at the facility which was officially opened at… Read More »
One-time Melbourne Cup favourite Withhold has made a triumphant return to racing to win the Marsh Cup at Newbury. The Roger Charlton-trained stayer bled during last year’s Geelong Cup in which he was favourite and missed his chance at Flemington and has also since undergone wind surgery. Jason Watson set… Read More »
Mystic Journey has already taken Anthony Darmanin on the ride of his career but the jockey hopes there is plenty more to come as he prepares to continue his association with the star filly in her highly anticipated return to racing. The Adam Trinder-trained Mystic Journey has risen to prominence… Read More »
The announcement of a prize money hike for the final of a Victorian country series has sparked the interest of Warrnambool trainer Matthew Williams. Boosted to $500,000, the country series final at Flemington on the Oaks day program on November 7 is now a spring goal for lightly raced Harbour… Read More »
Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Steven King is set to take the next step in his racing career by becoming assistant trainer to Steve Richards. King, who won the 1991 Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup on Let’s Elope, retired from race riding in 2017 and for the past 2-1/2 years has worked… Read More »
Queensland stewards have shown they are determined to enforce the new rule on the time feature race runners must arrive at meetings by fining two of the state’s biggest stables. Trainer Toby Edmonds and Chris Waller’s Queensland manager Paul Shailer were fined $1000 with $500 suspended for 12 months on… Read More »
Queensland Cup-winning jockey Matt McGillivray has been suspended for 11 days for causing interference in the Listed race. McGillivray, who rode the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Azuro to win Saturday’s 3200m-race, was found guilty of causing interference to Dhoukan and Social Element at the 1500m. He is already set… Read More »
A campaign for Doncaster Mile winner Brutal has yet to be finalised with The Everest a possibility should a slot become available. But to date the world’s richest race on turf is not front of mind at Hawkes Racing. Brutal has not raced since winning the Doncaster Mile at Randwick… Read More »
Group One-winning jockey Jamie Kah is set to realise one of her ambitions when she competes in England for the first time in the prestigious Shergar Cup at Ascot. Kah was last week named as one of the three riders on the female jockeys team for the Shergar Cup on… Read More »
Maximum Security has captured the $1 million Haskell Invitational and, unlike the Kentucky Derby, survived a steward’s inquiry. His win at Monmouth capped a long day which included a major delay triggered by intense heat and safety concerns for the horses and riders, leading to the cancellation of six races…. Read More »
Leading trainer Toby Edmonds and his son Trent will launch Queensland’s latest training partnership in the new season. The Gold Coast-based Edmonds has trained 105 overall winners this season and is second to Tony Gollan on the metropolitan premiership with 47. Trent Edmonds has played a vital role in the… Read More »
Frankie Dettori has produced another front-running masterclass aboard Star Catcher to record a fifth win this century in the Irish Oaks at the Curragh. Dettori was able to dictate the pace virtually from the outset Star Catcher who is trained by John Gosden and owned by Anthony Oppenheimer. Quickening three… Read More »
Silvera will get his chance in Sydney after he won the final stakes race of the Queensland season at Eagle Farm. Sent out favourite, Silvera ($2.70) had a lovely run behind the pace before he beat Araaja ($31) by a length in the Listed Tattersall’s Mile (1600m). The gelding won… Read More »
A cause of frustration to his trainers, Prezado has returned to winning form with victory on the straight track at Flemington. Prezado looked to have a promising career in front of him when he broke his maiden status with victory at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day in 2017, but wins… Read More »
After almost 12 months between wins, Smartedge has now put two together, dispensing with a couple of spruik horses in the process at Randwick. Favourite Ljunberg ($2.35) and Notation ($3.10) were the only two punters wanted in Saturday’s PFD Food Services Handicap (1400m). With Christian Reith aboard, Smartedge ($13) stole… Read More »
The disappointment of Healing Hands’ inglorious display as favourite in the Highway Handicap has been tempered by the later discovery he had bled. Mudgee trainer Gayna Williams was literally on the highway home from Randwick on Saturday when she looked at Healing Hands in the float and discovered he had… Read More »
In form jockey Matt McGillivray showed how much he has matured as a jockey when he completed a great winter by winning the $200,000 Queensland Cup on Azuro. McGillivray made it seven stakes wins for the winter when took the favourite Azuro ($2.70) to the lead at the 1600m and… Read More »
Huntly Castle will be aimed towards the Group One Victoria Derby this spring after passing a distance test as a late-season two-year-old in the Byerley Handicap at Flemington. The Byerley (1800m) on the penultimate weekend of the season is the only race restricted to two-year-olds in Melbourne over further than… Read More »
