Two-year-old Star Surprise is only small in stature but the gelding has shown he has his fair share of ability with a determined victory at Caulfield. Star Surprise finished second on debut at Sale to the Danny O’Brien-trained Can’t Be Done in May before breaking his maiden at his second… Read More »
In-form Baylee Nothdurft has given himself a great chance of winning the Queensland metropolitan apprentices’ premiership despite riding in the city for only seven months. Nothdurft went to 29 city winners for the season when he drove Smokey Diamond ($6.50) home by a head to the favourite Kings Full ($2.60)… Read More »
Apprentice jockey Tahlia Hope has responded well to treatment for viral meningitis and has been moved from ICU at Victoria’s Frankston Hospital. The Victorian Jockeys Association said she had improved overnight on Thursday and by Friday afternoon had been moved out of ICU. Hope was admitted with viral meningitis, infection… Read More »
Gold Coast trainer Toby Edmonds’s reputation for success with former southern-trained horses will get another test when Lady Horseowner resumes at Doomben. Edmonds took his season total of winners to 105 with a double at Doomben and Havasay’s win in the Grafton Ramornie on Wednesday. Many of those winners have… Read More »
Mick Bell has confidence apprentice Michael Poy can deliver again on the trainer’s popular sprinter Jungle Edge, this time in a weight-for-age Group Three race at Caulfield. Poy is the only apprentice with a ride in Saturday’s Sir John Monash Stakes, in which apprentices cannot use their claims, but he… Read More »
Retiring jockey Jeff Lloyd will leave behind records that could take decades to beat. Lloyd began his career at the famous South African Academy as a 14-year-old and had his first ride in Durban in March, 1976. He did not ride a winner until his 38th attempt but it was… Read More »
Given New Tipperary’s pattern for producing a peak performance at his second run from a spell, it was a no-brainer for Joe Pride to pick the most winnable race for his second-up target. That race comes around on Saturday in the form of the Listed Winter Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill… Read More »
Having shown trainer Daniel Bowman no signs she has had enough this preparation, last-start Creswick Stakes runner-up Golden Halo is pressing on to chase a late-season city win at Caulfield. Golden Halo came from back in the field to run second to promising Adelaide sprinter Gytrash in the Listed Creswick… Read More »
Apprentice jockey Tahlia Hope is in a Victorian hospital after contracting viral meningitis. The Victorian Jockeys Association said on Thursday night she had been admitted to the ICU unit at Frankston Hospital. “Doctors have confirmed she has viral meningitis, infection and swelling on brain,” the VJA said. VJA chief executive… Read More »
Classy three-year-old Ef Troop will be master of his own destiny when he has his next start at Doomben. Ef Troop is typical of trainer Tony Gollan’s horses this winter, being a good performer but hamstrung by bad luck and wet weather. The gelding showed his class when favourite in… Read More »
John O’Shea fears the barrier draw has cruelled the winning chances of Intrepidacious at Rosehill but he remains optimistic she can make a mark in the early spring. The Randwick trainer was disappointed when the youngster drew the outside in the Everest Carnival Handicap on Saturday, a gate he sees… Read More »
The Anderson/Heathcote training premiership has good reason to believe it has made the right decision by adding blinkers to the race day gear of unbeaten Ziemba at Doomben. Ziemba won his first two starts impressively in midweek class at Doomben and Ipswich without blinkers. It is usual that blinkers are… Read More »
Communique has powered to victory in the Princess of Wales’s Stakes, at Newmarket with last year’s Derby winner Masar finishing last of the six runners. The Mark Johnston-trained Communique won his fourth race at Headquarters under Sylvestre de Sousa. James Doyle struggled to find any cover for Masar, with Charlie… Read More »
New Zealand trainer Tony Pike ended a memorable Australian winter campaign on a winning note when Sacred Day landed the Listed Grafton Cup. Pike will return to his training base at Cambridge to concentrate on New Zealand spring racing after unearthing a genuine staying prospect in Sacred Day to complement… Read More »
Stewards have agreed to adjourn the hearing into seven of the remaining 21 charges against Ben Currie until after criminal matters against the banned Toowoomba trainer are resolved. It means if Currie elects to go to trial on his criminal charges his racing matters may not be finalised for more… Read More »
Jamie Mott has been impressed by what Can’t Be Done has shown so far in his first preparation and the jockey believes the two-year-old gelding is poised for another bold showing in his next test at Caulfield. The Danny O’Brien-trained Can’t Be Done made it two wins from three starts… Read More »
Trainer Steve Tregea hopes he doesn’t get a first-hand chance to test the theory Mackay has one of the best drying racetracks in Australia. Tregea will tackle the $150,000 Mackay Cup (2000m) with Bergerac and Prioritise on Saturday. He also has his top sprinter Niccanova in the $75,000 Mackay Newmarket… Read More »
In-form jockey Matt McGillivray is rapidly establishing a claim to being heir apparent to throne left vacant by Jeff Lloyd as Queensland’s top jockey. Lloyd will retire on Saturday with 93 Group One wins and four metropolitan premierships under his belt. There is no obvious contender to take his place… Read More »
Crack The Code will have her first serious examination against older horses in the Sir John Monash Stakes, with co-trainer Michael Kent Jnr believing the Group-winning filly is up for the challenge. Three-year-old Crack The Code is the youngest horse in Saturday’s weight-for-age Group Three Monash Stakes at Caulfield and… Read More »
Jason Coyle will split talented fillies River Bird and Spiritual Pursuit in the hope the pair can both continue their winning runs at Rosehill. While Spiritual Pursuit will aim for back-to-back victories in the ATC Foundation Handicap (1100m), dual acceptor River Bird is an early scratching from that race and… Read More »
