Rachel King has thrilled Randwick racegoers with a daring front-running ride on Mercurial Lad who has passed his first test over 2000m with aplomb. Mercurial Lad ($14) was as much as 10 lengths in front in the benchmark 88 handicap on Saturday, not necessarily by design. King said she was… Read More »
Brilliant filly Catch Me has moved to equal favourite for next month’s $1.5 million Blue Diamond Stakes after returning to racing in style with victory in one of the traditional lead-up races at Caulfield. The Peter and Paul Snowden-trained Catch Me was an emphatic winner of the Gimcrack Stakes in… Read More »
Sylvia’s Mother has continued her climb through the grades with her latest win at Randwick but her co-trainer Michael Hawkes will not yet be drawn into stakes racing plans. The filly ran third on debut in August and has won her next four starts including Saturday’s open handicap for three-year-olds… Read More »
The Anthony Freedman-trained I Am Immortal has announced himself as a Blue Diamond Stakes contender with an impressive all-the-way win on debut at Caulfield. I Am Immortal ($3.70) had impressed winning in a recent Pakenham barrier trial and the colt showed his speed and talent to win Saturday’s Listed Blue… Read More »
Alligator Blood remains in Golden Slipper contention after maintaining his unbeaten record on Saturday but jockey Jeff Lloyd thinks he might be better at long trips. Alligator Blood ($2.60) made it two wins from two starts when he beat Royalist ($16) by a length in the $125,000 2YO Classic (1200m)… Read More »
Trail-blazing women’s rider Pam O’Neill has been honoured with the Lord Mayor’s Australia Day Sports Award. The award pays tribute to sportspeople who have been great servants of their sport as competitors and later in other roles. O’Neill, 73, campaigned for 18 years to change the rules of racing and… Read More »
A daring ride by jockey Larry Cassidy has helped injury-plagued former Group One star Capital Gain win his first race in 18 months. Cassidy urged Capital Gain ($4.80) to the lead before the home turn on Saturday and then came away up the long Sunshine Coast straight to beat I… Read More »
Odds-on favourite Crack The Code has been made to work hard for back-to-back victories at Caulfield. After an impressive first-up win at The Valley on December 29, the Mick Price-trained three-year-old was sent out the $1.80 favourite in Saturday’s Cape Grim Beef Plate (1100m) for fillies. Damien Oliver was forced… Read More »
Much-travelled gelding Le Juge may have earned himself a ticket back to Sydney after his win at the Sunshine Coast. Le Juge ($2.70) finished powerfully off a slow pace on Saturday to beat the early leader Saxton Rock ($3.30) by three-quarters of a length in the Coastline BMW Series 3… Read More »
In-form mare Whispering Brook has continued her unbeaten preparation, defeating a quality field in the Group Two Australia Stakes at The Valley. The Darren Weir-trained mare went into Friday night’s weight-for-age sprint off the back of two wins at Flemington this preparation, including the Group Three Standish Handicap at her… Read More »
There is something quintessentially Australian about Tom Melbourne even though he is originally from Ireland. His name says he was destined to race here and on Australia Day he will be out to break a winning drought of more than 1000 days in the Carrington Stakes (1400m) at Randwick. It… Read More »
While a host of Blue Diamond hopefuls are set to step out in the respective Previews at Caulfield, trainer Jason Warren is biding his time with the current favourite for next month’s $1.5 million feature. Saturday’s Caulfield program features the Group Three Blue Diamond Preview for two-year-old fillies and the… Read More »
A return to his favourite track is expected to offset a drop back in distance and a step up in class for Bergerac at the Sunshine Coast. Trainer Steve Tregea has no hesitation backing Bergerac up from an Eagle Farm second last week in the Listed Sunshine Coast Cup (1400m)…. Read More »
It took a while for talented gelding Manolo Blahniq to land his first Australian stakes win but trainer Tony Noonan is confident the sprinter-miler can now go on with the job. Noonan is hoping the recent Chester Manifold Stakes winner gets enough votes to earn a spot in the $5… Read More »
Talented three-year-old Star Fall will be on trial for better-class sprint races when he bids to continue his summer winning streak at Randwick. The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained colt has won three- consecutive benchmark races so far this preparation and faces his next test in Saturday’s 2019 Membership Handicap… Read More »
Race times show why trainer Toby Edmonds has chosen the Open Handicap at the Sunshine Coast for the return of classy mare From Within. The former Chris Waller-trained four-year-old has always shown ability and, although eventually unplaced, started equal favourite in the 2017 Magic Millions 2Y0 Classic won by the… Read More »
An emphatic win in Sydney’s first juvenile race of the season stamped Catch Me as a Blue Diamond Stakes prospect in the eyes of three-time winning trainer Peter Snowden. Catch Me ($8) and stablemate Anaheed ($15) are both high up in betting for next month’s Blue Diamond and they begin… Read More »
The signs are Sovereign Nation can rekindle his Group One form when he makes his debut for trainer Matt Dunn in the Listed Sunshine Coast Cup. Saturday’s Cup (1400m) is the last feature race of the Queensland summer carnival and brings together diverse form lines including former and current Godolphin… Read More »
New Zealand star Te Akau Shark has suffered a setback and will miss the autumn. Named for his part-owner, NRL star and Cronulla Sharks captain Paul Gallen, Te Akau Shark had been the third favourite for the Doncaster Mile at Randwick on April 6. Te Akau Racing did not disclose… Read More »
The forecast for extreme heat has prompted Racing Victoria to abandon a scheduled race meeting at Mornington. On Wednesday, RV adjusted the scheduled race times for Friday’s Mornington meeting in a bid to avoid the hottest part of the day but after an updated forecast on Thursday officials have decided… Read More »
