The new Eagle Farm racing surface has passed its first major test with horses galloping on the course proper. Eagle Farm, the state’s major track, has been out of operation for most of the past four years because of problems during its redevelopment. A new base and grass were laid… Read More »
Damien Oliver has been booked to ride Trap For Fools in the Kingston Town Classic in Perth and will jump aboard the last-start Mackinnon Stakes winner in a track gallop before the Group One race. Trainer Jarrod McLean has confirmed Oliver’s booking for Trap For Fools after several other names… Read More »
Sydney trainer Chris Waller has made a lightning trip to Hong Kong to check on Comin’ Through ahead of the Group One winner’s bid to topple local star Beauty Generation in the International Mile. Runner-up in the Doncaster Mile before his success in the Doomben Cup (2000m), Comin’ Through is… Read More »
Retiring trainer Bill Prain’s 50-year career in racing is to be celebrated at the midweek meeting at Warwick Farm, his home track. Prain announced his retirement last week with his major supporter, Fred Peisah scaling back his racing and breeding business at Lomar Park Stud. The Australian Turf Club has… Read More »
Since he won a Group Three race as a two-year-old, Single Bullet’s career has been a case of near misses and a couple of disappointments. But his return to the winners’ circle at Randwick in October has renewed trainer Gary Portelli’s faith in the sprinter heading to Saturday’s 1100m-Benchmark 88… Read More »
Four of the first five horses home in the recent Ballarat Cup are among the nominations for another of Victoria’s country features at Pakenham. Saturday’s $300,000 Listed Pakenham Cup (2500m) has attracted 22 entries headlined by Ballarat Cup winner Kiwia and Geelong Cup winner Runaway. Zipping Classic runner-up Dal Harraild… Read More »
Tony Gollan has revealed plans to further modernise his operation as he prepares to continue his domination of the summer carnival. Gollan has already trained the winners of three stakes races and three other feature events this summer carnival. After a relatively slow start to the season he leads the… Read More »
A pre-Christmas midweek twilight race meeting originally scheduled for Sandown has been transferred to Caulfield. Racing Victoria announced on Monday the December 19 twilight meeting had been moved at the request of the Melbourne Racing Club. “With the Caulfield track in great condition following its annual post-Caulfield Cup renovation, the… Read More »
Smart Toowoomba filly Mishani Spirit is set to take the next step to the Magic Millions carnival via a provincial race at the Gold Coast. Mishani Spirit created a big impression when she won her only start at Toowoomba on October 15. The race carried metropolitan prize money because it… Read More »
Australian champion Winx has been named the most popular horse by online voters from more than 60 countries. The Secretariat Vox Populi Award recognises the horse whose popularity and racing excellence best resonates with the general public. The award was created by Penny Chenery, owner of the incomparable Secretariat, to… Read More »
Jason Warren has more Magic Millions races in his sights with one of his stable stars Bel Sonic. Four-year-old Bel Sonic resumed from a spell with a last-to-first victory in the $100,000 Magic Millions 3&4YO Classic (1100m) at Ballarat eight days ago and Warren has two other Magic Millions races… Read More »
The inaugural Jericho Cup has attracted a large crowd to Warrnambool to commemorate the centenary of a race run on the desert sands in Palestine in World War I to divert attention from the Australian Light Horse’s charge at Beersheba. The Anthony Freedman-trained High Mode ran out the winner over… Read More »
Top mare Houtzen is likely to have only one run before trying to add to her Magic Millions carnival record. Houtzen won the 2017 Magic Millions 2YO Classic in brilliant fashion before going on to race against some of the best sprinters in Australia. She has won six races and… Read More »
A return to form by Pilote D’Essai has Lindsay Park confident the gelding can land a second victory in the Pakenham Cup. Pilote D’Essai won the 2016 Ballarat Cup before going on to take the Pakenham Cup at his next start and Lindsay Park again has the race in its… Read More »
Group One-winning Queensland jockey Glen Colless is set to return to riding after being sidelined for almost three months with injury. Colless hurt his back in mid-September but it has responded to intense treatment in the past few weeks. “I am resuming trackwork riding on Monday and I should be… Read More »
Up to a dozen horses will gallop on the new Eagle Farm course proper surface in the track’s first major comeback test. Brisbane’s premier racecourse has been out of action for most of the past four years because of problems with its racing surface. Horses are expected to work on… Read More »
Racing UK’s new-year rebrand as Racing TV is to feature an ‘Extra’ digital stream to ensure full coverage of all its 61 racecourses following the acquisition of all Irish content. The channel, owned by Racecourse Media Group will relaunch on January 1 and broadcast to its 50,000 British and Irish… Read More »
An unusually emotional Damien Oliver has celebrated a Group One success on Voodoo Lad in the Winterbottom Stakes at Ascot. Although he has been based in Melbourne for decades, Oliver remains Perth’s favourite son and returns to the summer carnival when he can. Voodoo Lad is from the Victorian stable… Read More »
Vastly improved gelding I’m A Rippa surprised even his trainer Tony Gollan with the time he ran in winning the Group Three George Moore Stakes at Doomben. I’m A Rippa ($5.50) gave Gollan his fourth winner for the day, a feat he has now achieved three times in the past… Read More »
Seven-time Melbourne jockeys’ premiership winner Craig Williams is back on top of this season’s standings after a winning treble at Moonee Valley. Williams took his season tally in Melbourne to 22 wins, two in front of John Allen, after victories on promising three-year-olds Behemoth and My Pendant and imported stayer… Read More »
