Apprentice Zac Spain has guided Nariko to the mare’s second metropolitan-class victory of her preparation, taking out the opening race on the Ballarat Cup day program. Nariko ($6), trained by Spain’s boss Mick Price at Caulfield, sat three-wide near the pace in Saturday’s Hertz Ballarat Mares Benchmark-78 (1200m) before kicking… Read More »
Victoria’s premier trainer Darren Weir believes Platinum Angel can bounce back from a last-start failure, pinpointing the mare as his best winning chance at the feature Ballarat Cup meeting. Weir’s big representation at Saturday’s meeting on his home track includes six runners in the $350,000 Ballarat Cup (2200m) while Platinum… Read More »
So far Merovee has failed to live up to his breeding or price tag and trainer Chris Waller admits he needs to improve to make an impact at Rosehill. The four-year-old is by Frankel out of More Strawberries, one of the first mares sent to England to be served by… Read More »
Prior knowledge can often be an advantage in racing and it was certainly the case when Sunshine Coast trainer Stuart Kendrick bought Cabochon Lil as a yearling. Kendrick went to $160,000 for the daughter of Sebring out of the unraced mare My Girl Lil, who is closely related to champion… Read More »
Trainer Mike Moroney believes there’s not much between stablemates Hawker Hurricane and Alburq going into the Magic Millions Clockwise Classic at Ballarat. Moroney has two of the nine runners in Saturday’s $200,000 race for two-year-olds which is run in the clockwise direction as a lead-in to the Gold Coast Magic… Read More »
Kris Lees will bypass western Sydney for Western Australia when he saddles up his first runner at Ascot. The top Newcastle trainer will send a handy team of five horses to Rosehill on Saturday but will be trackside in Perth for Prized Icon’s bid in the $1 million Railway Stakes… Read More »
Missing a race during the Melbourne Cup carnival at Flemington has brought the Ballarat Cup into focus for Lord Fandango who will be striving to win his home-track feature on a seven-day back-up. Lord Fandango was due to run in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m) at Flemington on November 10… Read More »
Trainer Kevin Kemp is hoping jockey Luke Tarrant’s experience on Sold For Song can help end a long of outs for the mare at Doomben. James Orman rode Sold For Song for a fast-finishing second at the Sunshine Coast two weeks but he has elected ride Niccanova in Saturday’s Listed… Read More »
Trainer Mick Bell fears his best horse Jungle Edge may be racing for the last time in Victoria when he contests a sprint handicap at Ballarat. The winner of 14 of his 60 starts, Jungle Edge is scheduled to run in Saturday’s Tonks Plate (1200m), his last start before a… Read More »
A friendly weight scale has given in-form mare Volkoff a chance to break her hoodoo over 1200 metres at Doomben. Co-trainer Bryan Guy has been adamant since taking over the former Perth mare from Gary Crispin that she can win at 1200m, a feat that has eluded her in seven… Read More »
Trainer Luca Cumani’s final runner has finished second on a race at Wolverhampton. Cumani announced last month he had decided to call it a day after 43 years at Bedford House Stables in Newmarket. He confirmed earlier this week that Swansdown, carrying the colours of his family’s Fittocks Stud, would… Read More »
A Victorian bookmaker has been suspended and fined for recording fictitious bets over a three-year period. Brian Mann fronted the Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board on Thursday over a number of fictitious bets and bet-backs Racing Victoria stewards say occurred from July 2013 to May 2016. During that period, 315… Read More »
More than 800 juveniles remain in contention for next year’s $1.5 million Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield after first acceptances. The Lindsay Park stable has 101 of the record 812 first acceptors with trainer Tony McEvoy still with 65 two-year-olds among the entries for the Group One race. The next… Read More »
Two scratchings have paved the way for Ballarat Cup favourite Lucky For All to secure a start in the $350,000 race. The Darren Weir-trained Lucky For All was second emergency when the final field was declared on Wednesday but the Chris Waller-trained Savacool and John McArdle-trained Smart As You Think… Read More »
Despite securing a licence to ride in Singapore, Ben Thompson will not be resting before his departure. Thompson begins a 12-month tenure in Singapore on January 1, but before leaving it is business as usual for the Melbourne-based rider. A recent two-day trip to Singapore, where he landed his first… Read More »
With a stable name like Big Knickers, you could be forgiven for thinking Niccobelle wouldn’t amount to much on the racetrack. But after landing a narrow victory at Randwick on Melbourne Cup day, the gelding has earned a shot at Saturday grade and will take his place in the TAB.com.au… Read More »
Leading Melbourne apprentice Ben Allen will head west in a bid for his first Group One win aboard one of the main Railway Stakes contenders, Peaceful State. The teenager has had four placings at Group One level during his career. Allen rode the Darren Weir-trained Peaceful State to third in… Read More »
Consistent mare Plucky Girl has had two strong trials as she prepares for another major step in her surprising career. Trainer Toby Edmonds admits Plucky Girl continues to surprise him as she steps up to new challenges with her record for 21 starts standing at eight wins and 11 minor… Read More »
Connections of three-year-old Starvirgo have tinkered with his gear in a bid to get the best out of the gelding in the Magic Millions 3&4YO Classic at Ballarat. Trainer Anthony Freedman has opted to remove the blinkers which Starvigo has worn in his past two starts and also the cross-over… Read More »
Two-year-old Jonah will get the chance to stake his autumn carnival claims at Rosehill after connections rejigged plans for the colt to make a flying visit to Melbourne. The youngster put the writing on the wall at his debut when he made a race of it with unbeaten juvenile Time… Read More »
