Queensland provincial racing will be the biggest beneficiary from the immediate injection of $18 million for prize money from the state government. The government and stake holders reached an agreement last week after a united racing industry withheld its services from the Doomben meeting coinciding with the Cox Plate fixture… Read More »
Being an expensive yearling brings with it racetrack expectation. And high-priced colt Diplomatico has earned his opportunity on the big stage to deliver a Group One win in the Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington on Saturday. The Coolmore for three-year-olds on the Victoria Derby program has developed into an important… Read More »
It will be a case of swings and roundabouts if the Gerald Ryan-trained Red Excitement can break a winning drought at his home track of Rosehill on Saturday. The nine-year-old, who ran Winx to a length when second to the champion in last year’s Chelmsford Stakes, hasn’t won a race… Read More »
Corey Brown has the runs on the board when it comes to winning Australia’s big races. He’s won 47 Group One races including two Melbourne Cups, his latest in 2017 on Rekindling. However Brown will get a little extra satisfaction if he’s able to coax Tom Melbourne over the line… Read More »
VICTORIA DERBY The $2 million race for three-year-olds (2500m) at Melbourne’s Flemington racecourse is one of the oldest in the world HISTORY * First run in 1855 when won by Rose Of May, the Victoria Derby pre-dates the Melbourne Cup by six years * Its prize money has been increased… Read More »
James Cummings has already etched his name into the history book of Australia’s oldest Classic race as a fourth generation Victoria Derby-winning trainer. On Saturday Cummings saddles up Aramayo, striving to win the Victoria Derby for a second time. Only this time he is doing so as a private trainer… Read More »
Melbourne Cup hope Red Verdon will sport some headwear in a track gallop at Werribee with the view to a gear change for Flemington. The international raider is set to wear winkers in Thursday’s hit-out before a final decision will be made in consultation with trainer Ed Dunlop who is… Read More »
Toby Edmonds will be trackside at Flemington on Saturday to saddle up three horses at the Victoria Derby meeting but he will be keeping a close eye on his contingent of runners at Doomben. Edmonds will start three-year-old Grim Reaper along with in-form mares Winter Bride and From Within in… Read More »
Lexus Melbourne Cup (G1) 3200m (Apprentices cannot claim) Prize money: $7,050,000; 1st $4,000,000 and trophies $250,000; 2nd $1,000,000; 3rd $500,000; 4th $300,000; 5th $200,000; 6th-12th $150,000. 1 _ 1111 Best Solution m (1) 57.5 2 _ 3X43 The Cliffsofmoher (2) 56.5 3 _ X11X Magic Circle m (3) 56 4… Read More »
Jockeys Hugh Bowman and Corey Brown have teamed up again to put their respective Melbourne Cup mounts through a gallop at Werribee. With Brown leading off aboard Magic Circle in the gallop over 1200m, the Bowman-ridden Marmelo joined his galloping companion at the 600m. Magic Circle shaded Marmelo at the… Read More »
Jockey Kerrin McEvoy has put Melbourne Cup mount Cross Counter through his paces at Werribee in preparation for the $7 million race at Flemington. It was McEvoy’s first ride on the Godolphin-owned stayer, describing the hit-out as a sharp piece of work. “He sat in behind Folkswood and did it… Read More »
Bendigo Cup plans for Patrick Erin have been shelved because of a minor elevated temperature but the Group One-winning stayer could yet run in the Lexus Stakes to try to force his way into the Melbourne Cup. Patrick Erin has not raced since winning the Group One Metropolitan at Randwick… Read More »
Grand galloper Hartnell has drawn a middle barrier for the Group One Kennedy Mile in which he has top weight of 59kg in a capacity field of 16 plus four emergencies. Eight-year-old Hartnell has barrier nine for Saturday’s $1 million handicap but will come in one gate if his stablemate… Read More »
Four three-year-old fillies are set to line up against the older mares in a capacity field for the Group One Empire Rose Stakes at Flemington. Group One-winning fillies Oohood, Seabrook and Amphitrite and Thousand Guineas runner-up Fundamentalist are all acceptors in the field of 16 plus one emergency for Saturday’s… Read More »
A field of 10 has been declared for the Group One Coolmore Stud Stakes for three-year-olds at Flemington. Blue Diamond Stakes winner Written By has barrier six in the $1 million straight-track 1200m sprint while the Chris Waller-trained pair of Zousain and Lean Mean Machine have barriers four and three… Read More »
Bone scans on Melbourne Cup hopeful Duretto have not shown any identifiable issues with the horse to undergo more tests before a decision is made whether he is in suitable condition to run in the big race. The English stayer underwent the scans on Tuesday after pulling up lame after… Read More »
The Lindsay Park stable already has Moonee Valley Cup winner Ventura Storm qualified for the Melbourne Cup. But co-trainers David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig are keen for Jaameh to also force his way into next Tuesday’s race via Saturday’s Group Three Lexus Stakes at Flemington. Jaameh is chasing… Read More »
Jockey Craig Williams is pinning his hopes of a first Melbourne Cup on Queensland Oaks winner Youngstar. After being confirmed as the rider for Youngstar in next week’s $7.3 million race, Williams jumped aboard the four-year-old mare for the first time in a gallop on the Flemington course proper on… Read More »
A week of missed work hasn’t affected Cross Counter’s bid to claim a first Melbourne Cup victory for Godolphin. The Charlie Appleby-trained 2018 Melbourne Cup second favourite cantered a lap and three-quarters of the Werribee track on Tuesday and will do a stronger piece of work under race jockey Kerrin… Read More »
Having trained three of the past five winners of the Group One Coolmore Stud Stakes, Chris Waller knows what it takes to win the feature sprint for three-year-olds during the Melbourne Cup carnival. And Waller says he would not swap either of his stable’s two colts – Zousain and Lean… Read More »
