Nature Strip will not run in The Everest for the Australian Turf Club after his Moir Stakes failure. The Darren Weir-trained sprinter faded after leading to finish eighth as favourite in Friday night’s Group One Moir at Moonee Valley. Australian Turf Club chairman Matt McGrath confirmed via social media that… Read More »
UK Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby blazed a trail of success during his first Melbourne visit that lit a fire for further travels. That foray registered five victories – the Geelong Cup, Bendigo Cup and Sandown Cup – along with two other staying races. Last year he returned with a team… Read More »
Group One winner In Her Time has been named the Provincial Horse of the Year with The Monstar getting the award in the Country category. In Her Time will run in Saturday’s Group Two Premiere Stakes as a lead-up to the $13 million Everest on October 13 with The Monstar… Read More »
Viddora has put her hand up for the final slot in The Everest with victory in the Group One Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley. The Lloyd Kennewell-trained mare held off Everest slot holder Brave Smash in Friday’s night’s dash over 1000m to score by a length-and-a-quarter with Sydney visitor Spright… Read More »
Champion jockey Damien Oliver has shaken off the effects of a severely bruised left shin to guide Meryl to a stakes race win at Moonee Valley. The Sydney visitor claimed the Group Three Scarborough Stakes (1200m) on Friday night after Oliver made a winning move on the home turn. Oliver… Read More »
Leonardo Da Hinchi has pressed his claims for the Caulfield Guineas with a solid victory in the Stutt Stakes at Moonee Valley. The victory wasn’t as easy as expected for those who took the short odds in Friday night’s Group Two race with the Darren Weir-trained three-year-old held up behind… Read More »
Chautauqua will not race again after failing to leave the barriers in an official barrier trial at Moonee Valley. His presence ensured extra numbers for the opening meeting of the night racing season on Friday. Those who came shared in the pain of Chautauqua’s connections as the gelding stayed in… Read More »
Nick Williams has pinpointed the Caulfield Cup as a suitable spring target for The Taj Mahal after his narrow win in the JRA Cup at Moonee Valley. After a wide early passage, The Taj Mahal was sent forward outside the leader with 1200m to run in the 2040m Group Three… Read More »
I Am A Star has gone back-to-back in the Group Two Stocks Stakes at Moonee Valley and will now chase wins at a higher level for the remainder of the spring. The Shane Nichols-trained mare was sent out the $1.65 favourite for Friday night’s 1600m-race for mares and despite a… Read More »
Futooh is already a stakes winner over the Randwick mile and will be chasing an upset win in the Group One Flight Stakes. The Lindsay Park stable has two fillies in Saturday’s Flight (1600m) with Futooh joined by Fundamentalist who was placed at Group One level in Brisbane as a… Read More »
After a long and gradual build-up from injury, Wall Of Fire will attempt to win the Group One Metropolitan Handicap over 2400m at his first start for almost a year. An international visitor for last year’s Melbourne spring carnival, Wall Of Fire ran second in the Herbert Power Stakes (2400m)… Read More »
Second favourite for The Kosciuszko, Victorem, has pleased connections in a barrier trial Gosford, two weeks out from the $1.3 million race at Randwick. Port Macquarie trainer Jenny Graham and jockey Ben Looker were happy with his fourth in Friday’s 1000m-trial and growing in confidence ahead of the race on… Read More »
FLIGHT STAKES Group One, $500,000, 1600m HISTORY The race is named for champion horse Flight, who was the highest stakes winning mare in Australasia. She was the winner of the W S Cox Plate in 1945 and 1946. The Flight Stakes is Sydney’s premier spring carnival race for three-year-old fillies…. Read More »
Michael Dee registered his first Group One win in The Metropolitan a year ago and the Melbourne-based jockey will be back in Sydney aiming for a repeat when he rides imported stayer Midterm at Randwick. In last year’s Metropolitan, Dee won on Foundry who, like his mount in Saturday’s edition,… Read More »
During a career in racing spanning more than three decades, Mark Newnham has had an association with many big-race winners. But as a trainer in his own right for little more than two years, Saturday’s Epsom Handicap meeting at Randwick shapes as an important day for the horseman. Newnham will… Read More »
Trainer Mick Price is delighted with the progress Grunt has made as he chases consecutive Group One wins. But he has a nagging doubt how Grunt will fare from the outside draw in Sunday’s Underwood Stakes at Caulfield. Grunt appreciated the return to Flemington when successful in the Makybe Diva… Read More »
A brace of Group winners on Golden Rose day and a midweek hit-and-run raid in Melbourne has Tim Clark full of confidence heading into the Epsom Handicap meeting. Clark comes to Randwick in stellar form having combined with Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott to snare last weekend’s Gloaming Stakes on… Read More »
Promising sprinter Tawfiq Boy will make his open company debut instead of tackling an easier restricted class race at Doomben. Trainer Kris Lees had entered Tawfiq Boy for the Simon George Sells Strawberries Open (1200m) and the Class Six (1350m) on Saturday. Lees’ Queensland manager Mel Eggleston said the trainer… Read More »
Classy European stayer Torcedor is out of Melbourne Cup contention after spiking a temperature. Nine horses entered quarantine in England and Ireland overnight but the Andreas Wohler-trained Torcedor did not enter quarantine in Europe, meaning he will not be travelling to Melbourne for this year’s Cup. The Willie Mullins-trained Max… Read More »
Jockey Damien Oliver has been cleared to ride after an injury scare which threatened to keep him out of two Group One races. Oliver’s leg became jammed against a steel partition in the barriers when Thousand Wishes played up in the gates on Wednesday at Flemington. His manager Mark Van… Read More »
