Exciting Toowoomba two-year-old Plumaro is set to continue the dominance of first season sire Spirit of Boom when she comes to town to race at Doomben. Eureka Stud’s Spirit of Boom is already a success story and had another winner when Kinky Boom won the Inglis Premier at Caulfield on… Read More »
Trainer Aaron Purcell is not fazed by the Cranbourne trial performance of highly fancied Australian Guineas hope Aloisia. The filly finished last in the 800m trial on Monday, but Purcell said the hit-out was part of her fitness program ahead of The Vanity (1400m) at Flemington on February 17. Aloisia… Read More »
Expressway Stakes winner Trapeze Artist will not take on Winx if she runs in the Apollo Stakes with connections opting to keep him against his fellow three-year-olds. The colt was an impressive winner of Saturday’s Group Two Expressway Stakes (1200m), prompting talk of another tilt at weight-for-age in the Group… Read More »
Star sprinter Redzel has shown he is back in race mode with his win in a barrier trial at Rosehill in which champion Winx had a solid hit-out to finish midfield. The 1000m-trial win was in contrast to Redzel’s effort two weeks ago when he was given a soft tune-up… Read More »
Japanese import Ambitious has had his first serious trial with a midfield finish at Cranbourne. Trainer Anthony Freedman said Ambitious was progressing nicely for his Australian debut which was likely to be in the Group Two Peter Young Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on February 24. Ambitious led up early in… Read More »
Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Joseph O’Brien has pulled off another remarkable achievement with Edwulf winning the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown. The nine-year-old collapsed in the closing stages of the JT McNamara National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham last March and his life was in the balance. Edwulf happily returned to full… Read More »
Winx has again pleased her jockey Hugh Bowman in a Rosehill barrier trial but whether he rides her when she returns hinges on an appeal against suspension. Bowman rode the mare in a trial won by top sprinter Redzel on Monday morning, a few hours before he fronts the Racing… Read More »
While the spotlight will inevitably fall on Winx during barrier trials at Rosehill, Hugh Bowman has another important assignment on Frolic. The three-year-old filly is closing in on her first race since April, and first for trainer Edward O’Rourke who was entrusted with the Golden Slipper runner-up when Michael Freedman… Read More »
Trainer Tony McEvoy is hoping to add to his contingent of Blue Diamond runners via the Preludes at Caulfield. McEvoy already has Run Naan and Saturday’s impressive debut winner Kinky Boom in the field for the Group One Blue Diamond (1200m) at Caulfield on February 24 and hopes to add… Read More »
Queensland trainers want changes to the decision process on whether race meetings should be abandoned because of rain. Four races were lost when stewards called off Saturday’s Doomben meeting after a delegation of jockeys said the visibility was deteriorating at such a rate it would be dangerous to continue. It… Read More »
Merchant Navy will be entered for the Group Two Rubiton Stakes with trainer Aaron Purcell to make a decision whether the star sprinting colt resumes in the Group Two race or waits for the Lightning Stakes after he looks at the possible field. Merchant Navy’s autumn target is the Group… Read More »
While excitement builds for the return of champion Winx, her stablemate Shillelagh will bid for a second Group One victory in Melbourne in the C F Orr Stakes. Winx will run in a barrier trial at Rosehill on Monday ahead of a possible defence of the Group Two Apollo Stakes… Read More »
Top Queensland two-year-olds Ef Troop and Outback Barbie are about to return to trainer Tony Gollan’s stable with Sydney campaigns in mind. Outback Barbie finished third and Ef Troop fourth in the $2 million Magic Millions Two-Year-Old Classic last month. Both had little luck in the Classic with Outback Barbie… Read More »
Jockey Ben Melham is eagerly awaiting the renewal of his association with She Will Reign in the Inglis Sprint at Warwick Farm. Melham hasn’t ridden the filly since he won the Golden Slipper on her at Rosehill last March. She Will Reign won the Group One Moir Stakes first-up at… Read More »
Queensland stewards have warned they will not ease up on penalties for breaches of the whip rules after fining three jockeys at Doomben. Michael Cahill was fined $300 for using the whip nine times before the 100m on winner Perilous Love in Saturday’s Girls Day Out Handicap. Michael Murphy was… Read More »
Triple Group One winner Gingernuts is nearing a return home to New Zealand three months after suffering a serious injury at Flemington. Gingernuts fractured a pastern on the way to the barriers for the Group One Emirates Stakes at Flemington on November 11. He had surgery to correct the break… Read More »
Star jumper Faugheen has failed to satisfy trainer Willie Mullins with his second to Supasundae in the Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown, his second defeat in his past two starts. The gelding was pulled up when favourite in a Grade One heat at the track in December and owner Rich… Read More »
Danny Williams has upgraded his ambitions for Don’t Give A Damn after the gelding firmed as a Doncaster Handicap contender with a dominant victory at Rosehill. The Goulburn trainer primarily aimed Don’t Give A Damn at the Country Championships, though after his fourth win in five starts via the Fresh… Read More »
Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Corey Brown will miss the rich Inglis-sponsored race meeting because of a suspension from Rosehill. Brown was outed for four meetings for low-range careless riding aboard third-placed Exceltic in the Group Three Canonbury Stakes on Saturday. He will begin his ban immediately and the suspension will take… Read More »
Revised race tactics played out perfectly for High Opinion as the Kris Lees-trained gelding proved his adaptability at Rosehill. A fortnight after the six-year-old endured a luckless outing at Randwick over 2000m, High Opinion covered the same trip flawlessly to claim the Foodbank Handicap on Saturday. Tim Clark had the… Read More »
