Almost lost in the publicity surrounding the return of Winx in a barrier trial at Rosehill has been the effort of Trapeze Artist, winner of the 900m-heat in which the champion finished midfield. The Gerald Ryan-trained Trapeze Artist, an upset winner of the Golden Rose in September, was in control… Read More »
Secret Lady has come out of her Magic Millions Classic run so well Sydney trainer Gary Portelli has now turned his attention to a stakes race in Melbourne. Portelli has nominated Secret Lady for Saturday’s Group Three Blue Diamond Preview for two-year-old fillies at Caulfield over 1000m and was buoyed… Read More »
Winx has shown she is physically on track for her next campaign in a barrier trial at Rosehill but importantly her jockey Hugh Bowman has been thrilled with her mental wellbeing. The champion was not over-exerted when midfield in her 900m-heat at Rosehill on Monday morning but it was how… Read More »
Promising three-year-old Italia Bella is set to take the first step towards the autumn carnivals when she returns at Doomben. Italia Bella is still a maiden but was one of the finds of the winter carnival running three placings in four starts. At her most recent run in August she… Read More »
Stolen Dance will bow out a Group One winner with the decision made to immediately retire the pregnant mare on the back of her victory in the Thorndon Mile. She left the Cambridge stable of Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman on Monday, two days after her win at Trentham. “She… Read More »
The Oakleigh Plate is in trainer Henry Dwyer’s sights with sprinting mare Snitty Kitty who will continue preparations towards her Group One target in a jump-out at Caulfield. Snitty Kitty will run over 800m on Tuesday as a stepping stone to her planned return in the Listed W.J Adams Stakes… Read More »
Trail-blazing French trainer Criquette Head-Maarek has announced she is to retire after a career spanning more than 40 years. Head-Maarek says the time is right to call it a day and she will saddle her last runners on February 1. She will still be involved in the sport and plans… Read More »
Trainer Chris Waller is not expecting too much from Winx’s barrier trial at Rosehill or from the body which determines the world’s best racehorse. Winx will step out on Monday in a heat which includes top sprinter Redzel and three-year-old Group One winners Ace High and Trapeze Artist. In London… Read More »
After a successful spring campaign which included a Group Two win and a fourth in the Caulfield Cup, Lord Fandango will be put on a path to Group One races in the autumn. Trainer Archie Alexander is looking to give the horse a trial in the next week. The Ballarat… Read More »
Lindsay Park’s assault on this year’s Blue Diamond series will begin in the Previews at Caulfield. The stable had six runners in last year’s Group One Blue Diamond Stakes for juveniles, with five finishing in the first seven headlined by brilliant winner Catchy. Lindsay Park trainers David and Ben Hayes… Read More »
Speedster Super Too will take on the sprinting heavyweights in the Group One Lightning Stakes at Flemington. Trainer Marc Conners took the mare to Melbourne twice in the spring for a win in the 955m-series at Moonee Valley and a second in the Group Two Caulfield Sprint. In the speed… Read More »
Apprentice Brandon Stockdale has been charged with having and using a mobile phone at a recent Caulfield meeting and giving false or misleading evidence to stewards. On Wednesday stewards asked why Stockdale had a mobile phone in his possession after arriving in the jockeys room. Jockeys are supposed to hand… Read More »
Trainer Desleigh Forster is searching for a new rider for veteran Someday in the Sunshine Coast Cup. Someday was ridden by Melbourne’s Michael Walker when he won the $300,000 Listed Bernborough Handicap on December 30. Walker is unavailable on Saturday and Forster has been chasing another rider for the $100,000 1400m Sunshine… Read More »
Victoria’s leading jockey Linda Meech has been suspended for more than three weeks after being found guilty of improper riding in a race at Kilmore. The 23-meeting ban, to start after Tuesday’s Terang meeting, was imposed by stewards after the resumption of an inquiry into an incident in the straight… Read More »
Queensland stewards have again warned trainers to be alert for horses inadvertently ingesting arsenic from wood shavings or yard posts. There have been several cases across Australia of horses returning positive swabs to arsenic after eating treated timber. The latest warning came after Sunshine Coast trainer Frank Phillips pleaded guilty… Read More »
More than two years after her first win, Faraway Town has finally greeted the judge again. Although it’s been a long time since she won a two-year-old handicap at Rosehill in November 2015, the Matthew Smith-trained mare has racked up five placings since including a third in the 2016 Group… Read More »
Un De Sceaux has created history as the first three-time winner of the Clarence House Chase at Ascot. The Willie Mullins-trained 10-year-old notched his eighth Grade One victory on Saturday (Sunday AEDT) and firmed to 7-2 favourite to defend the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham. “Any time you make history, it… Read More »
Rock ‘N’ Gold started the longest price of three runners for the Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra stable in the Kensington Stakes but the gelding has upstaged rivals to win the Listed sprint. Seven-year-old Rock ‘N’ Gold ($17) resumed from a let-up in Saturday’s 1100m straight race and after settling… Read More »
Exciting sprinter Nature Strip has continued on his winning way with a hard-fought victory in the $250,000 Inglis Dash at Flemington. The three-year-old made it four wins from five starts in Saturday’s 1100m sales-restricted race, but the $1.50 favourite was forced to work hard to fend off the challenge from… Read More »
Apprentice Boris Thornton scored his first Brisbane Saturday metropolitan win but not before plenty of drama at Doomben. Thornton drove the favourite Desmon’s Pride ($2.90) to a a half-head win over Courtza King ($3.50) in the Relaxed Racing Handicap. However, Ruby Ride who rode fourth-placed Rosie Posie fired in a… Read More »
