Trainer Symon Wilde has landed his first metropolitan double with Straight Jacket scoring a strong on-pace victory at Moonee Valley. The gelding’s win in the $99 Summer Membership Handicap also provided his apprentice Melissa Julius with her first Saturday city success. Coming off a last start win in the Bordertown… Read More »
It would be apt if promising filly Katy’s Daughter gave trainer Steve O’Dea his first win in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic. O’Dea already had Singular Sensation qualified for the big race on January 13 and Katy’s Daughter’s Gold Coast win came as no surprise to the Eagle Farm trainer…. Read More »
Trainer Dan O’Sullivan was relieved to be back in the winner’s enclosure at Moonee Valley with a daughter of the horse which gave him his first stakes success. The win of Truly Discreet in Saturday’s Ladbrokes Odds Boost Exotics Handicap was O’Sullivan’s first win in the metropolitan area for two… Read More »
Back-to-back wins have not yet given Chris Waller an accurate gauge on Scream Park’s capabilities as he targets a $1 million race in New Zealand. The New Zealand-bred three-year-old colt won his second successive race at Warwick Farm when claiming the Boxing Day at Royal Randwick Handicap (1600m) by 2-3/4… Read More »
Promising filly Boom Boom Epic ended a frustrating run of minor placings and completed a winning week for trainer Toby Edmonds with her victory at the Gold Coast. In-form jockey Matt McGillivray took an inside run in the straight to steer the favourite Boom Boom Epic ($2.70) to a half-length… Read More »
A confidence-boosting win in a country race in October has been parlayed into a Moonee Valley double for the connections of Royal Applause. The Symon Wilde-trained mare added Saturday’s McCafe Handicap (1600m) to her first city win at the track just over a week ago. Ridden by Andrew Mallyon, Royal… Read More »
Trainer Hughie Morrison has expressed his relief at being found not to blame after one of his horses failed a drugs test at the start of the year. Morrison could have been banned from the sport for up to 10 years as a consequence of Our Little Sister’s positive test… Read More »
An ageless stable favourite and an out-of-the-box newcomer represent opposite ends of the training spectrum for Joe Pride at Randwick. While Destiny’s Kiss has built an imposing track record over 76 starts, the unraced Bad Boy For Love is virtually an unknown quantity as Pride takes the unusual step of… Read More »
Lucky Liberty is back chasing a second Christmas Stakes at Caulfield with his trainer Henry Dwyer confident the gelding is the soundest he has been for a long time. The six-year-old returns in Tuesday’s 1200m-sprint from his latest operation to remove bone chips from a knee. Lucky Liberty underwent his… Read More »
The powerful Chris Waller stable is sticking to a tried and true formula, using the adage that when on a good thing stick to it, with its stayers in Queensland. Sydney’s leading trainer Waller opened a Queensland stable in August with the intention of concentrating on staying races and the… Read More »
Racing Victoria has introduced a new minimum rating requirement for Saturday metropolitan meetings in Melbourne to ensure horses meet an appropriate standard for the level of competition. The policy comes into effect on February 1 for all Saturday metropolitan meetings including the five stand-alone Saturday country fixtures. Have Your Say… Read More »
Roseito and Caerless Choice neatly sum up Paul Messara’s downsized training operation as the Arrowfield Stud manager fashions an impressive strike rate with horses he couldn’t sell. His consistent team has given Messara a win percentage this season of 57.14 as he heads to Warwick Farm on Saturday with two… Read More »
Trainer Mick Kent is looking to Oncidium Ruler redeeming himself when he runs over a staying distance at Moonee Valley. A winner over 2000m during the Melbourne Cup carnival, Oncidium Ruler has since finished in the placings in two rich country Cups. On Saturday, Oncidium Ruler is out to make… Read More »
Trainer Les Ross has a reputation for getting the best out of cheap buys and Magic Millions Classic hopeful Holdin’ My Own is another example. The filly is a daughter of first season sire Spirit Of Boom who already has the two market leaders for the Magic Millions Classic, Jonker… Read More »
Veteran galloper Play Master makes his return at Moonee Valley with trainer Peter Smith thinking long term with the gelding. Play Master contests the Follow @TheValley Handicap (1000m) on Saturday with Smith looking at an 1100m handicap at Flemington next month for the nine-year-old. But long-term Smith wants to have… Read More »
Treadmill sessions and a change of diet have been introduced to try to rekindle Japonisme’s desire to race. A Group One winner and consistent performer in elite company as a three-year-old, the gelding now finds himself in the midst of a form slump stretching back to his most recent win… Read More »
Trainer Ben Currie is already thinking about winning a second Weetwood Handicap as vastly improved sprinter Amanaat faces his toughest task to date at the Gold Coast. Amanaat will be chasing his sixth win in a row when he takes on the Benchmark 90 (1200m) field at the Gold Coast…. Read More »
Trainer Mike Moroney is finally happy to take Blackwolf Run back to the racetrack more than a year after he made his debut. The three-year-old lines up in the VOBIS Gold Carat (1200m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday, 13 months after his first start at the same course. A pulled… Read More »
Trainer Chris Anderson has a chance to get his first Magic Millions Classic runner when Yamazaki make her debut at the Gold Coast. Anderson was happy when he heard Saturday’s two-year-old handicap had been split into two heats as it assured Yamazaki of a start. “In some ways I wish… Read More »
The Lismore Turf Club’s annual Christmas Cup will dovetail as a tribute to Scott Jones, who continues to recover from serious injuries suffered during a gas explosion at the racetrack. Jones, the club’s secretary manager, sustained burns to 45 per cent of his body, when the explosion happened on November… Read More »
