Long days and travelling have been taking a toll on Aaron Purcell but the trainer is relishing his new role. Purcell took over the suspended Ciaron Maher’s stable on the eve of the spring carnival and landed his first Group One winner when Aloisia took out the Thousand Guineas last… Read More »
While the focus falls on Derby day at Flemington, veteran Victorian trainer Max Hinton has taken Gwenneth in the opposite direction for her Sydney debut at Rosehill. The Mornington horseman reckons the time is right to send the four-year-old on her first interstate trip after identifying the $100,000 Blacktown Workers… Read More »
THE KENNEDY MILE – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW * Group One, 1600m, $1 million, quality handicap. Run at Flemington on Saturday, November 4, 4.35pm HISTORY * First run as the Coburg Stakes over about 1800 metres in 1881 and won by Courtenay * Eventually became the Emirates Stakes, switched… Read More »
Chris Waller is no stranger to winning big mile races in Australia. The Kennedy Mile, the 1600m Group One handicap at Flemington, is one Waller has won on two occasions. Albert The Fat gave Waller his first Group One win at the Flemington Melbourne Cup carnival in 2011, when the… Read More »
A relieved Craig Williams will get the chance to chase an elusive Melbourne Cup on international visitor Wall Of Fire after the stayer moved up the ballot order with Qewy’s defection from the race. The Hugo Palmer-trained Wall Of Fire had been precariously placed at No.24 in the ballot order… Read More »
Kerrin McEvoy has ridden the winners of 63 Group One races but the Victoria Derby is one that has eluded him. The star jockey gets his latest chance to add the $1.5 million Classic at Flemington to his haul of feature race victories when he rides Eshtiraak on Saturday. McEvoy… Read More »
Craig Newitt will make a hit-and-run mission from Tasmania to Victoria for Derby day, intent on making his only planned ride at this year’s Melbourne Cup carnival count in the Kennedy Mile. Newitt recently relocated to his home state of Tasmania from Melbourne with his wife Karli and four boys… Read More »
Stakes-winning mare Bidii Babe will take the first step towards avenging an unlucky Magic Millions carnival when she resumes at Doomben. Bidii Babe will be having her first start since she was unplaced in the Group One Tatt’s Tiara at Doomben in June. She showed she was up to black-type… Read More »
Breeders’ Cup weekend kicks off with four stakes races topped by the Grade One Distaff as Del Mar hosts the season-ending championships for the first time. Friday is the warm-up for Saturday when the seaside resort track presents nine more, culminating in the $6 million Classic where defending winner Arrogate… Read More »
Trainer Kelly Schweida has a couple of big months ahead with some of his young stars but will rely on an old faithful to be in the winners’ circle at Doomben. Schweida has sent six-year-old Outraged back to a Benchmark 90 race over 2040m on Saturday. Outraged’s past two starts… Read More »
Stakes-winning mare Bidii Babe will take the first step towards avenging an unlucky Magic Millions carnival when she resumes at Doomben. Bidii Babe will be having her first start since she was unplaced in the Group One Tatt’s Tiara at Doomben in June. She showed she was up to black-type… Read More »
Godolphin stayer Qewy will not back up in the Melbourne Cup from his win in the Bendigo Cup. Trainer Charlie Appleby said the six-day turnaround would be too much for Qewy who ran fourth in last year’s Melbourne Cup. “He knows he’s had a race, and I think the Cup… Read More »
Mike Moroney would prefer not to run Vengeur Masque in the Lexus Stakes but it appears likely he will need to in a bid to make the Melbourne Cup. Vengeur Masque won the Geelong Cup (2400m) narrowly last start and was penalised 0.5kg but still sits no.30 in the most… Read More »
Peter and Paul Snowden have a clearer idea of My Country’s limitations as the mare goes deeper into her fifth preparation at Rosehill. The father-and-son training partnership have previously started My Country over 1400 metres in black-type company but she will not go beyond 1200 this campaign. “We’re going to… Read More »
Jockey Stephen Baster is looking to continue his recent run of form on the opening day of the Flemington carnival. Baster began his sequence of feature winners with Jon Snow in the JRA Cup at Moonee Valley in September. “It’s been a great run, so I can’t complain and hopefully… Read More »
MYER CLASSIC – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW * Group One, 1600m, $500,000, weight-for-age, fillies and mares. Run at Flemington on Saturday, November 4, 3.05pm HISTORY * First run as a Listed race in 1988 and won by the Colin Hayes-trained Concordance * Had a stint as a Group Three… Read More »
Trainer Michael Nolan expects Sir Donald to improve markedly when he returns to a dry track at Doomben. Sir Donald was having his first run back from a spell when he laboured into fourth place in a race at Toowoomba two weeks ago which Nolan put down to the heavy… Read More »
Shoals is primed to take on the mares in the Myer Classic with her trainer Anthony Freedman anticipating the filly is ready to turn in the peak performance of her spring campaign. Shoals is the only three-year-old in Saturday’s $500,000 Group One Myer Classic for fillies and mares in which… Read More »
Sydney’s premier trainer Chris Waller has no plans to raise the white flag concerning perennial runner-up In Times Of War. The Street Cry mare shares the same sire as champion stablemate Winx, but the similarities end there 11 starts into the four-year-old’s career. In Times Of War has won twice… Read More »
Weather With You could deliver on a long-range plan when he bids to give prominent New Zealand trainer Murray Baker a second Victoria Derby at Flemington. Baker won the 2010 Derby with Lion Tamer when he trained in partnership with his son Bjorn, now a successful Sydney trainer. Now teamed… Read More »
