Kembla Grange trainer Michelle Ritchie is hoping to face a dilemma after consistent mare Dolly’s Due makes her metropolitan debut at Warwick Farm. Should the four-year-old win Wednesday’s Benchmark 72 Handicap (1100m), Ritchie’s $3000 purchase will graduate to class five, the threshold for competing in next year’s Provincial Championships. “If… Read More »
Hartnell remains in the mix for the Melbourne Cup but trainer James Cummings has not committed last year’s third placegetter to a start. After being taken out of several betting markets, Hartnell has been reinstated after Godolphin paid up at the latest acceptance stage on Monday. The stable had indicated… Read More »
Gosford trainer Angela Davies gently curses the irony of Waitandwatch living up to his name. The six-year-old gelding has been plagued by health issues throughout his career which did not begin until his four-year-old season. “He was immature so we gave him time and then when we gave him time… Read More »
Champion French jockey Olivier Peslier will break new ground when he rides Tiberian in the Melbourne Cup. Peslier has ridden with success throughout Europe, the Middle East, United States and Asia but is riding in Australia for the first time. He rides Tiberian in next Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup and is… Read More »
A capacity field is set to line up in the $1.5 million Victoria Derby with the leading chances drawing contrasting barriers. The Trent Bussutin and Natalie Young-trained Main Stage is the $4.80 favourite for Saturday’s 2500m-Classic despite drawing barrier 14 in the field of 16 plus one emergency. Spring Champion… Read More »
Highland Reel and Churchill will join Caravaggio on the Coolmore stallion roster after they compete at the Breeders’ Cup meeting at Del Mar. Commonwealth Cup winner Caravaggio was Coolmore’s original choice for the $10 million Everest at Randwick earlier this month before his winning run came to an end in… Read More »
Trainer Chris Waller says no decision has been made on whether Winx will have another run in Melbourne this spring. Winx won a record equalling third Cox Plate on Saturday, stretching her winning sequence to 22 and her potential next target could be the Emirates Stakes. Waller said Winx had… Read More »
It’s been 24 years since Frankie Dettori first attempted to win the Melbourne Cup aboard English raider Drum Taps and now he has a live chance on 2016 winner Almandin. The first Tuesday in November has been far from a happy hunting ground for Dettori though. The star Italian jockey… Read More »
Frankie Dettori has picked up the ride on defending Melbourne Cup holder Almandin after Damien Oliver lost a bid to resurrect his spring carnival. Oliver lost his appeal over an improper riding suspension that rules him out of the entire Melbourne Cup carnival. Oliver said he accepted the Racing Appeals… Read More »
Trainer Kris Lees is hoping for rain in the lead-up to the Kennedy Mile as he tries to win the Flemington Group One race for a second-straight year. Lees won last year’s 1600m handicap with Le Romain and has Doomben Cup winner Sense Of Occasion aimed at Saturday’s Kennedy Mile…. Read More »
David Payne will employ a conservative race plan with Ace High in the Victoria Derby. Ace High gave the Rosehill trainer his first Group One win since 2014 with a front-running performance in the Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) on October 7. But when Ace High steps up to 2500 metres… Read More »
Disappointed trainer Tony McEvoy has been forced to keep former leading Victoria Derby contender Royal Symphony at home but still hopes to be a Group One player on the first day of the Flemington carnival. Royal Symphony came out of the Cox Plate the worse for wear after a torrid… Read More »
An International trainer who won the Melbourne Cup three years ago thinks his Cup contender this year is at a very good price and believes the bookmakers have got it wrong. Red Cardinal may be a different type of horse from his 2014 Melbourne Cup winner Protectionist but German trainer… Read More »
Jockey Cory Parish planned to beg trainer David Hayes for a ride, any ride, on Melbourne Cup day. He has never been to a Melbourne Cup, even as a spectator, and thought just being at Flemington on the day would be pretty special. Thanks to last-minute entry Boom Time’s upset… Read More »
New Zealand trainer Andrew Forsman believes Geelong Classic winner Weather With You has come right at the right time for the $1.5 million Victoria Derby. Forsman trains in partnership with Murray Baker and the stable will rely on Weather With You in Saturday’s 2500m Classic at Flemington after deciding not… Read More »
Chris Waller has successfully pinpointed the Carbine Club Stakes as an ideal introduction to stakes racing for emerging three-year-olds and Kaonic is the latest colt to be aimed at the Flemington race. Waller has won the Group Three Carbine Club (1600m) twice from the past three runnings with Kermadec (2014)… Read More »
Queensland trainer Kevin Kemp has chosen to forgive and forget Sold For Song’s unplaced run in the Tristarc Stakes preferring to concentrate on her sterling effort at Flemington. Sold For Song has had two starts in Melbourne for a nose second to Keen Array in the Group Two Gilgai Stakes… Read More »
Two horses still in Melbourne Cup contention feature among a small field for the $300,000 Bendigo Cup. Wednesday’s Group Three race over 2400m has attracted seven acceptors including the Charlie Appleby-trained international visitor Qewy who is set to make his first appearance of this year’s spring carnival. Godolphin’s Qewy and… Read More »
Queensland stewards have continued their crackdown on alleged poor rides by suspending a fifth jockey on a handling charge. Toowoomba apprentice Rebecca Goldsbury was suspended for a month for her ride on Iron George at the Sunshine Coast on October 15. Iron George finished second as the $1.85 favourite. Stewards… Read More »
Godolphin’s Hartnell remains in the mix for the Melbourne Cup at the latest acceptance stage for Australia’s most famous race. Hartnell, who represents the Australian arm of Sheikh Mohammed’s operation, ran third last year while Qewy, trained in England by Charlie Appleby and fourth a year ago, is Godolphin’s sole… Read More »
