Jeff Lloyd has been quick to dispel any notion a fortnight of wasting might weaken him, lifting heavily backed favourite Hi Lizzy to victory at Ipswich. Lloyd has shed four kilograms in the past nine days so he can ride star filly Houtzen at 51kg in the $10 million The… Read More »
Racing Victoria’s international scout Leigh Jordon sees the injection of funds into Caulfield Guineas day as the catalyst for a large contingent of overseas-trained runners at the meeting. There are two complexes housing international runners for this year’s spring carnival at Werribee racecourse. The Newminster complex houses the largest group… Read More »
Matthew Dunn nailed a Highway Handicap trifecta at his last attempt at Randwick and now the series’ most successful trainer can win two in one day. Strong demand to run in the $200,000 Anniversary Highway (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday has prompted Racing NSW to add a $100,000 Highway consolation… Read More »
Concerns Levendi would not make the Caulfield Guineas field have been put to bed and now from a good barrier draw connections believe the colt gets a great opportunity in the $2 million Classic. Manny Gelagotis, racing manager for his trainer/brother Peter Gelagotis, said they were disappointed with how the… Read More »
It is getting to the business end of Single Gaze’s Melbourne spring campaign and excitement is building for trainer Nick Olive who believes his stable star is warming to the task. The Canberra trainer is enjoying the experience with the Group One winner based in Melbourne for the spring and… Read More »
Relaxed walks through the bush at Moruya on the NSW south coast are hopefully reinvigorating Fell Swoop ahead of his multi-million dollar assignment at Randwick. There is serious work to be done as well at Matthew Dale’s second training base, but a change of scene after a harsh Canberra winter… Read More »
She’s not the favourite and she drew the outside barrier but trainer Gai Waterhouse says Everest runner English will make her own luck in the multi-million dollar sprint. The five-year-old mare will jump from barrier 12 in the inaugural $10 million race over 1200 metres at Randwick. English came second… Read More »
Brisbane’s premier jockey Jeff Lloyd is keeping his riding tactics close to his chest as he prepares for his ride on Houtzen in the $10 million Everest at Randwick. Lloyd rode a record 133 metropolitan winners in Queensland last season but in none of them did he face the pressure… Read More »
The winners have started to tick over for Aaron Purcell who has recently taken over the suspended Ciaron Maher’s large team of horses. And Saturday looms as a big occasion for the trainer. Purcell will saddle up his first Group One runner since stepping up early last week to take… Read More »
A strong jump-out by stakes performer Hopfgarten has trainer Robert Heathcote convinced the gelding is on course to chase a lucrative summer bonus. The winner of 11 races and $722,000, Hopfgarten makes his return to racing after a three-month lay-off in Saturday’s Open Handicap (1200m) at Doomben. Heathcote already has… Read More »
A bout of the flu has forced Michelle Payne to relinquish the ride on Kaspersky in the Group One Toorak Handicap at Caulfield with Luke Nolen snaring the mount. Payne has been laid low over the past week and missed two gallops on Kaspersky at Werribee where the Jane Chapple-Hyam-trained… Read More »
Peter Snowden is expecting anything but a straightforward dash for cash by Australia’s premier sprinters in the $10 million Everest. The trainer, who is preparing Redzel for the world’s richest race on turf with his son Paul, says tactics and luck in running will undoubtedly come into play during the… Read More »
Doubts remain whether Michelle Payne will be fit to ride Kaspersky in the Group One Toorak Handicap at Caulfield. Payne missed riding the Jane Chapple-Hyam-trained Kaspersky in a trackwork session at Werribee on Wednesday after missing an earlier engagement on Sunday because of ill health. Payne is due to ride… Read More »
Dave Casey is looking forward to Irish galloper Riven Light having his first run in Melbourne in the Caulfield Stakes. On his third trip to Melbourne for a spring carnival, Casey is the eyes and ears for respected Irish trainer Willie Mullins. Casey has been in Melbourne for 11 days… Read More »
Five-time winning owner Lloyd Williams has one-fifth of the 55 runners remaining in contention for the Melbourne Cup. First acceptances for the $6 million race at Flemington on November 7 were taken on Tuesday. Williams has four horses trained by Robert Hickmott – last year’s winner Almandin, Sir Isaac Newton,… Read More »
Damien Oliver has partnered classy mare Egg Tart in a pleasing piece of work at Caulfield ahead of the Toorak Handicap in which the champion jockey will ride the dual Group One winner at a weight below his usual comfort zone. The Chris Waller-trained dual Oaks winner Egg Tart travelled… Read More »
Michael Dee is free to ride Holy Snow in the Caulfield Guineas after having a careless riding suspension reduced on appeal. Dee took his appeal to the Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board on Tuesday and had an eight meeting suspension reduced to six. The jockey, who claimed his first Group… Read More »
Thousand Guineas favourite Alizee has produced exactly what her trainer James Cummings was hoping to see in a gallop at Caulfield in preparation for what he hopes will be another feature spring carnival win. After winning the Group One Flight Stakes for fillies over 1600m in Sydney last Saturday week… Read More »
Champion jockey Hugh Bowman has been given a deadline to choose his Melbourne Cup ride. Bowman was at Werribee on Tuesday morning to put French galloper Tiberian, who is undergoing quarantine, through his paces in a leisurely work-out. Tiberian is the third international Melbourne Cup 2017 hopeful Bowman has ridden… Read More »
She Will Reign’s barrier draw for the $10 million Everest is everything trainer Gary Portelli could have hoped for with the favourite to start from barrier two in the 12-horse field. The Golden Slipper winner added the Group One Moir Stakes to her record late last month and now has… Read More »
