Trainer Robert Smerdon faces an adjourned inquiry over the scratching of Lovani at Flemington over an alleged raceday treatment. The mare was scratched from the final race, the Paris Lane Stakes, after Racing Victoria stewards suspected the mare had been treated following her arrival on course on Saturday. “The stewards… Read More »
Bring Me Roses has broken her maiden in style and raced into VRC Oaks favouritism with victory in the Group Two Edward Manifold Stakes at Flemington. The Tony McEvoy-trained Bring Me Roses was having her fourth career start in Saturday’s 1600m race for fillies and stormed home from the second… Read More »
The Darren Weir-trained Amelie’s Star has earned a ticket into the $6 million Melbourne Cup with victory in the Group Three Bart Cummings at Flemington. Saturday’s 2500m race carried with it a ballot exemption into the 2017 Melbourne Cup for the winner and Amelie’s Star ($4.60) strode to a two-length… Read More »
Ron Quinton was thankful he could savour training another feature-race quinella after stable stars Dixie Blossoms and Daysee Doom fought out the Angst Stakes. Quinton fronted a Racing NSW stewards inquiry during the week over cobalt irregularities but escaped penalty. His relief was obvious as Dixie Blossoms reversed the result… Read More »
A star NZ galloper is now in doubt for the Caulfield Cup after rain at Hastings caused the Livamol Classic race day to be called off midway through the program. Gingernuts is unlikely to contest the Caulfield Cup with the key runner missing a run after the biggest meeting on… Read More »
David Payne has trained more than 100 Group One winners but few have given him more satisfaction than Ace High’s victory in the Spring Champion Stakes. Since Payne arrived in Australia from South Africa in 2002, John Cordina has been a loyal stable supporter but until Saturday at Randwick, owner… Read More »
Champion mare Winx has a third Cox Plate at her mercy after giving her rivals a galloping lesson in the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington. Having her first start at Flemington, and just her fourth in Melbourne, Winx recorded her 21st consecutive victory as she raced away to one of the… Read More »
Viridine matched the best piece of trackwork in James Cummings’s short time at Godolphin with an unextended win in the Roman Consul Stakes at Randwick. “I watched him on Tuesday and in three months training (at Godolphin) I haven’t seen a horse work better than that,” Cummings said. Making it… Read More »
Three-year-old Ace High has confirmed his rating as a stayer of promise with a front-running win in the Group One Spring Champion Stakes. In a replica of his Gloaming Stakes win, the David Payne-trained colt made his own tempo under Tye Angland before holding off Tangled with Sully taking the… Read More »
Tough gelding Outraged again showed his affinity with jockey Ric McMahon when he returned to the winner’s circle at the Gold Coast on Saturday. McMahon was able to get Outraged ($11) to jump from the barriers much better than usual and gave him the run of the race before holding… Read More »
A head-bobbing finish to the Group Two Gilgai Stakes at Flemington has gone the way of Keen Array to snap a year-long absence from the winner’s circle for the sprinter. Keen Array ($8) had not won since October last year but continued to rally after sitting on the pace in… Read More »
Prolific Highway Handicap winner Matthew Dunn broke new ground at Randwick, nailing the trifecta the first time he had entered three runners in the race for country-trained horses. The concept’s most successful trainer, Dunn secured his 12th victory on Saturday when Bronzed Venom ($13) overhauled the favourite Cascata Rossa ($2.30)… Read More »
Main Stage has leapt to the top of Victoria Derby betting after his last-to-first victory at Flemington. The Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained three-year-old shortened from $10 to $6 following his win in the Listed UCI Stakes (1800m) on Saturday. Ridden by Michael Walker, Main Stage ($8.50) scored by a… Read More »
Former Sydney stakes horse Torgersen responded to some new training tactics to score his first win in nearly two years at the Gold Coast on Saturday. Torgersen ($7) charged home to beat the early leader and favourite Dreams Aplenty ($1.55) by a length in the PFD Queensland Handicap (1400m). As… Read More »
Three-year-old Snitzepeg has proven champion Victorian trainer Darren Weir wrong with a Listed race win at Flemington. Weir admitted he had considered whether or not to scratch Snitzepeg from Saturday’s Listed Antler Luggage Stakes (1400m) against the colt’s own age but the three-year-old rose to the challenge to snare his… Read More »
The Benchmark 90 Handicap at Randwick has turned into a race impossible for Chris Waller to lose. Three scratchings before Saturday’s race left the premier Sydney trainer with the only three runners to share the $100,000 prize money but $1.55 favourite Up ‘N’ Rolling and jockey Kerrin McEvoy were quickly… Read More »
Tye Angland has made sure there was no room for error aboard Interlocuter at Randwick with the Godolphin horse avenging his last-start loss on protest. Interlocuter was demoted to second at Rosehill last month when Brenton Avdulla on Wayanka successfully arguing his running was taken in the straight. On Saturday,… Read More »
For the second year running, Lindsay Park has claimed the season-opener for two-year-olds in Melbourne with Nomothaj prevailing at Flemington. The Shadwell Stud-owned filly on Saturday won the Listed Maribyrnong Trial Stakes (1000m) – 12 months after stablemate Madeenaty was successful. Ridden by Stephen Baster, Nonothaj was backed from $5.50… Read More »
In two-and-a-half years of training Chris Munce has stamped himself as a top juvenile conditioner, confirmed once again when Pony Power won at the Gold Coast on Saturday. Backed from $4.80 into $3.80, Pony Power finished too strongly to beat Lady McCabe ($17) by a head with a short neck… Read More »
From clumsy backyard sportsman to social media star to winning trainer on a spring day of Group One racing. Bjorn Baker’s week has had it all but it ended the right way when Goodfella found his best form in winning the BRMM Handicap at Randwick on Saturday. Goodfella’s win led… Read More »
