Trainer Michael Nolan will to continue to try to make amends for what he admits was an earlier mistake with Dream Finnish. Dream Finnish will be aiming to cement her excellent second-up record when she tackles Saturday’s Open Handicap (1400m) at the Gold Coast. She was an impressive first-up winner… Read More »
It would be apt if James Cummings could win the race named after his legendary late grandfather but he is cautious about the chances of Tally. The five-year-old gelding will take on defending Melbourne Cup champion Almandin in the Bart Cummings (2500m) at Flemington on Saturday. Cummings, the head Australian… Read More »
THE TURNBULL STAKES – EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW * Group One, 2000m, $500,000, set-weight, four-year-olds upwards. Run at Flemington on Saturday, October 7, 3.15pm HISTORY * First run as the Royal Park Stakes in 1865 and won by The Sign * Renamed multiple times, earning its current name in… Read More »
Limiting this year’s Turnbull Stakes to elite horses would do little to boost the number of starters and any critic needs a reality check, Mornington trainer Amy Johnston says. Johnston has defended her decision to run Skyfire against Winx at Flemington on Saturday, despite backlash over the low-rated gelding being… Read More »
While most of his trainer’s attention will be on a 2000-metre race at Flemington, Tangled gets the chance to show what he can do at Randwick. Chris Waller will be overseeing Winx’s bid for a 14th Group One win in the Turnbull Stakes on Saturday while Tangled will be aiming… Read More »
Trainer Peter Hulbert has put aside his disappointment at the first-up defeat of Cooroi Chase after examining the sectional times for the race. Cooroi Chase, one of Brisbane’s better two-year-olds last season, will be having her second run back from a spell in the Three-Year-Old Handicap (1200m) at the Gold… Read More »
Cups king Bart Cummings opened the door to a Melbourne Cup wonderland for Darwin schoolteacher Wendy Green. The legendary trainer dubbed Green “Wendy in Wonderland”, saying she had stars in her eyes as she pursued a Melbourne Cup dream with her $7500 horse Rogan Josh. “I’m going to open the… Read More »
Robbie Griffiths is unsure exactly what to expect from last year’s Newmarket Handicap winner The Quarterback when he begins his spring preparation in the same Flemington sprint he won a year ago. The Quarterback resumes in Saturday’s Group Two Gilgai Stakes (1200m) for his first start since an autumn campaign… Read More »
Observational kicks off a campaign in a Listed race at Flemington that his trainer John Sadler hopes will lead to Group One success in Perth during the summer. A former Lloyd Williams-owned import, Observational will be having his first run since May when he runs in the Listed Paris Lane… Read More »
Adrian Bott is keen to gauge how Savapinski measures up to seasoned stablemate My True Love and two in-form mares from the Ron Quinton stable. Savapinski was among the acceptors for a 1900m-benchmark race at Canterbury on Wednesday but trainers Gai Waterhouse and Bott set the sights higher over a… Read More »
The Everest will have an international flavour with Jamie Spencer to ride Brave Smash in the $10 million The Everest at Randwick. The Darren Weir-trained former Japanese horse will run in the race on Saturday week as the Australian Turf Club’s representative. Spencer has been champion jockey in Ireland and… Read More »
Luke Dittman’s decision to ride Rains Aplenty has opened the door for Michael Cahill to reunite with trainer Helen Page on promising two-year-old Brinkmanship at the Gold Coast. Page had originally hoped to book Dittman for Brinkmanship who won a Gold Coast trial three weeks ago, but he was already… Read More »
The more Winx wins, the more the expectation grows. Winx is the odds-on favourite to extend her winning streak to 21on Saturday in the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington. The streak began in May, 2015 in the Sunshine Coast Guineas, a month after Winx finished second in the Australian Oaks. Hugh… Read More »
Not only does Hugh Bowman think Winx is more comfortable racing the Melbourne way of going, the jockey and her trainer Chris Waller believe the champion mare is also more relaxed in her Flemington surrounds. Bowman takes that as a good sign for Saturday’s Turnbull Stakes, the mare’s first Melbourne… Read More »
After riding Winx in her final Turnbull Stakes hit-out at Flemington, Hugh Bowman has travelled to Werribee to test a potential Melbourne Cup mount. Bowman partnered the Andreas Wohler-trained Red Cardinal in a gallop on Thursday and liked what he felt. Red Cardinal arrived in Melbourne last weekend and is… Read More »
Harry Angel, the world’s highest-rated sprinter, is one of five Group One winners entered for the British Champions Sprint at Ascot. The Clive Cox-trained three-year-old earned his ranking with victories in the July Cup at Newmarket and Sprint Cup at Haydock. The four other Group One winners among the 25… Read More »
Champion Winx has continued preparations for the Group One Turnbull Stakes with a gallop on the steeple grass at Flemington. Winx is the short-priced favourite to extend her winning streak to 21 in Saturday’s 2000m-feature, which will be her first start at Flemington. The Turnbull Stakes is expected to be… Read More »
Stonebrook has extended his unbeaten record on his metropolitan debut to give co-trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott reason to explore autumn targets. The four-year-old gelding transferred his provincial form to Canterbury, repelling Godolphin’s $1.75 favourite Marsupial. Stonebrook debuted at Hawkesbury in April and resumed at Kembla Grange last month… Read More »
Since being told he was the replacement for suspended trainer Ciaron Maher, Aaron Purcell has been on a steep learning curve. Accustomed to a team of 16 at his home base, Purcell is now in charge of 85 horses at Maher’s Caulfield stable as he continues with his own team…. Read More »
Group-winning colt Sircconi will be out to confirm Caulfield Guineas plans when he runs in a Listed race at Flemington, seven days before the $2 million feature for three-year-olds. The Peter Morgan-trained Sircconi defeated older horses over 1400m second-up at Caulfield last Saturday week after an interrupted preparation. Morgan is… Read More »
