Craig Newitt has no doubts Overstep is a coming Group winner after recording a narrow victory at Flemington. Overstep showed an explosive turn of foot at the 400m mark of the Barwon South West Region Handicap (1100m) on Saturday that had Newitt glowing in his post-race interview. After settling back… Read More »
Royal Symphony has made a one-act affair of a late-season juvenile race at Flemington in a performance that has his trainer and jockey excited about the future. The two-year-old backed up his strong Pakenham debut win in May with an explosive 3-3/4-length victory in Saturday’s Gippsland Region Handicap (1400m) after… Read More »
Lipizzan has underscored the success of Gary Portelli’s training regime for two-year-olds to kick-start an early double for apprentice Rachel King at Randwick. Portelli’s young brigade, spearheaded by Golden Slipper winner and The Everest contender She Will Reign, continued to thrive on Saturday when Lipizzan exceeded his expectations. The filly… Read More »
Smart mare Cruising Speed could be headed back to Victoria for the spring carnival after scoring an all-the-way win at Doomben. Jockey Jeff Lloyd brought up his 128th metropolitan winner of the season on Saturday when Cruising Speed ($4.40) led all the way to beat the fast-finishing Notonyourlife ($8.50) by… Read More »
Provincial racing in Queensland will receive a boost under a $2.2 million prize money increase announced by Racing Queensland. RQ chief executive Eliot Forbes said commercial decisions made by the board had led to a better than forecast financial results allowing for the budget increase next year. “The 2015/16 Annual… Read More »
Unbeaten Irish sprinter Caravaggio has set up a tilt at The Everest in Sydney with his victory in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot. Owners Coolmore have a slot in the subscription-based race and the colt is in the front line to contest the $10 million race at Randwick in… Read More »
Godolphin Australia is under investigation after a report a horse in the stable tested positive last year to the bacterial condition Strep Equi, commonly known as strangles. Racing NSW stewards will hold an inquiry on Tuesday after interviewing a number of parties. A statement from Godolphin said the stable was… Read More »
Apprentice Mitch Aitken has been suspended from race riding for three months after returning a positive test to a banned substance. Aitken, who has ridden 27 winners this season including six city winners in Victoria, was stood down from riding and handling horses by Racing Victoria stewards on June 9… Read More »
A son of two late Waikato Stud stars, O’Reilly and Glamour Puss, has made an immediate impression in his racetrack debut with a convincing maiden win at Geelong. Carrying the colours of Waikato Stud, the Danny O’Brien-trained three-year-old Tahi stepped out for his debut in a 1240m maiden on Friday…. Read More »
While Bjorn Baker’s focus will be on the final Group One race of the season in Brisbane, the Sydney trainer has two in-form horses seeking to extend impressive winning streaks at Randwick. Baker heads to Doomben on Saturday to watch Bonny O’Reilly and Egyptian Symbol attempt to upstage In Her… Read More »
Ashlor’s racetrack performances have already led to substantial offers but the promising three-year-old will be out to continue the ride for his connections when he runs at Flemington. Trained at Wangaratta by Daniel McCarthy, Ashlor has won six of his nine starts and had it been for better luck his… Read More »
The Chris Waller-trained Sir Bacchus must overcome the outside barrier and unfamiliar track conditions to justify his joint favouritism for the Winter Dash at Randwick. The four-year-old also steps back in distance from his last-start second in the Octagonal Handicap at Rosehill earlier this month but Waller’s racing manager Charlie… Read More »
The importance of a good barrier draw has influenced Sydney trainer Matthew Smith to send Palazzo Pubblico south to Melbourne rather than north to Brisbane. Palazzo Pubblico has been scratched from Saturday’s W J Healy Stakes (1200m) at Doomben after drawing gate 12 to run in the Country Achiever Gerald… Read More »
Peter Morgan makes his first visit to Randwick since the redeveloped complex was unveiled in 2013 to gauge whether Bulala can continue to construct a promising career. Morgan, who has four horses in work at Wagga Wagga, has taken the pick of his team to Sydney for the veteran trainer’s… Read More »
It is 12 months since trainer Kelly Schweida missed one of the biggest wins of his career but he won’t be making the same mistake this year. Schweida was in Rockhampton saddling the Cup winner Ruling Force last year when mare Miss Cover Girl won the Group One Tattersall’s Tiara…. Read More »
With premiership leader Beau Mertens in high demand, trainer Luke Oliver was on the front foot to secure the apprentice to ride Hot Ruby in the David Bourke Provincial Plate at Flemington. Hot Ruby heads into Saturday off a close-up fourth last-start at Moonee Valley in a fillies and mares… Read More »
Brandon Stockdale is hopeful his first metropolitan double is the catalyst he needs to take his career to the next level. Stockdale began riding around the same time as fellow apprentices Beau Mertens, Ben Allen and Ben Thompson but is the only one of the four left with a 3kg… Read More »
A good barrier and a drying track have trainer Matt Dunn growing in confidence Madotti can make a mockery of her long price in the Tattersall’s Tiara. Dunn, who has won 90 races overall this season, is chasing his first Group One win with Madotti who has drawn barrier one…. Read More »
In-form trainer Ben Currie has finally recovered from a virus to be on deck for one of his busiest weeks of the racing season. Currie had two runners at Rockhampton on Thursday and will have a further six at the central Queensland track on Saturday. He will also have two… Read More »
Joe Osborne will replace John Ferguson as chief executive of Godolphin’s global racing operation. Ferguson quit the position earlier this month after trainer Saeed bin Suroor publicly exposed tensions between his stable and that of Charlie Appleby. Osborne, who has been acting as the interim chief executive has now been… Read More »
