Darren Beadman ticked off another achievement in his short time as as Godolphin’s new trainer when Maternal gave him his first Queensland winner at Doomben. Maternal ($5.50) shared the lead to the turn but came away to score by three lengths to Double Impact ($61) in the Ambassador Travel Handicap… Read More »
An early Caulfield winner has moved apprentice Beau Mertens into the equal lead in the Melbourne jockeys’ premiership. Mertens guided Shaf to a last-stride victory in Saturday’s Arvanitis Philanthropy Plate (1100m) to take his season tally in Melbourne to 57 wins. It moves him level with Craig Williams, the reigning… Read More »
Champion trainer David Hayes will put two-year-old Tycoon Dancer away for a spell with a view to the spring carnival after the colt made a winning start to his career at Caulfield. Tycoon Dancer stepped out in Saturday’s Chef’s Hat Plate (1100m) and despite a betting drift from $2.90 to… Read More »
Tough filly Rare Occurrence confirmed her rating as a Doomben specialist when she upset older horses in the Swire Shipping Plate on Saturday. Backed from $21 into $12, Rare Occurrence wore down the favourite Invincible Express ($4.20) to score by a length. Rare Occurrence has now won four of her… Read More »
Racing Victoria has announced a $15.5 million increase in prize money for the 2017-18 season with a total of $214 million on offer. Prize money levels at Saturday city meetings along with country fixtures have received a boost as have some feature Group One races. The first Group One race… Read More »
Chris Waller has turned to an equestrian discipline in a bid to help Counterattack add a Group One success to his record. Sydney’s premier trainer has incorporated dressage into the four-year-old’s build-up to Saturday’s Doomben 10,000, his sixth crack at a Group One. “I’ve done a bit of dressage work… Read More »
Salsonic’s outside barrier for the Inglis Guineas at Scone has taken a little of the gloss off a confidence-boosting third in the Hawkesbury Guineas. Trainer Jason Coyle admits the draw is a concern in Saturday’s $400,000 Inglis Guineas over 1400 metres. “The barrier is not ideal. He’s probably going to… Read More »
Former champion jockey Darren Beadman has celebrated his first stakes winner as a trainer, with Godolphin’s Duca Valentinois storming home to take out the Listed Scone Cup. Beadman is still in his first week as a trainer after taking over from John O’Shea as the global racing giant Godolphin’s Australian… Read More »
It isn’t often trainers have two thirds of their two-year-old team in a stakes race. But that is the situation for Peter and Will Hulbert when they tackle the Group Two Champagne Classic with Cooroi Chase and Showashadow. The Hulberts believe they have a real chance to get black type… Read More »
Trainer Robbie Griffiths is itching to get Charlton out to a staying trip and is disappointed the colt has missed a start in the South Australian Derby. Instead Charlton is running for a potential Queensland Derby start in the Noel Rundle Handicap at Caulfield on Saturday. He takes on Queensland… Read More »
Seven years after Rebel Raider won the South Australian Derby, his trainer is looking to repeat the feat with one of his sons. Rebel Raider was a 100-1 winner of the 2008 Victoria Derby for Leon Macdonald and long-time client Harry Perks and started favourite in his home town of… Read More »
Connections of Grey Street have chosen to send her back to the scene of her most recent win rather than aim at a stakes race in Adelaide. Grey Street runs in Saturday’s Catanach’s Jewellers Handicap for which she is the $4.20 Crown Bet favourite. Trainer John McArdle’s first thought after… Read More »
Adrian Bott believes Sweet Redemption is now better placed to make an impact in Queensland after plans to campaign her in Brisbane over summer were put on ice. The four-year-old was initially slated for the Magic Millions on the Gold Coast in January but Bott and training partner Gai Waterhouse… Read More »
Jockey Michael Cahill believes Morendi has already shown he is more than a one-track wonder and can win his first stakes race when he runs at Doomben. Morendi, who lines up in Saturday’s Group Three Chairman’s Hcp (2000m) has shown an affinity for the Eagle Farm surface with three wins,… Read More »
Melbourne racegoers will see promising three-year-old Mongolian Wolf for the first time at Caulfield after the Queensland Derby co-favourite was unable to get a flight north for a lead-up to the Brisbane classic. The Darren Weir-trained Mongolian Wolf and elder stablemate Neverland have been scratched from Brisbane races on Saturday… Read More »
Darren Beadman gets a chance for his first Queensland stakes winner as a trainer with Morton’s Fork at Doomben. Beadman took over as the interim head trainer for Godolphin Australia on Sunday and welcomed his first winners at Canterbury on Wednesday. “It is an honour to be given a chance… Read More »
The performances of two Richard Laming-trained horses at Caulfield will determine whether they earn their way to Queensland for feature races. Two-year-old Easy Beast is favourite to break through for his first win at his third start in Saturday’s Chef’s Hat Plate (1100m). If Easy Beast impresses, Laming will consider… Read More »
Fell Swoop has returned $1.6 million on his $45,000 sale price but still needs a Group One win to round out his resume. The sprinter has been placed five times at the highest level including twice in the TJ Smith Stakes behind Chautauqua, rated the world’s best short-course horse. Trainer… Read More »
Promising three-year-old stayer Mongolian Wolf has been scratched from the Rough Habit Plate at Doomben because of transport problems but is still expected contest the Queensland Derby. The Darren Weir-trained Mongolian Wolf and stablemate Neverland were stranded in Melbourne when they could not make a flight to Brisbane. Weir scratched… Read More »
Sky Racing and Racing Queensland will launch live digital coverage of the Group One race days during the Brisbane carnival starting with the Doomben 10,000. The coverage begins on Saturday and will be streamed live on RQ’s website and UBET’s digital platform. “This is a significant development for racing in… Read More »
