The Brisbane Race club is still hoping conditions will clear enough to allow racing at Doomben to go ahead. The final three races at Doomben on Wednesday were called off when concerns were raised by jockeys about the track between the 800m and 600m. Doomben had received a further 50mm… Read More »
The Gwenda Marwell-trained Pomelo remains the favourite for the Provincial Championship final ahead of the first two from the Newcastle qualifier. Clevedon Bay from the Kris Lees stable and the Kim Waugh-trained Calabasas are at $7 for for the final on Saturday week after Wednesday’s final heat. Pomelo, who won… Read More »
Leading Newcastle trainer Kris Lees will get the chance to repeat a feat he achieved 12 months ago after Clevedon Bay became his second confirmed starter in the $400,000 Provincial Championship Final. The mare secured one of the final three places in the Final at Randwick on April 8 with… Read More »
Trainer Henry Dwyer won the VOBIS Gold Rush with If Not Now When a year ago and is hoping to snare the lucrative race at Bendigo again. Dwyer has three acceptors in Saturday’s $250,000 VOBIS Gold Rush, all first starters, but whether the juveniles all take their place has yet… Read More »
Astern’s much-anticipated return to racing risks being delayed with trainer John O’Shea confirming Godolphin’s star colt will not contest the $2.5 million TJ Smith Stakes if Sydney’s weather deteriorates. Although the sun made a welcome appearance on Wednesday, rain is forecast to return before and during Saturday’s opening day of… Read More »
Victorian trainer Brent Stanley will saddle his first runners in more than a year when two three-year-olds tackle stakes races at Randwick. Stanley was last year disqualified for nine months for his conduct regarding the the sale of a horse to Hong Kong. He regained his trainers’ licence last week… Read More »
In-form three-year-old Theanswermyfriend has been installed odds-on favourite for the Listed Bendigo Guineas but trainer Robert Smerdon’s preference is to run him in Sydney on the same day. Theanswermyfriend is a dual acceptor for Saturday’s Bendigo Guineas (1400m) for which he is at $1.85 while he is the $4 favourite… Read More »
All 12 slots have been filled for the inaugural running of the $10 million The Everest. The 1200m weight-for-age race will be run at Randwick on October 14 with the slots costing $1.8 million for a three-year commitment. “I am delighted to announce that we have filled all twelve places… Read More »
Two-year-old Freeze Over has done what trainer John Sadler had hoped to see at Sandown by racing to a dominant debut win. Freeze Over stepped out in Wednesday’s Spicer Thoroughbreds Handicap (1000m) for two-year-old fillies and lived up to her $4.20 favouritism with a 3-1/2 length victory. “She’s a nice… Read More »
Dreams A Plenty’s Doomben win has shown why his connections weren’t too upset when a huge offer for him to race in Hong Kong fell over. Dreams A Plenty ($1.85) lived up to his short price when he beat Ironborn ($21) by 4-1/4 lengths with another 4-1/4 lengths to Deep… Read More »
THE 152ND DONCASTER MILE * The world’s richest mile (1600m) handicap worth $3 million. HISTORY * Highlight of first day of The Championships at Randwick. * First run in 1865 when it was won by Dundee and has since been won by many of the finest horses to grace the… Read More »
He’s taken a circuitous route to the Doncaster Mile but journeyman Redkirk Warrior is set to go the distance. After starting out at Great Yarmouth in a 3YO maiden in 2014, the well-travelled gelding went from England to Hong Kong to his final destination, the Lindsay Park training base at… Read More »
Queenslanders Too Good To Refuse and Cylinder Beach have fled Sydney’s big wet only to be confronted by a likely deluge in their home state. Trainer Desleigh Forster had planned to continue Too To Refuse and Cylinder Beach’s Sydney campaigns in the hope the rain would stop. “But in the… Read More »
Trainer James Hatch is driving from literally the back of Bourke to Randwick for a chance to have his horse crowned country racing champion. It’s a three-day trip to the big smoke from Hungerford – a tiny border town 200km north west of Bourke where Hatch runs a cattle and… Read More »
Trainer James Cummings displays a sunny disposition when he predicts a weather-related shut-out for Sydney horses in recent weeks can finally lift on opening day of The Championships. Cummings declared Prized Icon is in prime form for Saturday’s $2 million Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick where he, among other Sydney-based… Read More »
Connections of $1.6 million colt Merovee remain upbeat despite his unplaced run on debut at Newcastle. The first progeny of champion Frankel to race in Australia, Merovee is out of Golden Slipper placegetter More Strawberries, one of several mares the colt’s part-owner John Singleton sent to be served by the… Read More »
The managing owner of Chautauqua has confirmed the group has secured a slot to run in the Everest. But first Chautauqua will attempt a third straight victory in the Group One TJ Smith (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday, the opening day of The Championships. Rupert Legh said one of Chautauqua’s… Read More »
Glenlogan Park manager Steve Morley hopes the government takes note of the stud’s decision to scale back its operation and no longer stand stallions. Glenlogan is the biggest stud in Queensland and has been a major player in Australian yearling sales. Four of the stud’s sires will be relocated while… Read More »
UK-based Australian trainer Jane Chapple-Hyam has booked Melbourne Cup- winning jockey Michelle Payne to ride her new Italian recruit Kaspersky at Royal Ascot in June. The six-year-old was previously trained by Endo Botti and counts Italian and German Group Two victories on his record along with third place in an… Read More »
Newcastle will be the scene of the final heat of the Provincial Championship series with a strong field vying to get to the $400,000 final. But much of Wednesday’s attention will centre on the first race on the program and the debut of two-year-old Merovee, the first of Frankel’s progeny… Read More »
