Rising Red’s second to Gingernuts in the New Zealand Derby has boosted his trainers’ confidence heading to the Australian equivalent. The Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained Rising Red is an acceptor in Saturday’s Tulloch Stakes at Rosehill but is more likely to head straight to the Group One Australian Derby… Read More »
A trip to Sydney for two-year-old Eminent is now unlikely after he was beaten into second place as the odds-on favourite in a midweek race at Doomben. Eminent ($1.60) hit the lead in the straight but could not match it with the lightly weighted Marseille En Fleur ($7.50) in Wednesday’s… Read More »
La Bella Diosa returns to the scene of the ugliest run of her career when New Zealand’s stand-out filly strives to make amends at Rosehill in the G1 Vinery Stud Stakes. Co-trainer Mandy Brown confirmed the New Zealand 1000 Guineas champion, and winner of her Australian debut in the Surround… Read More »
The recent Canberra Cup win of Dark Eyes has earned the gelding a crack at another Cup at Mornington. The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained four-year-old fended off a challenge from Cool Chap to win the Listed Canberra Cup (2000m) on March 5 by a half-neck to set up a… Read More »
The William Reid Stakes features five Group One winners but it is a sprinter still chasing an elite-level breakthrough who is the early favourite. Friday night’s weight-for-age William Reid (1200m) at Moonee Valley is Melbourne final Group One race for the season and three-year-old Star Turn is the $4.50 favourite… Read More »
A big weight rather than a wet track concerns trainer Scott Morrisey ahead of Perilous Love’s bid for an Australian Oaks berth. Perilous Love carried 55kg to win at Doomben by five lengths over 2030m on March 11 but has 59kg in the Three-Year-Old Hcp (2000m) on Saturday. “It is… Read More »
Controversial jockey Danny Nikolic is bitterly disappointed he has lost his bid to regain his jockey licence and is considering another appeal, his lawyer says. The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal on Wednesday rejected Nikolic’s appeal to be relicensed after four-and-a-half years on the sidelines. VCAT deputy president Heather Lambrick… Read More »
Rockhampton trainer Ricky Vale has pleaded not guilty to four charges of presenting horses to race with prohibited substances in their systems, including cobalt in excess of the prescribed threshold. Queensland Racing Integrity Commission stewards opened an inquiry on Tuesday but adjourned it to a date to be fixed so… Read More »
Thirteen sprinters will run in the William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley headed by last year’s winner Flamberge and Rebel Dane. The 1200m-race on Friday night is the last Group One race in Melbourne for the season. The Golden Slipper-winning combination of trainer Gary Portelli and jockey Ben Melham will… Read More »
A field of nine stayers will contest the $1.5 million BMW at Rosehill with the expected leader Lasqueti Spirit drawing the outside barrier for the 2400m-race. The Vinery Stud Stakes, the other Group One race on Saturday’s program, has attracted a field of 13 three-year-old fillies to run over 2000m… Read More »
Apprentice Matthew Poon will have nine rides at his first Hong Kong meeting as he embarks on the next stage of his career. Poon has been learning his trade with Richard Jolly in Adelaide and was last season’s champion apprentice in the South Australian capital. He received the call-up last… Read More »
The Mornington Cup is the likely next stop for Annus Mirabilis who is being aimed at the Adelaide and Sydney Cups double. The six-year-old won the Adelaide Cup over 3200 metres eight days ago and with the $2 million Sydney Cup over the same distance not until April 8, trainer… Read More »
David Brideoake believes there was a genuine excuse for Nurse Kitchen’s last-start failure and the Victorian trainer is now looking forward to testing the filly at Group One level for the first time. Brideoake is sending Nurse Kitchen to Sydney for Saturday’s Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) for fillies at Rosehill…. Read More »
A third senior Queensland Racing Integrity Commission official has been stood down from his position following a complaint from a member of the public. QRIC’s Integrity Regulation Unit boss Norm Torpey has been moved to race day stewarding while the complaint is investigated. Harness racing chief steward David Farquaharson was… Read More »
Racegoers at Rosehill can expect to see Brenton Avdulla repeat the tactics he used to win the VRC Oaks on Lasqueti Spirit when she runs in the BMW. Whether she can run away from hardened weight-for-age performers the same way she did against three-year-old fillies remains to be seen but… Read More »
Echo Effect is finally able to put his best foot forward, but the question remains in which direction it will point. The three-year-old gelding’s long-awaited next move now a hoof abscess has cleared up will be clarified on Thursday with trainer Kristen Buchanan, Echo Effect’s owners and the weather over… Read More »
After notching his 100th Melbourne metropolitan win for the season with Palentino in the Blamey Stakes at Flemington, Darren Weir will continue his march towards a record season tally at Sandown. Weir trained 106 metropolitan winners in Victoria last season, his best so far, while the record is 115 set… Read More »
Andrew Noblet has decided to run multiple stakes winner Silent Sedition in the Group One William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley, believing it is the best option for the mare with a view to her main Sydney target. Silent Sedition has only contested two Group One races and on both… Read More »
A midweek Warwick Farm maiden is a long way from the Golden Slipper but still an important step for two-year-old Condor Heroes. The colt missed the chance to make the field for Saturday’s Slipper when he took off on the way to the barrier and was scratched from the Pago… Read More »
Antonio Giuseppe will be redirected to the Doncaster Mile in preference to the Sydney Cup over twice the distance. Trainer Chris Waller said on Tuesday he did not believe the four-year-old, who was the Sportsbet’s $6 equal Sydney Cup favourite alongside Tavago, had had the right preparation for the 3200… Read More »
