Trapeze Artist will be given the chance to become just the second Black Opal Stakes winner to claim the Golden Slipper. Catbird in 1999 is the only two-year-old to do the double but trainer Gerald Ryan and owner Bert Viera could not resist the lure of the $3.5 million race… Read More »
The Newmarket Handicap might be a change in plans for Extreme Choice but trainer Mick Price insists the colt is at the top of his game to chase a third Group One win. Extreme Choice was going to bypass the Group One sprint and run in the William Reid Stakes… Read More »
Global Glamour will be out to keep her perfect record in Group One races intact when she chases her third elite-level win for the season in the Coolmore Classic at Rosehill. The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained filly landed the Flight Stakes-Thousand Guineas double last spring in her only starts… Read More »
Not since champion Makybe Diva more than a decade ago has a mare won the Australian Cup but trainer Ciaron Maher wouldn’t swap Jameka for any other horse in this year’s race. The Caulfield Cup winner is one of two mares in Saturday’s weight-for-age Group One 2000m-feature at Flemington, along… Read More »
Trainer Kelly Schweida has shown his confidence in apprentice Rebecca Williams by retaining her for unlucky last-start runner Outraged at Doomben. Outraged won last year’s Townsville Cup but is yet to win in open company in Brisbane. He gets the chance to erase that statistic in the Powering The Happy… Read More »
AUSTRALIAN CUP Run at Flemington over 2000m, $1.5 million, weight-for-age HISTORY * First run in 1863 when won by Barwon. * Weight-for-age since 1979 except for 1982-86. 1863-1942 run over 18 furlongs, 1943-62 17 furlongs 110 yards, 1963 14 furlongs, since 1964 10 furlongs (2000m). NOTABLE WINNERS * Tim Whiffler… Read More »
Tough gelding Rudy will resume from a break at Doomben without a barrier trial but trainer Helen Page is confident he is on target to be competitive in the Sydney autumn. Rudy runs in Saturday’s 1350m-Open Handicap where he is a $5.50 chance with Sportsbet, his first start since he… Read More »
When Sircconi began his autumn two-year-old campaign his trainer had only one race in mind. But Peter Morgan admits he hasn’t been able to give the colt the ideal preparation into Saturday’s VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes at Flemington. From the time Sircconi came back into work Morgan has been eyeing… Read More »
Trainer Pat Duff is confident his decision to avoid the recent hot weather with veteran sprinter Steel Zip can reap its reward this autumn. Steel Zip returns from a freshen-up in the Open Hcp (1110m) at Doomben on Saturday with his campaign target the Weetwood Handicap next month. The nine-year-old… Read More »
Trainer Mick Price says three-year-old colt Extreme Choice is thriving ahead of the Group One Newmarket Handicap. Connections made the decision to run the dual Group One-winning sprinter in Saturday’s Newmarket at Flemington after stablemate Flying Artie was ruled out of the race earlier this week. Price says if Extreme… Read More »
New Zealand’s Waikato Stud has secured a major interest in Newmarket Handicap contender Tivaci. The Mike Moroney-trained four-year-old is a $17 chance with Luxbet.com.au for Saturday’s premier sprint at Flemington. Tivaci is a dual Group Three winner and has been placed twice at Group One level in the Cantala Stakes… Read More »
All is in readiness for an international mission for Awesome Rock but the horse has an important assignment on his home track first. Awesome Rock runs in Saturday’s Group One Australian Cup at Flemington – the same race he was first past the post in a year ago only to… Read More »
As Godolphin’s Sydney Cup contenders Penglai Pavilion and Polarisation acclimatise after arriving from Dubai, two potential stars of its Australian operation made successful starts to their careers at Warwick Farm. A low-key midweek meeting is no comparison to The Championships at Randwick next month, but trainer John O’Shea was satisfied… Read More »
Brisbane’s leading apprentice Tiffani Brooker has given the credit to her mount Dreams Aplenty after winning the second heat of the National Apprentices series at Eagle Farm. Wednesday’s race drew apprentice jockeys from across Australia and Brooker’s win followed Brooke Stower’s victory in the race last year on Fleur D’Orage…. Read More »
As Goldolphin’s Sydney Cup contenders Penglai Pavilion and Polarisation acclimatise after arriving from Dubai, two potential stars of its Australian operation made successful starts to their careers at Warwick Farm. A low-key midweek meeting is no comparison to The Championships at Randwick next month, but trainer John O’Shea was satisfied… Read More »
Trainer Bryce Heys won’t be offering up any excuses should Newmarket Handicap favourite Spieth be beaten at Flemington. While the weather in Sydney hasn’t hindered Spieth’s preparation towards Saturday’s Group One race, Heys admits it hasn’t been ideal. Then there’s the 55.5kg for the non-Group One winner with the final… Read More »
Blue blood filly Earth Angel has started her racetrack career on the same note as her famous mother Miss Finland by winning on debut at Ballarat. Miss Finland won her first start at the country Victorian track in January, 2006 before going on to win five Group One races during… Read More »
Chris Waller has put on a brave face after Coolmore Classic favourite Omei Sword drew the outside barrier in a field of 19 vying for Group One glory at Rosehill. The three-year-old filly drifted slightly in the Luxbet fixed odds market on Wednesday from $3 to $3.50 with Brenton Avdulla tasked… Read More »
Jockey Danny Nikolic has lost a High Court bid to appeal a police ban on him attending racecourses. Once one of Australia’s most successful jockeys, Nikolic has been on the sidelines since September 2012 when he was disqualified for two years for threatening a steward. His ban was extended for… Read More »
Gold Coast-trained filly Ahndras will test her credentials for an Australian Oaks start when she steps up to 2020 metres at Doomben. Ahndras will be attempting to win her fourth race in a row in the QTIS Three-Year-Old (2020m) on Saturday. Another win will set the filly on a path… Read More »
