Ample On Offa has given Adelaide trainer Chris Bieg a milestone first winner at Flemington. Ridden by Beau Mertens, Ample On Offa sat behind the speed before scoring a fighting victory in the Asian Executive Stakes (1400m) on Saturday. The victory was the five-year-old’s first success away from Morphettville where… Read More »
Afghan war veteran Captain Guy Disney has reflected on his historic success in the Royal Artillery Gold Cup at Sandown eight years after losing his lower right leg. Disney lost his right leg below the knee after being injured when his vehicle was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade while he… Read More »
Brisbane jockey Robbie Fradd’s bad run in the stewards’ room has continued with his fourth suspension in the past six weeks. Stewards suspended Fradd for 14 days after they found him guilty of careless riding on Bo Rossa in the third race at Ipswich on Friday. Bo Rossa was was… Read More »
Jockey Patrick Moloney will appeal an improper riding ban after being suspended for 28 meetings. Moloney was found guilty of improper riding for an incident at the 1500m mark of a 2219m race at Sale on Tuesday aboard Percivall Pott. Stewards issued the penalty at an adjourned inquiry at the… Read More »
Apprentice Matthew Poon’s success in South Australia has earned him a licence to ride in Hong Kong from late March. Poon re-located from Hong Kong to Adelaide in mid-2015 to join the South Australian Apprentices Academy and is the reigning champion apprentice in the state. He rode 51 winners last… Read More »
Much-travelled Binalong Road is poised to win his first race for Toby Edmonds at Eagle Farm and continue the trainer’s outstanding run with jockey Jeff Lloyd. Lloyd and Edmonds lived up to their new nickname of the “dynamic duo” when they got their 41st winner for the season with I… Read More »
English racing administrator Nick Smith has made his annual trip to Melbourne to look at prospective contenders for the Royal meeting at Ascot. Saturday’s Lightning Stakes at Flemington marks the start of the 10-race Global Sprint Challenge and Smith has already set his sights on Flying Artie and Spieth as… Read More »
A Group Two win during the Melbourne spring carnival on Illustrious Lad has been Anthony Darmanin’s biggest success in the saddle. The pair will be out to better that on Saturday when jockey and horse both chase their first Group One win in the Lightning Stakes at Flemington. Darmanin has… Read More »
Sydney trainer Michael Freedman will join the Hong Kong training ranks later this year. Freedman spent eight successful years in Singapore and returned to Australia early last year. During his time in Singapore, Freedman trained many Group One winners including dual Horse of the Year Super Easy. Included among his… Read More »
There are inevitable comparisons between Comin’ Through and his elder sibling Criterion but apart from ability, their early career paths could not be more different. Criterion was up and running as a two-year-old, claiming two stakes races and running in the Golden Slipper and Champagne Stakes. Comin’ Through didn’t race… Read More »
Six mornings a week you will find Andrew Mallyon riding work for the powerful Godolphin operation at Flemington. At the same track on Saturday he rides Malaise for Godolphin in the Group Three CS Hayes Stakes and is looking to make the most of the opportunity. “I ride the horse… Read More »
As far as preparations go leading into a Group One race, trainer Mick Price could not be more pleased with Flying Artie. The three-year-old is the $4 favourite for Saturday’s Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington and Price says the colt goes to the race in perfect order. Price also believes… Read More »
Tony McEvoy is hoping improved racing manners can give Time Awaits an important stakes race win at Flemington. And if the filly proves up to the task in Saturday’s Talindert Stakes she may then back up in the Group One Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield a week later. Time Awaits… Read More »
Champion jockey Joao Moriera has been given the green light by Hong Kong officials to ride Property in the 2017 Blue Diamond Stakes in Melbourne. Property, who is raced in Hong Kong interests, has won the Blue Diamond Preview and Prelude for colts and geldings. He needs to be a… Read More »
Rockhampton trainer Tony McMahon believes a big weight is the least of the problems for unbeaten filly Paradis Imperial at Eagle Farm as she chases her sixth win. Paradis Imperial faces her biggest challenge yet in the Coca Cola Two-Year-Old (1000m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday. McMahon had entered Paradis… Read More »
Next month’s Adelaide Cup is in the sights of trainer Stuart Webb with Bagot Handicap winner Annus Mirabilis who makes his return at Flemington. The six-year-old gelding won over 2400m at Sandown on December 24 before adding the Listed Bagot (2800m) on January 1 at Flemington to bring the Adelaide… Read More »
David Hayes believes all the signs suggest VRC Oaks runner-up Harlow Gold is in for a big autumn. That will be put to the test for the first time when the filly resumes in Saturday’s Group Three The Vanity (1400m) at Flemington on a path towards the ATC Australian Oaks… Read More »
Rod Hurley has worked for some of Australia’s biggest racing names in recent years but is keen to make his mark as a trainer in his own right, starting with Hudson County at Eagle Farm.. Hurley, who returned to training six weeks ago, had his first metropolitan runner when Hudson… Read More »
Punters expect She Will Reign to cement her $5 Golden Slipper favouritism with victory in a vital lead-up race at Rosehill. The Gary Portelli-trained filly is at $1.60 for Saturday’s Silver Slipper Stakes, a race she needs to perform in to boost her prize money to get into the field… Read More »
BLACK CAVIAR LIGHTNING STAKES Group One. 1000m. Weight-for-age. Flemington. Saturday February 18 First leg of 10-race Global Sprint Challenge HISTORY * Dates back to 1955 with Group One status since 1987 * Named after the champion, and unbeaten, mare Black Caviar who won the race in 2011, 2012, 2013 *… Read More »
