Stakes winner Too Good To Refuse will be ridden positively at Eagle Farm as he takes his first step to the Sydney autumn carnival. Too Good To Refuse will be having his first start since New Year’s Eve when he takes on a field of well-performed sprinters in Saturday’s Open… Read More »
Over the years, the Lightning Stakes has been a stallion making race with the honour roll boasting horses the calibre of General Nediym, Testa Rossa, Choisir, Fastnet Rock and Nicconi. Saturday’s Group One 1000m-sprint will be no different with five potential stallions lining up in the field of 13. One… Read More »
Golden Slipper 2017 second favourite Houtzen will miss the Randwick trials this week with trainer Toby Edmonds still undecided about her comeback run. The filly had 10 days in the paddock after winning the Magic Millions Classic on January 14 and has been back in Edmonds’ Gold Coast stable for… Read More »
A field of 13 will contest the Group One Lightning Stakes with favourite Flying Artie to jump from barrier four in the race down the Flemington straight. Terravista, beaten in the last stride by Chautauqua a year ago, has barrier nine on Saturday with Corey Brown to ride. Flying Artie… Read More »
She Will Reign will have six rivals as she looks to cement her place in the 2017 Golden Slipper at Rosehill. The ruling Golden Slipper favourite, the Gary Portelli-trained filly needs to earn prize money in Saturday’s Silver Slipper to secure a berth in the $3.5 million race on March… Read More »
West Australian jockey William Pike returns from suspension at Ascot where he will be out to close the gap on Jeff Lloyd in the national premiership. In Pike’s absence, premier Brisbane jockey Lloyd took his season total to 113 with Pike resuming on 106. Pike has seven scheduled rides at… Read More »
Leading Country Championships contender Pumpkin Pie is one for four entries for local trainer Danny Williams in the regional heat at Goulburn. The Matt Dunn-trained Perfect Dare assumed $4.60 favouritism for the final on April 1 with his dominant win in the first heat at Grafton on Monday. Pumpkin Pie… Read More »
Jockey Craig Newitt is set to miss the Lightning Stakes ride on Counterattack. Newitt was suspended for careless riding at Sale on Tuesday with his ban due to start after Wednesday’s Sandown meeting. But Newitt will be back in time for the Oakleigh Plate meeting which is slated for the… Read More »
Punters are as confident as her trainer She Will Reign can run a strong 1100 metres in the Silver Slipper at Rosehill. The ruling Golden Slipper favourite steps out beyond 1000 metres for the first time in Saturday’s Group Two race which shapes as a defining test. The Gary Portelli-trained… Read More »
After Malaguerra’s unplaced finish in the CF Orr Stakes, the dual Group One-winning sprinter will be freshened and aimed at the 2017 TJ Smith Stakes. Malaguerra resumed to win the Australia Stakes at Moonee Valley last month before finishing sixth as the $3.80 second favourite in Saturday’s Orr over 1400m… Read More »
Heavens Above is a Group One winner in waiting in more ways than one. The talented Tim Martin-trained mare begins a campaign aimed at the major Sydney carnival races in Saturday’s Millie Fox Stakes at Rosehill. Last year her autumn campaign ended with a second to Azkadellia in the Queen… Read More »
In an ominous warning for Flying Artie’s rivals, trainer Mick Price believes the Group One-winning colt has come of age since his unbeaten spring campaign. Flying Artie resumes in Saturday’s Group One Lightning Stakes at Flemington where he will be out to become the first three-year-old in more than a… Read More »
Godolphin is resigned to losing its retained rider in Australia for at least a month with James Doyle sidelined with a fractured wrist. Doyle was involved in a heavy fall in the Triscay Stakes at Randwick on Monday when his mount Pearls came down in the middle stages. He appeared… Read More »
A colt Trent Busuttin hopes could deliver him and co-trainer Natalie Young another Derby will launch his autumn campaign in a mid-week race at Sandown. Busuttin and Young won last year’s Australian Derby with Tavago and a crack at the 2400m classic at Randwick in April is on the radar… Read More »
Three-year-olds Star Turn and Flying Artie head the early betting on the Group One Lightning Stakes at Flemington. Star Turn holds favouritism at $4.60 with Flying Artie the second pick at $4.80. The two are racing for the first time since meeting in the Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington last… Read More »
Godolphin jockey James Doyle will be out of action indefinitely after a fall at Randwick in which his mount Pearls suffered catastrophic injuries and had to be euthanised. Pearls was taken to the Randwick Equine Centre after Monday’s fall with scans revealing she had suffered multiple shoulder fractures and could… Read More »
Luke Nolen will ride unbeaten colt Jukebox in the 2017 Blue Diamond Stakes following Craig Williams’ decision to stick with Catchy. Williams has ridden several leading contenders over the past few weeks including the Ciaron Maher-trained Jukebox, winner of his two starts. After Saturday’s racing, Williams narrowed his choice down… Read More »
Perfect Dare has staked an emphatic claim for the NSW Country Championship final with a dominant win in the first regional heat at Grafton. One of four horses in Monday’s $150,000 race trained at Murwillumbah by Matt Dunn, Perfect Dare also dominated betting as the $2 favourite. He didn’t let… Read More »
Godolphin jockey James Doyle has escaped serious injury despite falling heavily from his Triscay Stakes mount. Doyle was thrown from the John O’Shea-trained Pearls in the middle stages of the Group Three race for mares at Randwick on Monday. One of Sydney’s form riders since replacing banned jockey James McDonald… Read More »
If Australia’s champion racehorse Winx is beaten again, her trainer Chris Waller has narrowed it down to two ways it might happen. After Winx made a winning return before an after-work audience at Randwick on Monday, Waller all but ruled out bad luck ruining her spectacular streak. Should the unthinkable… Read More »
