Jockeys Jason Collett and Glyn Schofield have been given permission to ride above the minimum 53kg in Group Three races at Randwick. Collett will be half a kilogram over on the Kim Waugh-trained Supreme Effort in Saturday’s Southern Cross Stakes and the Kris Lees-trained Zestful in the Triscay Stakes. Schofield… Read More »
A lot of hard work has finally paid dividends for father and son country trainers Brian and Ash McKnight at Sandown. A seven-run campaign with Hot Seat finally bore fruit when the gelding was successful in the Thoroughbred Club Handicap (1200m) on Wednesday. Craig Williams rode Hot Seat when he… Read More »
Richly bred Dracarys has had to be more tradesman than equine model in making a winning debut at Warwick Farm. A stand-out individual on looks and easily the most expensive horse to race at the Sydney midweek meeting on Wednesday, Dracarys won the Hyland Race Colours Plate. The race was… Read More »
Injured apprentice jockey Deanne Panya has more on her mind than a broken collarbone with stewards calling her to an inquiry over a positive swab to a banned substance. Before she answers questions regarding the positive test from a January 2 sample, Panya will attend an inquiry on Thursday into… Read More »
Trainer Andrew Noblet is keen to have a crack at the Newmarket Handicap 2017 with Super Cash who will test her credentials against star sprinter Chautauqua in the Rubiton Stakes at Caulfield. Noblet has two stakes-winning mares, Silent Sedition and Super Cash, beginning their campaigns in separate Group races on… Read More »
A clash with Winx can wait for Global Glamour with the Thousand Guineas winner confirmed for a more conservative return to Sydney racing. Co-trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott caused a minor stir when they paid up for Global Glamour to contest the 2017 Apollo Stakes, the weight-for-age race at… Read More »
Hugh Bowman has made a left-field call on a heavily backed but well-beaten favourite that could result in two James Cummings stablemates racing twice in three days. As Plymouth Road ($5) defied his rivals to lead all the way at Warwick Farm on Wednesday, stablemate Most Exalted finished a long… Read More »
Trainer Mark Webb’s decision to restock his stable with well-bred horses has reaped a reward at Eagle Farm. Webb was the leading trainer in Toowoomba for many years but decided to relocate to the Sunshine Coast three years ago to be closer his family. “We have struggled a bit for… Read More »
Bargain-buy Elegant Queen has broken through for her first metropolitan success with an all-the-way win at Sandown. A $1500 yearling at the Scone sales in 2014, Elegant Queen has returned her connections almost $125,000 following Wednesday’s win in the M & D Constructions Handicap (1400m). Ridden by apprentice Ethan Brown,… Read More »
Olly Tait will return to his roots with the much-travelled bloodstock expert and his wife Amber buying Twin Hills Stud at Cootamundra in the NSW Riverina. The property will provide racehorse and broodmare agistment, sales preparation and consignment as well as being home to the Taits’ bloodstock. The Taits will… Read More »
A failed veterinary inspection may give Hong Kong-based Price Bloodstock its biggest pay day in Australia. But first Property must win the males division of the Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) at Caulfield on Saturday to warrant managing director David Price paying the $55,000 late entry fee to run in the… Read More »
Gentle giant Arki will complete one of racing’s most remarkable comebacks if he can win his first open company race. Arki will be aiming to make it five straight wins since returning from a two-year injury enforced lay-off when he tackles Saturday’s Open Hcp (2030m) at Doomben. Victory would hold… Read More »
Caulfield Cup winner Jameka could fulfil another ambition for trainer Ciaron Maher who has flagged a European campaign for the mare later this year. Jameka makes her 2017 return in Saturday’s Group One C F Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield which has attracted a field of 12 including nine individual… Read More »
Gimcrack Stakes winner Jorda is not among the acceptances for the Blue Diamond Prelude for fillies at Caulfield after suffering a setback. The Godolphin filly was to make her Melbourne debut in Saturday’s lead-up to the 2017 Blue Diamond Stakes but Godolphin released a statement on Wednesday morning saying the… Read More »
Respected Queensland trainer Pat Duff believes he has a simple solution to solve the current shortage of Saturday metropolitan apprentice jockeys. Of the top 10 riders on the Brisbane apprentices’ premiership there are six either now senior riders or riding full-time interstate. Duff has been a leading trainer for 50… Read More »
Favoured runners Black Heart Bart and Malaguerra have both drawn wide barriers in the 12-horse field for the Group One C F Orr Stakes at Caulfield. Dual Group One-winning sprinter Malaguerra, who won the recent Group Two Australia Stakes, has the outside barrier for Saturday’s 1400m weight-for-age race while multiple… Read More »
Champion Winx has drawn barrier three of 14 for her much-anticipated return to racing in the Group Two Apollo Stakes at Randwick. Her stablemate Omei Sword will miss the Light Fingers Stakes on Saturday with trainer Chris Waller to keep her at home for another week after she suffered a… Read More »
Willie Mullins has suffered a major blow with both Faugheen and Min ruled out of the Cheltenham Festival. It is another hit for the champion National Hunt trainer who lost 60 horses from owners Gigginstown House this season. Faugheen won the Stan James Champion Hurdle at the 2015 Festival, but… Read More »
The world’s top-ranked horse Arrogate is one of 168 nominations for the Dubai World Cup at Meydan. The winner of the inaugural Pegasus World Cup last month, Arrogate is one of two possible runners on March 25 for American trainer Bob Baffert along with last year’s third-placed Hoppertunity. Baffert has… Read More »
Group One winner I Am A Star has been given a soft barrier trial at Cranbourne which her trainer says is all she needs ahead of her first-up run at Caulfield. The Shane Nichols-trained filly finished fourth of five runners in a 800m-heat on Tuesday and showed she is ready… Read More »
