Could there be a Queensland ‘victory’ in the 2022 edition of The Kosciuszko? No way, you’ll say, given that the $2 million event, the richest race in the world restricted to country horses, is strictly only for country horses trained in New South Wales, … but do you seriously think… Read More »
Leading Sydney rider Tommy Berry will give The Everest race-day … the richest day on the Australian racing calendar … a miss and will instead head south to ride at the Caulfield Cup race-meeting which takes place on the same day (October 15). It couldn’t have been the easiest of… Read More »
Christophe Soumillon moment of madness when he unceremoniously nudged Rossa Ryan out of the saddle mid-race initiating a fall which could have had resulted in serious injury for his rival jockey, has had a sequel with the Aga Khan Breeding / Owner operation ending their retainer relationship with the champion… Read More »
Jockey Andrew Mallyon is due to take one ride at the Gold Coast on Saturday as he continues to push forward along a carefully managed path back to his full book riding capacity … and hopefully a not too distance date with a Group 1 assignment … after returning to… Read More »
Even with all of the prestige he has brought to Australian racing with Takeover Target, Joe Janiak has never been an attention seeker, so it was no surprise then that you could have walked right past him without noticing his presence as he sat relaxing at a table, enjoying a… Read More »
It is what it is. Sadly, that well-worn phrase provides the bottom line to the Verry Elleegant/Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe saga which was formally brought to a close when connections of the eleven-time Group 1 winning mare declined to pay the supplementary entry fee for their champion, seemingly to… Read More »
It is either going to be a huge Group 1 weekend for owner Brae Sokolski or he is possibly going to go into it a little bit deflated if Verry Elleegant is ultimately balloted out of the prestigious Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on Sunday. Sokolski has the… Read More »
It is getting to be crunch time for the connections still looking to get their horse a run in the $15 million Everest with the big race date of October 15 now just eighteen days away. The names of Nature Strip, Eduardo, Lost And Running, Snapdancer, Mazu and Masked Crusader… Read More »
Jack Duncan is the epitome of a trainer who lets his horses do the talking. And sometimes … they make a loud statement. That was certainly the case when Seat Of Power won the Toowoomba Cup on Saturday with the tried and tested son of Sea The Stars helping Duncan… Read More »
It is arguable a trip of a lifetime for jockey Mark Zahra who will fly to Paris later this week for a date with Verry Ellegant and her assignment in one of Europe’s most prestigious races, Sunday’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp. The jury is probably still out… Read More »
Life is never dull where Alligator Blood is concerned. The top-tier performer won his second Group 1 in his last four starts when he outgunned the mighty Zaaki is a testing stride for stride battle for much of the Sandown straight, while also having enough in hand to see off… Read More »
A flying second place by Mo’unga, who snared stable companion Zaaki in the finals strides to gain a runner-up finish in the Group 1 Underwood stakes behind Alligator Blood on Saturday, rated as a tremendous run, but the post-race fallout was not as satisfying for Mo’unga’s jockey Hugh Bowman. The… Read More »
Top Toowoomba trainer Lindsay Hatch has Wham targeting the Weetwood and Sayl due to take his place in the Toowoomba Cup with the stable looking to have its say in the two traditional main feature races of the year at the Clifford Park venue when Toowoomba hosts the Queensland Saturday… Read More »
The Group 2 McEwen Stakes winner Rothfire is good to go for the Group 1 Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley on Friday night. “The horse has gone super,” confirmed trainer Robert Heathcote. “I had planned to take him to The Valley on Monday, but it was a very heavy track… Read More »
Far Too Easy’s performance at the Gold Coast on Saturday ticked three huge boxes. Firstly, he gave his connections a big thumbs-up by showing he was well and truly over his recent health hiccups. Secondly, it announced in no uncertain terms he was perfectly on track for his date with… Read More »
“You have to dream, don’t you? If you don’t you are not going to get there are you?” And trainer Desleigh Forster is dreaming big! Having claimed her first Group 1 win with her star performer Apache Chase in the Kingsford-Smith Cup back in May, a result which also propelled… Read More »
James McDonald has made an early commitment to a ride in this year’s Melbourne Cup. He will partner the Marcel Weiss trained international raider Loft in the big show on November 1. Loft is co-owned by Ozzie Kheir, meaning that the victorious Melbourne Cup winning owner/jockey partnership from last year’s… Read More »
Racing Victoria has approached the Federal Government with a raft of proposals designed to provide a solution to the chronic … some would say critical … staff shortage facing the racing industry. It is not just in Victoria of course. On-going advertisements looking for people to fill a variety of… Read More »
Leading Western Australian owner Bob Peters was left counting the costs of the meeting at Flemington last Saturday. Disappointing efforts by the Peters owned trio of Regal Power, Stageman and Western Empire … by their standards … promoted Peters to pull the plug on their Spring Carnival campaigns with the… Read More »
Baaeed, the best British racehorse since Frankel, will race for the last time in the QIPCO Champion Stakes at Ascot on October 15. This will be welcome news for his opponents everywhere as the son of Sea The Stars has literally proved to be unbeatable in all of his ten… Read More »
