Jason Warren has some decisions to make with his star sprinting mare Benedetta. The Victorian trainer has not yet ruled out running the Group 1 winner in this Saturday’s $1 million Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m), which was postponed after last Saturday’s Eagle Farm meeting was called off early. But if she… Read More »
Oltimers looking for an omen bet on Australian Hurdle and Steeplechase Day at Sandown could not go past Diwali who took a Stakes race on Sunday. With the Australian Hurdle and Steeplechase taking naming rights at Sandown, the Listed Sandown Cup (3200m) was run for the second time transferred from its… Read More »
The toughness of The Cunning Fox has provided jockey Tommy Ryan with a fourth success in the Australian Hurdle. Ryan said it was only the jumper’s toughness that got The Cunning Fox home after the jockey felt the horse was struggling 1200m from home in the 3900m contest at Sandown on… Read More »
Champion jumps jockey Steven Pateman has finally added the one race that was missing from his glittering CV. Pateman partnered with his close friend Ciaron Maher to win aboard Stern Idol in the Australian Steeplechase (3900m) at Sandown on Sunday. Lumping 73kg and conceding his rivals a minimum of 7kg, Stern Idol,… Read More »
Niance has bettered her already impressive record with a strong win first-up in the Listed Bel Esprit Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield. On an Oakleigh Plate path earlier in the year, a paddock injury forced Niance to miss the Autumn but she showed no ill effects from a head injury, sitting… Read More »
Imported galloper Touristic got conditions to suit and made the most of it to record his first victory in almost a year in the Listed Lord Mayors Cup at Rosehill. Bringing up a winning double of the program for jockey Andrew Adkins, the Peter Snowden-trained Touristic was sent out a… Read More »
Lindsay Park will look to target the Spring with promising three-year-old filly Madiyya, who won her third race in a row at Caulfield on Saturday. The Ben, Will & Jd Hayes trained daughter of Super Seth looped the field in the Rod Griffiths Handicap (1600m) at benchmark 78 level, scoring by… Read More »
“Almost a trainwreck” was the feedback from jockey Ben Allen to connections of Big Swinger, who was a narrow winner at Caulfield on Saturday. The Charlotte Littlefield trained three-year-old was heavily supported, jumping a $1.80 favourite in the Catanach’s Jewellers Handicap (1200m) and would’ve been a tragedy beaten, held up and racing… Read More »
The James Cummings-trained Zebra Finch has put himself in contention for a potential crack at the Group 1 J.J. Atkins in Brisbane with a narrow victory at Rosehill. Connections of the Godolphin-owned two-year-old colt opted to apply blinkers to Zebra Finch for Saturday’s Schweppes Handicap (1300m) after he had finished fourth… Read More »
Stern Idol has been a jumping force in Victoria since he burst onto the scene during the winter of 2022. The Irish-bred galloper raced in France and was successful over hurdles before joining the then Ciaron Maher and David Eustace team in late 2021. Since then, Stern Idol has won nine… Read More »
Trainer Charlotte Littlefield and the team behind Big Swinger have lowered their expectations with the three-year-old and are hoping to open his city winning account at Caulfield. The Catanach’s Jewellers Handicap (1200m) on Saturday will be Big Swinger’s sixth career start with the gelding successful on three occasions on provincial courses,… Read More »
Given his long-term aspirations for juvenile Queen Of Clubs, Gary Portelli isn’t expecting her to win at Rosehill on Saturday. However, he is anticipating a competitive performance when she steps up to 1300 metres for the first time in the Schweppes Handicap. Portelli eventually hopes Queen Of Clubs can develop into… Read More »
The last time Tom Dabernig made the trek from his Warrnambool stable to race at Morphettville, it proved a winning exercise. Cleo Cat provided the Dabernig team with victory in the Group 3 Proud Miss Stakes (1200m) on Goodwood Day. The Dabernig stable is returning to Morphettville on Saturday looking to bag… Read More »
A mare who became the first of Greg Hickman’s horses to break the $1 million prizemoney barrier continues to have an impact on his stable in the form of her daughter, Private Legacy. Private Secretary was placed in four stakes races but the bulk of her career earnings stemmed from her… Read More »
Champion Hong Kong galloper Romantic Warrior has undergone surgery following his return from the Middle East where he raced with distinction. The Hong Kong Jockey Club released a veterinary update on Thursday after Romantic Warrior had surgery on his left front leg. The gelding, who won the Group 1 Cox Plate… Read More »
Irish trainers Dermot Weld and Willie Mullins have had hurdlers run in the Melbourne Cup with mixed success. Weld had Vintage Crop win Australia’s greatest race last century while Mullins has been down to Flemington with Vauban and Absurde in the past two years after those geldings went jumping. Another Irishman, who trains… Read More »
The beginning was perfect, and the end was just as good if not better for The Boss Lady. After winning the Roma Cup (1100m) first up at Ascot, Michael Lane’s classy mare capped an outstanding campaign of racing with a second weight-for-age victory in the Group 3 Belmont Sprint (1400m)… Read More »
Tommy Berry is the new rider for BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes favourite Gallo Nero, replacing the injured Tyler Schiller. Jockey Tyler Schiller will be sidelined for at least six weeks after it was confirmed he had suffered a fractured vertebrae in a race day incident at Canterbury. The senior Sydney hoop… Read More »
Yulong Investments did some Extreme Choice prospecting at this week’s Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale, buoyed by the condition of the colt of his who won this year’s Blue Diamond Stakes for them. Devil Night, who this year carried Yulong’s green and white colours to victory in Victoria’s only two-year-old… Read More »
Jockey Blake Shinn may be forced to sit out the rest of the season after injuring a foot at the Cranbourne jump-outs on Monday. Shinn has undergone a number of tests and consultations with medical professionals in recent days which concluded he is suffering heavy bone bruising in his left foot…. Read More »
