From the time two slot races were announced by Southside Racing, the Robbie Griffiths and Mathew de Kock stable knew they wanted to be a part of it. Griffiths was born and bred in the Cranbourne area and was one of the first to establish a barn at the Cranbourne… Read More »
Big Dance winner Gringotts is the clear top pick of Ciaron Maher’s squad for the $1 million The Gong, but the leading trainer won’t be surprised to see the horse’s biggest threat comes from of a stablemate. Gringotts had three-quarters of a length to spare over barn mate Vivy Air in the… Read More »
A bulked-up Iowna Merc will chase a breakthrough stakes win when he resumes in the Group Three The Warra, and connections are hoping his physical development is reflected in the result. The five-year-old had contested black-type grade three times, twice filling the minor placings in the Listed Ortensia Stakes (1100m) at… Read More »
The Ciaron Maher stable is still deciding which of their quartet of acceptances it will take up the challenge with in the Listed Cranbourne Cup. Three of the runners in Saturday’s 1600m contest are also among acceptances for the Listed Kilmore Cup (1600m) on Sunday. Nugget, Cosmic Vega and Flash Flood have accepted… Read More »
The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr stable are regulars at campaigning their horses over the border in Adelaide and will again make the trip for Finals Day at Morphettville. The Cranbourne-based trainers have Big Story engaged in the Skybeau Final (2500m) on Saturday, with the gelding looking to go back-to-back… Read More »
To run or not to run is a question hanging over many stables as a heavy track presents itself at Doomben. The two listed race features – the Recognition Stakes and the Tattersall’s Classic – could yet be impacted by scratchings but it is in another race on the card… Read More »
If horses can take on the traits of their trainers than it should come as no surprise that Nobellity posted a fighting victory at Belmont on Wednesday. Nobellity, sent out a $36 chance, held strong in the straight and fell in to defeat the fast-finishing Wicked Venom by a short-head. Nobellity… Read More »
As a three-time champion of the WA Guineas (1600m), top line trainer Trevor Andrews has a good handle on what it takes to win the Group 2 feature. Trevor Andrews will have two bites of the cherry at winning his fourth WA Guineas on Saturday and despite what the market says… Read More »
The Ciaron Maher stable will be out to capture another Shooting Stars success at Cranbourne, this time with an up-and-coming mare. On the Cranbourne Cup program 12 months ago, Jimmysstar announced his arrival with an explosive victory coming off a success at Bendigo. The Shooting Stars (1500m) on Saturday will see Igotcha line… Read More »
The Magic Millions carnival is the campaign focal point for promising sprinter Hedged, but trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr are hoping he can knock off a feature race along the way. The gelding will resume in the Group 3 The Warra (1000m) at Kembla Grange on Saturday, his first… Read More »
Goliath faces one of the toughest tasks in racing this weekend, beating the Japanese at home in their biggest race, but John Stewart is already planning his next moves with his star recruit and Australia is on the itinerary. The ambitious American has quickly become a powerful investor in Australian racing… Read More »
Gavin Bedggood hopes the decision to take Oscar’s Fortune to Cranbourne for a midweek gallop will pay off handsomely on Saturday. Oscar’s Fortune runs in the $1 million The Meteorite (1200m), a new ‘slot race’ that Southside Racing, a merged entity of the Cranbourne and Pakenham Clubs, runs for the first time…. Read More »
In-form mare Belclare will need to overcome a wide alley to land her first Australian Group One win in the Railway Stakes at Ascot, and connections believe Nash Rawiller is the perfect man for the job. A two-time victor at the highest level in New Zealand, Belclare joined the Sydney stable of… Read More »
Trainer Mark Walker has a good record when in form New Zealand gallopers land in Australia. Walker’s latest ‘import’ is It’s A Wild Night who will have his first Australian outing in the Listed Cranbourne Cup (1600m) on Saturday. It’s A Wild Night arrived at Walker’s Cranbourne base just over a… Read More »
Godolphin doesn’t have a representative in The Gong, but James Cummings is content to rely on a trio of up-and-coming sprinters to carry the stable’s hopes at the stand-alone Kembla Grange meeting. Fleetwood will headline the leading yard’s squad when he resumes in the Group 3 The Warra (1000m), while Pisanello and Restonica contest… Read More »
Jason Collett is resigned to the fact that he will be more reliant on luck than good management as he tries to coax another win out of Territory Express in the $1 million The Gong at Kembla Grange. The Provincial-Midway Championships Final victor in the autumn, Territory Express has a get-back racing… Read More »
A benchmark race on The Gong undercard will add some Royal flavour to the stand-alone Kembla Grange meeting when a horse owned by His Majesty King Charles III makes his local debut. Four-year-old Gilded Water has been sent to Australia to continue his racing career, having started just four times in… Read More »
He’s one of five interstate raiders and the outsider of the quintet, but co-trainer, Rob Archibald believes there is a sense of timing about Port Lockroy in Saturday’s Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot. Rob Archibald, who shares training duties with Annabel Neasham, says Port Lockroy put himself into Railway… Read More »
Trainer Dan Morton has shrugged aside Super Smink’s horror barrier draw and still thinks she can win the Group 1 Swan Draught-Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot on Saturday. A layer of complexity was added to Super Smink’s Railway Stakes bid after she was handed barrier 18, but Dan Morton is keeping… Read More »
Joe Pride found himself having a fanboy moment at Canterbury when recent recruit Joyner scored a breakthrough metropolitan win for owner-breeder Bernie Howlett. A Group 1-winning jockey and trainer, Howlett has also made a fist of breeding racehorses, producing dual Group 1-winning sprinter-turned-stallion Brazen Beau. Pride remembers following Howlett’s yard prior to… Read More »
