John Thompson came away from the midweek Sydney meeting boasting a perfect strikerate and he hopes to parlay that into Saturday metropolitan success at Rosehill. The Randwick trainer had two runners at Randwick’s Kensington card on Wednesday with juvenile Clear Proof ($101) landing a boilover win in the Castelvecchio At Arrowfield Plate… Read More »
Annabel Neasham plans to make use of Spirit Ridge’s biggest asset when the veteran stayer lines up for a second shot at the Listed Grafton Cup. The nine-year-old finished third in the corresponding race last year when he settled midfield from an outside draw, but she is keen to see him… Read More »
Former South Australian trainer Mark Minervini will next month notch up five years training in NSW and in that time has not had a starter in Melbourne. That changes when he sends Raging Bull south to run in the VRC Member Peter Drake Plate (2000m) at Flemington on Saturday. Minervini would regularly… Read More »
Cranbourne trainer Daniel Williams will keep a watch on pending withdrawals at Sandown before making a definite answer on where to start Big Kate. The three-year-old daughter of Tosen Stardom is down to run in the LockettLED.au Handicap (1600m) on Wednesday but also holds a nomination for 1400m contest at Flemington… Read More »
Nick Olive has been happy to take it run by run with in-form three-year-old Toes In The Water, with the Maurice filly to have her eighth run of a preparation that begun in April when she lines up in Wednesday’s Grafton Guineas. A winner two back in a Class 2 at… Read More »
The Lindsay Park team enjoy nothing more than winning a Cups race at Flemington. Think the Melbourne Cup, or an Australian Cup with the excellent prize money on board. While the Deane Lester Flemington Cup (2800m) on Saturday may not have the same notoriety as those Group 1 contests, it… Read More »
Racing Victoria has made the early decision to transfer the Cranbourne meeting on Thursday to the Polytrack at Pakenham. It follows more than 40mm of rain falling on the Cranbourne track from 9am on Monday. The Cranbourne track was deemed unsuitable for racing, prompting Southside Racing officials to transfer the… Read More »
One day you might be feeling well and the next you could be struck down by unbearable shoulder pain, the kind that takes your breath away. Then comes the first of many sleepless nights. That’s the mysterious and miserable world of frozen shoulder, as explained by orthopedic surgeon, Michael Khazzam…. Read More »
The biggest event on Derby’s social calendar returns this weekend, with the Kimberley town expecting up to 2000 people to attend this year’s anticipated Derby Cup. The annual race meeting, to be held at the West Kimberley Turf Club (WKTC) on Saturday July 20, is expected to draw visitors from… Read More »
Many of Ciaron Maher’s key spring players are nearing trial stage, but one of his Group 1 winners who might have a later start to spring than many is Socks Nation. The daughter of Sioux Nation was given several weeks off following her blowout win in the $700,000 Queensland Oaks… Read More »
Saturday’s Deane Lester Flemington Cup is the logical progression for many who contested the Banjo Paterson Series Final, but Phillip Stokes is happy one horse in particular is not among the nominations. Untapped import Berkshire Breeze, the runaway winner of the Banjo Paterson Final, is being readied for a Cups assault… Read More »
It might be smack-bang in the middle of winter but James Cummings has got an early start on the spring preparations for some of his potential spring stars, including a couple of Group 1 winners. Zardozi and Tom Kitten both trialled for the first time this campaign at Warwick Farm on Monday morning…. Read More »
The number of black-type races, especially Guineas features, is thinning out as the season draws to a close but father and son, Peter and Paul Snowden, are continuing their success right into dusk of their training partnership. Xidaki gave the duo their 203rd black-type victory in the Group 3 Winx Guineas (1600m)… Read More »
Rather than being an inconvenience, the postponement of the Sunshine Coast’s feature races following relentless rain last weekend to a Sunday card a week later, co-trainers Anthony and Sam Freedman grabbed the opportunity for a second crack at a race they would have initially missed out on anyway. Punch Lane did not… Read More »
Gai Waterhouse’s European holiday was not all just about laying back and enjoying the sunshine as some astute work was also done at the bloodstock sales. One purchase, a three-year-old filly by sire Frontiersman, delivered a victory on Saturday at Newmarket in England to send her off to Australia on… Read More »
A treble at Randwick for Nash Rawiller has him within striking distance of claiming his fourth Sydney metropolitan riders’ premiership while a return date for table topper James Mcdonald is yet to be confirmed. While McDonald has been sidelined for most the past month through illness, Rawiller has clawed back the gap… Read More »
It has been six months in the making, but Ryan Houston finally repaid Grahame Begg a Saturday city success when he won aboard British Columbia at Caulfield on Saturday. The win in the $130,000 Sportsbet Same Race Multi Handicap (1400m) was the first Saturday city winner for the 20-year-old apprentice. Houston has passed… Read More »
Consistent rain has made the Sunshine Coast track a tricky proposition for trainers, jockeys and punters alike and the hopes of the surface being given the opportunity of a few days to dry out were dashed overnight on Friday with further rain hitting the area. A track rated Heavy 10,… Read More »
Four horses were declared non-runners as Queensland stewards declined to declare a ‘no race’ of the sixth event at Doomben following Samantha Collett being thrown out the back of the barrier stalls as rival jockeys looked on. The Sky Racing Benchmark 78 Handicap (1100m) turned to the point of being a… Read More »
Quietly satisfied is what trainer Annabel Neashem seemed to be when former French galloper Don Diego De Vega won for the first time on Australian soil at Randwick. Steered by Jason Collett, Don Deigo De Vega ($2.40 bookmakers favourite) would have been forgiven by Neasham for succumbing to the late… Read More »
