Ethan Brown suggested Manolo Bling’s future lay outside off-season grade after she got her career off to the perfect start at Caulfield on Saturday. The daughter of Grunt proved too classy for a field of female rivals in the Sportsbet Jockey Watch 2YO Handicap (1100m). The Anthony and Sam Freedman -trained youngster… Read More »
Adrian Bott is not quite sure yet where Wanaruah will fit within the powerhouse stable’s next season rising three-year-old ranks but he is highly confident that there can be a lot more to come after maintaining his perfect race record. Winning on debut at Canterbury over 1250-metres in June, the colt by… Read More »
Minsk Moment enters unchartered territory, but trainer Adam Durrant is cautiously optimistic about his winning chances at Belmont on Saturday. The well-travelled five-year-old resumes in the Listed Beaufine Stakes and at career start number 20 he tackles the 1000m sprint trip for the first time. The best of Minsk Moment’s… Read More »
Melbourne’s recent spell of cold weather has afforded Alex Rae the opportunity to again step out his up-and-coming stayer Little Jack at Caulfield. Little Jack is shooting for a third straight win after victories at Sale and Caulfield when he runs in the Sportsbet Nobody Does It Easier Handicap (2000m) on Saturday…. Read More »
A start for Loving Gaby’s first foal at Caulfield this Saturday is up in the air, but even if she is withdrawn Ciaron Maher will still have a well-related youngster engaged. The 1100-metre event will be the first start for Berezka, a sister to Group 2 placegetter Nadal, who ran sixth in… Read More »
Trainer Cliff Brown believes he has a ready-made replacement for the horse he was initially intending to run in a Stakes race at Caulfield. Little Miss Kubi will represent Brown in the Group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes (1100m) on Saturday after the trainer had originally been keen to run last start… Read More »
Zac Lloyd will be at long odds to produce his heroics of a week ago at Randwick, but regardless of whether he ticks off any more achievements, his season will go down as a success. Lloyd stole the show at the Winter Stakes meeting, not only capturing the feature race on… Read More »
The training partnership of Brisbane-based Steven O’Dea and Matthew Hoysted is set to be dissolved at the conclusion of the racing season. Over the past six months, O’Dea has gradually shifted away from the day-to-day running of the stable to concentrate on his bloodstock interests with Hoysted taking on a… Read More »
The Listed Beaufine Stakes (1000m) has been a successful race for trainer Neville Parnham and he’s confident that trend can continue with a two-pronged attack at Belmont on Saturday. Neville Parnham saddles up Ghost Who Walks and Multinational and is one win away from squaring the ledger with Vern Brockman as the most… Read More »
Trainer Alex Rae does not want to see any more rain fall ahead of the Caulfield meeting. The Cranbourne trainer expects Enna’s Dream to go very close to winning the Sportsbet Photo Finish Refund Handicap (1400m) on Saturday. The Caulfield track was rated a Soft 7 on Thursday and Enna’s Dream is… Read More »
David Pfieffer is optimistic the decision to rehabilitate Soami following a leg issue will eventually reward his connections as the rising eight-year-old prepares to return to the races for the first time in twelve months. The winner of eight of his 45 starts and more than $430,000 in prizemoney, Soami has already… Read More »
Putting Kenmare Bay’s physical make-up to one side, economics told Suman Hedge that the two-year-old gelding who will debut at Randwick this Saturday was worth a punt. A son of New Bay, who stands for âŹ75,000 at Ballylinch Stud in Ireland, Kenmare Bay was initially passed in at last year’s… Read More »
Sourcing quality middle-distance and staying horses from overseas isn’t quite taking over from the annual replenishing of stock at the yearling sales, but it is becoming an increasingly important focus for the major training operations. Of the 27 horses paid up for the 1800m races at Randwick on Saturday, 13… Read More »
Ciaron Maher is on the verge of breaking a record he set with former co-trainer David Eustace for the number of winners prepared in a season. After the win of Fabrice at Sandown on Wednesday, Maher has prepared 103 metropolitan winners in Melbourne for the 2023-24 season. Success in Sydney on Wednesday… Read More »
Group 1 performers Think About It and Private Eye have been the stars of the partnership between Joe Pride and Jamie Walter’s Proven Thoroughbreds, but the trainer and syndicator continue to enjoy success across the board. Emerging filly The Black Cloud has been a recent flagbearer for the black and lime colours, winning four of… Read More »
Cliff Brown was entitled to be a nervous wreck when saddling Kiko at Sandown after being entrusted with training the mare while her regular conditioner Jim Conlan recovers from knee surgery. There had been plenty of banter leading up to the Evergreen Turf Handicap (1200m) on Wednesday between Brown, Conlan and the mare’s… Read More »
The 2023/24 racing season is set to conclude with a bang with Group 1 winner Espiona to be sold on the final day of the racing year. The five-year-old daughter of Extreme Choice will be offered in a standalone digital sale to be conducted via Magic Millions auctioneer Clint Donovan on… Read More »
Kerrin McEvoy will miss the next two city meetings as he heads off for a short family break, but he is already looking forward to the new season and reuniting with Doncaster Mile winner Celestial Legend. The top jockey was sidelined for much of the autumn after fracturing a vertebra… Read More »
Trainer Tony Noonan was as excited for the metropolitan breakthrough win of apprentice Dakota Keane as the young rider herself at Sandown. The Mornington-based horseman has had a number of apprentices go through his stable over a long period of time and had no hesitation in declaring Keane will make the grade. Having… Read More »
Godolphin will let the dust settle before determining where Tarpaulin fits into their spring plans following the well-related colt’s classy maiden win at Warwick Farm. A half-brother to multiple Group winner and stablemate Aft Cabin, Tarpaulin had shown promise at his only two starts to date, including a first-up second to… Read More »
