Owner Rich Ricci is eyeing up another shot at the Melbourne Cup with Vauban following his effort in the Group 1 Gold Cup at Ascot. Vauban, the Willie Mullins-trained classy dual-purpose horse finished out of the placings as race favourite with betting apps in the Melbourne Cup last year but… Read More »
Trainer Luke Fernie has cautioned punters not to underestimate his classy gelding Russian To The Bar in the $125,000 Amelia Park-Belmont Guineas (1600m) on Saturday. Despite a wide draw, rising sharply in distance and his record on rain affected ground, Luke Fernie says the Listed Belmont Guineas is a winnable race… Read More »
Jockey Shaun McGruddy is quietly confident his successful partnership with Brave Spirit can continue and extend to a feature event double at Belmont this weekend. Shaun Mcgruddy is unbeaten on Brave Spirit and reached an impressive third win on the Steve Wolfe-trained three-year-old in last fortnight’s Listed Raconteur Stakes (1400m). Chasing breakaway… Read More »
Racing and more of it has finally worked in the favour of Who Dares. The Pat Carey and Harris Walker-trained sprinter will be searching for a third straight win when he lines up in the Country Achiever Shane Fliedner (1100m) at Flemington on Saturday. Who Dares was successful in the… Read More »
Darren Beadman believes Zac Lloyd is ready to take his career to the next level after the apprentice’s Group One breakthrough aboard Stefi Magnetica in the Stradbroke Handicap. The former champion jockey has been one of Lloyd’s mentors during the junior hoop’s internship at Godolphin, there to congratulate him for the highs… Read More »
Almost two decades after winning a racehorse in a raffle, Steve Smith continues to carve out a niche in the thoroughbred industry with Shehasattitude his latest promising galloper. Smith’s was one of racing’s fairytale stories in the mid-2000s when his ticket was drawn out in a Star City Casino promotion, the prize… Read More »
Victorian trainer Cindy Alderson and jockey Vlad Duric will turn back the clock when they team with Jigsaw in one of the feature races at Ipswich. Duric and Jigsaw will have to overcome the widest gate in the Listed Eye Liner Stakes (1350m) on Saturday if they are to give Alderson her maiden… Read More »
Tulloch Lodge trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott are banking on multiple stakeswinner Zoumon replicating a pattern from previous seasons when he tackles the Listed Ipswich Cup. The five-year-old has an outstanding second-up record, winning three of his five starts at his second run from a break and never finishing outside the top-four…. Read More »
Jockey Luke Currie doubts he has ridden a horse to a better second placing than the effort Craig produced recently at Flemington. Currie and Craig will get the chance to overturn that narrow lose when they return to Flemington on Saturday for the Rod Johnson Handicap (1620m). The Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained… Read More »
A midweek double at Canterbury has propelled Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott to 165 wins this term, equalling their previous best mark with six weeks of the season remaining. The training partners kicked off Wednesday’s meeting with their 32nd two-year-old winner of the season when Wanaruah led throughout in the Golden… Read More »
Days after welcoming their latest addition to the Lindsay Park establishment, trainers Ben, Will and J D Hayes were in the winner’s circle at Sandown. “Will became a father to a little boy, sometime late Sunday night or Monday morning, I’m not quite sure what time,” eldest of the three… Read More »
Godolphin is banking on a gear change to help unlock the potential of stakes placegetter Dipsy Doodle when the headstrong filly resumes at Randwick. The daughter of Lonhro has won two of her seven starts and split Hip Hip Hurrah and the ill-fated Miracle Of Love in the 2023 Listed Woodlands Stakes… Read More »
Ballarat-based rider Mitch Aitken had some mixed emotions as he woke early in the morning to watch Asfoora win at Royal Ascot. Aitken rode the Henry Dwyer-trained mare in her first outing in the UK at Haydock and was replaced by Oisin Murphy for the King Charles III Stakes (1000m) which the… Read More »
OTI Racing are no strangers to bringing talented imports from Europe to Australia and Tuesday’s Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes (1609m) at Royal Ascot may have revealed their next Spring Carnival raider. Docklands, trained by Harry Eustace, elder brother of David Eustace, caught the eye with a strong finish in… Read More »
Sydney trainer Joe Pride is banking on a trip to Melbourne being beneficial for the future of The Black Cloud. Along with stablemate King Of The Castle, The Black Cloud is set to contest the VRC Country Race Day Sprint (1100m) at Flemington on Saturday while King Of The Castle… Read More »
A newly married Rachel King is set to cap her globetrotting season with two rides at the prestigious Royal Ascot carnival. The UK-born jockey, who grew up an hour away from the famous English course, moved to Australia 11 years ago and has gone on to cement her place in the… Read More »
Trainer Willie Mullins could have another live Melbourne Cup contender waiting in the wings, as Belloccio achieved the same feat as Vauban when taking the Copper Horse Handicap (2800m) on day one of Royal Ascot. Stablemate Vauban was an impressive victor of the race twelve months ago and used that success as… Read More »
Williams had his eyes fixed on the Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley later this year with Western Empire, but has shelved those plans for sprint races in Perth. Western Empire ended his winter campaign on the weekend after finishing second to Let’s Galahvant in the Group 3 Strickland Stakes… Read More »
That the Paul Messara and Leah Gavranich trained Clear Thinking has even seen a racetrack is somewhat of a surprise, with the now four-year-old mare originally purchased as a broodmare proposition for Arrowfield Stud from Queen Elizabeth II. By leading English sire Dubawi (Dubai Millenium), Clear Thinking is out of Sweet Idea (Snitzel)… Read More »
The Ciaron Maher stable will rely on a ‘nervous Nellie’ as one of their two likely runners in a staying test at Flemington. Maher has seven of the 27 runners entered in the 2500m handicap on Saturday, a heat of the Banjo Paterson Series which has a final at Flemington on… Read More »
