It is 36 years since Grahame Begg tasted success at the highest level in Queensland and with the field now set for the state’s signature race on Saturday, he is hopeful that Splash Back can break that long drought. You have to go way back to Eye Of The Sky’s… Read More »
Champion mare Pride Of Jenni will face a new challenge when she lines up in the final feature weight-for-age race of the year at Eagle Farm. Owner Tony Ottobre has confirmed the mare will contest the Group 2 Q22 (2200m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday before a brief break to… Read More »
Estadio Mestalla will have an unconventional build up to the Stradbroke Handicap, but it’s a purposeful ploy trainer Joe Pride has used successfully before. The gelding will step out in an 800m barrier trial at Warwick Farm on Tuesday, travel by float to Brisbane with stablemates Private Eye and Headley… Read More »
Trainer Matt Hoysted was visibly moved by stable star Uncommon James’s first win since taking out the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate more than three years ago. “I’ll try not to get too emotional, this horse obviously means the world to our family,” Hoysted said. “It’s been more than three years… Read More »
Tasmanian apprentice Jabez Johnstone introduction to racing at Flemington was not what he had expected. On loan to Ciaron Maher for a three-month stint, Johnstone was aboard the Nick Ryan-trained Terrortorian in the Fancy A Gallop Plate (1600m) on Saturday, his first ride at Flemington. The saddle on the gelding… Read More »
The decision to bypass the Adelaide carnival and focus on Brisbane with Fireball Miss has reaped the ultimate reward with the filly scoring a brilliant Group One win in the Queensland Oaks at Eagle Farm. The three-year-old was explosive, rounding up the leaders and bounding clear to score by 1-1/4… Read More »
The consistent Cool Jakey defied a betting drift, wide barrier and 60kg impost to score a typically tough win in the Asahi Super Dry Handicap (1300m). Pride conceded he was concerned Cool Jakey might have needed the run given the sprinter was having his first start in seven weeks. “I… Read More »
Trainer Mick Shepherdson did not have to wait as long for his second city success in Melbourne as he did for his first. Shepherdson has held a trainers’ licence for around 10 years, although for a time he was the stable foreman for Tony McEvoy at Flemington. Going back out… Read More »
Former Sydney-trained galloper Wanaruah has notched his most important win yet in the feature sprint at Randwick. The Scone-based stable of Brett and Georgie Cavanough might soon be expanding after the in-form yard continued its rich vein of form with Wanaruah in the Bob Charley AO Stakes at Randwick. Having… Read More »
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Surfin’ Bird had to endure a tough run from a wide barrier draw but she gamely held off a series of challenges to score a career-best win. Star jockey Tim Clark revealed post-race that he “wasn’t overly concerned by the draw.” “It’s a good… Read More »
Trainer Matt Dale earned some travelling expenses for his winter holiday after Bravissima scored a strong win in the 50 Year and Life Member Handicap (1600m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday. “The Goulburn winters can be tough so we are leaving for a week in Port Douglas tomorrow,” Dale said…. Read More »
Lightly raced sprinter Ice Kool still has a lot to learn, but experienced jockey Jay Ford has backed him to make his mark in much higher grade than winter benchmark company. The David Pfieffer-trained gelding took his record to three wins from four starts with an emphatic victory in Saturday’s… Read More »
Voynichese made the quantum leap from an Albury maiden win to a stakes success in the Listed $160,000 The Show A Heart (1500m) look routine, stamping herself as a two-year-old filly with above average ability. “We’ve had a big opinion of this filly for a while now,” Olive said. “She’s… Read More »
A daring mid-race move by Chad Schofield has paid dividends with emerging three-year-old Decalogue outstaying his rivals to land his second win in succession at Randwick. The gelding found himself worse than midfield early after a moderate jump, and when the speed slackened, Schofield whipped around the outside and took… Read More »
Trainer Bjorn Baker singled out jockey Rachel King for particular praise after she partnered improving mare Monte Supreme to a crucial stakes win at Eagle Farm on Saturday. “Rachel rode a brilliant race on Monte Supreme,” Baker enthused. “There are not many riding better than her, I’m certain of that,… Read More »
In horse ownership it is always good to get a quick return on investment. Trainer Danny O’Brien got that on Saturday when debutant Aethera took out the TAB We’re On (1100m) at Flemington. O’Brien bred the now two-year-old daughter of Shamus Award and races the filly with wife Nina and… Read More »
An outside barrier was Michael Hawkes’ one reservation ahead of Why So Hard’s Randwick debut, but the two-year-old has been good enough to overcome it, powering home for a convincing win that has the stable optimistic for his future. A son of Hawkes Racing’s former top galloper All Too Hard,… Read More »
Patrick Kearney’s love for the Swan Hill Carnival reached new levels on Friday when Cripps provided the young Ballarat trainer with his first success in one of the popular weekend’s major events. The four-year-old son of Magnus, who is named after dual Brownlow medallist Patrick Cripps, landed the biggest payday… Read More »
Trainer Grahame Begg is looking to use a former multiple Stakes winner as a yardstick for promising filly Biologics. The Listed Creswick Sprint Series Final (1200m) at Flemington on July 4 is potentially on Biologics’ agenda, but first there is the VRC Community Race Day Sprint (1200m) at Flemington on Saturday. Biologics created… Read More »
Matt Cumani’s chances of winning Saturday’s Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour Trophy at Flemington were not only enhanced by Ciaron Maher’s decision to keep Decalogue in Sydney, it doubled his representation in the race. Cumani now has the favourite, Brave Danza, for the $150,000 event over 2000 metres, along with Think… Read More »
