He had to settle for the minor prize in two lucrative races, but Detonator Jack has finally had his moment in the sun, responding to the addition of blinkers with a dominant win in the $1 million The Gong at Kembla Grange. Trainer Ciaron Maher made the gear change after the gelding… Read More »
Teo Nugent made the most of his 53kg allotment and led a select field of sharp sprinters a merry dance in the $175,000 Apache Cat Classic (1000m) aboard Taunting for Michael Hickmott. Taunting ($6) showed excellent gate speed to hold out noted speedster Midwest ($4 EF) for the lead and travelled better… Read More »
John Thompson’s decision to put blinkers on With Your Blessing has proven a masterstroke with the horse breaking a year-long drought from the winner’s stall at Kembla Grange. After taking on board the feedback from jockey Josh Parr following the gelding’s last start third at Rosehill, Thompson opted to make the change… Read More »
Ben Brisbourne may have a nice staying three-year-old on his hands after $15 chance Motorace was able to lead all of the way in the Cranbourne Classic (2025m) under Craig Newitt. A last start winner of a Class 1 at Albury, the Denman gelding was afforded every chance by Newitt, controlling the… Read More »
2022 Cox Plate champion Anamoe was crowned Australian Racehorse of the Year at a glamorous celebration at Optus Stadium yesterday. Now in retirement, Anamoe stands as Godolphin’s most triumphant horse at Group 1 level, solidifying his status as one of the most distinguished Australian stallions in history. At the same event,… Read More »
Comfort Me drew barrier 18, leaving Rhys Radford feeling deflated, but it’s a position the young trainer knows only too well. On face value it’s a body blow, but if the emergencies come out Comfort Me jumps from gate 15 and jockey Peter Knuckey gets to work. Comfort Me, one of the most consistent… Read More »
With three-year-old sprinter Wiggum in form, Adelaide trainer Travis Doudle does not mind travelling over to Melbourne to race the gelding. Wiggum is on his third trip to Victoria and will be having only his sixth start when he lines up in the Frankston Sand Soil & Mini Mix Handicap (1200m) at Cranbourne… Read More »
It is hard to get the passion for the horse and racing out of the blood. Vincent Hall was an accomplished jockey who retired from race riding in 2006 and only recently took out a trainers’ licence. On Saturday, Hall will saddle just his eighth starter as a trainer when Riyazan lines… Read More »
It is long odds that the Cranbourne 3YO Classic was the race Ciaron Maher had in mind for Unquestionably when he was bidding on the colt at Magic Millions in January last year. Maher, who trains in partnership with David Eustace, had to go to $1.7 million for the son of Not… Read More »
Handy sprinter Quick Tempo will make his second consecutive appearance at The Gong meeting but this time it will be to chase one of the day’s features. The gelding took out a 1000-metre benchmark race on the undercard 12 months ago, his performance there planting the seed for trainer Mark Minervini to… Read More »
A gear change sparked the first signs of a form revival from Randwick Guineas winner Communist and now Michael Freedman is hoping a change of luck at the barrier draw can provide another important boost. The four-year-old has drawn a single-figure gate for just the second time this preparation as he bids… Read More »
Insurrection has camped on the speed in all five of his career wins, but trainer Michael Freedman won’t be surprised to see a different scenario unfolding when the horse lines up in The Warra at Kembla Grange. The $300,000 sprint has attracted a handy field of 14, several of them go-forward horses,… Read More »
Group 2 status, half-a-million dollars in prize money and bragging rights are solid enough incentives. But if Dan Morton takes off his training cap and looks at the contest purely as a fan, he’s salivating at the prospect. Saturday’s WA Guineas is the undercard to the Railway Stakes (1600m), but holds… Read More »
Not all horses thrive on the same workloads and for Smashing Eagle, the less he does on the training track the better he performs on race day. That has been co-trainer Gerald Ryan’s biggest lesson since the horse joined his yard earlier this year and not only has it resulted… Read More »
A spring of learning with Climbing Star is expected to come to fruition for trainer Phillip Stokes at Cranbourne. After a couple of luckless runs and then finding the trip a shade far at her last start, Stokes believes the Rosemount Stud Pendant (1400m) is made to order for Climbing Star on… Read More »
Ciaron Maher and David Eustace will attempt to keep the Cranbourne Cup on home soil when they saddle up Ascension and Charterhouse in the 1600m Listed race on Saturday. Since the Cranbourne Cup was shortened to 1600m and transferred to after the Melbourne Cup Carnival, Cranbourne trainers have taken out the race. Robbie Griffiths… Read More »
The Anthony and Sam Freedman stable is expecting Midwest to bounce back from a minor setback when he runs at Cranbourne. Midwest will contest the Apache Cat Classic (1000m) on Saturday, a race he finished third in last year behind Jigsaw. This time around, Midwest has a 7kg swing in the weights… Read More »
A perfect picket fence preparation so far has trainer Gerald Ryan pleased with Eagle Nest’s lead-up to the mare’s target race at Doomben on Saturday. With now three wins in as many runs this campaign, Eagle Nest will line up in the Listed Tattersall’s Classic (1200m) and crosses the New South… Read More »
It might be a relatively recent addition to the calendar, but The Gong is a race close to the hearts of local horsemen Robert and Luke Price. Count De Rupee gave the Kembla Grange trainers their biggest win when he took out the 2021 renewal, atoning for a narrow defeat at… Read More »
Michael Poy is the son of former champion jockey, Michael Clarke and is going all out to complete a rare family treble in Perth’s famous mile race. A four-time winner of Melbourne’s Jockey Premiership, Clarke was a household name in racing and considered one of the best riders of his generation…. Read More »
