Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young have set Muramasa one more task before he can have some down time ahead of an autumn campaign. The Group 2 Zipping Classic (2400m) at Caulfield on Saturday is on the radar for the training partnership which could lead the gelding to Group 1 contests in the… Read More »
Gerald Ryan is hoping to use Sydney’s compressed summer carnival timetable to his advantage when he runs Williamsburg and Grebeni in the Festival Stakes at Rosehill. A traditional lead-up to the $2 million The Ingham (1600m), the Festival Stakes (1400m) is usually held two weeks prior but will fall just seven days out… Read More »
The shortest price runner of the day and by some margin was Kazou, many expecting the progressive mare to take out the Rosemont Stud Fillies & Mares Pendant at $1.60. Alas, she was no match for Revolutionary Miss, who appreciated a sharp drop in grade having contested Group races in… Read More »
The judge took their time to confirm that Is It Me ($5) was the winner of Race 6 with the progressive four-year-old holding on by the barest of margins over the fast-finishing Bel Air ($6) a nose away in second. Beaten first up by subsequent Thousand Guineas placegetter Skybird, Is It Me… Read More »
Trainer Peter Gelagotis and connections of Extremely Rowdy could be seen celebrating their smart filly in style as the $4 chance backed up a last start dead heat maiden win to take out a 3yo handicap on Cranbourne Cup day. Gelagotis was full of confidence pre-race and was justified with what he… Read More »
Charterhouse had only had four runs in Australia leading into Saturday’s Listed Cranbourne Cup (1600m) and was largely unwanted in betting at $16 but relished a strong tempo set by stablemate Ascension ($6.50) to charge home and win by a head from Foxy Cleopatra ($3.90 fav) with Just Folk ($7) a further length away… Read More »
Zac Lloyd has declared Insurrection his favourite horse after maintaining his perfect record on the talented sprinter with an all-the-way victory in The Warra. Not only is Insurrection the galloper who secured Lloyd last season’s Sydney apprentices’ title, he has also managed to win every time the young gun has been in… Read More »
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 »
