While good fortune has largely been evading Antino in Melbourne this spring, new jockey Sam Clipperton has been busy making his own luck in Sydney and he hopes it might rub off. Clipperton celebrated the biggest moment of his career with an Everest victory aboard Think About It last month. On Saturday at… Read More »
Melbourne Cup week revives fond memories for Lee and Cherie Curtis and they hope to make new ones this year when Dalchini contests the Hot Danish Stakes at Rosehill. Seven years ago, Lee Curtis celebrated one of his biggest wins when Lasqueti Spirit sprang a major upset in the VRC Oaks at… Read More »
It’s been near two decades since trainer Trevor Andrews took out the Fairetha Stakes (1400m), but he believes A Lot Of Good Men presents a golden opportunity of returning to the races honour roll on Saturday. Trevor Andrews is backing A Lot Of Good Men to pass his biggest test in the… Read More »
Grant Williams will let the dust settle on Keshi Boom’s stunning Burgess Queen Stakes (1400m) victory before mapping out a path for the outstanding filly. Keshi Boom became the latest stakes winner for Grant Williams, who trains the three-year-old with his partner, Alana, after upsetting hot favourite, Super Smink by 1… Read More »
Flemington trainer Simon Zahra had aspirations of tackling the main Group 1 sprint for three-year-olds during Melbourne Cup week, but instead has decided on a lesser Stakes race option. The Coolmore Stub Stakes (1200m) on day one of the four-day Carnival was initially the focus for Zahra with Shesallshenanigans, but a slight… Read More »
Five Diamonds contender Palmetto is yet to win beyond 1600 metres, but trainer John Sargent has no qualms about him extending to 1800 metres in the $2 million showpiece. The tough gelding booked his spot in Saturday’s race with a fighting victory in the Prelude (1500m) and Sargent said that on pedigree… Read More »
In the sixteen hours since Without A Fight saluted in the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m), co-trainer Sam Freedman was yet to have a moment to himself to reflect fully on the achievement. Accepting that chaos of the good kind follows winning Australia’s most famous race, the 27-year-old stood together with the… Read More »
Matt Dunn is the first to admit that throwing an unraced country-trained youngster into a $1 million race at its first start is a little audacious. But based on what he has seen from Climactic at home, combined with the feedback from his regular trackworker rider, Dunn is keen to give… Read More »
Ethel Maude may not have the sexy form lines of some of the other fillies engaged in the Group 1 VRC Oaks at Flemington, but her trainers are confident of one thing, she will stay the 2500m trip. Pat Carey and Harris Walker will saddle Ether Maude in the Group 1 Classic at Flemington on… Read More »
John Thompson is looking for sharp improvement from Jojo Was A Man in the Listed Ladies Day Cup at Hawkesbury as the tough gelding takes the next step towards his major campaign goals. The six-year-old finished down the track in an unsuitable Sydney Stakes (1200m) first-up, his performance compounded when he was… Read More »
The Freedman family’s connection with the Melbourne Cup stretches back beyond when Sam Freedman was born in February 1996. The son of Anthony, who was part of the FBI – Freedman Brothers Incorporated – that first tasted Melbourne Cup success with Tawrrific when Anthony’s brother Lee was steering the ship in… Read More »
Irish trainer Willie Mullins vows he will be back for another shot at the Melbourne Cup despite his two runners finishing out of the placings at Flemington on Tuesday. Absurde ($9) was the best finisher of the pair, running seventh, 5-½ lengths from the winner Without A Fight while Vauban, who… Read More »
Bad barriers have thwarted I’ve Bean Tryin’ this preparation and while his run of outside alleys continued at Randwick, he was finally able to overcome it. The gelding jumped from gate 13 of 14 in the $250,000 Barn Dance (1300m) on Tuesday and after settling with the backmarkers, Jason Collett brought… Read More »
Twelve months after winning the inaugural Big Dance with Rustic Steel, Kris Lees has returned to add the Little Dance to his CV with smart gelding Spangler. While considered a consolation race for horses who don’t make the $3 million Big Dance (1600m) field, the Little Dance (1600m) boats a prizemoney… Read More »
Katherine Coleman has always known Roll On High was a filly with above-average ability and now the rest of the world does too after she charged into Thousand Guineas contention at Flemington on Tuesday. The daughter of Shamus Award now occupies a place on the second line of betting on the Group 1… Read More »
When owners Domeland first asked Sara Ryan if she would be their private trainer just over a year ago, she questioned their sanity. But the 29-year-old, who prepares a boutique team of 23 on the NSW Central Coast, is proving Domeland’s judgement to be spot on. After qualifying Attractable for the Melbourne… Read More »
Imported galloper Without A Fight has etched his name into the history books by taking out the 163rd running of the Melbourne Cup at Flemington. Brought out to Australia for last year’s Melbourne Cup under UK trainers Simon and Ed Crisford, Without A Fight was not suited on the wet conditions, fading to finish 13th behind… Read More »
Race experience was to the fore in Tuesday’s Maribyrnong Plate, when Dublin Down edged out his stablemate Blue Stratum, and trainer Calvin McEvoy is now even more excited about what the future might hold for the pair. The Ballarat horseman, who trains in partnership with his father Tony, is confident both… Read More »
The Mike Moroney-trained Alenquer has been passed fit to start in the Melbourne Cup after an early morning veterinary inspection. It now paves the way for champion jockey to have his 32nd and final ride in the Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on Tuesday. Alenquer was under a fitness cloud after the Moroney… Read More »
Since arriving in Melbourne in September, Melbourne Cup favourite Vauban’s stablemate, Absurde, was generally out of the conversation in local racing circles as a genuine winning chance for Tuesday’s 163rd edition of Australia’s most famous race. However, since the barrier draw on Saturday night, the ‘second-stringer’ has been the hot horse… Read More »
