Ken and Kasey Keys have called on a jockey change for Scheelite but resisted a change of gear for their Caulfield Guineas hope. Mark Zahra takes over aboard Scheelite in the Group 3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude (1400m) on Saturday, replacing Daniel Stackhouse who had ridden the colt in his previous three starts. Ken Keys said there was ‘no blue’ with… Read More »
A plan that has been months in the making has come to fruition for trainer Bjorn Baker following confirmation Overpass has become the seventh horse to secure a start in the $20 million The Everest. Narrowly edged out by Private Eye first-up in the Shorts (1100m) last Saturday, Overpass’s connections this week closed… Read More »
Sam Freedman has been happy to talk about Without A Fight but he is now more than ready to see the galloper back at the races. That appearance comes in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on Saturday. Without A Fight came to Australia last year with Simon and Ed Crisford for… Read More »
Less than a year after Joao Moreira began what he thought would be a global farewell tour, retirement plans have been put on the backburner as another Australian Group One target beckons. Moreira feared his days of riding were numbered when he struggled with an ongoing hip issue last year, prompting… Read More »
There were a couple of upward spikes with thirds in the Ngawyni Stakes (1000m) and Blue Spec Stakes (1600m), but aside from those two runs it’s been a barren campaign. Raquel Reid usually goes on the theory you can forgive a horse one bad run, but after two poor efforts, she’s… Read More »
Adding his star power to the midweek meeting at Warwick Farm, celebrated jockey Joao Moreira wasted no time making an impact with a winner at his first ride. Moreira, who has been competing in Japan, is back in town to partner the Chris Waller-trained Militarize in Saturday’s $1 million Golden Rose (1400m),… Read More »
Peter Moody and syndicator Wylie Dalziel put their necks on the line when they purchased Gates at a Magic Millions Yearling Sale. The son of Frankel, a close relation to stayer Mirage Dancer that third in the 2019 Caulfield Cup, and won The Metropolitan in Sydney, was a $950,000 purchase by the pair in 2022. Gates had his third start on… Read More »
Trainer Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr will await the final fields of Flemington before deciding on where to start Snow Patrol. The three-year-old is an acceptor for the Group 3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude (1400m) on Saturday but also holds a nomination for the Three-Year-Old Benchmark 64 (1400m) at Flemington on Sunday. Snow Patrol… Read More »
While the Melbourne Cup isn’t a specific goal for dour stayer True Marvel, trainer Matthew Smith hasn’t ruled out giving him a shot at Australia’s most famous race. Placed in the Sydney and Brisbane Cups earlier this year, Smith says the eight-year-old is a genuine two-miler who could find himself in… Read More »
Trainer Mike Moroney is looking to Alenquer showing the form that earned him equal second top-weight in the Melbourne Cup when he resumes at Caulfield. Alenquer lines up in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) on Saturday, his first run as a gelding. The French-bred galloper was gelded after two moderate runs… Read More »
Sticking to campaign templates that have worked in the past is Chris Waller’s usual formula for big race success. But the champion trainer is stepping outside the box in his attempt to win the Group 1 Golden Rose (1400m) first-up with Shinzo. No horse has captured the $1 million spring… Read More »
Ripcord is set to be one of the star attractions at the final Saturday meeting at Belmont Park for the season, which also features the Black Heart Bart Stakes (1200m). The son of Written By made a promising start to his racing career, taking out the Listed Perth Stakes (1100m), before… Read More »
Ben Pearce, along with co-trainer and brother, Dan, said there were a couple of choices on the table for Acromantula, but they settled on Friday week’s G1 Moir Stakes (1000m) as the best option. Moonee Valley’s unique track has proven to be a happy hunting ground for Acromantula, who landed… Read More »
Trainer Michael Freedman will look to send Ducasse to Melbourne for a lead-up to the Caulfield Guineas. But a start in the Group 3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude (1400m) on Saturday will be dependent on Ducasse drawing a decent barrier. The Prelude is the traditional lead-up to the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) on October… Read More »
Racing Victoria Head of Handicapping David Hegan says he can only provide a weight for the Melbourne Cup on the evidence in front of him. The $5 Unibet favourite Vauban has been allocated 55kg in the 2023 Melbourne Cup, a weight that may seem harsh given the stayer is a Listed Three-Year-Old winner in… Read More »
Gold Trip will need to achieve a feat that has occurred only once previously if he is to go into the record books as a two-time Melbourne Cup winner. Since the metric system was introduced into handicapping in Australian racing in 1972, Think Big, in 1975, is the only horse to win the Melbourne Cup with 58.5kg. That is… Read More »
Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr are looking for back-to-back wins in the Group 1 Golden Rose (1400m) and will saddle up the lone filly in the race with Charm Stone drawing the inside gate at Rosehill. Only one filly has won the Golden Rose and never in its traditional place in… Read More »
Owner Peter Walsh set a cat amongst the pigeons when he threw Everest plans into the melting pot for his star mare Amelia’s Jewel. On the eve of her interstate kick off at Flemington, Walsh sent social media into a frenzy and gave trainer Simon Miller conniptions. Up until that stage… Read More »
Stephen Wolfe believes a last hurrah for Red Can Man in the next 12-months would be a fitting way to end a stellar racing career. The son of Gingerbread Man has been a stable pin up for Wolfe for a number of years, winning eight races and pocketing $2.3 million in prizemoney. Signature… Read More »
Soulcombe will get his first taste of Group 1 racing at Caulfield this Saturday when he returns to the scene of his eye-popping first-up win. The imported gelding will be one of multiple runners for Chris Waller in the $750,000 Underwood Stakes (1800m). It is the next step in a campaign… Read More »
