The Ciaron Maher stable knows what it takes to win a Derby with a promising three-year-old stayer and they hope Dad And Dave fits the bill. Dad And Dave will chase a second win in the Tasmanian Derby for the Maher stable when he runs in the Listed race over 2200m at Hobart on Friday… Read More »
Trainer Dominic Sutton will keep an open mind on the program of Feroce until he assesses the gelding’s first-up run at Caulfield. Last year’s Group 1 Australian Guineas winner is down to resume in the Group 3 Kevin Heffernan Stakes (1400m) on Saturday. The gelding’s performance in his return run will determine the path Feroce… Read More »
Adrian Bott will happily take a Listed win at Randwick to kick-start the stable’s partnership with leviathan owner John Stewart, but he hopes Lady Moscato can deliver her connections even bigger prizes down the track. The two-year-old daughter of Home Affairs out of multiple Group 1 placegetter Champagne Cuddles fetched $1,050,000 at… Read More »
Caulfield Guineas placegetter Planet Red will have his return run in a Stakes race at Caulfield. The Group 2 Autumn Stakes (1400m) on Saturday will be Planet Red’s sole outing in the lead-up to the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on February 28. The Mick Price and Michael Kent… Read More »
Anthony and Sam Freedman are no strangers to winning Victoria’s premier two-year-old race. The father-and-son training team took out the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield with Artorius in 2021 and then again, the following year with Daumier. This year they are hoping to get High Alert into the 1200m contest on February 21 and… Read More »
Ciaron Maher’s decision to deviate from the usual autumn carnival playbook with Tempted has gifted Chad Schofield a golden opportunity aboard the star filly. With champion hoop James Mcdonald committed to Coolmore-owned colt Wodeton in Saturday’s Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m) at Randwick, Schofield has picked up the plum ride on the Everest runner-up…. Read More »
Fresh from a Canonbury Stakes victory that rocketed Hidrix to Golden Slipper favouritism, Chris Waller will put another trio of two-year-olds to the test at Randwick. Fireball and Defensemen will step out in the $2 million Inglis Millennium (1100m), a race the champion trainer is yet to win, while Campione D’Italia will make his debut… Read More »
Connections of beautifully bred filly Scintillation are in two-minds about whether to run her from a wide draw in the Lonhro Plate or wait for a softer midweek assignment. By super sire I Am Invincible out of multiple stakes winner Minhaaj, the youngster has twice trialled nicely in preparation for… Read More »
Kaye Jay has come a long way since his first competitive effort under the care of Clayton Douglas. Now Douglas is contemplating setting Kaye Jay for the Group 1 South Australian Derby (2500m) at Morphettville in May after the gelding’s maiden win at Sandown. Having his second race start, Kaye Jay ($5) scored a… Read More »
The longer distance fillies’ features await new kid on the block Feminino after she broke her maiden with a determined win at Warwick Farm. Co-trainer Adrian Bott admitted he thought she might have needed further than the 1400-metres of Wednesday’s Arrowfield Graduates Handicap, but Feminino’s ($4.40) stamina was on display as… Read More »
The Anthony and Sam Freedman stable is looking for a smoother autumn campaign with Tom Kitten than the one that confronted them in the spring. Throughout the spring, Tom Kitten was playing catch-up after being a scratching at the barriers in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield last August. That was Tom Kitten’s first… Read More »
The Lindsay Park stable is confident the Blue Diamond Stakes aspirations of two-year-old Eurocanto are back on track. The Ben, Will and J D Hayes-trained two-year-old was sent back to the trials after being withdrawn from the Blue Diamond Preview (1000m) at Caulfield on January 24. Eurocanto played up in the gates that… Read More »
Where’s The Circus goes in search of another big Inglis payday in this Saturday’s Inglis Millennium and the bargain buy’s connections aren’t the only ones with fingers crossed for another win. Less than 24 hours after the $2 million race restricted to Inglis graduates is run at Randwick, the Paul Murray-trained… Read More »
Trainer Clayton Douglas has Group 1 autumn aspirations with Top Reward who will kick off his campaign in a Stakes race at Caulfield. The Group 2 Autumn Stakes (1400m) on Saturday will see the return of the son of Shamus Award who raced twice during the spring before being sent for a… Read More »
Multiple Group 1 winner Jimmysstar will have a light autumn in preparation for a spring campaign aimed at The Everest. The Ciaron Maher-trained galloper will kick off in Melbourne with the Group 1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield before venturing north where he will contest the Group 1 TJ Smith (1200m)… Read More »
John O’Shea admits Napoleonic will have his work cut out for him when he lines up in the Group 3 Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on Saturday. The son of late sire Wootton Basset announced himself as one of the better colts of his generation with a 4-ÂŒ length romp in… Read More »
Guest House, along with stablemate Big Sky, is playing a key role in comparisons with other precocious Mick Price-trained colts, but it is a youngster Price did not even prepare that he continues to be reminded of. Price said the son of Home Affairs shares similarities with 2005 Golden Slipper… Read More »
Chris Waller will soon unleash a string of proven Group 1 stars expected to be major players this Autumn Carnival, but another he still harbours elite-level aspirations with will get a head-start on them this weekend. One-time boom colt Wodeton resumes in Saturday’s $250,000 Group 3 Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m) at Randwick…. Read More »
The Lindsay Park team of Ben, Will and J D Hayes have some ambitious plans for Nervous Witness but first they want to see him back in winning form. Nervous Witness was prepared in Hong Kong by David Hayes before being repatriated at the end of 2024 and joining the Lindsay… Read More »
Trainer John McArdle is keeping all Group 1 sprint options on the table for his filly My Gladiola during an autumn campaign. That first option may come in the Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on Saturday week as the filly nears a return to racing. My Gladiola stepped out at the trials… Read More »
