The autumn carnival build-up has continued at Warwick Farm with several high-profile horses stepping out in barrier trials, including Doncaster Mile winner Stefi Magnetica. The mare took out a classy 900m heat, finishing strongly in the heavy 8 conditions to edge out Verona Rose with Angel Capital (fourth), Attica (sixth)… Read More »
A unique edition of the Australia Stakes sees the first of the Moonee Valley feature races held away from home with the 2026 running taking place at Pakenham. With the Moonee Valley racecourse undergoing a full redevelopment, the Group 2 event over 1200-metres moves to the Southside Racing venue for… Read More »
No one is more aware of the quirks that talented gelding Whinchat possesses than regular jockey Jay Ford. The hoop best known for his association with globetrotting star Takeover Target has been aboard the David Pfieffer trained gelding for all seven wins and is hopeful of adding an eighth in the Listed… Read More »
Multiple Group One winner Ceolwulf will be a notable absentee from the Warwick Farm barrier trials after suffering a minor setback. Trainer Joe Pride reported the horse was being treated for a graze to his leg after seemingly becoming cast in his box, ruling him out of his scheduled 900m heat… Read More »
Late year winning form has inspired Cranbourne-based trainer Cindy Alderson to take a big step towards notching her first win at the highest level with Jigsaw who takes on the Group 1 Railway Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie on Saturday. Alderson, who before 2016 trained in partnership with her father Colin, will stake… Read More »
Still feeling the glow after the stable’s after taking out a half-million-dollar race at Gold Coast on Saturday, father and son training combination Peter and Will Hulbert are hoping a consistent maiden can break his duck at Ipswich on Wednesday. Sir Carter provided the team with their richest success as a… Read More »
Buoyed by a successful raid on New Zealand feature racing last year, Ben Hayes is plotting to do the same as Arkansaw Kid takes on the Railway Stakes at Ellerslie on Saturday. The 1200-mere Group 1 event is the beginning of a two start trans-Tasman campaign for the five-year-old along… Read More »
The Magic Millions 2YO Classic did nothing to threaten Incognito’s place at the head of Golden Slipper betting and the Michael Freedman-trained colt is almost ready to return to the races. The son of Stay Inside was eligible for the Magic Millions, being a $1 million buy out of last… Read More »
A Tuesday morning trial at Deagon sees an unusually strong line-up of Queensland’s best talent heading there and highlighted by Antino’s first public outing towards the Sydney’s autumn carnival. Tony Gollan left no stone unturned in finding answers to why the seven-year-old finished last, beaten by nearly eight lengths, in the… Read More »
Group One winning gelding War Machine will be seen in an early feature sprint when he lines up in the Group 2 Australia Stakes (1200m) this Friday night. Usually run at Moonee Valley, this year’s edition will be staged under lights at Pakenham with the Moonee Valley track currently under… Read More »
Torque To Be Sure’s days as a maiden are over but while his racing style still needs refining, connections were not just relieved for it to happen but also to survive a protest in the rich $3 million Magic Millions 3yo Guineas. As hot favourite Ninja ($1.55) was closing in… Read More »
He was the most inexperienced horse in the field but the Ciaron Maher-prepared Unit Five ($8) has taken out the Magic Millions 2YO Classic on the Gold Coast. Perfectly steered by hoop Thomas Stockdale, the son of Supido proved too strong for stablemate Tornado Valley ($4.40) by one length on… Read More »
It may have been an afterthought, but the Ciaron Maher-trained Future History ($3.70) has proven too classy for his rivals in the $200,000 Listed Yulong January Cup at Rosehill Gardens over testing conditions. After the track was downgraded to a Heavy 8 earlier in the card, connections had to consider maybe… Read More »
John Sadler joked that ‘trainer stubbornness’ was the reason Merrigold hadn’t been tested over 1600m prior to winning at Flemington on Saturday. The five-year-old mare had previously been kept between 1000 and 1400 metre races, but proved the extra furlong was right up her alley, winning the Vobis Gold Distaff (1600m) impressively…. Read More »
He was a touch disappointing on debut a fortnight ago but the Godolphin two-year-old Outspan ($3.30F) has put his hand up for greater riches with a dominant display in the opening contest at Rosehill. After settling just behind the early leader over the 1100m event, the Michael Freedman-prepared colt proved… Read More »
Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr now have the first and second favourite for the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m), courtesy of Big Sky’s debut win at Flemington. The Bivouac colt proved far too good for his rivals in the TAB We’re On (1000m) under jockey Jordan Childs, who… Read More »
It’s not often you hear someone who buys a horse for $1.25 million effectively label it a bargain, but that’s what Guy Mulcaster did after striking early on Day 4 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. Chris Waller’s bloodstock agent paid that amount for the filly by I… Read More »
Saturday’s final event at Rosehill is the biggest test of Cross Tasman’s career, but it is also an audition for bigger things later in the year. The Super Seth four-year-old is a horse that Radwick trainers John O’Shea & Tom Charlton can see lining up in rich races next spring. The… Read More »
Kelly Schweida will follow a similar path as last year with talented mare Miss Joelene, who will contest the Magic Millions Subzero (2200m) at Gold Coast on Saturday. The five-year-old mare, who was a $20,000 purchase for the stable in the 2022 National Yearling Sales, has amassed over $1.4 million in… Read More »
A trip to Wyong last weekend had to be aborted due to the bushfire situation in Victoria, but having to wait another seven days might play into Simon Zahra’s hands with Princess Que. Flemington-based Zahra was quite looking forward to the mare starting at Wyong as he had not had… Read More »
