Adelaide trainer Stuart Gower considered starting stayer Darknconfidential in the Ballarat Cup but reasoned a weaker race over the same trip would be more beneficial. Darknconfidential will instead run in the Hertz Handicap (2000m), a benchmark 84 grade race, after he was also entered for the Ballarat Cup (2000m) on Saturday’s program. “He’s a nice… Read More »
Purchasing tried horses at the right price has become an important part of Mark Minervini’s business, and he is hoping Hanau can be his next success story. The Newcastle-based horseman has enjoyed good results with the likes of Hosier, who he picked up halfway through his racing career before preparing… Read More »
Trainer Michael Hickmott is hopeful the owners of recent stable addition Promises Kept will have some fun in coming weeks. Promises Kept makes the trip across from South Australia to run in the Listed Ballarat Cup (2000m) on Saturday with the potential of back-up the following week in the Listed… Read More »
Jockey Michael Dee is making one of his rare trips to Perth in search of adding to his Group 1 tally. Dee will ride the Lindsay Park-trained Apulia in the Northerly Stakes (1800m) at Ascot on Saturday, the first time he has ridden at the track since November 2018. The Melbourne-based lightweight… Read More »
Sydney might be bereft of a feature race this weekend, but the Rosehill meeting will still hold significance for Rob and Annabel Archibald as they look to consolidate their team for the Magic Millions carnival. The husband and wife training duo will saddle up West Of Africa and Mickey’s Medal in Sunday’s TAB… Read More »
Talented sprinter Caballus is the drawcard that has lured Tommy Berry to Brisbane this weekend, but he is also looking forward to testing the Magic Millions credentials of a well-bred colt. Berry was keen to reunite with the Bjorn Baker-trained Caballus, who he partnered to a stakes win at Flemington two starts… Read More »
Bred to get over distances greater than what he was debuting over at Caulfield Heath, Melek has made an impressive start to his racing career. The Ciaron Maher-prepared four-year-old took out the Sportsbet Race Previews Plate (1600m) on Wednesday at his first outing. Well-supported late in betting and under the… Read More »
There are two versions of Whinchat and trainer David Pfieffer is hoping the right one turns up when the talented but enigmatic sprinter kicks off his latest campaign at Rosehill. The six-year-old resumes in the TAB Handicap (1400m) on Sunday having been off the scene since finishing unplaced in the… Read More »
Chasing a first win in one of his home states big Group 1 races, Dan Morton holds a strong hand in the Northerly Stakes. Morton will saddle three runners in the final Group 1 race of The Pinnacles at Ascot on Saturday â King Of Light, Pure Excess and In Good Order…. Read More »
An outstanding first-up performance has put the writing on the wall for Lubrication to build on what has been a breakout year when he tackles the Group Three George Moore Stakes at Doomben. The gelding scored the most significant win of his career when successful in the $1 million The Archer (1300m)… Read More »
Time has been the friend of Air Assault who can top the $1 million mark in prize money if successful in the Ballarat Cup. Morphettville trainer Andrew Gluyas said the nine-time winner from 33 starts has finally matured and learned to be a racehorse. Air Assault will be having his second shot at the… Read More »
The race meeting set down for Rosehill on Saturday has been pushed back a day due to a forecast for extreme heat in Sydney. Racing NSW officials have been monitoring expected conditions this week and with no change in predictions that temperatures in the west will soar beyond 40 degrees… Read More »
Murwillumbah-based Matthew Dunn has no hesitation in travelling his horses north or south and it is a last start Highway placegetter who can go one better at Ipswich on Wednesday. Impendor finished second to the promising Petticoat at Randwick over 1000-metres in the TAB Highway on November 4, with the winner… Read More »
How Shaiyhar recovers from a Cranbourne track gallop will determine whether the imported gelding takes his place at Ballarat. A stone bruise last week put Shaiyhar on the back burner for a few days, but the Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young stable are hopeful the gelding will be right to take his place in the Listed Ballarat Cup (2000m)… Read More »
Michael Freedman has a few options with talented three-year-old gelding Ninja that could hopefully lead to a trip to the Gold Coast. Having won two of three starts, including an 11-length romp to break his maiden at Kembla Grange before a gritty win in benchmark 72 company, Freedman will assess options in… Read More »
Berkeley Square will attempt to become the second locally-trained galloper in a decade to go back-to-back in the Ballarat Cup. Kiwia won successive Cups in 2018 and 2019, firstly over 2200m for Darren Weir before the race was shortened to 2000m the following year when successful under the care of… Read More »
Few horses competing at Rosehill this Saturday will boast the profile of Just Party, albeit his racing pattern has made winning races difficult. The four-year-old was Stakes-placed behind Broadsiding at two, finished less than a length from Lady Shenandoah in Group company at three, and was narrowly defeated in in… Read More »
Gavin Bedggood celebrated Stakes success at Caulfield on Saturday but that does not mean he went home to Cranbourne entirely satisfied. The canny horseman knew before the meeting had even started that he pulled the wrong rein with stable stalwart Kingswood. Bedggood scratched the gelding from the Eclipse Stakes, for… Read More »
The major carnivals in Melbourne and Sydney might be grinding to a halt, but Matthew Smith has already cast his sights to ones on the horizon. The Warwick Farm trainer is keen to make up for lost time with the star of his stable, Headwall, who is edging towards the… Read More »
Ryan Maloney celebrated a red-letter day at Doomben on Saturday, riding four winners including the victors in the day’s two $160,000 Listed events. The ex-pat Victorian made favourite backers happy in the first of the features, getting home aboard $2.50 punters’ elect Midnight In Tokyo in the Tattersall’s Classic (1200m),… Read More »
