Trainer Ken Keys has been around horses long enough to know a good one, especially a youngster. Not that many have gone through Keys’ hands, although he has high hopes for Alibaba who is set to make his debut in the Listed Merson Cooper Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield on Saturday for the Ken and Kasey Keys stable. Keys’… Read More »
Less than a month after Half Yours’ historic Melbourne Cup triumph, his sire St Jean has died. The son of Teofilo was euthanised on Tuesday morning owing to injuries sustained in a paddock accident. Brackley Park operator Grant Dwyer, who stood St Jean on behalf of a syndicate of owners… Read More »
Gerald Ryan is adamant Arctic Glamour’s first-up win was no fluke, although he admits an outside gate has added a layer of difficulty to her next task as she bids to back up the performance in the Festival Stakes at Rosehill. The mare started $41 when taking out the Hot… Read More »
David Vandyke has enjoyed racing Tuff Tu Mus through his grades, but the Sunshine Coast trainer realises the time has come to raise the bar with his winning machine. The five-year-old son of All Too Hard will chase an eighth-straight win in this Saturday’s $160,000 Listed Recognition Stakes at Doomben. The 1350-metre event… Read More »
Trainer Robbie Griffiths says his latest Group 1 contender Rey Magnerio has thrived on his first trip away from home. Rey Magnerio lines up in the Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) at Ascot on Saturday, bidding to give Griffiths a second Group 1 victory. Griffiths won the 2016 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington with The Quarterback and is… Read More »
Filly Tigroni is set to make her debut in the opening event at Rosehill, although co-trainer John O’Shea is quick to point out the race isn’t his first choice. Saturday’s Schweppes Handicap (1100m) was Plan B, O’Shea having been keen to run the youngster in a juvenile event at Wyong on… Read More »
After watching lightly raced mare Vestas work at Caulfield, trainer Clinton Mcdonald jokingly exclaimed can we arrange a wide draw for the mare. Unfortunately for McDonald, Vestas has barrier two in the in the Listed Doveton Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on Saturday, but the trainer is hoping the addition of blinkers will change the… Read More »
A lacklustre campaign from Xidaki during the autumn and winter left Peter Snowden scratching his head, but the top trainer is satisfied his charge has regained his spark. A winner of the Group 3 Winx Guineas (1600m) at three, Xidaki trained on to place in last year’s Silver Eagle (1300m)… Read More »
Annabel and Rob Archibald are drawing confidence from jockey Jamie Mott’s decision to relinquish riding at a feature Melbourne meeting in favour of partnering Libertad in the Group One Winterbottom Stakes at Ascot. Mott is bypassing Zipping Classic Day at Caulfield on Saturday, which boasts seven black type races, to make… Read More »
The rain that fell at acceptance time on Wednesday for the Caulfield meeting was music to the ears of the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr stable. The Group 2 Zipping Classic (2400m) on Saturday is the contest the Price and Kent Jnr stable have picked out for Hezashocka. The problem is the… Read More »
It has worked before and it could work again as Matt Hoysted is comfortable with backing the well fancied Rich Minx up at Ipswich on Wednesday. The five-year-old mare finished second seven days ago at Doomben in Benchmark 68 company at Doomben after winning at Gold Coast on the polytrack over 1100-metres… Read More »
Patrick Carbery admitted it was a bittersweet feeling watching Jokers Grin win without him last start, but can’t wait to get back aboard for the Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) at Ascot on Saturday. Carbery suffered a concussion as a result of a fall at Bunbury on the 13th of November, meaning… Read More »
Fresh off a treble on Cranbourne Cup Day, jockey Beau Mertens will be looking to parlay that success into another feature win at Caulfield. Mertens won the Cranbourne Cup aboard Sabaj for the Mick Price and Michael Jnr stable last Saturday while this week he is likely to partner Kovalica in the Group 2… Read More »
Trying to win this Saturday’s Winterbottom Stakes with Rey Magnerio is William Pike’s immediate Group 1 concern, but he admits that much of his time is being taken up by a feature race later in The Pinnacles. Pike has to decide which of the two 1600-metre feature winners he rode at… Read More »
Consistent gelding Accredited will be given the chance to register a deserved first win of the campaign in Stakes grade this Saturday. The Joe Pride-trained six-year-old will contest the $250,000 Group 3 Festival Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill. The Proven Thoroughbreds-raced galloper heads into the Festival Stakes off two second placings, including… Read More »
Overpass has become something akin to an adopted son of Perth racing and the grand campaigner has returned to the West yet again as he chases an historic third consecutive win in the Winterbottom Stakes. It is the seven-year-old’s sixth adventure to Ascot, the trips having yielded back-to-back wins in… Read More »
A $750,000 staying contest at Caulfield is too difficult a race to bypass for the Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young stable. Brayden Star heads to the Group 2 Zipping Classic (2400m) at Caulfield on Saturday, although Busuttin concedes the Listed Pakenham Cup (2500m) on December 13 is a more suitable race…. Read More »
The wrap of South Australia’s late spring highlight – SA Finals Day for 2025. Three days between runs does the trick in Rebel Raider Richard and Chantelle Jolly are not in the habit of backing their horses up so soon in the same week but the strategy was successful with… Read More »
Local galloper Jigsaw has outsped his rivals to claim the second running of The Meteorite at Cranbourne. The 1200m slot race with a $1 million prize money pool saw Jigsaw lead throughout for Cindy Alderson in the Moonee Valley Racing Club’s slot. Jigsaw earned the chance to race for Moonee Valley… Read More »
Sabaj shapes as a serious autumn player for the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr stable after his first victory at Stakes victory. Providing Mick Price with his fourth win in the Listed Cranbourne Cup, the training pair are looking to the autumn and beyond with Sabaj after his 1600m victory on… Read More »
