Injury prone galloper Baraqiel has put all his ailments behind him to become a Group 1 winner in a mad dash at Moonee Valley. The Leon and Troy Corstens and Will Larkin-trained sprinter burst through a narrow gap late in the race to take out the Moir Stakes (1000m) on Saturday…. Read More »
Bjorn Baker has delivered a milestone for the new-look Godolphin operation with Pericles providing the global powerhouse with its first Group win since moving to a public training model. Making his debut for the stable, Pericles ($9.50) burst between runners in the straight to comfortably take out Saturday’s Group 2 Tramway Stakes… Read More »
Consistent sprinter Headwall has put his name in lights for an Everest slot with a barnstorming Concorde Stakes win but the performance of runner-up Lady Shenandoah has almost overshadowed it. A dual placegetter at Group 1 level in the autumn, Headwall returned in the vein he left off, settling back in the… Read More »
Trainer Clinton Mcdonald’s heartbreak at watching Angel Capital land the prize in the Chautauqua Stakes at Moonee Valley was eased 35 minutes later with the debut win of Rosberg. McDonald had prepared Angel Capital to win last year’s Listed McKenzie Stakes (1200m), but after a further three starts the colt was… Read More »
Michael Freedman claimed the Golden Slipper with Marhoona but for a long time Apocalyptic was the filly he rated his top seed for the juvenile showpiece. On Saturday at Randwick she showed why with a stunning return in the Group 2 Furious Stakes (1200m). A luckless second at her only other start in… Read More »
Angel Capital has made a stunning return to racing claiming a Stakes race at Moonee Valley in his first outing for Chris Waller. Purchased by Yulong Stud after starting his career with Clinton McDonald, Angel Capital was joined Waller soon after winning the Group 2 Autumn Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield in… Read More »
Australia’s No 1 feature-race trainer/jockey combination, Chris Waller and James Mcdonald, teamed up to score another Wyong Cup success on Friday. Saltcoats carried McDonald to his fourth win in the $250,000 Listed event, all of which have come for Waller, who has now won the race nine times. It was a bounce-back… Read More »
A trip to Horsham for a barrier trial has got the program of Attrition back on track after a first-up unplaced effort at Caulfield. Attrition was the meat in the sandwich and suffered severe interference when last in the Group 2 Lawrence Stakes (1400m) on August 16, but trainer Mitchell… Read More »
Controversy marred Ceolwulf’s return in the Winx Stakes but trainer Joe Pride has taken a philosophical view of Chad Schofield’s ride, backing horse and jockey to make amends at Randwick. Schofield was criticised on social media for scouting wide on Ceolwulf around the home turn as eventual winner and runner-up,… Read More »
Co-trainer Tom Charlton has a novel take on Linebacker being dealt an early slice of bad luck by drawing an outside gate for his Tramway Stakes return at Randwick. “One way of looking at it is we’d rather get it out of the way early,” Charlton said. “It’s his first-up… Read More »
The Lindsay Park team of Ben, Will and J D Hayes concede the Moir Stakes will not be an easy assignment for Oak Hill, but the stable is confident the sprinter can turn around his form. A first-up winner over the 1000m journey at Moonee Valley last month, Oak Hill… Read More »
Star mares Via Sistina and Treasurethe Moment will be kept apart until they clash in the Cox Plate. Yulong announced on Thursday the pair are Cox Plate bound with minor tinkering to their original programs. The Chris Waller-trained Via Sistina will bypass the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at… Read More »
The late Mike Moroney had a belief that The Pendragon could win a good race in Australia. After a Group 2 success in New Zealand and then chasing home high-class mare Orchestral in the Karaka Millions, The Pendragon was sent to Melbourne for a shot at the Group 1 Australian Guineas. The… Read More »
More starting point than destination race for stablemates Vauban and Sir Delius, the Chelmsford Stakes is still expected to provide important insights for their trainers as they plot the pair’s respective paths towards the Melbourne Cup. The duo will resume in Saturday’s 1600m feature at Randwick, the shortest distance either… Read More »
The template that resulted in Bella Nipotina delivering Ciaron Maher his maiden Everest win is again being implemented by the champion trainer, this time with All Aged Stakes winner Jimmysstar. The six-year-old will be in unchartered territory when he races over 1000m for the first time in Saturday’s Concorde Stakes at Randwick but… Read More »
The veteran of the Tramway Stakes field, Private Eye will be out to teach his rivals a galloping lesson at Randwick as he bids to notch his fourteenth career-win. The eight-year-old proved he had lost none of his zest for racing with a strong first-up win in the P B Lawrence… Read More »
Most horses are for sale at the right price, but the Clinton Mcdonald-trained Rosberg has a ‘Not For Sale’ sign hanging around his neck. McDonald has sold a number of promising three-year-olds over the years to Hong Kong but has said Rosberg is off limits. Such is the opinion of… Read More »
New Zealand filly La Dorada will attempt to become the third of her age group to win the Group 1 Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley. A Group 1 winner as a two-year-old, La Dorada joins fellow three-year-old filly Esha when makes her seasonal return in the Moir Stakes (1000m) on Saturday,… Read More »
John Thompson isn’t sure Open Secret has the speed to topple her Furious Stakes rivals but he sees the race as a perfect platform for the remaining Princess Series features. The three-year-old ran a much improved race when closing late for fourth to Saturday’s rival Savvy Hallie in the Silver… Read More »
Blue-blooded thoroughbreds are not a mainstay of Joe Pride’s stable so it’s no surprise the Warwick Farm horseman is hard pressed to think of a better bred galloper to have come through his yard than Warwick Farm winner Attica. By champion Lonhro, the colt is the first foal from multiple… Read More »
