Gimcrack Stakes victor Bel Merci won’t be seen this spring but trainer John Thompson is hoping another of his two-year-old winners can step up to the plate in her absence. The Randwick horseman expected Bel Merci to be off the scene until next year after she was struck down by a combination… Read More »
Peter Snowden is confidently eyeing bigger targets with Amreekiyah after the filly made a stunning start to her latest campaign with an outstanding performance at Canterbury. Lumping 61kg, Amreekiyah ($1.70 fav) settled worse than midfield and spotted the leader a big start at the top of the straight before unleashing a… Read More »
All Aged Stakes winner Jimmysstar has become the fourth horse confirmed for the $20 million The Everest after the TAB locked him in for its slot. The Ciaron Maher-trained galloper joins Hong Kong superstar Ka Ying Rising, T J Smith Stakes winner Briasa and emerging young speedster Private Harry in the elite field…. Read More »
The Lloyd Kennewell and Lucy Yeomans-trained Tiz Worthy did her best to throw away victory at Sandown, before upsetting a plunge on short-priced favourite Saluted. Saluted was backed almost to the exclusion of her opposition and was sent out the $1.60 betting sites favourite in the MRC Membership Feel The Thrill… Read More »
Joe Pride is hoping his decision to wait an extra week with The Black Cloud pays dividends as the mare prepares to close out her four-year-old season with a win at Randwick. The Black Cloud was scratched from last weekend’s Schweppes Sprint (1100m) after she drew the outside gate in a competitive field… Read More »
A filly that was high up in markets for Melbourne’s most prestigious two-year-old race is set to make her return at Caulfield. The Ciaron Maher-trained Cherish Me is an acceptor in the Senet Gambling Law Experts Handicap (1200m) on Saturday. Craig Williams takes the ride on Saturday after the filly had been… Read More »
A treble at Flemington on Saturday has kept Craig Williams’ hopes of a tenth Melbourne Jockeys’ Premiership alive. That treble leaves Williams five wins adrift of Premiership leader Blake Shinn with 25 metropolitan races of the season remaining. Williams had closed the gap to four prior to last Wednesday’s Sandown meeting,… Read More »
Star mare Via Sistina has made her first public appearance of the campaign in a Randwick barrier trial as she warms up for a return in the Group One Winx Stakes. As expected, the Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner was given a quiet hitout, finishing at the back of the field along… Read More »
The Leon and Troy Corstens and Will Larkin stable will wait as long as possible before committing to a start with Baraqiel in a Stakes race at Caulfield. Baraqiel is one of 12 nominations for the Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) on Saturday with entries extended until 10am on Tuesday. Nominations include… Read More »
Champion trainer Chris Waller says Via Sistina could follow a similar program as last spring that saw the mare land four Group 1 victories. Via Sistina will have her first public appearance on Tuesday morning when she steps out in the opening heat of 17 trials at Randwick. The 850m trial on… Read More »
Alessandro and Giuseppe Botti are gearing up for a daring Australian trip with talented stayer Presage Nocturne, with both the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup firmly on the agenda. The Italian-born handlers have hatched the daring trip that will see their stable star compete against some of the most talented stayers… Read More »
The Lindsay Park team of Ben, Will and J D Hayes are excited by the progress Mr Brightside is making in preparation for his latest campaign. Mr Brightside is back galloping and is due for a jump-out early next month as he gears towards a first-up run in the Group 1… Read More »
Group One winner Gringotts has continued to improve with each campaign and connections expect that to again be the case as the rising six-year-old closes in on his seasonal return. After capturing the Big Dance (1600m) and The Gong (1600m) at the end of last spring, Gringotts returned in the autumn… Read More »
Bjorn Baker hopes to make the most of Robusto’s fitness by taking on some of the early season stakes races after The Ingham winner lumped a record weight to victory in the Listed Winter Challenge at Rosehill. The gelding prevailed in a two-horse war with leader and eventual runner-up Accredited,… Read More »
A lack of suitable staying races in Sydney saw the Annabel and Rob Archibald stable send a team of four horses to their recently acquired Flemington stable. It paid a winning dividend with Mormona leading home the quartet in the Deane Lester Flemington Cup 1849 (2800m) at Flemington on Saturday…. Read More »
With less than two weeks before Godolphin’s private training operation winds up, Darren Beadman is savouring every last success, including the win by filly Amusing at Rosehill. The global conglomerate will proceed under a public model from the new season when its racing stock will be dispersed among a variety of… Read More »
Former Swedish pony rider Rebecca Bronett Prag has celebrated a significant milestone at Rosehill with country-trained stayer Knights Armour delivering her first Saturday metropolitan win. Indentured to renowned horseman Keith Dryden in Canberra, Bronett Prag was having her 20th ride in town for her second win, the other coming aboard the same galloper in… Read More »
It may not have the status of a Stakes race, but Rose Hammond had been looking forward to riding in an apprentices’ only race at Flemington all week. The RMBL Investments Rising Stars Final (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday was for apprentice riders only after a series of races held throughout… Read More »
The Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young stable will chase a second win the Victoria Derby following the win of Arcora at Flemington. Arcora took out the Byerley Handicap (1800m) on Saturday to earn a ballot exemption into the Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington on November 1. Busuttin and Young took out… Read More »
Chad Schofield is an unabashed fan of debut winner Without Peer after the youngster overcame his inexperience to outclass his Rosehill rivals. Despite racing greenly in the straight, the Ciaron Maher-trained two-year-old unleashed a strong finishing sprint from near the tail to down Spicy Prawn ($5) by a short neck in… Read More »
