Hawkesbury trainer Brad Widdup believes the decision to expand the Provincial Championships to include Midway eligible horses will be a boost for the series. Racing NSW announced the changes on Thursday with horses from the smaller city stables given an avenue to qualify for the $500,000 Final at Randwick in April,… Read More »
Connections of Breeders’ Plate runner-up Zambezi River are monitoring weather and track conditions as they weigh up whether to launch the colt’s Golden Slipper campaign at Randwick or wait for another day. The Chris Waller-trained two-year-old surged through a late split to finish second to Sejardan at his only appearance in October, prompting… Read More »
Neville Parnham has not given up hope of having his talented sprinter Indian Pacific back across in Melbourne for another campaign of racing. The WA Racing Hall Of Fame trainer is sweating on the reopening of WA’s border on February 5 and an easing of travel and flight restrictions. A… Read More »
There is an adage in racing that you should not be scared off by one horse, but the presence of Tuvalu in a race at Warrnambool has forced Lindsay Park into a change of plans. Fundraiser was down to run in the Port Fairy Cup (1400m) at Warrnambool on Thursday, but the… Read More »
Headline gallopers Verry Elleegant and Home Affairs were among a host of big names tuning up for their autumn returns at Warwick Farm. Home Affairs looked bigger and stronger, Icebath flashed home late, Maximal underlined his talent while Verry Elleegant was in cruise control. They were just four of the stars in action… Read More »
Jockey Matthew Cartwright is hoping the stars will be in alignment when he partners family favourite Curran at The Valley. Curran runs in the Dominant Sanitation Solutions Handicap (1200m) on Saturday looking to break a four-run losing streak. A former member of the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace stable, Curran was picked up as… Read More »
Kris Lees has coaxed multiple stakes winner Special Reward back into form, but he admits there was a time he was unsure whether the horse would ever return to his best. The six-year-old is one of the fancied runners for the Listed Carrington Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday after snapping a… Read More »
Irishman Will Gordon will step onto the Flemington track for the first time when he represents the Country Jockeys at the Rapid Racing meeting at Flemington. Having seen the success of countrymen John Allen and Declan Bates, Gordon decided to give Victoria a try as a jumps jockey. Gordon won last year’s Galleywood Hurdle at… Read More »
It’s not often a trial victory can stimulate an emotional reaction, especially for an eight-year-old, but then again Denim Pack is no ordinary horse for Tracey Brown. Tears were flowing for Brown after Denim Pack, on the comeback from injury and retirement, took out heat seven of Monday’s Belmont trial… Read More »
US-bred Green Belt has given away age and weight to his rivals to remain unbeaten in two Australian starts following a fighting win at Sandown. Purchased by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr, Green Belt was the first in an experiment of buying yearlings in the US. After a debut win at Cranbourne on… Read More »
Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou’s stakes prospect breaks through on return from injury for a much-anticipated victory at Newcastle on Wednesday. Prior to a nasty injury last year that saw her reside in the Warwick Farm hospital for six weeks, four-year-old mare Adulting was touted as a stakes prospect by her… Read More »
A howling breeze could not stop the Chris Waller-trained Forged from breaking through for his maiden win at Sandown. Initially starting his career with Hawkes Racing, Forged has been in the care of Waller for his current campaign and broke through on Wednesday taking out the Ladbroke It! Plate (1200m) at his third start… Read More »
A distance query is Gary Portelli’s only reservation ahead of the return of speedy three-year-old Capital Reign at Randwick. The gelding has been superbly placed to win four of his six starts, leading throughout in each of his victories, but he is yet to win beyond 1007 metres. He resumes over… Read More »
Through The Cracks delivered Angela Davies one of her biggest moments on a racetrack, but when he suffered back-to-back injuries last year, she feared the career of her best horse might be all but over. The 2020 Provincial Championships winner underwent surgery to a fetlock after finishing a gallant fourth to Greysful… Read More »
Having completed a winning hat-trick with a win at Caulfield on Boxing Day, trainer Phillip Stokes is hoping to extend the winning run of Daqiansweet Junior at The Valley. Daqiansweet Junior will be joined by stablemate Good Idea when they line-up in the Mirasan.com Handicap (2500m) on Saturday. Stokes is using Saturday’s race,… Read More »
Melbourne Cup winner Verry Elleegant will be the star attraction when she makes her first public appearance of the year at the Warwick Farm barrier trials. Three days after stablemate and Everest winner Nature Strip returned with a comfortable trial win at Rosehill, Verry Elleegant will dust off the cobwebs in preparation… Read More »
New Zealand trainers Emma-Lee and David Browne are gearing up for another assault on Melbourne after a successful spring campaign last year. David spent a significant period based at Cranbourne over the spring and prepared six winners during his stay from mid-August through until mid-November. They hope to return with Elephant and Rhinoceros for the… Read More »
When Matthew Dunn made the decision to base himself in Sydney, he knew he had to raise the bar to survive in one of the sport’s most competitive environments. Part of his strategy involved increasing his budget at the major yearling sales and one of his first targets was an I… Read More »
The Group 1 C F Orr Stakes at Caulfield is shaping as the return run for I’m Thunderstruck as the gelding chases a second rich “new race” on the Australian calendar. Having captured the $7.5 million Golden Eagle at Rosehill last October, trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr have the $5 All-Star… Read More »
He’s been in scintillating form this preparation, and the Jarrod Austin-trained Looks Like Elvis will look to keep rocking and rolling at Royal Randwick this Saturday in the $150,000 Listed Carrington Stakes. The All American gelding commenced this campaign with a close-up second in the Group 3 Bill Ritchie before… Read More »
