The changing face of racing’s spring carnival could signal a shift in the role of the Epsom Handicap, according to premier trainer Chris Waller. Saturday’s Randwick meeting has long been the showpiece program of Sydney’s springtime action with the Group One Epsom at its centrepiece. But the introduction of new… Read More »
Mystic Journey must pass a crucial distance test in the Group One Turnbull Stakes to keep the Cox Plate dream alive. But trainer Adam Trinder is confident the star Tasmanian mare and equal 2019 Cox Plate favourite will do just that at Flemington on Saturday. “She’s trained right on from… Read More »
Sixteen years after strapping Clangalang before his Epsom Handicap win, Amy Usher will make her Sydney metropolitan race day debut as a trainer with Lamelo. Andrew Adkins will ride Lamelo in the Saturday’s Group Three Breeders’ Plate, Sydney’s first race of the season for two-year-old colts and geldings at Randwick’s… Read More »
It has been almost 20 years since a mare won the Group One Metropolitan Handicap and trainer Mark Newnham believes Scarlet Dream is capable of breaking the drought. The Gai Waterhouse-trained Coco Cobanna was the last mare to win the Group One staying feature in 2001 and like Scarlet Dream,… Read More »
A small field will contest Melbourne’s first two-year-old stakes race of the season, including two juveniles who already have valuable experience. Saturday’s Listed Maribyrnong Trial Stakes (1000m) at Flemington attracted seven acceptors on Wednesday but has been reduced to five after scratchings. The line-up includes the Grahame Begg-trained Mildred and… Read More »
FLIGHT STAKES 1600m, $500,000, set weights 3YO Fillies HISTORY * Sydney spring carnival’s premier race for three-year-old fillies * Race named after champion horse Flight, the highest stakes winning mare in Australasia at the time and winner of the W S Cox Plate in 1945 and 1946 * Most recent… Read More »
Tea Rose Stakes winner Funstar and runner-up Probabeel have a stranglehold on Flight Stakes betting but rival trainer Jason Coyle is incredulous more trainers are not taking them on. A field of six fillies will contest Saturday’s $500,000 Flight Stakes (1600m) at Randwick and prize money aside, the Group One… Read More »
TURNBULL STAKES * Group One, 2000m, $500,000, set-weights plus penalties, four-year-olds and upwards. Run at Flemington on Saturday, October 5, 4.25pm HISTORY * First run as the Royal Park Stakes in 1865 and won by The Sign * Renamed multiple times, earning its current name in 1948 after then-VRC chairman… Read More »
The presence of some of the country’s best weight-for-age sprinters in Sydney and Melbourne has prompted a belated change of plans for Deploy who has been sent north in search of a confidence-boosting win. The only option for the seven-year-old at Randwick on Saturday was the Premiere Stakes (1200m) which… Read More »
Aquis Farm has confirmed they have acquired a controlling interest in the Gr.1 All Aged Stakes winner and The Everest favourite Pierata to stand the 2020 stud season at Aquis Farm in the Hunter Valley. A winner of the Gr.1 All Aged Stakes in a blistering time of 1:20.64, Pierata’s… Read More »
Tye Angland will join 7 Racing’s spring carnival team as a guest expert, working alongside renowned sports commentator Bruce McAvaney. The announcement was made on Friday with Angland set to make his debut for 7 Racing at Randwick’s Epsom Handicap day meeting this weekend. A former top jockey, Angland became… Read More »
The Victorian Racing Club (VRC) has announced plans to introduce more twilight race meetings at Flemington during Victoria’s summer months. The four new twilight meetings will include two Saturday race meetings along with a Sunday meeting in February and a mid-week meeting in March. “The VRC will introduce twilight racing… Read More »
As the right-hand man to Gai Waterhouse for many years, Mark Newnham learned a thing or two about preparing two-year-olds from the six-time Golden Slipper-winning trainer. It is hardly surprising then that Newnham, now a successful trainer in his own right, will saddle up two runners in the first juvenile… Read More »
Supernova is out of the Metropolitan Handicap with co-trainer Michael Hawkes confirming the horse will instead chase a Melbourne Cup berth via the Bart Cummings at Flemington. The winner of Saturday’s Bart Cummings (2520m) is exempt from a Melbourne Cup ballot and Hawkes says the Flemington race has always been… Read More »
Enticing Star has been retired with trainer Chris Waller’s slot in the $14 million Everest now vacant, opening the way for Nature Strip to get a start. One of two mares sent to Waller from leviathan West Australian owner Bob Peters, Enticing Star ran below par in Saturday’s Golden Pendant…. Read More »
What began as a job for extra cash during a gap year has turned into something quite extraordinary for Jess Taylor as she prepares for two Group One rides on Sydney’s most significant race day of the spring. It will not be the 28-year-old’s first experience in the Group One… Read More »
Star WA mare Enticing Star has been officially retired and will not race in Saturday weeks $14m Everest where she held a slot. Enticing Star was set to line-up in The Everest at Randwick under Chris Waller Racing’s slot in the race but connections have opted to retire the star… Read More »
Bart Cummings famously declared patience the cheapest thing in racing and Team Hawkes has abided by the same theory with Epsom Handicap candidate Rock. Rock showed above average ability from the outset but was immature so the family training partners adopted a long-term view and took their time. “We’ve had… Read More »
Jockey Anthony Darmanin is confident Mystic Journey can erase any distance doubts heading towards the $5 million Cox Plate when she returns to Flemington for the Group One Turnbull Stakes. The Adam Trinder-trained Mystic Journey was beaten for the first time in 12 months when West Australian gelding Gatting caused… Read More »
EPSOM HANDICAP $1 million 1600m handicap HISTORY * First Epsom Handicap event in 1863 won by Dundee * Named after famous Epsom Downs racecourse in the South of England where Epsom Derby has been run since 1780 * The race has been run at 1600m since 1885 – following a… Read More »
