An upcoming set of barrier trials at Doomben is looming as D-Day for trainer Tony Gollan’s spring plans. The premier Brisbane trainer will trial nearly all his likely Sydney and Melbourne spring aspirants on Tuesday week. Leading the way will be unbeaten four-year-old Zoustyle who is headed to the Concorde… Read More »
South Australian racing will take another hit with it’s leading and biggest trainer Tony McEvoy announcing he will increase his boxes at Ballarat. McEvoy had already moved half of his stable from South Australia to Ballarat but that number will increase in coming months as he adds to his boxes… Read More »
Champion jumper Wells has some unfinished business after claiming a second victory in the Crisp Steeplechase at Sandown. A fourth win in the Grand National Steeplechase at Ballarat in three weeks now awaits Wells after a nail-biting finish to Sunday’s 4200m-feature. Wells was the $3 favourite to claim a record… Read More »
Tony McEvoy says nothing should be read into the fact that Oohood missed a recent Flemington jump-out. The four-year-old was entered in a heat on Friday morning against Vega Magic, Hartnell, Malibu Style and Volkstok’n’barrell but the trainer elected to bypass it. “I was under the impression the jump-out was… Read More »
Queensland Oaks winner Winning Ways has returned to trainer Garry Newham’s stable but her spring campaign will not be confirmed until she has completed a three-month ban for a minor bleeding attack. The now four-year-old mare will be entered for the Group One Caulfield Cup and Group One Cox Plate… Read More »
Retired rider Damian Browne is off to a winning start as a jockey manager and hopes to build up his new business. Recurring leg problems forced Browne to retire in April after a glittering career which included 16 Group One wins. He has since been working mainly in the media… Read More »
On a day celebrating jockeys past and present, Rachel King has made her mark on the new season with a winning double at Randwick. After steering the Joe Pride-trained La Chica Bella back to the winners’ list, King took out the Jockeys Reunion Handicap (1300m) aboard Bangkok for Allan Denham…. Read More »
Usain Bowler has given trainer John Sadler an early 65th birthday present with a late-surge victory at The Valley. After taking over the training of Usain Bowler from the disqualified Robert Smerdon, Sadler felt Usain Bowler was capable of winning a good race up to 1600m. That was until an… Read More »
Linda Meech has celebrated her first Victorian jockeys’ premiership, riding a treble at the opening metropolitan meeting of the new season at The Valley. Despite a stint on the sidelines with a broken collarbone, Meech collected 139 wins last season on Victorian tracks to claim the title from John Allen… Read More »
Iron-horse Tarzan will get a belated chance in Sydney after breaking through for his first win over 1200m at Doomben. Tarzan ($7) had to work early but went to the lead and then held on to beat Snoopy ($7.50)by a head in the Tim Bell Memorial Handicap. Handsome Thief ($4.40)… Read More »
Trainer James Cummings is non-committal about where Roheryn will go in the spring with the four-year-old re-establishing his place in the Godolphin stable as a gelding. The winner of his first two starts, Roheryn was controversially beaten last November as odds-on favourite. He was given a long break and gelded… Read More »
I Boogi taught jockey Damian Lane a valuable lesson as the gelding embarked on his racing career at Werribee. Lane told then trainer Russell Cameron he thought the gelding was unbeatable at his debut in January 2016. However the gelding went up in the air as the gates opened before… Read More »
Talented jockey Rikki Palmer made a successful return to metropolitan riding after having her second child with an all-the-way win on Shauquin at Doomben on Saturday. Shauquin ($11), who is trained by her former master and good friend Harold Norman, gave Palmer one of the biggest thrills of her career… Read More »
Melbourne Cup winner and arguably Australia’s most popular horse Subzero has returned home after fighting colic and kidney issues. Subzero has made considerable improvement in recent days at Bendigo Equine Hospital and is now well enough to return home to his owners and best mate Graham Salisbury’s property. Subzero won… Read More »
Trainer Chris Munce’s fears that three-year-old Stampe might not run a strong 1350m were quickly shown to be baseless at Doomben. Stampe ($7) had no trouble humping 59kg to beat the favourite Astro Boy Toy ($2.20) by a half length in the River Junction Handicap (1350m). Munce said Stampe had… Read More »
Jockey Luke Nolen won’t be budged from the saddle of Taraayef after the filly returned with an impressive first-up win at The Valley. At her first outing since May, Taraayef claimed Saturday’s Hygain Tracktorque Handicap (1000m) coming from the second half of the field. Backed from $4.20 into $3.60 favouritism,… Read More »
In-form stayer Our Mantra has improved so much in recent weeks that he could now find himself in Victoria for the spring. Our Mantra ($3.20) made it four wins and a second from his past five starts when he raced away for a 2-1/4 length win over Miss Shanti ($4.20)… Read More »
Some of the season’s newly turned three-year-olds have shown they still have a bit to learn, putting on a messy display for the first race at Randwick. The Peter and Paul Snowden-trained Mandela was sent out the $3.10 favourite and eventually got his win on Saturday after coming out slowly… Read More »
Cheap yearling purchase Condo’s Express has upstaged some of his more expensive rivals with a stylish win at The Valley. A $3000 purchase at Scone in 2018, Condo’s Express took his prize money to more than $90,000 when taking out Saturday’s Seamus Mills Bloodstock Handicap. Ridden by Linda Meech, Condo’s… Read More »
Toowoomba trainer Tony Sear’s decision to scrap plans to try Magic Trick over longer distances proved a winner at Doomben. Sears had a long-range plan to get Magic Trick up to distances as far as 1600m after the gelding showed some indications of wanting further in his races as a… Read More »
