Samartested will not join her high-profile big sister Samaready in trainer Mick Price’s spring carnival plans but the filly managed to secure a valuable city win on Wednesday. Price believes dual Group One winner Samaready is going as well as ever building up to her spring return, while three-year-old Samartested… Read More »
Smart mare Tear it Up could have earned herself another season of racing with her win at Eagle Farm on Wednesday. Sent out favourite, Tear It Up ($1.90) had too much class for a field of restricted-class mares when she won the Hamilton Hotel Handicap (1000m). Trainer Tony Gollan said… Read More »
The respect Rowley Mile bookmakers are showing for Mr Chard has been more than matched by trainer Tony McEvoy’s regard for the comeback galloper. Mr Chard will be having his third run after being off the scene for more than 70 weeks because of a suspensory injury when he lines… Read More »
Imported stayer Tres Blue will not be a part of Gai Waterhouse’s bid to win the Melbourne Cup for the second time in as many years. A starter in last year’s Melbourne Cup won by retired stablemate Fiorente, Tres Blue is out of the spring because of minor fractures in… Read More »
Claiming apprentice Rikki Jamieson has received a vote of confidence from connections by retaining the ride on spring carnival-bound Lucky Tom at Doomben. Lucky Tom will take the first step towards the Caulfield Guineas and Cox Plate in the Australian Open Polo Doomben Handicap (1200m) on Saturday. Jamieson resumed riding… Read More »
Three days after winning the Vain Stakes in Melbourne, Adelaide jockey Joe Bowditch has broken his leg in a trackwork accident. Trainer Lloyd Kennewell said Bowditch broke both the tibia and fibula when a horse he was schooling at Morphettville for another trainer ducked left after clearing a jump and… Read More »
Wet-track specialist Destiny’s Kiss is an early favourite to add the Rowley Mile to his collection of feature-race wins. A winner of the Stayers Cup over 3200m two starts ago, Destiny’s Kiss ($3.60) heads first TAB markets on the Hawkesbury Listed race from Victorian galloper Mr Chard ($4.60). Hawkesbury was… Read More »
Peter Morgan is considering an interstate option for stakes-winning filly Eloping’s race return after the three-year-old pleased in a trial win at Cranbourne. Eloping won four of her eight starts during her juvenile season which comprised races in three states. The filly stepped out in an 800-metre heat at Cranbourne… Read More »
A revised weather forecast will almost certainly ensure a heavy surface for the official start to the Sydney spring carnival at Randwick on Saturday. While the Randwick course proper showed marginal improvement on Tuesday morning, Australian Turf Club officials are resigned to the Warwick Stakes meeting being one for the… Read More »
A pleasing gallop at Moonee Valley from Kencella has the talented sprinter on target for his first-up assignment in the Carlyon Stakes. The former John O’Shea-trained speedster makes his debut for the Chris Waller stable in Saturday’s 1000-metre Listed race where his opposition is set to include classy sprinter Villa… Read More »
The untapped potential of lightly raced Stitch Me Up is what trainer Shane Nichols is excited about heading into Wednesday’s Sandown meeting. Stitch Me Up will chase back-to-back midweek city wins in The Cove Hotel Handicap (1400m) and Nichols hopes it can be a stepping stone to bigger targets later… Read More »
Leilani Lodge is missing top mare Norzita from its spring team but James Cummings expects at least two horses to go some way towards covering for her loss. One of them, Hallowed Crown, is entered for Saturday’s Up and Coming Stakes. And the other, Sultry Feeling, is tipped to go… Read More »
Racehorse syndicators Dean and Adam Watt have been fined $20,000 after a stewards’ inquiry found they registered website domain names designed to mislead visitors. Found guilty of improper conduct at a Racing NSW stewards’ hearing earlier this month, the Watts have lodged an appeal against the findings that they registered… Read More »
A campaign that holds great expectations for Lankan Rupee has started with a pleasing barrier trial at Cranbourne. Even though Lankan Rupee was beaten, both trainer Mick Price and jockey Craig Newitt gave the triple Group One winner their seal of approval after the hit-out on rain-affected ground. In his… Read More »
Trainer Aidan O’Brien has issued concerns over the fitness of Australia as the dual Derby winner is pitched into all-aged competition for the first time in the Juddmonte International. Since being narrowly beaten into third by Night Of Thunder and Kingman in the 2000 Guineas, the son of Galileo and… Read More »
Tony McEvoy is keen for Affirmation to have a decent hit-out on Tuesday morning ahead of the Up And Coming Stakes and hopes wet weather doesn’t foil his plans. An impressive last-start winner over 1400m at Caulfield, Affirmation is one of 13 nominations for Saturday’s Up And Coming Stakes (1300m)… Read More »
Victorian racing officials have joined with mental health organisation beyondblue to launch a program aimed at addressing mental and physical problems faced by trainers. Pilot workshops for the Wellbeing Program will focus on mental health. Racing Victoria and the Australian Trainers’ Association have engaged beyondblue to run the four workshops… Read More »
The onset of rain in Sydney has caused a hiccup in the preparations of some of Gerald Ryan’s new season three-year-olds. Barrier trials at Rosehill were abandoned on Monday due to the wet and three of the stable’s spring Group One hopefuls, Peggy Jean, Charlie Boy and Bachman, will now… Read More »
Stewards have dropped conduct charges against popular Goulburn trainer Ken Callaughan for his public remarks over changes to race dates at his home track. South East Racing Association stewards reconvened an inquiry on Monday into the comments attributed to Callaughan in the Daily and Sunday Telegraphs. Callaughan voiced his view… Read More »
Iconic has a Group placing behind the horse now ranked the world’s best sprinter but resumes at Moonee Valley on Saturday chasing his first stakes victory. Iconic has twice been runner-up at Group level including his 3-3/4-length defeat by Lankan Rupee in the Rubiton Stakes (1100m) in February. The Tony… Read More »
