Fillydelphia is in peak form and fitness for Saturday’s Tattersall’s Recognition Stakes at Doomben but six months ago it was a different story. The mare was having a simple pick of grass when a blade pierced her right eyelid which caused an ulcer and forced Heathcote to abandon winter carnival… Read More »
The Neil Dyer-trained mare Belle Ez has bounced back from a nine-week enforced break because of illness to be better than ever. Belle Ez posted her first city win at Moonee Valley this month and will be chasing back-to-back metropolitan victories in the Carpet Call Handicap at Caulfield on Saturday…. Read More »
Anthony Cummings’s Melbourne Cup carnival ended with two stakes wins, a Victoria Derby placing and one missed opportunity. From 12 runners over the four days at Flemington, Cummings prepared Fontelina for his second Yellowglen Stakes victory and Surge Ahead to win a VRC Oaks day support race. The Randwick trainer… Read More »
Chris Symons reunites with Multilateral at Caulfield intent on keeping their perfect record intact. Symons has ridden the Chris Waller-trained imported galloper in two Melbourne wins but hasn’t been aboard the five-year-old in a race since April. The gelding has had six starts since – five in NSW – and… Read More »
Three-year-old By The Grace, impressive in his only two outings with a win and a second place, is being groomed for a stakes mission in Adelaide next year. By The Grace will line up as the favourite in the CRV Hospital Helping Hand Plate at Caulfield on Saturday. The God’s… Read More »
The rescheduled Werribee Cup race meeting will go ahead next month after the renovated surface was given the green light by stewards and jockeys. Werribee has been out of action for racing since a meeting in July was abandoned because its track was unsafe. Renovations on the inside section of… Read More »
John Cornish will step down from his role as chairman of the Australian Turf Club in February. His retirement from the post was announced at the club’s annual general meeting on Thursday with vice chairman Michael Crismale confirmed as his replacement. Cornish, the inaugural chairman of the ATC, has been… Read More »
Country Cups specialist Constant Force will be given another chance to prove himself at city level with trainer Symon Wilde wanting a dry track and some luck at Caulfield. Constant Force has been a dominant horse on the Victorian provincial scene with wins in last year’s Colac, Stawell and Ballan… Read More »
Dual Group winner Lady Of Harrods is showing trainer Russell Cameron all the signs she can snap a 14-month losing streak at Caulfield. Last year’s Thousand Guineas Prelude winner is approaching peak fitness heading into Saturday’s Carpet Call Handicap (1400m) and indicated she was closer to another win with her… Read More »
Kathy O’Hara’s affinity with Zaratone is matched only by the sprinter’s liking for 1100-metre races at Rosehill. And the winning formula will be present on all fronts this weekend in a race which holds significance for the pairing – the Listed Starlight Stakes. “His record is really good at Rosehill,… Read More »
Stewards have found a Sunshine Coast race fall that resulted in the death of jockey Desiree Gill was an accident. Gill died from head injuries when her mount Celtic Ambition clipped the heels of Stalwart Rowa and fell near the 1200-metre mark at the Sunshine Coast night meeting on November… Read More »
The vagaries of the Flemington straight proved too much for Liesele but trainer Liam Birchley expects a much-improved performance from the mare at Doomben on Saturday. Liesele finished seventh to the Chris Waller-trained Dystopia in the G H Mumm Stakes (1100m) on November 7 and Birchley is prepared to put… Read More »
She Can Skate is like a member of the family in the Wheeler household where Geoff is the trainer, son Reece the jockey and mum Debbie is a part-owner. With Geoff’s only other horse, Dramastic, in semi-retirement, the four-year-old stakes winner is his centre of attention. Wheeler, 59, who retired… Read More »
Long-term interests have won out over a potential end-of-year windfall for one of the best horses in Anthony Cummings’s stable. Cummings is renowned for the deep-end approach with his string but his plans for Strike The Stars are measured by the Randwick trainer’s usual standards. Strike The Stars will line… Read More »
Dunaden has been added to the field for the Hong Kong Vase at Sha Tin on December 8. Mikel Delzangles’ seven-year-old won the 12-furlong event in 2011 before finishing only fifth behind Red Cadeaux in last year’s renewal. The pair recently clashed in the Melbourne Cup with Red Cadeaux claiming… Read More »
The trainer-jockey combination which took Hot Danish to Group One glory enjoyed success at Canterbury on Wednesday. But there could have easily been even more reason to celebrate. Jockey Tim Clark and veteran trainer Les Bridge combined in three races for a win with Lofty Ambition and minor placings with… Read More »
A year ago trainer David Kelly thought Cheval Du Feu was something special. After Cheval Du Feu won his first three starts, Kelly began planning for this year’s winter carnival but those ambitions were thwarted by a spate of wet tracks. Kelly is hoping Cheval Du Feu’s win at Eagle… Read More »
He has matched strides with stakes winner I’m All The Talk on the training track, now Cosmic Cameo will be given the chance to earn a spot beside him on Gary Portelli’s autumn carnival team. The untapped colt resumed with a strong win in Wednesday’s Become An ATC Sponsor Handicap… Read More »
The biggest game in town has got even bigger. The Melbourne Cup carnival’s claim to be Australia’s most profitable sporting event received its strongest endorsement ever with the announcement by the Victoria Racing Club (VRC) of a record profit for the 2012-2013 season. The VRC, which runs Australian racing’s showpiece… Read More »
The Mornington Cup and potential Caulfield Cup qualification is in the sights of trainer Stephen Brown with Post D’France. But the gelding first has to pass another city test at Caulfield on Saturday in the $100,000 CFV Ambassadors Plate (2000m). Post D’France has won five of his seven starts since… Read More »
