A system failure responsible for bringing the production of Australian racing information to a standstill will be the subject of an internal investigation. Racing Information Services Australia (RISA) pledged on Tuesday to get to the bottom of the ongoing glitch which has created havoc with racehorse trainers, jockeys, racing form… Read More »
Eric Ropiha, a decorated New Zealand horseman who trained the 1960 Caulfield Cup winner Ilumquh, has died. He was 88. Ilumquh’s Caulfield Cup victory was among the 716 winners Ropiha trained from 1948 until his retirement in 2001. As well as his Caulfield Cup win, Ilumquh was twice placed in… Read More »
Hugh Bowman and his wife Christine are celebrating the arrival of their first child with the leading jockey standing down from Sydney’s midweek meeting at Canterbury. Bowman’s wife Christine gave birth to a baby girl on Monday, the happy news broken on the jockey’s Twitter account. “Christine and I are… Read More »
A horse who looked certain to be snapped up by Asian bloodstock agents only to race ingloriously at his city debut will be out to redeem himself at Canterbury on Wednesday. Sweet Serendipity may no longer be a target for Hong Kong interest but that doesn’t mean trainer Jason Coyle… Read More »
Victorian jockey Peter Mertens has a punctured lung, busted ribs, a broken collarbone and a fractured ankle. But Victorian Jockeys’ Association boss Des O’Keeffe says Mertens is one of the luckiest riders going around as he starts a long road to recovery from his injuries suffered in a race fall… Read More »
Group One winning rider Peter Mertens and apprentice Jordan Childs have been taken to hospital after their mounts fell near the home turn in a race at Hamilton. Both were conscious with Childs complaining of wrist and arm pain while Mertens had pain in his collarbone, chest and knee. Both… Read More »
Girl In Flight will attempt to make a winning introduction to city racing this weekend and extend the unbeaten start to her career. But which race she contests – and at which course – is still up in the air. The undefeated daughter of Commands will be nominated for two… Read More »
Instead of getting ready for a $2 million race in Hong Kong, Aeronautical will be racing at home for a Listed win in a $100,000 sprint at Rosehill. A placegetter in the Newmarket Handicap earlier this year, Aeronautical was overlooked for an invitation to the Hong Kong Sprint at Sha… Read More »
Tony McEvoy already has big autumn plans for Mouro and hopes Sysmo shows himself worthy of similar lofty targets with his performance in the ATC Cup. The Listed ATC Cup (2000m) at Rosehill on Saturday is expected to be Sysmo’s final start of a three-state campaign before attention shifts to… Read More »
Robert Heathcote’s unbridled joy at his spring carnival successes have earned him the Victorian Racing Media’s personality of the year. Queensland’s premier trainer took perennial Group One placegetter Buffering to Melbourne where stepped up to win the Manikato Stakes and VRC Sprint in the absence of old foes Black Caviar… Read More »
The $3 million Doncaster Mile is the long-range aim for Chase The Rainbow who is on target for a summer comeback after a pleasing barrier trial win at Cranbourne. Trainer Rick Hore-Lacy said Chase The Rainbow would probably be entered for Saturday week’s Listed Doveton Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield before… Read More »
Almost a year after his hopes were dashed, Steve Englebrecht has revived his Villiers Stakes mission with Malavio. The gelding’s win in the 2012 Festival Stakes stamped him as a leading contender for the Villiers but he he missed the Group Two feature with a leg injury. Malavio returns to… Read More »
The Melbourne Cup winning combination of trainer Gai Waterhouse and jockey Damien Oliver has joined forces again to take out the Ballarat Cup with The Offer. Sunday’s $200,000 race was not as valuable as the $6 million Flemington showpiece but the win was just as sweet for part-owner John Bongiorno… Read More »
In a race designed to give Victorian youngsters a chance to perform in a clockwise direction, Sydney filly Sheer Style has come out on top. Despite her experience racing in the opposite direction to Victoria, the odds-one favourite veered out on the home turn but fought on doggedly to win… Read More »
Legislation giving the state government the power to cancel coal licences under scrutiny from the corruption watchdog has been met with relief by thoroughbred breeders. NSW premier Barry O’Farrell introduced the legislation last week in the wake of the Independent Commission Against Corruption’s findings former Labor minister Ian Macdonald acted… Read More »
The sweatbox has lost its appeal for popular Sydney jockey Rodney Quinn who has confirmed his retirement. The multiple Group One winning rider has been sidelined since July after injuring his knee getting out of the sauna and he has decided he doesn’t want to get back in. Quinn said… Read More »
As he sends stable star Better Than Ready for a summer break, trainer Kelly Schweida is looking to classy mare Discreet to step up over the next few weeks. She resumes racing at Eagle Farm on Saturday with Schweida plotting a course towards the Magic Millions carnival in January. Discreet… Read More »
Luckygray has won his second Railway Stakes at Ascot in Perth in much less controversial circumstances than his first. He’s Remarkable was first past the post in 2011 but lost the race to Luckygray after a controversial protest. There was no doubt on Saturday when Luckygray came with a late… Read More »
Queensland sprinter Buffering completed a hat-trick of Group One wins in the most desperate of circumstances at Ascot on Saturday. Winner of the Manikato Stakes and the VRC Sprint Classic during the Melbourne spring carnival, Buffering added the $500,000 Winterbottom Stakes to his haul. But he had to work hard… Read More »
Apprentice Priscilla Schmidt will spend more time on the sideline after receiving her second careless riding suspension in as many weeks. Schmidt was outed for seven meetings, after pleading guilty, for causing interference to Shiraz Attack on the home turn in the Bundaberg Distilling Co Handicap (1500m) at Eagle Farm… Read More »
