The 1992 Melbourne Cup winner Subzero is under veterinary care because of weight loss and a reduced appetite. The much-loved rising 25-year-old, who worked as clerk-of-the-course horse for 15 years after retiring from the racetrack, has been examined at the University of Melbourne Veterinary Clinic at Werribee. Racing Victoria says… Read More »
Trainer Patrick Payne will give promising two-year-old Late Charge a chance at the big time with the colt a definite starter in his first city race at Flemington on Saturday. But his other entry in the Riverdale Handicap (1400m), Impeccable Me, could be drafted to run at Cranbourne on Thursday… Read More »
Premier Brisbane trainer Robert Heathcote has welcomed stable stars Buffering and Solzhenitsyn back to training to get ready for an assault on Group One races in Melbourne. Both were given a few weeks off after running in the Stradbroke Handicap won by Linton on June 8 in which Buffering was… Read More »
The Hawkesbury Gold Cup has figured in a new-season move in a shift designed to strengthen NSW provincial racing’s involvement in the Sydney spring carnival. Run for $150,000 at Group Three level, the Cup has been brought forward from a November timeslot to August. It will be held on August… Read More »
Gai Waterhouse’s bid for her first Melbourne Cup steps up a gear on Friday when her major contenders run in barrier trials at Randwick. As is now the prevailing pattern in Australia, all are former European stayers bought with the Cup and other major distance events in mind. Fiorente had… Read More »
A veteran trainer with two horses on his books and only a vague recollection of his last city winner could be an unlikely ally for Hugh Bowman at Randwick on Wednesday. Doing his best to see off a late-season jockeys’ premiership charge from Nash Rawiller, Bowman will be hoping to… Read More »
The Winter Stakes is likely to be run without two of its main attractions with topweight Mic Mac an uncertain starter and French import Bayrir to be saved for another day. Trainer Paul Messara said Mic Mac’s 60.5kg made it almost impossible for him to win and he was looking… Read More »
Hong Kong plans for Bel Sprinter have been put on the back burner as the gelding is directed towards two Group One races during the Melbourne spring carnival. Bel Sprinter arrived back at trainer Jason Warren’s Mornington property on Saturday after a two-month stint in quarantine following his second placing… Read More »
Victorian racing officials will continue to investigate the Smoking Aces affair despite police saying no criminal charges will be laid against jockey Danny Nikolic or any other party. Purana Taskforce detectives have completed an investigation into alleged race fixing and money laundering linked to a number of horse races in… Read More »
Connections of Single Style have bypassed the Winter Stakes at Rosehill to run the filly in a support race on Saturday’s program for more prize money. Trainer Gary Portelli said the BOBS bonus made it more worthwhile to run Single Style in the benchmark 85 rather than the Listed feature…. Read More »
International Group One winner Bayrir is among the entries for the Winter Stakes but a final decision has yet to be made whether he will make his Australian debut at Rosehill on Saturday. Formerly prepared by Melbourne Cup winning trainer Alain du Royer-Dupre who sent him to the United States… Read More »
The search for a dry track for Group One winner Zabeelionaire has switched from Brisbane to Flemington where the horse is entered for Saturday’s Gala Supreme Handicap. Since he won the South Australian Derby in May last year, trainer Leon Corstens has experienced a frustrating run with Zabeelionaire that continued… Read More »
Mr Entertainer could back up as soon as Wednesday from a luckless run at Warwick Farm on Saturday – weather permitting. Trainer Grant Allard has also nominated him for the two-year-old race at Rosehill on Saturday if Randwick’s midweek meeting is held on a deteriorating track with rain predicted in… Read More »
No action is to taken against any jockey who rode in a race that led to claims of widespread corruption in Victorian racing. Victoria Police investigated the race run in August, 2011 at Cranbourne, handing over their findings to the state’s public prosecutor who is not taking the matter any… Read More »
His skull cap was decorated with a bright, shiny cover as were his indiscretions. Damien Oliver, dual Melbourne Cup winner, Hall of Fame jockey and one-time punter returned to riding after an enforced eight-month absence on Monday, bouncing back as though he’d hardly been away. One of the first horses… Read More »
One of the most celebrated comebacks in Australian racing got under way on Monday when Damien Oliver sat on a horse for the first time in eight months. Oliver’s eight-month disqualification for betting $10,000 on a horse in a race in which he rode ended at the weekend. He still… Read More »
A trip from Sydney to Melbourne for one ride on a cold, wet Sunday at Sandown always looked like a questionable gamble for Sydney jockey Blake Shinn. It turned out to be a disaster. Shinn, who copped two suspensions amounting to 27 meetings at Warwick Farm on Saturday, rode first-starter… Read More »
Snitzerland returns to Gerald Ryan’s stable on Monday to be prepared for a campaign aimed at an elusive Group One victory and an invitation to Royal Ascot. The filly has been runner-up twice at Group One level in the 2012 Golden Slipper and the Galaxy earlier this year. Black Caviar’s… Read More »
The best two horses in the game, the best jockey and two of Australia’s finest trainers shared the triumphs at Sandown on Sunday as the positive side of jumps racing scored a victory over the negative. For sustained power the day belonged to Crisp Steeplechase winner Bashboy; for courage and… Read More »
Londehero returns to training with Matt Dunn this week with the $1 million Golden Rose at Rosehill in September an ambitious target. His return coincides with another setback for stablemate The White Hope, a horse Dunn rates as among the most talented he has trained but also one of the… Read More »
