A canny ride by an old hand on a forgiving track has given Peal Of Bells a decisive win in the Stayers Cup at Randwick to set up a trip to Brisbane. Veteran Robert Thompson had the Gwenda Markwell-trained gelding in a relaxed mood as the lead changed several times… Read More »
Victorian galloper Linton has capitalised on a dream run along the rails to win the $1.36 million Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm. Coming from last as the Group One field headed for the finish, Linton scraped the fence for jockey Nick Hall to deny Queensland star Buffering his first Group… Read More »
Nash Rawiller is confident Romantic Touch’s first Group One win in the JJ Atkins at Eagle Farm on Saturday won’t be his last. Starting favourite, Romantic Touch ($2.35) led all the way to win the Atkins by a half length from Zoustar ($4) with Paximadia ($8) a short head away… Read More »
Chris Waller insists no horse deserves to win a Group One more than Red Tracer. And the classy five-year-old will get her chance to do so in the Tattersall’s Tiara in two weeks after becoming the first dual winner of the Group Two Dane Ripper Stakes (1400m) at Eagle Farm… Read More »
The Chris Waller-trained Hawkspur has completed a clean sweep of the Brisbane winter carnival triple crown for three-year-old stayers. A winner of the Rough Habit Plate and the Grand Prix, Hawkspur added the $500,000 Group One Queensland Derby to his haul at Eagle Farm on Saturday. And it was thanks… Read More »
Brenton Avdulla’s confidence in Howmuchdoyouloveme has never wavered despite a controversial year. And the talented sprinter rewarded Avdulla’s faith yet again when he won Saturday’s Lightning Handicap (1000m) at Eagle Farm. “He’ll always have a special place in my heart and even though he had plenty of weight I thought… Read More »
Romantic Touch has scored an all-the-way win in the JJ Atkins at Eagle Farm, giving trainer Gai Waterhouse her first win in the Group One race. Ridden in the same manner which produced two lead-up wins in Sydney, Romantic Touch made his own luck from the front under Nash Rawiller… Read More »
The ups and downs of Josh Adams’ career have been testing for the 21-year-old who is hoping to capitalise on a Randwick winner for his old boss Gerald Ryan. A leading light in the apprentice ranks two years ago and winner of the Sydney premiership for junior riders in 2010-2011,… Read More »
For the second year in a row, Peter Snowden has prepared a horse to win a Stradbroke Handicap day support race which he insists would have been competitive in the main event. Snowden decided not to accept for the Stradbroke with three-year-old gelding Academus because it already had Group One-winning… Read More »
The Queensland Thoroughbred Racing Board has set aside $1.2 million to upgrade the Eagle Farm course proper. QTRB chairman Kevin Dixon said money from the Industry Infrastructure Strategy fund had been allocated to start design and engineering works for the renovation. “Eagle Farm is our most important racing asset and… Read More »
An ambitious spring program aimed at the Group One Flight Stakes awaits Northern Glory, winner of the two-year-old event at Randwick on Saturday. Trainer Gai Waterhouse has a big opinion of the filly who overhauled favourite Everage in the straight to win the Mounties Group Plate (1200m). Sent out at… Read More »
Trainer Barry Lockwood no longer regards Tokamak as a horse with a crazy streak. Maintaining his consistent winter carnival form, Tokamak ($10) won Saturday’s Strawberry Road Handicap (1600m) at Eagle Farm by a long neck from Someday ($4.40) with Transporter ($3.40) three-quarters-of-a-length away third. But Lockwood admits his first opinion… Read More »
Mornington training partners David Brideoake and David Feek are planning for the spring with Lady Lakshmi after the filly’s Flemington win on Saturday. Lady Lakshmi posted her second straight city win in the Murray Cox Handicap (1400m) and Feek said her victories had convinced the stable to target Group One… Read More »
Missy Longstocking’s winter carnival campaign is likely to be extended after her win in the Hampden Stakes at Eagle Farm on Saturday. Ridden by Damian Browne, Missy Longstocking ($2.70) held off a determined challenge from Enquare ($17) to win by a neck with Jet Down On It ($51) 2-1/2 lengths… Read More »
Victorian trainer Dean Binaisse will still have to attend a stewards inquiry despite tests on his horses being clear of peptides or any other prohibited substances. Racing Analytical Services undertook tests on both fresh and frozen samples on all horses in the Binaisse stable as part of a stewards investigation… Read More »
Further controversy surrounds the sale of horses from Patinack Farm with auctioneer Magic Millions withdrawing 13 horses from Friday’s sale. Owner Nathan Tinkler put all his stock, excluding stallions, in a supposedly unreserved sale at the Magic Millions but withdrew 22 racehorses on Wednesday, some of which are racing at… Read More »
There are a few empty boxes at Don Robb’s Wyong stable and he’s hoping Big Bonanza can help fill them. The gelding runs in Saturday’s Listed June Stakes (1200m) as part of his lead-up to next month’s Ramornie Handicap at Grafton. Robb has just eight horses in work but is… Read More »
A horse trained like a sprinter will be out to confirm her worth as a stayer at Randwick on Saturday. Country-trained Declasse will take her place in the appropriately named Stayers Cup on the back of an unorthodox training regime. “All I do with her is give a lot of… Read More »
Group One opportunities are hard to come by these days for Darren Gauci but the veteran jockey is keen to make the most of his chance in the Queensland Derby. Gauci, 48, rode the first of his 34 Group One victories almost 30 years ago and is out to add… Read More »
The one factor beyond the control of Tony Gollan is also his greatest fear with Spirit Of Boom in Saturday’s Stradbroke Handicap. Gollan says the weather holds the key to Spirit Of Boom’s prospects of winning the $1.38 million sprint. “Unfortunately he’s dictated to by the weather because he needs… Read More »
