Gai Waterhouse headed to Canterbury on Wednesday confident Romantic Touch could make her start to the racing day a winning one. But even the ever-optimistic trainer would have been hard-pressed to predict the demolition performance the juvenile produced. Stepping up to 1550 metres for the first time in the Australian… Read More »
Disqualified jockey Danny Nikolic will face two more charges out of his inquiry involving Racing Victoria chief steward Terry Bailey. The latest charges stem from a Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal hearing in November where it is alleged the jockey acted improperly towards Wade Hadley, a member of the RV… Read More »
Chris Waller will roll the dice with promising two-year-old Zoustar and give him a shot at Group company in Saturday’s BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes at Doomben. The youngster was a dual acceptor in two states, with Waller paying up for the 1350m feature as well as a 1200m set weights… Read More »
Regardless of what Less Is More achieves in his racing career, it’s doubtful he will ever replace Lamasery as trainer David Vandyke’s favourite horse. Vandyke and Lamasery’s owners made an emotionally-charged decision to retire the gelding after he finished ninth in last Saturday’s Doomben Cup. “It was a very sad… Read More »
A restricted-class race over a middle distance at Randwick on Saturday is shaping as an important pointer towards Brisbane’s two winter carnival Classics. A field of 16 and five emergencies were paid up for the Pixable Handicap (2000m), among them a host of Queensland Derby and Queensland Oaks hopefuls. One… Read More »
A comeback jumps jockey combined with Melbourne’s premier trainer and a horse with superior flat form to win the maiden hurdle at Sandown on Wednesday. Proven stayer Macedonian was a class above in an impressive jumps debut in the Robert Fitzgerald Memorial Hurdle (3300m), giving trainer Peter Moody his first… Read More »
Hippopus will back up in Saturday’s Grand Prix Stakes as trainer Gai Waterhouse attempts to revive his flagging Queensland Derby campaign. Hippopus beat only one rival home when he finished 12th in last Saturday’s Group One Doomben Cup (2000m) won by imported stayer Beaten Up. “Gai didn’t really want him… Read More »
Peter Moody has ruled out a Stradbroke Handicap start for Strawberry Boy and will use a race at Caulfield on Saturday to test the promising galloper for a potential spring target. Strawberry Boy made a successful debut for the Moody stable with a tough win over 1400m at Flemington. The… Read More »
Trainer Kelly Schweida believes Better Than Ready is adaptable enough to take advantage of a rails draw in Saturday’s Group One Doomben 10,000. Better Than Ready settled at the rear of the field in the BTC Cup at Eagle Farm on May 11 before making up ground to finish third… Read More »
Star hurdler Black And Bent raced into history at Sandown on Wednesday in a triumphant return to jumps racing. The seven-year-old claimed an Australian record 10th successive victory with a dominant performance in the $100,000 Jack Dow Memorial Hurdle (3300m) – his first over jumps in more than a year…. Read More »
Sydney colt Your Song will have to overcome a wide draw if he is to add another Group One win to his record in the Doomben 10,000 on Saturday. Your Song, a brilliant first-up winner of the Group One BTC Cup on a rain-affected track, has drawn the deepest barrier… Read More »
The Group One Spring Champion Stakes has been moved from the biggest race meeting of the Sydney spring carnival. A race for three-year-olds, the Spring Champion Stakes has been put back a week and will be run as a stand-alone feature at Randwick on October 12. The switch means it… Read More »
Apprentice Tom Sadler has been cleared of any breach of the rules of racing over his ride on Supreme Warrior at Sandown last week after stewards accepted evidence his vision had been impaired by mud during the race. But deputy chief steward Robert Cram told Sadler his performance on the… Read More »
Devised has been narrowly denied in the past two Wagga Wagga Gold Cups on his home track but now trainer Tim Donnelly has shifted his sights to winning another NSW country feature race. Donnelly is looking at taking Devised to the $150,000 Grafton Cup in July and has decided the… Read More »
Black And Bent’s shot at an Australian jumps racing record will take place on Wednesday at the same venue where his streak started more than three years ago. It is no wonder the extra few days wait from Sunday’s abandoned program at Mornington and the change of track is of… Read More »
An early spring campaign for Everage that would probably involve meeting the Golden Slipper winner Overreach on similar terms has been shelved in favour of extending her two-year-old season. Everage is among 20 nominations for the 2YO Plate at Randwick on Saturday and is a confirmed starter for the race,… Read More »
Victoria is to get a second all-weather, synthetic racetrack as part of the new $70 million Pakenham racecourse project. The new synthetic track announced on Tuesday by Victorian Premier and Racing Minister Denis Napthine will be 2000m in circumference and capable of staging races from 1000m to 2400m. It is… Read More »
A horse Keith Dryden decided to race himself to keep faith with a long-time client will be out to confirm how unlucky he was during the Wagga Wagga Gold Cup carnival when he returns to city racing. Daryl will line up in the Hyland Race Colours Handicap (1250m) at Canterbury… Read More »
A jump-out later this week will be the first of two important tests for three-year-old Shamexpress before he departs for his Royal Ascot assignment. Trainer Danny O’Brien confirmed the Group One Newmarket Handicap winner would have a jump-out at Flemington on Friday, and again the following week before he leaves… Read More »
Bel Sprinter might have run second to Lucky Nine in the KrisFlyer Sprint in Singapore but trainer Jason Warren is still justifiably proud of the way he represented Australia. The Caspar Fownes-trained Lucky Nine gave Hong Kong-trained horses the first of the two major races on Sunday with Military Attack… Read More »
