Quarantine regulations have ruled Happy Trails out of a trip to Dubai and the Emirates Stakes winner will do his autumn racing in Sydney. His Adelaide trainer Paul Beshara said the long trip coupled with the stringent requirements to get the horse back to Australia made the exercise too hard…. Read More »
Star colt Pierro is among the nominations for the BMW released on Tuesday but his program is still up in the air. The three-year-old made his first public appearance since his Cox Plate third with an impressive barrier trial win at Rosehill on Tuesday. In the absence of an injured… Read More »
A lack of handicap options in Sydney means Willy Jimmy will join his Guy Walter-trained Group One winning stablemate Doctor Doom in Saturday’s Expressway Stakes at Warwick Farm. Walter scratched Willy Jimmy from Rosehill last Saturday due to a wide barrier and the seven-year-old will take his place in the… Read More »
The dream is alive for apprentice Lauren Stojakovic who has been confirmed as the rider of favourite Miracles Of Life in the Group One Blue Diamond Stakes. Adelaide-based Stojakovic, 29, has ridden Miracles Of Life in her three dominant wins, including a breathtaking victory in the Blue Diamond Preview at… Read More »
Stephen Baster makes his return to Australian racing on Sunday when he rides the Gai Waterhouse-trained Power Broker in the Hobart Cup. The meeting featuring the $225,000 Cup will be the jockey’s first appearance since having his riding licence in Singapore withdrawn without explanation by the Singapore Turf Club last… Read More »
New Zealand champion Mufhasa has been confirmed as a starter in Saturday’s C F Orr Stakes at Caulfield. His new trainer Bruce Wallace said the eight-year-old, who was also nominated for the Waikato Sprint at home, also over 1400 metres, would fly to Melbourne on Wednesday night. Mufhasa, who has… Read More »
The distance and the timing are right, it’s now a matter of whether Highly Recommended chooses to produce the talent his trainer believes he has in abundance. In the 11 months since he last won, Highly Recommended has been tested against some of the best company available and has come… Read More »
A stakes test for You’re So Good will have to wait a little longer with trainer Nigel Blackiston to use a midweek race at Sandown to gauge the filly’s autumn prospects. Blackiston has You’re So Good nominated for the Listed Kevin Hayes Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on Saturday but confirmed… Read More »
Classy import Manighar seems unlikely to run in Melbourne this autumn with trainer Peter Moody having difficulty finding an ideal kick-off point for the horse. While a firm program is yet to be set for the horse whose spring was cut short after only two runs, Sydney options appear to… Read More »
The autumn campaign of promising filly Miss Softhands is over following a freak mishap in a trial at Werribee on Monday. Trainer Colin Little said an injury the filly sustained on the way to an eight length win that appeared to have set her up for a lucrative carnival was… Read More »
The Blue Diamond Stakes picture will become clearer after Saturday’s Preludes at Caulfield with Sheikh Mohammed’s Darley operation looking to have four runners in the $1 million finale. But two of those – Metastasio and Montsegur were not among the original Blue Diamond nominations – leaving Darley liable for a… Read More »
The full set of Australia’s top autumn three-year-old races could well have taken more distinct shape for trainer Mick Kent by the end of this week. Kent, whose ambitions are matched by an uncanny skill to encourage horses to fulfil them, will run two of his most promising young gallopers… Read More »
The Golden Slipper hopes of four-time winning trainer Clarry Conners will become clearer on Tuesday when injured filly Assail undergoes an important test. A raceday scratching with a stone bruise from last month’s Magic Millions for which she was favourite, Assail subsequently had to have much of her hoof removed… Read More »
A freak barrier trial injury has put a start in Saturday’s Listed Kevin Hayes Stakes in serious doubt for promising filly Miss Softhands. In an incident that only became apparent after she won her trial at Werribee by eight lengths, Miss Softhands suffered a cut above the off-side hock when… Read More »
Every year the Expressway Stakes signals the start of Sydney’s autumn carnival which also means it’s the beginning of Centennial Park’s campaign. The seven-year-old lines up in the Group Two sprint for the fourth consecutive year with his record standing at one win, a second and fourth. He was at… Read More »
Maintaining the unbeaten record of his exciting galloper Callanish will be of secondary importance for trainer Mick Price to giving the horse its best chance of winning his major autumn target, the Australian Cup. Callanish came through a significant test in a trial at Werribee on Monday that Price believes… Read More »
A pre-race collision with a kangaroo proved costly for Art Delago at Port Macquarie but it’s been all systems go for the four-year-old gelding’s return to Taree on Tuesday. Owner-trainer Tony Green fancied Art Delago first-up at Port Macquarie on January 13 but the son of Al Samer went under… Read More »
Popular jockey Chris Symons has made a winning return with a double at Sale, the scene of a freak accident which kept him out of racing for more than four months. Symons broke his foot in late September when he had to take evasive action in the car park to… Read More »
The Challenge Stakes is back on the agenda for outstanding sprinter Hay List as he moves closer to a return from injury and illness. Trainer John McNair took Hay List for a day out at the Wyong races last week and Glyn Schofield gave him a leisurely canter around the… Read More »
The unbeaten gallopers Philippi and Callanish are among more than 100 autumn prospects to be put to the test in what promises to be Melbourne’s most revealing set of trials of the season at Werribee on Monday. The 23 trials also include four Darley-owned two-year-olds from the Peter Snowden stable,… Read More »
