Lloyd Williams is aiming for an eighth Melbourne Cup triumph, with the Victorian debuts of imports Post Impressionist and St Vincent’s Garden at Flemington on Saturday. Post Impressionist, trained by Anthony and Sam Freedman, won the Manion Cup at Rosehill but had issues in the G1 Tancred Stakes. He runs… Read More »
Champion jockey William Pike added another milestone to his glittering career record after the completion of the 2023-24 season at Belmont on Wednesday. Pike ended the season with a flourish, booting home a treble on Another Love, Made In Mexico and Wayne The Pain, to reach 107.5 metropolitan winners, 14.5 clear of Chris… Read More »
The saying goes that weight will stop a train, but it hasn’t been able to stop Stern Idol who will chase a fourth jumps victory for the year at Sandown. Stern Idol heads to the Crisp Steeplechase (4200m) on Sunday where he will be joined by his Ciaron Maher-trained stablemate Rockstar… Read More »
Luck hasn’t always favoured classy mare More Secrets, but co-trainer Michael Hawkes is hoping a little of it can go her way before she is retired to stud this season. More Secrets will line up for what could be her final start in the Jockeys Association Reunion Handicap (1500m) at… Read More »
The Lindsay Park stable of Ben, Will and Hayes finished just shy of 200 winners in the recently completely season and will be looking for an early Stakes race win at Flemington. The brothers prepared 199 winners Australia wide for the 2023-24 season and got the 2024-25 season off to a… Read More »
Blueblood gallopers brought in the new Australian racing season in style with three seven-figure yearlings and a daughter of former Group 1 mare Alizee all finding the winner’s stall early on Thursday. Three-year-old Snitzel filly Kirribilli scored a fighting win in the first Australian thoroughbred race of the season at Cranbourne,… Read More »
Trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr did not expect to see a winter staying race at Flemington to be as strong as it is for their imported galloper Lordship. The Inside Run Trophy (2530m) on Saturday has attracted Post Impressionist and Berkshire Breeze who are being talked of as contenders… Read More »
Promising mare Spring Lee will be on trial for a return shot at some black-type races when she resumes at the first metropolitan meeting of the new season. The four-year-old will step out in the Jockeys Celebration Day Handicap (1100m) on Saturday after winding up her most recent campaign with a… Read More »
Warwick Farm trainer David Pfieffer has long held ambitions of running sprinter Rocketing By down the straight at Flemington. That ambition becomes a reality on Saturday when the seven-year-old runs in the Group 3 Aurie’s Star Handicap (1200m). A veteran of 37 starts, Rocketing By will be having just his start in… Read More »
Ashrun, raced by Australian Bloodstock, has been retired from racing. The France-bred galloper, who shone both in Europe and Australia, ends his career as an eight-year-old. Ashrun’s highlights include a Group 3 win in France and elite placings in Germany. During the 2020 Spring Carnival, he won the G3 Hotham… Read More »
Espiona now owns a place among the most expensive mares ever sold in Australia after the Group 1 winner changed hands in a standalone sale overseen by Magic Millions on Wednesday afternoon. The daughter Extreme Choice, who turns six on Thursday, got to $4.15 million before being knocked down to Yulong… Read More »
The threat of a gelding procedure has been enough to spark the Gary Portelli-trained Iron Hawk to a debut win at Warwick Farm and earn him some much-needed brownie points with his trainer. Portelli admitted the Written Tycoon colt had been a source of frustration, showing above-average ability on the training… Read More »
Jockey Patrick Moloney could not have asked for a better way to wind up the 2023-24 racing season at Sandown. Moloney walked away from Wednesday’s meeting with a winning double, from just two rides, scoring aboard Winchester in the Sportsbet Photo Finish Refund Handicap (1000m) and Charisse in the Stow Storage Solutions… Read More »
A pair of Group One wins by Broadsiding have been among the season highlights for trainer James Cummings and he will again be looking to the young colt to fly the stable flag this spring. Following the retirement of weight-for-age superstar Anamoe last year, Godolphin had a significant void to fill and reflecting… Read More »
Everest runner-up I Wish I Win will have an opportunity to go one better this year after being officially confirmed to represent the slot held by Entain’s Trackside Media. Trackside selected the Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained I Wish I Win for the 2023 renewal and the gelding came within a half-length… Read More »
A lot of water has gone under the bridge since La Danseuse last stepped out on the racecourse. That was just over two months ago when the Cliff Brown-trained mare went within 0.01 seconds of breaking the 1100m course record at Caulfield. In preparation for a Stakes race at Caulfield… Read More »
Annabel Neasham’s name will no longer appear solo in the form guide with the top Sydney trainer to team up with Rob Archibald. Neasham announced on Wednesday that pair would form a training partnership from Thursday’s commencement of the 2024/25 season. The well-travelled Archibald has been Neasham’s racing manager for… Read More »
Ballarat based Henry Dwyer says there is some trepidation when training a horse from afar as he has been doing with Asfoora. Last month’s King Charles III Stakes winner at Royal Ascot is set to run at Goodwood in the early hours of Saturday morning (Australian time) in the Group 2… Read More »
Top jockey Mark Zahra is making his return to Melbourne racing at Sandown on Wednesday, following an extended holiday in the US. Known for his dominance in recent Spring Carnivals, Zahra has clinched two Melbourne Cups and two Caulfield Cups over the past four seasons. Entering the new racing season… Read More »
Call it the ‘prize-money premiership’ if you like … two heavy-hitters going toe to toe in the final round in their quest to become the racing stable with the most prize-money earned for the season. No prizes for guessing the combatants are Chris Waller and Ciaron Maher. It really is… Read More »
