Melea Castle was at it again at Doomben on Wednesday. After bringing home the $1.75 betting sites favourite Tessatori with assurance in the opening race on the card, Castle, a 3kg claiming apprentice in town, rounded off her day with a scintillating win aboard the $6.50 chance Mystic Mac in… Read More »
Refreshed after a break where he also got engaged, jockey Michael Dee has hit the ground running in the lead up to the Melbourne Spring Carnival. Dee landed a four-timer at Flemington late last month and has continued his good form into the early part of the new season. The… Read More »
Rachel King won’t be in action at Randwick on Saturday and with good reason. The Sydney-based jockey will make a hit-and-run visit to her native England this week to compete in the prestigious Shergar Cup at Ascot where she has been chosen to captain the Rest of the World team. It… Read More »
Queanbeyan trainer Joe Cleary is hoping King Gutho has done enough to put his name in the hat for a Kosciuszko slot with a breakthrough metropolitan win at Canterbury. Intent on advertising the gelding’s credentials for the $2 million feature, Cleary called on James Mcdonald to partner the six-year-old in the Vale George… Read More »
The Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young stable were expecting a positive debut at Sandown from Daggers but did not see the demolition job he did on his rivals. A half-brother to stablemate Muramasa, Daggers showed a scintillating turn of foot to claim the Tobin Brothers Celebrating Lives Plate (1300m) on Wednesday…. Read More »
When an ambitious plan has a perfect outcome. That is the back-story of the Gold Coast based trainer Peter Robl and the six-year-old gelding Hadouken after the son of Real Impact made it a perfect three wins from three starts over the Darwin Carnival when completing the hat-trick by taking… Read More »
Trainer Ciaron Maher has more than half the runners in the Travis Harrison Cup at Moonee Valley with half those runners on a potential Cups campaign. Smokin’ Romans, Interpretation and Duke De Sessa feature among nominations for the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) in October, while Too Close The Sun, Normandy Bridge and Wyclif will… Read More »
Chris Waller saw some positive signs in Manzoice’s first preparation as a gelding and he remains hopeful the Victoria Derby winner can continue to build on that this spring. The 2022 classic victor will be the first of Waller’s Group 1 brigade to kick off their season when he resumes in… Read More »
Who will be aboard star sprinter Giga Kick when he makes his return in the Concorde Stakes could become clearer next week when the gelding steps out in Sydney. The five-year-old had his most serious workout of what has been a lengthy campaign at Mornington on Wednesday when he finished second… Read More »
New Zealand trainer Ken Kelso is thrilled with the resuming trial of multiple Group 1 winner Legarto. The star mare won her 900m heat against a quality field, prompting Kelso to nominate her for the Cox Plate. Jockey Ryan Elliot has been impressed with Legarto’s improvement, noting she is better… Read More »
Aidan O’Brien has nominated his superstar galloper Auguste Rodin for both the Caulfield Cup and the Cox Plate. The six-time Group 1 winner, including last year’s English Derby and the Prince of Wales’s Stakes, is also in the mix for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, the Breeders Cup Turf,… Read More »
The nominations for the 2024 Cox Plate have been released with 137 horses entered for the MVRC’s feature event. While numbers for the Cox Plate were down from 178 12 months ago, there were 20 international gallopers entered, up from 17 last year, including three from Japan. The Moonee Valley… Read More »
The first declarations for the 2024 Caulfield Cup have today been released with 173 horses entered for MRC’s feature event. Total entries for the Caulfield Cup, 173, is two shy of the total in 2023, but the international representation of 36 is 12 more than last year. Julian Cook, Melbourne… Read More »
Luke Fernie was rapt with the run of Devoted in Melbourne on Saturday, driving ambitious Ascot carnival plans later this year. The Perth-owned six-year-old turned up for his Flemington challenge with a second placing behind Gentleman Roy in a 1410m handicap. Currently under the care of the Hayes brothers, Ben, JD… Read More »
After a winless winter campaign, the veteran gelding’s career isn’t finished yet and he’ll return to defend his Idyllic Prince Stakes (1300m) crown on August 24. Trainer Simon Miller said Valour Road is on song for his first-up run, albeit he’s mindful the nine-year-old is reaching the latter stages of a wonderful… Read More »
The spring picture has got a little clearer with the nominations closing for two of the three features in Melbourne, the Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate. Tuesday saw 173 horses entered for the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 19 while there were 137 nominations for the Group 1… Read More »
Ben Thompson, who is in Queensland enjoying a break from race riding, will head back to Hong Kong shortly to prepare for the start of what he hopes will be his first full season in that highly competitive racing precinct. “I go back in two weeks,” confirmed Thompson. “I’ll get… Read More »
The smile said it all … but, then again, Stephanie Thompson is seldom without a happy outlook at the track. But this was special in its own way. Back home for the current break in-between the Hong Kong seasons, where Steph’s husband and fellow jockey Ben now plies his trade,… Read More »
Trainer Ciaron Maher took advantage of giving Melbourne Cup favourite Circle Of Fire a look at Moonee Valley as the imported galloper builds his fitness ahead of the Melbourne Spring Carnival. Circle Of Fire sits on the fourth line of Caulfield Cup betting while he is the $11 Melbourne Cup favourite ahead… Read More »
Japanese star Prognosis is Racing Victoria’s prime target for this year’s Cox Plate. Paul Bloodworth, Racing Victoria’s international recruiter, confirmed that Prognosis’s connections are considering a Melbourne trip this spring. Prognosis, a six-year-old, boasts three Group 2 wins over 2000m in Japan and finished second to Romantic Warrior in last… Read More »
