Cliff BrownĀ was entitled to be a nervous wreck when saddling KikoĀ at Sandown after being entrusted with training the mare while her regular conditioner Jim ConlanĀ recovers from knee surgery. There had been plenty of banter leading up to the Evergreen Turf Handicap (1200m) on Wednesday between Brown, Conlan and the mare’s… Read More »
The 2023/24 racing season is set to conclude with a bang with Group 1 winner EspionaĀ to be sold on the final day of the racing year. The five-year-old daughter of Extreme Choice will be offered in a standalone digital sale to be conducted via Magic Millions auctioneer Clint Donovan on… Read More »
Kerrin McEvoy will miss the next two city meetings as he heads off for a short family break, but he is already looking forward to the new season and reuniting with Doncaster Mile winner Celestial Legend. The top jockey was sidelined for much of the autumn after fracturing a vertebra… Read More »
Trainer Tony NoonanĀ was as excited for the metropolitan breakthrough win of apprentice DakotaĀ KeaneĀ as the young rider herself at Sandown. The Mornington-based horseman has had a number of apprentices go through his stable over a long period of time and had no hesitation in declaring Keane will make the grade. Having… Read More »
Godolphin will let the dust settle before determining where TarpaulinĀ fits into their spring plans following the well-related colt’s classy maiden win at Warwick Farm. A half-brother to multiple Group winner and stablemate Aft Cabin, Tarpaulin had shown promise at his only two starts to date, including a first-up second to… Read More »
A dominant first-up win has Peter Snowden optimistic that MafiaĀ can extend his distance range this campaign, although the trainer isn’t ready to test the theory just yet. An $850,000 yearling purchase, Mafia broke his maiden over 1000m in provincial grade in June last year and shortly after was sold via… Read More »
Warrnambool trainer Tom DabernigĀ is banking on a return to Caulfield and a rain-affected track turning around the fortunes of Ashford Street. The sprinter has had three starts since joining Dabernig’s yard, two at Caulfield, for a win and a second, and an unplaced finish at Flemington. The Group 3 Sir… Read More »
Five Victorian stables will contest charges related to horses testing positive for two banned substances on race day. The Victorian Racing Tribunal (VRT) was informed of the charges on Wednesday, involving the stables of Smiley Chan, Mark and Levi Kavanagh, Julius Sandhu, Symon Wilde, and Ash and Amy Yargi. Racing… Read More »
The Listed Kalgoorlie Cup (2300m) in October looks to be the ideal spring target for trainer Dan Morton’s quality stayer, Another Chino. MortonĀ won the Kalgoorlie Cup with Staffords Lad in 2022 and believes Another ChinoĀ has the qualities to give him a second victory in three years. Another Chino has won… Read More »
Legendary horse trainer Gai Waterhouse has sparked a heated debate in the racing community with her recent tweet criticising the frequent postponement and abandonment of races and trials due to rain. In her tweet, Waterhouse questioned the decision-making behind these cancellations, arguing that heavy tracks are safer for horses as… Read More »
A swag of betting agencies last week opened markets on the Group 1 races in Melbourne and Sydney this Spring Carnival and no name features more prominently than Pride Of Jenni. The Ciaron MaherĀ -trained mare occupies a place on the top two lines of betting in 10 features, including being… Read More »
White Marlin, a former Melbourne Cup favourite, has begun his racetrack comeback. After injuring both tendons in August last year, he has been in pre-training for just under a month at the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable. Early signs are positive, but a full return to work will take… Read More »
Nick Ryan’s stable star Munhamek is set to race in the Group 2 PB Lawrence Stakes at Caulfield on August 17, following his impressive victory in the Listed Winter Championship Series Final, his third consecutive win. “He pulled up super,” Ryan told racing.com. “He was at the beach this morning… Read More »
Trainer Henry Dwyer has hinted that Asfoora may return to Royal Ascot, citing a lack of suitable races in Australia. Connections plan to race Asfoora well into her six-year-old season, with potential runs in France on Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe Day and the US Breeders’ Cup in 2024. A… Read More »
It was a good weekend for jockey Kyle Wilson-Taylor with notable wins at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday and at Grafton on Sunday as he quietly continues to widen his net of contacts in his search to create greater and better riding options … although the Grafton Cup Quality Prelude… Read More »
A meeting with Party Of Two’s owners late on Monday afternoon was to decide whether the Queensland filly will contest Saturday’s $200,000 Sir John Monash Stakes at Caulfield. The three-year-old daughter of SidestepĀ was one of only nine entries for the 1100-metre Group 3 event, with Recommendation, Ashford Street, Honey Girl… Read More »
Renowned horse trainer Mathew Ellerton has returned to Australia after suffering a stroke while in Bali. The nine-time Group 1-winning trainer was flown back on Sunday via air ambulance and admitted to the Royal Melbourne Hospital. Ellerton’s wife, Leah Ellerton, and their son, Jacob, returned to Australia on Saturday night…. Read More »
Gary NicksonĀ has contemplated rare interstate excursions in the hope of find of finding a dry track for Felix Majestic, but the frustrated Warwick Farm trainer is giving Sydney’s weather one last chance. His stable star’s lone nomination this weekend is for the $160,000 benchmark 88 over 1400 metres at Saturday’s… Read More »
Apprentice jockey Lauren Burke is expected to be discharged from the hospital today after sustaining a compressed fracture in her lower back in a fall at Wangaratta. The 22-year-old was aboard Bella Nights, trained by Dylan Dunn, during the ninth race when her mount clipped heels and fell in the… Read More »
Ciaron MaherĀ strengthened an already-powerful Melbourne Cup hand via Berkshire BreezeĀ at Flemington on Saturday, further elevating himself in a market that is headed by a Group 1-winning stablemate. Circle Of FireĀ is advancing in his work towards providing Maher with a second win in Australia’s most famous race, two years after Gold… Read More »
