The Lindsay Park operation of Ben,Will and JD Hayes are sticking to their plans with Mr Brightside in their chase of a second All Star Mile victory. Mr Brightside heads to the Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday, looking to maintain a perfect record over that trip at… Read More »
The Hobartville Stakes will be a pivotal race for promising three-year-old Ceolwulf as trainer Joseph Pride searches for clarity on two fronts. Not only is Pride keen to narrow down the horse’s ideal distance range, he is also wanting to see a performance that warrants keeping Ceolwulf a colt. “He is going to… Read More »
Recent history has stamped the Silver Slipper as a key Golden Slipper form guide and with a select field stepping out this year, it is again shaping to be a critical pointer. Of the past 10 winners, three have gone on to capture the Golden Slipper (Farnan, She Will Reign… Read More »
The Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield is one of the toughest sprint races run in Australia with the pressure on from the outset. The 1100m Group 1 sprint on Saturday is a race Peter and Paul Snowden have won previously with Russian Revolution and the Sydney trainers are back again with… Read More »
The weather could be the deciding factor on whether Gold Trip makes his reappearance at Caulfield in preparation for the Australian Cup. The Melbourne Cup winner features among entries for the Group 2 Peter Young Stakes (1800m) on Saturday, which, if he starts, may be his solitary outing ahead of the… Read More »
Fukubana will be given his chance at Group level having won two of four starts to date, successful at $1.40 in a three-year-old handicap at Doomben last start and Matthew Dunn believes he can acquit himself well in the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes (1400m). A son of Dundeel, Dunn expects Fukubana to… Read More »
Trainer Matt Laurie is counting down the sleeps to the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes after his colt secured a favourable barrier draw in the race at Caulfield. Coleman has barrier seven in the 18-horse field that includes two emergencies and was the $4.60 favourite for Saturday’s 1200m dash after Tuesday’s draw…. Read More »
A trip to Caulfield for a pre-Oakleigh Plate gallop was precisely what the Te Akau Racing team wanted to see from Skew Wiff. The Mark Walker-trained mare will run first-up in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield on Saturday and was taken to the course for a confidence… Read More »
Coming out of retirement for one final challenge, three-time Melbourne Cup champion jockey Damien Oliver is gearing up for his final ride in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, this Friday and Saturday. Although Oliver had initially concluded his professional journey in Western Australia, the lure of competing on an international stage once… Read More »
In a vehement critique of the potential sale of Sandown Racecourse, legendary horse trainer Gai Waterhouse has labelled the action a “disgrace” emphasising the peril of disposing of key racing assets. Waterhouse, renowned for her insightful perspectives on the racing industry, asserted, “You shouldn’t be selling your core assets. I… Read More »
In a landmark move for Australian horse racing, the Victoria Racing Club (VRC), Tabcorp, and broadcaster Nine have forged a pioneering broadcast, media, and sponsorship alliance for the Melbourne Cup Carnival spanning 2024 to 2029. This historic deal, speculated to be worth as much as $80 million, aims to significantly… Read More »
The Blue Diamond Stakes field will be finalised in less than 24 hours, but Lindsay Park still does not know whether its filly who was one-time favourite will be a part of it. Bold Bastille’s Blue Diamond fate will be determined via a Tuesday morning track gallop, just a few… Read More »
Verry Elleegant, one of the great mares in the history of Australian racing, has died while giving birth to her first foal. The 11-time Group 1 winner, whose crowning glory came in the 2021 Melbourne Cup, died in France while delivering the foal she conceived after a meeting with Sea… Read More »
Bad luck has continued for talented stayer Soulcombe who will now miss the Autumn Carnival due to swelling to his off-front leg. Soulcombe was arguably the run of the race in last years Melbourne Cup finishing second after missing the jump. Soulcombe was the $13 second favourite for the Sydney… Read More »
Trainer Mike Moroney will unveil one of his Australian Guineas contenders in a jump-out at Werribee. Pendragon will have his first serious test on Australian soil when he lines up in the second heat on Monday over 1100m. The colt, by U S Navy Flag, is at Moroney’s Flemington stable preparing for… Read More »
Trainer Phillip Stokes is banking on residual fitness carrying two of his stayers a long way in brief autumn campaigns. Amade and Daqiansweet Junior, who competed successfully during the spring, are close to starting their autumn campaigns in coming weeks. The Listed Torney Night Cup (2500m) at Moonee Valley on Friday… Read More »
He has a handy record when he travels a horse to Sydney and Victorian-based horseman Grahame Begg has outlined plans for another raid on the upcoming autumn carnival sprints. Begg dipped his toe in the water at Randwick on Saturday when he saddled up Group 1 placegetter C’Est Magique, who finished… Read More »
Ciaron Maher expressed frustration and bewilderment at Craig Williams’ tactics aboard the heavily backed Jimmysstar, who succumbed to an upset defeat by $151 outsider Makram at Flemington. Maher lambasted Williams’ deviation from the race plan, asserting, “Craig just had an absolute brain fade.” “I don’t know why he did that…. Read More »
Gary Portelli feared Kimochi was about to be the bridesmaid yet again when Learning To Fly ranged up to her in the Light Fingers Stakes, but his filly showed great courage to kick back and land an overdue black-type win. The three-year-old had finished runner-up five times in 10 starts, four of those… Read More »
James McDonald has thrown out a challenge to Fangirl’s autumn carnival rivals, declaring it will take a mighty horse to get the better of her this campaign on the strength of her exquisite first-up display. Fangirl ($2.10 fav) made a one-act affair of Saturday’s Apollo Stakes (1400m) at Randwick, deftly rounding… Read More »
