Trainer Shawn Mathrick’s confidence in Rich Itch has been rewarded in the Listed Paris Lane Stakes at Flemington. Stepping up to 1400m for the first time in Saturday’s race, four-year-old gelding Rich Itch ($15) settled midfield under Dwayne Dunn before reeling in leader Romancer ($5.50) to win by a half-length…. Read More »
Chris Waller is more renowned for his patience with horses than as a trainer of two-year-olds but he is not immune to the instant gratification of winning juvenile races. Global Quest gave the premier trainer just his second win in the Listed Breeders’ Plate (1000m) at Randwick on Saturday, two… Read More »
Baccarat Baby booked a ticket to Melbourne for the spring carnival after her first-up win in the Gallopers Sports Club Handicap at Eagle Farm. Trainer David Vandyke said the $1 million Group One Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) for fillies and mares at Flemington on Derby Day will be her ultimate… Read More »
Trainer Grahame Begg has no doubt experience racing up the Flemington straight was a key ingredient to Mildred maintaining her unbeaten record at Flemington. A debut winner over 900m at Flemington on September 25, Mildred added the Listed Maribyrnong Stakes (1000m) to her record on Saturday. Her task was made… Read More »
Classy filly Gotta Kiss lived up to the hype and emerged as a genuine Magic Millions 2YO Classic contender after a dominant Eagle Farm win. Bought for $150,000 at this year’s Magic Millions sales, Gotta Kiss, the $3 favourite, won the TAB 2YO Fillies Plate (1000m) by 2-1/2 lengths. Trainer… Read More »
Popular Gundagai racing identity and former mayor Len Tozer has been honoured with the Simon Nivison Special Achievement Award at the annual presentations recognising excellence in NSW country and provincial racing. Tozer has been the secretary/manager of the Gundagai Race Club for 50 years. The Jenny Graham-trained Victorem, one of… Read More »
The path to another Melbourne Cup attempt continues for import Finche when the current favourite for this year’s $8 million race returns to Flemington for the Turnbull Stakes. The Chris Waller-trained Finche ran fourth in last year’s Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington at just his second Australian start and the… Read More »
Ahead of Surprise Baby’s bid to secure a Melbourne Cup berth, the TAB has taken a big bet on the lightly raced local stayer to win Australia’s most famous race. The Paul Preusker-trained gelding is in to $18 for the 2019 Melbourne Cup, with the TAB reporting one punter placed… Read More »
Doncaster Mile winner Brutal makes his highly anticipated spring return in the Premiere Stakes at Randwick and he is not there to make up the numbers. The Hawkes Racing four-year-old takes on Classique Legend, one of the top fancies for the $14 million Everest, and Osborne Bulls who will be… Read More »
A change in plans for two Everest contenders has led to the Group Two Gilgai Stakes at Flemington shaping as an important pointer to the $14 million sprint in Sydney. Heavy rain in the lead-up to The Shorts at Randwick two weeks ago prompted connections of both Santa Ana Lane… Read More »
THE METROPOLITAN HANDICAP 2400m, $750,000, handicap HISTORY * First held in 1863 and won by Regno * First held at Randwick in 1866 as the Great Metropolitan Stakes over two miles (3200m) * From 2001 the race has been run at 2400m, following numerous changes to distance * Upgraded to… Read More »
The changing face of racing’s spring carnival could signal a shift in the role of the Epsom Handicap, according to premier trainer Chris Waller. Saturday’s Randwick meeting has long been the showpiece program of Sydney’s springtime action with the Group One Epsom at its centrepiece. But the introduction of new… Read More »
Mystic Journey must pass a crucial distance test in the Group One Turnbull Stakes to keep the Cox Plate dream alive. But trainer Adam Trinder is confident the star Tasmanian mare and equal 2019 Cox Plate favourite will do just that at Flemington on Saturday. “She’s trained right on from… Read More »
Sixteen years after strapping Clangalang before his Epsom Handicap win, Amy Usher will make her Sydney metropolitan race day debut as a trainer with Lamelo. Andrew Adkins will ride Lamelo in the Saturday’s Group Three Breeders’ Plate, Sydney’s first race of the season for two-year-old colts and geldings at Randwick’s… Read More »
It has been almost 20 years since a mare won the Group One Metropolitan Handicap and trainer Mark Newnham believes Scarlet Dream is capable of breaking the drought. The Gai Waterhouse-trained Coco Cobanna was the last mare to win the Group One staying feature in 2001 and like Scarlet Dream,… Read More »
A small field will contest Melbourne’s first two-year-old stakes race of the season, including two juveniles who already have valuable experience. Saturday’s Listed Maribyrnong Trial Stakes (1000m) at Flemington attracted seven acceptors on Wednesday but has been reduced to five after scratchings. The line-up includes the Grahame Begg-trained Mildred and… Read More »
FLIGHT STAKES 1600m, $500,000, set weights 3YO Fillies HISTORY * Sydney spring carnival’s premier race for three-year-old fillies * Race named after champion horse Flight, the highest stakes winning mare in Australasia at the time and winner of the W S Cox Plate in 1945 and 1946 * Most recent… Read More »
Tea Rose Stakes winner Funstar and runner-up Probabeel have a stranglehold on Flight Stakes betting but rival trainer Jason Coyle is incredulous more trainers are not taking them on. A field of six fillies will contest Saturday’s $500,000 Flight Stakes (1600m) at Randwick and prize money aside, the Group One… Read More »
TURNBULL STAKES * Group One, 2000m, $500,000, set-weights plus penalties, four-year-olds and upwards. Run at Flemington on Saturday, October 5, 4.25pm HISTORY * First run as the Royal Park Stakes in 1865 and won by The Sign * Renamed multiple times, earning its current name in 1948 after then-VRC chairman… Read More »
The presence of some of the country’s best weight-for-age sprinters in Sydney and Melbourne has prompted a belated change of plans for Deploy who has been sent north in search of a confidence-boosting win. The only option for the seven-year-old at Randwick on Saturday was the Premiere Stakes (1200m) which… Read More »
