Sterling Alexiou hopes the Bureau of Meteorology has erred on the conservative side when it comes to predicted rainfall for Sydney this week. The trainer would love for Sydney’s first Saturday meeting of autumn to be run in traditional autumn conditions with Williamsburg to tackle the $1 million Group 1 Randwick… Read More »
This season is marking an inevitable changing of the guard in Australia’s elite sprinting ranks, but Joe Pride says that doesn’t mean the likes of his top galloper Eduardo and arch-rival Nature Strip are washed up. Nature Strip is being freshened for an attempt at a record fourth T J Smith Stakes win after… Read More »
If Mick Price has his way, victory in the Australian Guineas could be the last race start for Jacquinot. The Mick Price and Michael Kent-Jnr-trained three-year-old is already a dual Group 1 winner and success in Saturday’s Group 1 race over 1600m at Flemington would add to his stud value. Jacquinot won the Group… Read More »
Group l racing took place at both Randwick and Sandown on Saturday, where there were upsets, great story lines and a champion confirmed his status as one of the best in the post Black Caviar/Winx era. Down below is a review of the feature races. 2023 Surround Stakes Replay SUNSHINE… Read More »
Alligator Blood has sewn up a start in the All-Star Mile with his first-up win in the Group 1 Futurity Stakes at Sandown. The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained galloper was sitting in second place on the vote count for the $5 million All-Star Mile (1600m) at Moonee Valley on March 18… Read More »
An emotional Ben Thompson has landed his first Group 1 win with Uncommon James taking out the Oakleigh Plate at Sandown. A former Victorian, Thompson relocated to Queensland following a stint in Singapore and is married to former Victorian jockey Stephanie Thornton. Thompson credited recently returned multiple Group 1 winning jockey Danny Beasley for his mentorship during… Read More »
Anamoe has moved another step closer to earning himself a Royal Ascot appearance but not before he takes on a smattering of international raiders on home soil in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes. As the European contingent of horses arrived in Sydney on Saturday to prepare for the upcoming The Championships, Anamoe… Read More »
Lindsay Park trainers Ben and J D Hayes have continued the family tradition of winning Melbourne’s premier two-year-old race. Little Brose provided the Hayes brothers with their second Group 1 win in taking out the Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Sandown on Saturday. David Hayes, the brothers’ father, holds the Blue Diamond record of six wins, including a… Read More »
Sunshine In Paris’s small stature didn’t stop her from standing tall in the Group 1 Surround Stakes, but it almost prevented winning trainer Annabel Neasham from spying her in the blanket finish. In a thrilling four-way battle to the line, Sunshine In Paris ($11) dived through in the centre to deny… Read More »
Godolphin further strengthened its Golden Slipper hand with Corniche scoring an impressive Skyline Stakes win, while the Chris Waller-trained Lazzago ended the unbeaten run of Magic Millions winner Skirt The Law in the Sweet Embrace Stakes. That was the wash-up from the two juvenile races at Randwick on Saturday, three weeks out from… Read More »
Horse-based education and therapy projects stand to benefit from the latest initiative to support retired racehorses. Racing and Wagering Western Australia is launching a funding program which promises to assist a range of learning and wellbeing projects where off-the-track horses are involved. Head of Animal Wellbeing Anna Smet said the… Read More »
A recent trip to Sydney by Matthew Williams to a yearling sale ended up a fact-finding mission on where to stable lightly raced mare Toregene for an upcoming autumn campaign A veteran of six starts for four wins, Toregene commences her autumn in the Group 3 Mannerism Stakes (1400m) at Sandown on Saturday. And if… Read More »
Damien Oliver would like to add to his haul of 123 Australian Group 1 wins and thinks he has the horse to do it in the Blue Diamond Stakes. Perth two-year-old Brave Halo was selected as Oliver’s hope to give the jockey a second win in Melbourne’s premier juvenile contest which this… Read More »
Winning a Group 1 race at your third start sets the bar high and Richard Litt is the first t admit Profondo hasn’t yet delivered on his early promise. But he hasn’t given up on the 2021 Spring Champion Stakes winner and is bullish about his autumn carnival prospects if the tracks… Read More »
Stockman hasn’t featured in a brace of runs over two-miles, but Joe Pride is adamant the horse can bely that statistic this autumn. The six-year-old stayer is again on a Sydney Cup path, via Saturday’s Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) at Randwick, and his trainer is hoping for a case… Read More »
Almost a week on from his Black Caviar Lightning failure, Chris Waller has provided an encouraging update on Nature Strip. The Hall of Fame trainer on Friday morning reported that the eight-year-old had come through last Saturday’s sixth placing, beaten 2-1/4 lengths by Coolangatta, ‘nice and bright’ and was not displaying… Read More »
A good first-up record and a couple of handy lead-up trials has Godolphin trainer James Cummings confident Zapateo is ready to run a big race at Sandown. The four-year-old daughter of Brazen Beau makes her Group 1 debut on Saturday in the Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Sandown. A two-time winner at Group… Read More »
In-form training combination Grant and Alana Williams will be hoping their run of victories extends to the two-year-old ranks this week when Khutos lines up in the Amelia Park Plate (1100m) at Ascot. Khutos, a winner of both his trials, makes his debut in this week’s two-year-old event and is… Read More »
The racing future of star galloper Zaaki is in doubt with trainer Annabel Neasham sending him back to the paddock after being underwhelmed by his recent trials and trackwork. The multiple Group 1 winner was due to kick off his autumn in the Canterbury Stakes (1300m) at Randwick on Saturday week, but… Read More »
Star jockey Hugh Bowman will fulfil his engagements in Sydney this weekend after overcoming an illness that forced him to miss the midweek meeting at Happy Valley. Bowman was stood down from his Hong Kong rides on Wednesday night and there were fears he could miss Saturday’s Group 1 meeting at… Read More »
