Due to the unfortunate abandonment of the race meeting at the Gold Coast on Saturday … which led to eight of the scheduled Magic Millions ten races being transferred to Thursday … the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sales has already been done and dusted. Traditionally, the belief has… Read More »
It might well end up being a case of where there is smoke there is fire … but, for now at least, Racing Victoria is pouring cold water on some of the possible specific changes to the Spring Carnival that have already been alluded to in some media outlets. Steve… Read More »
Co-trainer Steven O’Dea believes that a combinations of fitness and freshness can see the O’Dea/Hoysted team of four Magic Millions Day performers make their mark including Scallopini who as an eight-year-old can fire in the $1 million The Syndicate (1200m). An easy canter on Sunday and a gallop on Monday… Read More »
As one potential autumn hope of the Peter Moody stable is off to the paddock, the campaigns of others are beginning to ramp up. After a four-run campaign that began in October and netted three wins, including one at Flemington, Invincible Caviar has been turned out for a break. The Moody stable had considered a start for… Read More »
It was an important jump outs session for the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr stable at Cranbourne on Monday with stable stars and rising prospects taking the next steps in big race preparations. Kent Jnr described I’m Thunderstruck’s trial as ‘beautiful’ and earmarked a race day return in the Group… Read More »
Peter Snowden is in no doubt the right decision was made to postpone the remaining eight races on Saturday’s postponed Magic Millions Day card, and their three hopes in the 2yo Classic remain on track to perform well on Thursday. Empire Of Japan ($4.60 favourite), Sovereign Fund ($6.50), and Godfather ($31) compensated for… Read More »
Punters will get a taste of The Championships and other Group 1 features as the likes of Anamoe, Icebath, Mo’Unga and El Bodegon line up on official trials over 900 metres at Warwick Farm on Monday morning. Annabel Neasham’s Mo’Unga snared second placing in the Group 1 Champions Stakes (2000m) at… Read More »
A half-brother to Magic Millions 2YO Classic favourite Empire Of Japan put an exclamation mark on a brilliant Gold Coast Yearling Sale when the 2023 offering concluded on Saturday night. The colt by Exceed And Excel from the General Nediym mare Ichihara sold for $1.8 million when knocked down to Kia Ora… Read More »
The second running of the 2023 Group 2 Perth Cup saw the David Harrison-trained Buster Bash win by more than four lengths in an open race, but earlier in the card leading Perth jockey Chris Parnham earned the ire of stewards resulting in a ten-day suspension. Starting favourite at $5, Buster Bash… Read More »
One of the leading fancies for next month’s Blue Diamond Stakes will take the biggest step of her campaign at Cranbourne on Monday morning. Charm Stone is one of a number of big names from the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr stable who will trial over 800 metres. It will be… Read More »
The Robert Heathcote-trained Ekaterina is a $7 chance in early markets for the Group 3 Vo Rogue Plate at Doomben on Saturday. Ekaterina has started eight times for three wins including a dominant last start victory in a Benchmark race over 1400 meres at Eagle Farm on December 10. “She’s going well… Read More »
Two runs at 1200m this preparation had been good but the drop back to 1100m and some luck in running allowed Kir Royale ($5) to take out Race 10 on the card, a benchmark 78 contest over Forzanini and Snapped. Well backed race favourite Snapped was the talking point of… Read More »
Multiple Group 3 placings, including when last seen at Caulfield, meant the Joe Pride trained Mariamia had to concede weight to most of the field in Kia Ora Captivant at benchmark 88 level at Rosehill, something she was able to overcome. Sent around as an $8.50 chance in the 1100m contest,… Read More »
The Magic Millions race day on the Gold Coast was stopped after jockeys conducted a secret ballot to decide if the conditions were safe enough to continue. Fourteen millimetres of rain had fallen on Saturday resulting in the track becoming unsuitable after two races were run on the ten-race card…. Read More »
The Mike Moroney stable holds loftier plans for Snapper after the sprinter landed his first win at stakes level at Flemington. Snapper led throughout to claim the Group 3 Standish Handicap (1200m) on Saturday with the stable hoping the five-year-old will return to the track in a couple of months for a Group 1 sprint…. Read More »
The feature race meeting in the country today, the Gold Coast Magic Millions meeting has been called off due to the state of the track. The meeting was called off after Race 2 after jockeys and stewards came to the conclusion the track was not safe to race on. There… Read More »
Blake Shinn has secured his first win for the year when he guided NSW visitor Spirit Ridge to victory at Flemington. The Annabel Neasham-trained former UK galloper took out the Vale Sir Patrick Hogan KNZM CBE (2000m) on Saturday under a well-judged Shinn ride. Shinn spent the Christmas-New Year period on the sidelines… Read More »
Patience in racing is rarely used but for trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace it is one of their greatest virtues. With a large team of horses at their disposal, Maher and Eustace are not rushed in sending their horses to the races, especially two-year-olds. So, it was with interest to learn… Read More »
While focus may be on the Gold Coast this Saturday for the stable’s juveniles, Red Resistance ($3.70) backed up some smart trials to lead all of the way on debut in the Ned Australian Whiskey Handicap (1100m). Former leading Victorian jockey Brett Prebble, who has recently moved to Sydney, got… Read More »
Two of Alpine Edge’s three career wins came as a two-year-old prior to running second in the 2021 Magic Millions 2yo Classic but he is set to jump favourite with James Mcdonald in the Magic Millions QTIS Open (1300m). Alpine Edge was last seen at Toowoomba in the inaugural King Of… Read More »
