It will be a difficult task for two Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained fillies to replicate the winning margin of their last start victories at Sandown. Star Of Chaos, a last start seven length winner, runs in the Thoroughbred Club Handicap (1600m) while Super Jenni Kay, a debut six length victor,… Read More »
Drawing the rails in a big race can be a boon or a burden, but Joseph Pride is happy for Private Eye to take his chances from barrier one in the Stradbroke Handicap. The Group 1 winner has been dealt a string of tricky gates in feature races, jumping from barrier 14… Read More »
Trainer Matt Cumani is still working out imported stayer Monbahar, but one thing the Ballarat-based trainer does know is the gelding loves the wet. That will be a bonus for Monbaher when he runs in the Ladbrokes Mates Mode Handicap (2400m) at Sandown on Saturday. The track on Friday was rated in the heavy… Read More »
An outside gate has dashed John O’Shea’s hopes of running Fashchanel in Group 2 company at Eagle Farm, but he is hoping to come away with a consolation win in Sydney. The mare has been scratched from Saturday’s Dane Ripper Stakes (1300m) in Brisbane after drawing wide and will instead go… Read More »
A turnaround in barriers has buoyed Matt Smith’s confidence that Esti Feny can make his presence felt in his rematch with last-start conqueror Huetor in the Q22. The Hungarian import endured a torrid run from a wide gate in the Doomben Cup (2100m) but stuck to his guns to finish sixth to… Read More »
Trainer David Vandyke is a master strategist who stays focussed on particular objectives no matter what hype any particular horse is surrounded with at any time, or what temptations in terms of race scheduling might apply, or what distractions (and arenât they always there) that might be in play. Vandykeâs… Read More »
Queensland trainers made a statement of their own when stopping the invasion from the southern trainers in its tracks in both the Group 1 Kingsford-Smith Cup (won by the Desleigh Forster trained Apache Chase) and the Group 1 Queensland Oaks (won by the David Vandyke trained Gypsy Goddess). The message… Read More »
A spell beckons for Royal Mile ahead of a spring campaign that his Mount Gambier trainer believes could see the gelding sneak a nice race. Royal Mile runs in the Ladbrokes Punters Assist Handicap at Sandown on Saturday before a brief spell. Trainer Lee Creek is planning an early foray into the… Read More »
A change can be as good as a holiday and it has certainly put a spring in the step of veteran gelding Inn Keeper as he prepares to make his debut for a new stable. The former Victorian will be one of two runners for Joe Pride in Saturday’s Bob Charley AO Stakes… Read More »
Eleven Eleven has had a near-perfect build-up to the $1.5 million Stradbroke Handicap and Greg Hickman admits that is his number one concern. The horse’s campaign has gone so smoothly, the Warwick Farm trainer is almost waiting for something to go wrong. “It is a little bit worrying, but everything is… Read More »
Huetor will be out to add to his already impressive Australian record when he lines up for the second time at Eagle Farm The Peter and Paul Snowden-trained former French galloper runs in the Group 2 Q22 (2200m) on Saturday after registering a breakthrough win at Group 1 level last time… Read More »
The Tony and Calvin McEvoy stable have elected to head to Swan Hill instead of their old stomping ground of Morphettville with sprinter Rock The Ring. Now with only a Ballarat base having last month closed their stable in the Barossa Valley of South Australia, the McEvoy father and son training… Read More »
A small gesture made one Sydney spring morning has led Tommy Berry to an unexpected date with destiny aboard Rothfire in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap. During one of the Queenslander sprinter’s Sydney trips, Berry walked past Rothfire’s strapper at trackwork and offered to ride the Robert Heathcote-trained horse in a gallop,… Read More »
After two inconclusive performances, Art Cadeau will get another chance to prove he can extend his brilliance to a mile, this time at his favourite track. The reigning Kosciuszko winner will line-up in Saturday’s Furphy Handicap (1600m) at Randwick where he has posted four wins from five starts, including a 1400m victory… Read More »
A wet patch on the turf track has forced Racing Victoria and the Ballarat Turf Club to switch Thursday’s meeting to the synthetic track. The track was inspected by RV Stewards on Tuesday and again on Wednesday afternoon and deemed it unsuitable to race on owing to a wet patch… Read More »
A daughter of first season sire Russian Revolution, Spicy Hotpot ($12) settled off the speed for jockey Tom Sherry and launched down the outside to post a runaway 1-3/4 length win over Lucky Variety ($5.50 fav) in Wednesday’s TAB Handicap (1200m) with Maritima ($6) another long head away third. It was Spicy Hotspot’s second… Read More »
Jumps jockeys are a tough breed as Steven Pateman can atest. Just 40 minutes before winning the E-Cycle Solutions Steeplechase (3280m) at Sale on Wednesday aboard to Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Runaway, Pateman had a fall from Hey Happy at the last jump in the E-Cycle Solutions Hurdle. Pateman was quickly to… Read More »
Evening folks, The Bill Whittaker Book Award for 2022 goes to Pioneers and Racecourses for Bob Charleys âearly racecourses in Australia and the people who shaped them.â âPioneers & Racecourses is a beautifully produced, folio-sized, coffee-table-type book of 204 pagesâ said Graham Caves of The Bill Whittaker Book Awards. âIt… Read More »
Penultimate One registered a rare feat for his dam and trainer when a debut winner at Bendigo. Penultimate One became the fourth winner of Jeunabaa to break through for his maiden win at Bendigo, the home track of trainer Rob Symons. The two-year-old by Redente was the first to score on debut when successful over… Read More »
There will be a little bit of the old and the new when David Pfieffer heads to Randwick to saddle up his first Sydney Saturday runners since returning from a nine-month ban. The trainer was suspended for 12 months last year, reduced to nine for his good record and co-operation, after… Read More »
