A gun sprinter booked himself a ticket for Royal Ascot, a training partnership got their first Group l while the Maher/Eustace camp continue to defy history. All that and more in this weeks edition of ‘The Good, The Bad and The Ugly’. KEY NEWS: Nature Strip Arrogant In TJ Smith… Read More »
A smart ride by Michael Dee has seen Cherry Tortoni break back into the winner’s circle at Bendigo. Success in the Listed Golden Mile (1600m) on Saturday was Cherry Tortoni’s first since taking out the Listed Adelaide Guineas (1600m) at Morphettville last May. The Patrick Payne-trained gelding invariably gets back… Read More »
Find out what the jockeys made of their mounts after the Group 1 $3,00,000 Star Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Royal Randwick. Craig Williams (Mr Brightside): “The way that this horse has come over from New Zealand in one preparation they just took the steps through his grades, really developed this… Read More »
Ben and JD Hayes have celebrated their first major as a training partnership with Mr Brightside landing an upset win in the $3 million Doncaster Mile at Randwick. Racing is in the blood for the third-generation horsemen, who are the grandsons of legendary trainer Colin Hayes and the sons of… Read More »
Nature Strip has joined star sprinter Chautauqua as a three-time winner of the Group 1 T J Smith Stakes and in doing so has all but booked his passage to take on the world at Royal Ascot. The big-striding chestnut started a $2.30 favourite and was at his lethal best,… Read More »
A gene test performed on Gundec has altered the thoughts the colt’s trainer Symon Wilde. Purchased to run in the Group 1 Victoria Derby at Flemington last year, Gundec has returned this campaign to win twice, over shorter trip. After scoring over 1209m at Geelong first-up, Gundec added the Listed Bendigo Guineas (1400m) to his… Read More »
Ciaron Maher has produced a training masterclass to claim the ATC Australian Derby with Hitotsu and in doing so capture a slice of history. No horse since Mahogany in 1993-94 had won the Victoria Derby – ATC Australian Derby double and Hitotsu managed the feat off the back of a single lead-up… Read More »
Find out what the jockeys made of their mounts after the Group 1 $2,500,000 Furphy TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick. James McDonald (Nature Strip): “It’s just unbelievable isn’t it. Three of them. He’s got the Everest, he’s won everything in Australia, he’s just an incredible incredible horse. This… Read More »
Fireburn has announced herself as Australia’s champion juvenile, becoming the first filly since Merlene 26 years ago to claim the Golden Slipper – ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes double. It was another breathtaking performance from the $2.50 favourite, who unleashed a devastating finishing sprint to overhaul She’s Extreme ($4.60) by 1-1/2 lengths… Read More »
Sirileo Miss continues to be a thorn in the side of the connections of Foxy Frida after the pair shared the spoils at Bendigo. Foxy Frida and Sirileo Miss had met on four occasions leading into the Bendigo Gold Bracelet (1400m) on Saturday with the latter holding a three-one advantage. Sirileo Miss defeated Foxy Frida… Read More »
The country town of Tullibigeal near Wagga Wagga will be the toast of the NSW Southern Districts after the Gary Colvin-trained Another One saluted in the $500,000 Country Championships Final at Randwick. The horse’s owners all have links to the tiny town, although the majority of them were at Randwick on… Read More »
Having just collected one rich two-year-old prize, trainer Henry Dwyer has his eyes on an even richer Victorian race. Hollerlujah took out the $250,000 VOBIS Gold Rush (1000m) on debut at Bendigo on Saturday as a precursor to The Showdown and it’s $1 million prize purse at Caulfield on April 23. Ridden… Read More »
Godolphin filly Honeycreeper couldn’t come away with a win in the Tasmanian Oaks, but she has put herself in a position to land an even bigger classic victory. Wearing blinkers for the first time, the three-year-old has demolished her rivals to claim Saturday’s Group 3 Adrian Knox Stakes (2000m) at Randwick… Read More »
Co-owner Nick Williams believes imported galloper Point Nepean can develop into a high-class stayer on Australian soil. Point Nepean claimed his second win, and first in Australia, when he led throughout to claim the RSN 945am Handicap (2400m) at Bendigo on Saturday at only his fifth race start. The Irish-bred son… Read More »
Semillion missed out on a Golden Slipper start but he has scored an important consolation win for his connections with a fighting victory in the Group 3 Kindergarten Stakes at Randwick. A $300,000 buy from the Melbourne Premier Sale, Semillion came to Sydney well credentialled having claimed the Inglis two-year-old… Read More »
With a touch of luck going her way, the Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained Asymmetrical could be lining up at Bendigo aiming for five straight victories. As it stands, Asymmetrical has been beaten only once in four starts ahead of contesting the Listed Bendigo Guineas (1400m) on Saturday. The only time Asymmetrical incurred… Read More »
Popular horseman Gary Bowen is somewhat disappointed he couldn’t train Karrakatta Plate contender and his home bred filly Baby Paris from his home base in Kalgoorlie, but he knows for certain she is in good hands with Colin Webster in Perth. “I would have loved to have trained her here… Read More »
Keith Ferrel will live every owner’s dream when he heads to the first day of The Championships at Randwick with three runners, two of them in Group 1 races. The New Zealand-born Ferrel is a part-owner of War Eternal, who will contest the ATC Australian Derby (2400m), Rule Of Law… Read More »
After a missed opportunity in another famous Randwick feature, the road to the Doncaster Mile hasn’t all been smooth sailing for import Numerian. But trainer Annabel Neasham is banking on the horse’s talent and liking for wet tracks to help negate his light build-up. Numerian wasn’t disgraced at his Australian… Read More »
Trainer Grahame Begg says he could not have Vespertine in any better condition ahead of a target race at Bendigo. The Bendigo Gold Bracelet (1400m) on Saturday has been planned for Vespertine after her second-place finish to Annavisto in the Group 3 Frances Tressady Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on March 5. Begg won the… Read More »
