Saturday’s Coolmore Classic (1500m) headlines seven group contests to welcome in the opening weekend of the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival. In what has been an rousing lead-up to the Autumn Carnival, an exciting field for Saturday’s sole Group 1 feature has been nominated to kick off proceedings, for what is… Read More »
There were plenty of naysayers when Danny Williams accepted with Shelby Sixtysix in the Group 2 Challenge Stakes last weekend, but the Goulburn-based conditioner has had the last laugh. In a field decimated by scratchings the five-year-old gelding surprised all comers by beating home champion sprinter Nature Strip and putting a scare into… Read More »
Spanish Mission no longer sits atop the market for Saturday’s Australian Cup, but Peter Moody could not be happier with the import less than a week out from the $1.5 million Group 1. Saturday’s 2000-metre event will be the second start in the Melbourne Cup placegetter’s first full preparation for the Pakenham… Read More »
Michael Dee will aim to put the disappointment of Saturday’s Australian Guineas behind him and refocus on another Flemington Group 1, this Saturday’s $1.5 million Newmarket Handicap (1200m). The New Zealander will team with star Kiwi mare Levante in Australia’s most famous sprint race. Dee will partner the five-year-old for the first… Read More »
Converge has a start in the All-Star Mile if connections want it with Racing Victoria announcing on Sunday that the dual Group 1 winner was its preferred replacement runner for the injured Elephant. Co-trainers Emma-Lee and David Browne revealed on Sunday that Elephant was suffering from a bone chip injury and would… Read More »
Melbourne racing fans may have seen the last of champion mare Verry Elleegant with Chris Waller confirming that the six-year-old would by-pass the All-Star Mile. The reigning Melbourne Cup heroine received more votes than other runner in the $5 million event, to be run at Flemington on March 19, but Waller said… Read More »
Richard Litt has not given up on Profondo’s autumn campaign despite the Deep Impact colt’s inglorious display in Saturday’s Australian Guineas at Flemington. The Warwick Farm trainer is keen to put the $1.9 million Gold Coast Magic Millions yearling’s failure as $4.60 favourite in the 1600-metre Group 1 behind him and… Read More »
John Thompson is hoping Le Lude’s overdue win in the Aspiration Quality is a portent of things to come, not only for the mare, but for the stable. The top trainer has been through a challenging period with his two best horses, Group 1 winner Dreamforce and multiple stakeswinner Sweet Deal, both… Read More »
A star colt returned in brilliant manner, a minor upset in the Randwick Guineas while a couple of Autumn Carnival features and their picture became somewhat clearer. All that and more in this weeks edition of ‘The Good, The Bad and The Ugly’. KEY NEWS: Hitotsu Outstanding In Australian Guineas… Read More »
New Zealand-bred mare Yonce will now attempt to add black type to her record after extending her unbeaten sequence with victory at Flemington. Yonce is now unbeaten in five starts for the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace stable following her win in The Schweppes Plate (1600m) on Saturday. Another of the Maher and Eustace-trained mares Marabi… Read More »
Bjorn Baker has capped an outstanding day at the office by taking out the final race in Sydney, pledging to donate his percentage of Belluci’s Babe prizemoney to the flood appeal. The popular trainer won feature races in two states on Saturday, capturing the Inglis Sprint and Bob Hoysted Handicap at… Read More »
Three decades after landing her first win as a trainer, Gai Waterhouse has celebrated another breakthrough victory, this time in the Randwick Guineas. Converge has given the trailblazing Waterhouse her first success in the three-year-old feature since it changed from the Canterbury to Randwick Guineas in 2006 and he has done… Read More »
Ciaron Maher and David Eustace have continued to turn training convention on its head with Hitotsu claiming the Australian Guineas first-up. During the spring Maher and Eustace had no hestitation jumping Hitotsu from the 1600m of the Caulfield Guineas to claim the Group 1 Victoria Derby over 2500m. Many thought that unconventional while no horse had returned… Read More »
A decision to change course and run Forbidden Love on a seven-day back-up in the Canterbury Stakes has yielded the ultimate reward for her connections and added an ironic twist to a career-milestone for jockey Hugh Bowman. Bowman landed a century of elite race wins when he captured The Metropolitan on… Read More »
Former Perth-trained mare Inspirational Girl has earned a start in the All-Star Mile with her last stride victory at Flemington. Having her third start in 15 months, Inspirational Girl claimed the Group 2 Blamey Stakes (1600m) on Saturday to give the Danny O’Brien-trained mare a start in the $5 million All-Star… Read More »
A bush sprinter has almost caused one of the biggest boilovers on a Sydney racetrack, splitting benchmark sprinters and archrivals Eduardo and Nature Strip in a four-horse Challenge Stakes that had it all. Shelby Sixtysix had won Highway Handicaps at his past two starts and was expected to be outclassed when he took… Read More »
Annavisto has appreciated the soft conditions at Flemington registering a stylish first-up victory. The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained mare rode the pace to take out the Group 3 Frances Tressady Stakes (1400m) on Saturday. The Flemington track was softened by overnight rain which Price said suited Annavisto as the mare tends to jar… Read More »
Quality colt Sejardan has reaffirmed his Golden Slipper claims while unheralded filly Seven Veils has announced hers with the pair taking out the two juvenile races at Randwick. Sejardan bounced back from his sole defeat in the Inglis Millennium, coming with a sweeping run to overhaul Boyfriend and win the Todman Stakes (1200m)… Read More »
Expensive yearling purchase Millane has made the perfect start to his career with victory at Flemington. The Peter Moody-trained two-year-old took out the Listed Australian Childhood Foundation Plate (1000m) on Saturday in another important victory for the Victorian Alliance. Purchased for $1.15 million at the Easter Sales in Sydney last year,… Read More »
There has been a differing of opinions in the trainer’s hut at Lindsay Park over whether Gentleman Roy or Nicolini Vito is the better horse. That question may be resolved on Saturday when the pair clash in The Schweppes Plate (1600m) at Flemington. Nicolini Vito is looking to extend his winning sequence… Read More »
