The planning of Grahame Begg has paid off with Nonconformist earning a start in the Caulfield Cup. Success in Saturday’s Group 3 MRC Foundation Cup (2000m) earned the Grahame Begg-trained galloper a ballot exemption into the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 16. The 2021 Caulfield Cup has been a… Read More »
There was a moment in the George Main Stakes, just before the home turn, when James McDonald looked up and saw rival Riodini had gone for home. Rachel King had given the Tulloch Lodge galloper his head, hoping to pinch the Group 1 race and McDonald knew it was going to take… Read More »
Nash Rawiller hatched a plan to replicate his Golden Slipper ride onFour Moves Ahead in the Tea Rose Stakes and he executed it to perfection as the filly surged to victory in the three-year-old feature. Four Moves Ahead was the first filly home in the Slipper, finishing fourth, but she had enjoyed… Read More »
Former New Zealander Atishu will attempt to follow the path blazed by Probabeel last year and claim the Bill Ritchie-Epsom Handicap double after taking out the first leg at Randwick. Now prepared by Chris Waller, Atishu ($3.50 fav) showed fierce determination to wear down leader Prime Star (fifth) then get the better of… Read More »
The old firm of Peter Moody and Luke Nolen have renewed their success at Group level taking out the Caulfield Guineas Prelude. The victory of Lightsaber in Saturday’s Group 3 race for three-year-olds was their most important since Moody made a return to training in May last year. Now the pair along with Lightsaber will chase a… Read More »
Bon’s A Pearler will be given the chance of chasing a Group 1 dream for her connections after scoring an upset win at Caulfield. The Kevin Corstens-trained filly came with a late flourish to claim the Group 2 Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m) on Saturday to set up her chance of success in the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) at… Read More »
Just hours after the Victorian Racing Tribunal decided that Jamie Kah was lying to them, she has taken steps to fight them at the Supreme Court. On Friday morning the Tribunal increased her already hefty ban from three months, which effectively costs her thousands and thousands of dollars from missing… Read More »
Jeff Penza has capitalised on the absence of Sydney’s top jockeys to plunder all three feature races at Newcastle, highlighted by his Cup win aboard the Chris Waller-trained Great House. With Sydney’s leading hoops unable to travel due to COVID-19 restrictions, Penza dominated Friday’s showcase races. Heading to the track for… Read More »
A wide draw has not dented Mark Newnham’s confidence in Spirit Ridge maintaining his undefeated record over the Kingston Town Stakes course and distance. Spirit Ridge has drawn barrier 17 for Saturday’s middle-distance feature but will jump from 14 if the emergencies don’t start. Newnham has taken heart from the… Read More »
Godolphin is hoping to add to its contenders in the upcoming three-year-old features when they run a couple of up-and-coming types at Caulfield. Brigantine and his James Cummings-trained stablemate Athelric are down to run in the Caulfield Guineas Prelude (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday. Athelric may not have an entry into the 2021 Caulfield Guineas, while Brigantine… Read More »
Te Akau stable star, nine-time Group 1 winner Avantage (Fastnet Rock – Asavant, by Zabeel) has been retired after suffering a tendon injury. At nine Group 1 wins, Avantage is the record-holder for her champion Australian sire Fastnet Rock (Danehill). The former Champion Two-Year-Old and Karaka Million winner, who has… Read More »
Co-trainer Michael Gangemi is confident Samizdat will handle his first shot at a Victorian Group 1 in tomorrow afternoon’s Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield. The gelding heads in the $1 million feature off the back of a win in the Belmont Newmarket (1200m) and a third placing in… Read More »
Trainer Symon Wilde is focussing on the Melbourne Cup with his promising stayer mare Tralee Rose. However, the Caulfield Cup may come on the radar if the mare is successful in the Group 3 MRC Foundation Cup (2000m) at Caulfield on Saturday. The winner of Saturday’s race earns a ballot exemption into the Caulfield… Read More »
Gerald Ryan has been waiting for the day that Mallory extends beyond a short-course journey, and it will finally arrive when she heads to Randwick for the Tea Rose Stakes. “I’ve been itching for a long time to get her to 1400 and 1600 metres,” Ryan said. The three-year-old has been… Read More »
At this time of the spring, a mare like New Zealand star Probabeel would normally be chasing the Group 1 action in weight-for-age races. But an early set-back meant the mare was not ready for those contests and her trainer Jamie Richards elected to follow a handicap path towards next month’s Cox Plate. After a first-up win at Caulfield… Read More »
Dual Group 1 placegetter She’s Ideel has one glaring omission from her resume – she is yet to win a stakes race. It is a statistic trainer Bjorn Baker is hoping the backmarker can finally rectify in Saturday’s Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) at Randwick. “She is yet to win a… Read More »
Duais might be the stable flagbearer but trainer Edward Cummings also has lofty ambitions for stablemate Prompt Prodigy. Placed in black-type company in the Tulloch Stakes during the autumn, Prompt Prodigy was nominated for two races at Randwick on Saturday, a benchmark assignment and the Group 2 Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m)…. Read More »
His family campervan isn’t quite as fancy as the accommodation at the Inglis Hotel, but trainer Gordon Richards is just thankful to be back in town with South Australian sprint star Gytrash. Twelve months ago, the down-to-earth interstate trainer went on the ride of a lifetime when Inglis snapped up Gytrash… Read More »
Apprentice jockey Kristy Bennett is thrilled and delighted to be given the opportunity of riding in her first feature race at Kalgoorlie on Sunday. Bennett will ride Media Baron for her boss David Harrison in the Listed Blue Spec Drilling Boulder Cup (2100m) and dreams of a fairytale result. Bennett, closing in… Read More »
Buoyed by the early-season form of two of Harmony Rose’s autumn foes, Mark Newnham is optimistic the Group 1 placegetter can make her mark during the Sydney carnival. Placed behind Lion’s Roar and Mo’Unga in the Randwick Guineas and runner-up to Hungry Heart in the Adrian Knox Stakes, Harmony Rose will make her spring… Read More »
